Having the right parts on board could make the difference between walking out and driving out when you’re offroading.
Make sure that you have extras on hand for each of the following parts to fit your 4WD vehicle.
Keep in mind that many of your old parts can be used as spares in an emergency, so start saving them now.
Remember, you don’t need to bring every spare part you own on the trail; just bring the parts that are most likely to break or give out on the spot:
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Air filter
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Belts
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Brake line
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Fuel filter
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Fuses
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Hoses (and several sizes of hose clamps)
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Oil (and an oil filter)
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Spark plugs
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Tire valve stems with cores
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Tires (don’t forget a good full-size spare!)
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U-joints
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Vacuum line (a small piece)
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Wiper blades
Your aim is to think of all the components that would leave you stranded if they failed. Those are the ones to take along spares for.
A good rule of thumb is to take along anything that has already broken twice, because the odds are, it could happen again.
Since we’ve been married, my husband and I have owned 5 Jeeps (3 Wranglers and 2 Grand Cherokees). And when we’re not driving our own Jeep, we’re usually renting one (a 4×4 Wrangler on vacation). We keep a Jeep Bucket List of places that we’d like to go next, and we're always crossing more states off our list of 'Places That We’ve Jeeped in the USA'. As our daily driver, we keep the soft top on our Jeep Wrangler year round (and the back window permanently rolled up) so the dogs can enjoy the ride. Yep… even in the winter! I've been sharing my best Jeep ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998. When I’m not Jeeping or writing about Jeeps, you'll find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).
