The Wrangler was built to be modified. Its very design is so open-ended you can do just about whatever you want to it. Sure, you could leave it as it was in the factory, but you’d be missing out on so much of its potential. You don’t even need to be a gearhead to perform some of these modifications yourself. Even if you’re using the Jeep as your daily driver, it doesn’t mean you should leave the 2020 Jeep Wrangler alone. But where should you begin with your new Wrangler? Here are a handful of our favorite mods you should start with. And trust us, Wrangler mods are like tattoos. You’ll start with one, and pretty soon, you’ll get the itch to just keep adding on. And your local Jeep dealership can even help you install some of these mods.
Lifts
There really is a lift kit out there for everyone. Perhaps you just want to add a bit of height to your ride. There are lifts that basically are washers that are installed and add a few inches of height to your Wrangler. Sometimes this slight lift is enough for what you want to accomplish. Other times you might want to go with the full suspension lift, where you basically have a new suspension installed. This is solid when you have extreme off-road plans with your Wrangler. Of course, the suspension lift is far more expensive than the washer lifts. With this, it comes down to what you want to do, how much lift you want, and how much money you want to spend. But it’s amazing what just a few inches can do to your overall Wrangler enjoyment.
Brush/Grille Guard
You’ll find more Jeep Wrangler front-bumper alternatives and protective gear than any other vehicle on the road. Some of these are simple brush guards, which will add a protective bar in front of the grille of your Jeep. This adds another layer of protection and safety to your vehicle. However, if you’re going to add a brush guard, you might as well add some extra customization.
What can you do with your new bumper? Well, you can add more lighting, which is always a perk. You may also want to add tow hooks (if you don’t have any), and even a winch. Nothing gives your 4×4 more performance credibility like a winch. It’s basically there specifically to pull other vehicles out of stuck mud (although it can be helpful to pull yourself out from time to time as well).
Air Intake
The current air intake on your Jeep Wrangler probably isn’t all that exciting. It’s likely just a small tube connecting to a flat air filter. Well, if you’re going to be towing or putting your vehicle through difficult situations, you’ll want to increase the airflow to your engine. This helps give your engine more clean and continuous airflow, which in turn can help with your horsepower and acceleration.
There is plenty of room under the hood to install a new intake system. This is something you might be able to do yourself, but you might want to visit a trusted mechanic for this instead. It’s not a difficult modification to perform depending on the year of your vehicle, yet it is one you will be able to notice. It also adds that extra impressive look when you pop your hood.
Performance Chip
This is one you’ll need to be careful with, but as long as you follow your Wrangler specs, you can really maximize your engine performance with this. The chip, once installed, gives you a complete readout of everything your engine is doing and how it is performing. The information cluster on your Wrangler only gives you a small amount of information. Generally, this data is all that is needed if you’re a daily driver. However, if you’re looking to tow on a regular basis or you want to prepare your Wrangler for extreme off-road situations, having the performance chip allows you to customize how your engine is performing and squeeze out that extra bit of horsepower or torque when it’s necessary. It can also be helpful to simply have this complete information readout of your engine as it can help you diagnose issues without taking it in.
Soft Top
If you purchased your Jeep with a hardtop, you absolutely need to invest in a soft top. There really is nothing like taking the top off your Wrangler and driving it around town. It has the airflow of a convertible, and yet, you know you’re perfectly safe in your SUV (you can’t really say that when driving around in a convertible). However, on those days where it looks like it might rain, you’ll want to toss the top back on. Lifting the hard shell back into place can be a chore, but with a soft top, it is a breeze. With the investment in a soft top, you can keep this on during the summer months and then switch back in the winter. Just don’t keep both the hardtop and soft top on your Jeep at the same time.
Floor Liners
Here is an easy modification you can do yourself. The floor mats that come with the Jeep are fine, but if you are ever caught outside in the rain or have plans to take your Jeep off-road, you will want something a bit extra to protect the flooring. The last thing you want to deal with is saturated carpeting, which can then lead to rust on your floorboard (and that turns into all kinds of other issues). With high-end floor liners, you’ll protect your flooring from all kinds of weather conditions.
Soundbars
The Jeep Wrangler doesn’t exactly have a ton of spots to add speakers. The doors are removable, as is the roof. This kind of limits you to the speaker options the Wrangler came with. That doesn’t mean you need to accept a limited speaker setup, though. You just need to get a bit creative with it. That is where a soundbar comes in.
A soundbar is installed under the roof and can usually go right around the center roll bar. These soundbars will add two more speakers, so you won’t only have audio pumping from the dash and from the rear behind you, but from above you as well. Some of these soundbars can be installed with the roof in place, while others will need to be added once the roof is removed. The kind of soundbar you decide to go with is up to you.
Additional Lighting
We already pointed out some lighting mods for the bumper or brush guard. However, there are other lighting options you can consider. Having a flood/spotlight attachment near your side mirrors is great when you want to easily adjust and throw lighting on the road ahead of you. You can also opt for an LED light bar on your roof. This bar can be placed above the window, so it isn’t in the way when you remove the roof. When you want added lighting it isn’t difficult to add more to your Wrangler.
What Modifications Would You Make?
These are just a handful of our favorite modifications. In a perfect world, what modifications would you make? Sure, if you just bought a 2020 Jeep Wrangler, you might want to save some cash. We totally get it. Of course, once you start with the mods, it is so hard to stop. Jeep mods are the Pringles of the SUV world. Because once you start, you can’t stop.
