Spring Off-Road Prep for Your Jeep

The good thing about off-road vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler is that they’re not confined to a specific season. If you want, you can take your weekend adventures all year long, things just change a little bit when there’s snow or ice on the ground. Regardless of whether or not you enjoy off-roading through the winter, you’re likely looking forward to the changing of the seasons, either for a change of pace or to finally bust your off-road Jeep out of storage.

Whether your Jeep has been in storage for the past few months or battling the seasonal conditions of off-roading in the winter, you’re going to want to do some preparations before heading out for the new season. We here at Jim Glover CDJRF want to make sure you and your Jeep are ready, so we’ve put together a checklist of spring off-road prep steps to take for your Jeep.

Winter driving usually brings with it a buildup of grime from salt, sleet, and snow. Although we don’t see the same kind of heavy or repeated snowfall as other parts of the country, these kinds of things can corrode and damage the undercarriage of your Jeep. Get your Jeep detailed or give it a thorough wash if you’re able to jack it up high enough, making sure to hit the frame rails, control arms, and skid plates. Don’t skip this step if your Jeep has been in storage, unless you gave it a thorough cleaning before storing.

Your tires and wheels are some of the most important parts of your off-road vehicle. They’re what keeps you in contact with the ground, and if you don’t have the right amount of tread or air pressure, your adventures might not go as planned. Inspect your tires and wheels for the following:

• Check tire tread to ensure you have enough depth to bite into mud
• Look for cracks or gouges along the sidewalls
• Torque the lugs to make sure they didn’t come loose
• Check and optimize your air pressure for whatever PSI you’ll need on your first drive

There are many fluids and filters found in your Jeep vehicle that need to be topped off or replaced, and spring is the perfect time to do it – especially after a rough winter season.

• Antifreeze/coolant
• Brake fluid
• Cabin air filter
• Differential fluid
• Engine air filter
• Engine oil & filter
• Power steering fluid
• Transmission fluid
• Windshield washer fluid

Make sure that winter grime and road salt hasn’t degraded the rubber bushings and seals on your axles, as you don’t want to experience any death wobble this spring. Check your tie rods, drag links, and track bars to make sure they’re still in good shape. If you notice a clunking sound when turning or if the steering wheel feels loose, you might need to replace something like a ball joint. Feel free to schedule a service appointment if you need someone else to take a look.

One last thing you’re definitely going to want to check is any and all of your recovery gear. Whether you’re the one likely to get stuck or the one helping everyone else out of jams on the trail, you want to make sure your gear is still up to the task after a season of either rough winter use or disuse in storage.

• Inspect winch cable for frays or kinks
• Ensure recovery straps are clean, free of dry rot
• Check first aid kit, emergency supplies — replace anything that has expired