Thelma Jane's Mods to Date

I could not do a lot of things all at once, since I was on a very limited budget. That was probably a blessing in disguise, since I had plenty of time to research before adding a mod. Also, I needed to be sure not to let the Jeep get too far ahead of the driver in terms of capability. It is good to learn to wheel in a stock Jeep and develop your skills before adding a lot of things to the Jeep.

Since I did not plan on off roading Thelma Jane, I did not include the factory tow hooks and fog light package when I placed the order for her. I had to add tow hooks after I got that first taste of "wheelin'," and I wanted them to look good, so I just ordered them through a DC dealership's parts department. Seems like the pair for the front and the single for the back totaled about $80. No one says you have to go with factory tow hooks, and you can get some non-factory ones much cheaper.

Another necessity for wheelin' is a CB radio. It doesn't have to be fancy or long-ranged. I bought the cheapest one they had at Walmart, a Maxxon, for about $40. I have since replaced it with an inexpensive Cobra model, but I got my money's worth out of the Maxxon before it died.

I traded in the factory 30" Wrangler GSA tires with 10K miles on them for a set of 31 x 10.50 BFG All Terrains. I got a killer trade in allowance on the factory tires, even though they had 10K miles on them. The All Terrains were a major improvement over the factory GSA's ( People say GSA stands for Get Stuck Anywhere.), but I later decided that I was going to be serious enough about wheelin' that I should get mud tires.

One of my very first wheelin' buds had a 2" Procomp spring and shock lift kit on his Jeep that he wanted to sell, so that he could get a bigger lift. I bought the lift kit from him for $200 installed and all! Couldn't pass up a deal like that.

I was ruining those beautiful Canyon factory wheels on the trails, and they were much too expensive to simply allow them to be destroyed. So, I ordered a set of AR767 wheels with 4" backspacing from the tire store where I also bought my mud tires. I was once again given a super nice trade-in allowance, this time on the All Terrains with 6K miles on them, and I bought a set of Mud Terrains..

The lift, AR767s, and Mud Terrains happened within just a few days of each other, with the lift being installed first. I did not get a picture of Thelma Jane with the lift before the AR767s and Mud Terrains were mounted. Here's a pic of her with all of the above items.

I almost forgot to tell about this mod, but it was a very important one. Often, when you come off a very steep bank, off a log, off of some tree roots, or off a rock shelf, the rear end of the Jeep will kind of slam down on something just as you drive away. Besides the danger to the gas tank itself, the fuel pump is at risk of being damaged, since it sits in the bottom of the fuel tank.

The factory "skid" is a joke, or at least they were up until the 03's. I doubt if the improvement made beginning in 03 is enough to make a Kilby unnecessary.

That Kilby skid is made of 3/16 steel, and it is some SERIOUS protection. It sure feels good knowing I have mine back there, and I know it has saved me some grief a few times.

I bought some Sun Performance rocker guards after doing a lot of research. I liked their looks, and they were of heavy construction. They are so strong that the Jeep can be jacked up anywhere along the length of them!

Those rocker guards have definitely paid for themselves over and over, because I would have had sheet metal damage many times without them.

Although I did not take a picture of it, I also bought a steering box skid, which is a REAL good thing to have. That steering box is just begging to be hit by something when you are wheelin'. For the newbies, the steering box is that round thing that hangs down just below the front bumper on the drivers side.

This was not an easy decision. I was afraid of the manners that a full time locker might have on the highway. Some people claimed they were not a problem, and other people said they were terrible.

I could not afford a selectable locker, like an ARB or an OX, so I had to be prepared to live with whatever quirks a full time locker would have on pavement.

The Detroit Soft Locker had a very good reputation for being well mannered on the street and nearly indestructible. I decided to go that route, and I bought the locker from West Coast Differentials for a little under $500. I can't remember the exact price, but I did shop around and got about the best deal a guy could expect.

The Detroit turned out to be a super nice mod! The highway manners are not bad at all, and that locker makes a world of difference on the trails! I have to thank my Jeep Buddy, Bob Arnold, for doing a fantastic job installing that locker for me. He got the backlash set perfectly! That's probably why that locker behaves so well on the pavement.

A winch is something that you buy and then wonder how in the world you ever got by without one. I truly, truly love that Warn 9.5 Ti of mine.

I decided to go whole hog and get a real top of the line winch, figuring that a winch can be almost a once in a lifetime purchase, if a guy gets a good one. I didn't really need the 9500 lbs of capacity, but the 9.5 Ti is built to last, and the electrical components are extremely well sealed compared to other winches. Also, those puppies are "purty." (Looks counts too, in my book.)

I don't know why I waited so long! No problems with it at all, and it really makes a huge difference on the trails. It doesn't effect my turning radius enough to be even noticeable, and that was my big fear. I knew it wouldn't matter in two wheel drive, but I was afraid that in four wheel drive out on the trails I would lose too much manueverability. NOT SO! I haven't failed to get through a tight spot yet that I would have been able to get through without the locker up front.

12. The only mod that I kind of regret is the set of corner panels for the tub. I had damage to cover up, and I wanted protection from future damage, so I bought some Poison Spider corner panels. Now, they are top notch panels, nice and thick for good protection, and they fit PERFECTLY. I just don't like the looks. I wish I had had them painted white before I put them on. Oh well, they were for protection, and they sure do that job.