So you’re used to driving your pickup truck around town and on the open road. Did you know that some of the most fun you’ll ever have in your life will be to take it off-roading? Yes, that’s right; a pickup truck driving over something other than asphalt! You may think this is only the domain of 4x4s like Jeeps, but a pickup truck is just as capable, and it can carry a lot more cargo!
It’s likely you are reading this because you own a pickup truck and the thought of taking it off-roading has crossed your mind. The trouble is, how do you know if your pride and joy is up to the challenge? Will it come out relatively unscathed, or are you going to end up with a mangled piece of metal that’s only fit for the scrapyard?
In today’s blog post, I’ll talk you through some of the things you need to add or change to your truck before you take it off-roading.
Lift Kit
It doesn’t matter whether you’re traversing across a rocky terrain or a desert. You need to ensure that your pickup truck’s suspension system is up to the task! If you’re planning on doing some extreme off-roading, you’ll probably destroy your stock setup. That’s why it’s important to upgrade to a more robust lift kit for your pickup truck.
You can get ones that just raise the height above standard and others that level the truck so that it’s not front-end heavy. Consider upgrading to gas shock absorbers and active suspension.
Electric Winch
It’s likely that you will come across a situation where you misjudge the terrain and end up stuck in a muddy swamp. You might even find your engine just hasn’t got enough power to climb a steep hill, even with an empty bed.
Whatever your reason for getting stuck, you’ll need to have some way of removing your pickup truck. Unfortunately, there won’t always be a rescue service on hand to help you out, so you’ll need a “Plan B”!
An electric winch is an excellent way to pull your truck out of any sticky situations. If you get a bumper-mounted one, you can easily attach it to a fixed object like a big tree in seconds.
Grippy tires
It’s important to have the right tires for the job when you go out off-roading. The tires you need will depend on the type of terrain and weather conditions. For example, winter tires with chains are useful in places where there is a lot of snow and ice on the ground.
And if you find yourself driving through a desert, you’ll need tires you can deflate that won’t damage your wheels.
Locking differential
There will be times where you need all four wheels to spin at the same time. Many traction control systems on pickup trucks allow each wheel to turn at different speeds. That’s because doing so offers better traction when going around corners.
When you need traction, and you’re going in a straight line, it’s vital your truck is equipped with a locking differential.
Thanks for reading today’s blog post; I hope you’ve found it useful for first next off-road adventure!
