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The Dealer Told Me Aftermarket Upgrades Would Void My Jeep Warranty We hear it all the time during Jeep-build consultations. Picture this: Clients considering the purchase of a new Jeep come into Axleboy Off-Road with questions about suspension upgrades, new bumpers, fenders, new tires, etc. We enjoy taking about Jeep upgrades, local Jeep clubs, and trails so a discussion may take anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes. Somewhere dur

The light rising over the bay bathed us in light, but it was the waves that had woken me. Not crashing onto the beach but like a whisper. Similar to belly breathing in Yoga with a long deep inhale culminating in a soft exhale. Thus began another day in paradise. This is life on the Baja. http://thenextbigadventure.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/DSCN9840_2181-1024x768.jpg The waves are again caressing the beach as I write this….the life of a freelancer, forever searching for an office with a

Regearing Your Jeep. If you own a Jeep, there’s a good chance you’ve already heard about re-gearing — but do you know what it actually entails and if it’s right for your 4×4? What do gears even do? Would you know the right time to re-gear? Our pros break it down for you. What do gears do? The gears that were factory-installed in your Jeep are designed to fit the ratio and the torque of the package your vehicle came with. “Gearing” itself

A leveling kit is one of the most popular upgrades for Ford truck owners in St. Louis. It brings the front end up for a stronger stance, improves tire clearance, and reduces factory rake. But when installed incorrectly, leveling kits can create harsh ride quality, poor alignment, rubbing, and steering wander — especially on Missouri highways. Ford F-150 and Super Duty trucks respond differently to leveling, so choosing the correct parts

Install These Jeep Parts. Every so often we’ll have a customer come in with a Jeep full of parts that they just ordered online and ask us how much it will cost to have it all installed. We are excited that people continue to take an interest in modifying their Jeeps and that our reputation for quality workmanship has spread throughout the Jeep community. We don’t like to turn away opportunities to work on Jeeps, but several years ago we adopted a fairly standa

Many St. Louis Ford truck owners upgrade to lift kits for bigger tires, better trail performance, and a more commanding stance. But the wrong lift kit — or an incomplete one — can lead to steering wander, harsh ride quality, driveline vibrations, and unsafe towing behavior. Ford trucks require lift systems designed around platform-specific geometry. This guide covers how to lift your Ford F-150 or Super Duty correctly and avoid the commo

So, I moved into the Jeep world in 1996. I started off at a Jeep dealer, and I quickly rose up. I was a shop foreman, working through the service department. In the early 2000s, one of my best friends bought a brand new Jeep Rubicon when it came out, and he took me out Jeeping with him, and within seconds I was hooked. I knew this was something I had to do. I wanted to do it within the dealership environment. The owners of the dealership weren't really int

Steering problems are common among Ford truck owners in St. Louis, especially after adding larger tires or suspension lifts. Wandering on the highway, loose steering feel, and bump-induced shimmy are symptoms of worn components or incorrect geometry — but they are entirely fixable. This guide breaks down the most common steering causes for Ford F-150 and Super Duty trucks and the upgrades that restore stable, confident control.

When our jeeps are bought new they come out with an all season tire, and that all season tire it's really designed to work everywhere, drive, pavements, snow, ice, rain. They're designed to last a long time and they're designed to be quiet. They don't do us very much good off road, and so if you're planning on doing some trails, or you're getting into some mud, or some grassy fields, it's definitely not the choice. The next step up from there is going to be an all ter

Upgrading to larger tires transforms the look and capability of Ford trucks across St. Louis, but it also changes the final drive ratio. This leads to sluggish acceleration, excessive downshifting, and weakened towing performance. Regearing restores lost torque and optimizes your truck’s drivability. This guide explains why F-150 and Super Duty owners experience power loss with 35–37 inch tires, how differential gears solve the issue, and what gear r

Here at Axleboy, we have found that a lot more women are getting into the Jeeping lifestyle. We want to make them feel welcome. We want to get their questions answered. We build trust with them and making sure that they feel that they can come to Axleboy and get the service and quality that they're looking for. One thing that we often hear is that at other places or dealerships, they just didn't feel respected, or they didn't get their questions answered. We make sure that that does not happen h

Upgrading to larger tires transforms the look and capability of Ford trucks across St. Louis, but it also changes the final drive ratio. This leads to sluggish acceleration, excessive downshifting, and weakened towing performance. Regearing restores lost torque and optimizes your truck’s drivability. This guide explains why F-150 and Super Duty owners experience power loss with 35–37 inch tires, how differential gears solve the issue, and what gear r

One of our favorite things about some of our clients is that they just love the Jeep lifestyle. They like putting the top down, taking the doors off that open-air, outdoor experience. here at AxleBoy OffRoad, we'll work with many different styles of clients. Whether that's the jeep lifestyle client that's put the top down, take the doors off, go for a cruise on a sunny day. Maybe heading up to Utah, doing some four-wheeling, one out in Moab, maybe rooftop tent to go on the back roads and get tha

We were just looking through all of our old emails and articles and realized we hadn't done a featured routes article in quite some time. And just because it may be cold, dark, and snowy in your locale, there's plenty of places to explore during the winter months! . In Search of Solitude? Overlanding and outdoor recreation in general has absolutely exploded since Covid hit 5 years ago. And those once hidden gems seem to have been discovered by the weekend warriors. But, if you know where to...Vi

Traversing the rugged topography of the Ontario Highlands, the Bush Chicken is a 730-mile loop composed of 60% gravel and 40% pavement. This guide details the track from the dense forests of Haliburton to the Ottawa Valley, highlighting key discovery points and surface conditions. Prepare for a mix of scenic backroads and technical terrain through this diverse geological province.View the full article

There's a particular flavor of sanctimonious bullshit that's infected the overlanding community, and honestly, I'm tired of pretending it's not ridiculous. You know the type - the adventure purists who've appointed themselves the Supreme Court of What Counts , complete with arbitrary rules, minimum requirements, and a smugness that could fuel a small power grid. According to these self-appointed judges, your week-long backcountry trip through the Rockies doesn't qualify. Your carefully...View th

The Verdict Up Front:   If you're tired of trash bags sliding down your spare or disintegrating after a season or two, the Blacksmith Camping 4WD Wheel Bag justifies its premium price. It's not flawless, but the Australian poly-cotton fabric and sleeve design solve the two most frustrating problems with wheel-mounted trash bags. Blacksmith Camping wheel bags are made from Aussie poly-cotton in their Adelaide workshop. Who Is Blacksmith Camping? Blacksmith Camping probably isn't on your radar...

The Verdict Up Front:   If you're tired of trash bags sliding down your spare or disintegrating after a season or two, the Blacksmith Camping 4WD Wheel Bag justifies its premium price. It's not flawless, but the Australian poly-cotton fabric and sleeve design solve the two most frustrating problems with wheel-mounted trash bags. Blacksmith Camping wheel bags are made from Aussie poly-cotton in their Adelaide workshop. Who Is Blacksmith Camping? Blacksmith Camping probably isn't on your radar...

Join the Trail Ambassador Program and turn your passion for overlanding into unforgettable adventures.View the full article

There are changes coming to East Coast Overland Adventures. We are currently in the process of re-designating the company from a for-profit LLC into a 501 non-profit. This will not affect the frontside of things here at ECOA. Our core mission isn’t changing, and we will continue to focus on education, but we are going […]View the full article

They say, “the third time’s the charm.” The first time in 2022 a larger group of volunteers under the leadership of Scott Ammerman (then the local Regional Coordinator for Tread Lightly!) put a big dent in the pile of trash that had been dumped over the hillside off Tank Hollow Road. The second time, earlier […]View the full article

Tons of Usable Surface, Sleeper System & Clutch Storage Capacity ADGU designs every system specifically for each make and model. Everything they engineer is tailored to the exact trim. The... The post Air Down Gear UP Drawer System Review 6th Gen Toyota 4Runner appeared first on Trail4R.com - 5th Gen 4Runner Mods. View the full article

There are a small handful of events I would bend over backwards to attend. At the top of that list, tied for first place with the Virginia Rooftop Tent Rally, is Adventure X Fest. For the sixth year in a row I managed to make it down for the event and, as usual, it did […]View the full article

For the last three years the team at Mountain State Overland has worked in conjunction with Tread Lightly! to do a service project in Monongahela National Forest prior to their annual Adventure X Fest event. Since 2023 AXFest has been held at the Experience Learning outdoor education facility on the backside of Spruce Knob along […]View the full article

Ram’s powerhouse pickup is back, and it’s busting into the New Year with some new upgrades and plenty of horsepower. Just shy of a year ago, the Ram TRX was discontinued, but thankfully, its absence was extended, and later this year, this beast will be back on Ram lots nationwide. The TRX has gained some performance bumps with 777 horsepower produced by the 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8 versus the 702 of the original version. We got behind the wheel of the OG TRX, and with 75 fewer horsepower,

Each year I have the privilege of being invited by the Toledo Jeep Festival to set up an “Off-Road and Overland Skills Area” showcasing a mix of overland vehicles as well as a number of off-road and overland themed workshops. I usually end up on the main stage as well. This has been going on […]View the full article

Ram’s powerhouse pickup is back, and it’s busting into the New Year with some new upgrades and plenty of horsepower. Just shy of a year ago, the Ram TRX was discontinued, but thankfully, its absence was extended, and later this year, this beast will be back on Ram lots nationwide. The TRX has gained some performance bumps with 777 horsepower produced by the 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8 versus the 702 of the original version. We got behind the wheel of the OG TRX, and with 75 fewer horsepower,

It’s no secret that I am, was, and shall always be a “Jeep Guy.” As outlined in Season 2, Episode 2 of the Echoes of Adventure podcast, the LS LJ is my 8th Jeep. Since then I’ve added the ’06 LJ “stock+” build, which is the 10th Jeep I’ve owned (so far). In the family […]View the full article

Imagine waking up to the sound of zippers unzipping on rooftop tents as the sun rises over the OC Fair & Event Center. The air is already buzzing with anticipation. You open your tent, step out onto the cool grass, and are immediately greeted by a camping neighbor brewing coffee on a tailgate. “Morning! Heading to Overland Essentials later?” they ask, offering a spare mug. This isn’t just a parking lot; it’s a pop-up village of adventurers, dreamers, and global travelers. Camping at

In our previous articles on vehicle electrical systems we talked a lot about the OEM components and some basic upgrades dealing with adding things like lights and associated switches. This article series is going to focus on auxiliary electrical systems, their components, and ultimately designing and installing an auxiliary electrical system into your vehicle — […]View the full article