2013 Jeep Wrangler
New, more comfortable seats and a second, premium soft top upgrade make up the significant changes for the 2013 Jeep Wrangler. Otherwise, it stays the course, which for all intensive purposes, means it is still a highly capable off-road machine. The 3.6L Pentastar under the hood is rated at 285 horsepower/260 lb-ft torque and is paired with either a 6-speed manual (NSG370) transmission or a 5-speed automatic (W5A580). In terms of models, the 2013 Wrangler comes in five flavors: Sport, Sport S, Sahara, Unlimited and Rubicon. The first two are the entry level, bare bones models, with the Sport only being available in a two-door configuration. The Unlimited is the top of the line in terms of luxury and the Rubicon geared for extensive trail use. The Sport S and Sahara are positioned inbetween, with many a-la-carte features available.
Improved Suspension Articulation
One less obvious advantage that aftermarket bumpers can provide is improved suspension articulation and increased tire coverage. A lot of the JK Wrangler bumpers available on the aftermarket feature a stubby design that is shorter than OEM, leaving extra space in front of the tire. This allows for a bigger tire to be fitted with less chance of interference on the interior edge of the bumper. Of course, aftermarket bumpers bring plenty of other advantages too. They are made of high strength steel plate or tubular steel, both of which are thicker and stronger than the OEM piece. Further, they often integrate additional off-road ready features like pre-drilled auxiliary mount points, winch mount plates and d-ring recovery shackles.
Rocker Panel Armor
Another must have modification for any rock crawling 2013 JK Wrangler is a set of rock guards or rock sliders. These pieces attach to the underside of the Jeep and provide a tubular structure in which is designed to protect the rocker panels from trail damage and to help the Wrangler actually slide or bounce down off a rock when crawling. Rock sliders are typically made of mild tubular steel and coated with an epoxy or black powder coat paint. When selecting a set, it is important to check their mounting position. For true protection, the rocker guards need to be frame mounted. Cheaper sets mount to the pinch seam of the rocker panel, only providing a minor level of protection against small trail debris.
Trail Visibility
What's a JK Wrangler without adding any auxiliary lights? The truth of the matter is, it has never been easier or had such a wide selection of off-road lights to add to your 2013 Wrangler. Nowadays, LED is at the forefront of lighting technology, and for good reason. It's solid state nature make LEDs ideal for off-road lighting, as bumps and bounces are unlikely to damage them (as opposed to older style lights with a strung filament). In terms of choice, there are three main beam patterns. Flood, spot and hybrid. Flood lights are great for providing a wide field of illumination, but don't have the most powerful forward depth. Spot lights are the opposite, protruding forward to greater distances but narrow in scope. Finally, hybrid lights are a mix of the two, featuring specific lenses that mix spot and flood projection.
