Cars - For Car Enthusiasts

OR/AT tires, obviously.

LSD is okay, it's not an absolute requirement but if you are noticing your wheels slipping often in the way you drive, an LSD can help prevent that.

You can also look into metal skid plates. They can protect your oil pan, transmission, and other parts close to the ground from rocks/logs that may puncture them from underneath.

A winch can be helpful if you get stuck in mud or a deep ravine or something. Can help you get out by yourself instead of needing to wait for another person to show up and offer to use theirs.

Upgraded suspension or a lift can help too but its highly dependant on if you plan on only staying on roads or not. If youre only going on roads and trails, stock suspension is typically fine. Anything more than that and youll have to upgrade probably.

OR lights (LED) are also helpful if you plan to do a lot of night time driving.

Good tires.

Limited slip differential, sure if you're significantly spinning a drive tire regularly.

Unpopular opinion: nothing else matters. You already have sufficient ground clearance.

Also keep what you have clean and maintained. Rust is usually the worst enemy in the long run.

About the suspension part. Depending on how long you’re really stressing and working your suspension and how fast you’re taking those Forrest roads I’d look into a suspension that has a remote reservoir. Just for the added thermal protection. If you have big money and want an all in one kit Carli suspension makes great kits for F2/350s. They address a lot of issues people have with the trucks and some claim it makes them ride incredible, but SFA says that might not still be close to an IFS truck/SUV.

Get a winch. You may be able to get one for your existing bumper, otherwise you’ll need a new bumper too, but the winch is completely worth it. Those backroads have little to no service and while you can use satellite phones and long range radios in personally someone that likes to rely on myself first. A winch on those roads is perfect. Especially in the snow when you can pull others out, or on the road when you get stuck in mud and can pull yourself out in a pinch.

Tires will be the biggest help. I’d buy either a built in air compressor, or get the ARB compressor in a box so you can air down and air back up when you need to. Lowering your PSI in them tires will make the ride on rough roads more compliant, prevent you from easily getting stuck in mud, and giving you a more sure footed feel. It’s gonna kill your MPG on the road though so airing up after is helpful. Potentially an auxiliary fuel tank or extended tank. Since you’re going off the path and may be out for a long time I always like keeping extra fuel on me for my trips out in remote places.

A good set of Maxtrax would be helpful. The truck weighs a lot so make sure it can handle it, and don’t rely on them, but they’ll work in a pinch. Especially if your truck isn’t 4WD.

Get a winch. If yoy get stuck in mud, better to get out in minutes than wait hours for help.

A skidplate can definitely help protect. You don't want a hole in your oil pan.

I drive on a poorly maintained 3 mile road to get between my house and the freeway.

A/t or m/t tires are a must.

Recovery board, camp shovel.

LSD would be nice. A locker might be better for getting unstuck. I’m assuming you don’t have 4wd?

Harbor freight has cheap winches that could get you unstuck but you would need to tie it to something like a tree.

Ultimately I bought a new bronco. Way more capable with 4wd, lockers. I kept my f250 but without 4wd it’s just too easy to get stuck.

Limited slips are always worth it, even on the street IMHO, of you drive in any inclement weather. You might look to see if there was a complete factory differential from a wrecked truck you could just swap in.

A shock upgrade is probably in order too. No need to go lifted, just better quality shocks.

I would see how the tires help since if they + traction control help enough with traction you might not need to worry about an LSD as much.

Upgraded shocks and springs can make a very noticeable difference. Good tires, too. But try not to bulldoze through potholes either way.

There's always the obligatory couch modification...

https://infosec.pub/post/3482311

😂🤣