This article contains affiliate links.

Are you the proud owner of a Jeep Wrangler? Then you already know how resilient and versatile they can be. But what good is the perfect off-road companion if your interior isn't up to par?

If it's time for an upgrade, look no further than these great seat covers! To fit any budget, find out which covers are best suited to make your ride and style shine while protecting that beloved driver’s seat from wear and tear.

Don't overlook this essential component of your driving experience-- get a read on some of the top-rated products today!

Many options are available for finding the perfect seat covers for your Jeep Wrangler. From waterproof and breathable covers to heavy-duty fabric and plush covers, it can be hard to decide which ones best fit your needs.

Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of the best Jeep seat covers so you can find the right one for you.

So, no matter which one you choose – whether it be a heavy-duty cover or something more luxurious – you can be sure that your ride's interior is getting just what it needs when it comes down to keeping its original look intact for years down the line!

Overview of Jeep Wrangler Seats and the Need for Seat Covers

Jeep Wrangler seats are popular among off-road enthusiasts but can be highly uncomfortable without the correct seat covers. There's nothing worse than finishing a long day of off-roading and having no support or comfort for your back or legs.

Thankfully, Jeep Wrangler seat covers exist to help keep you comfortable on those long days out in the wild. They come in various styles and materials, so you can find one that fits your needs.

The best seat covers are made of durable materials, with plenty of cushioning and support to keep you comfortable on even the most demanding off-roading trips. They should also be able to protect your seats from dirt and debris, as well as any spills or water damage that may occur while out on the trails.

Additionally, it's also important to ensure that the seat covers you choose are compatible with your Jeep Wrangler model so that it fits properly and securely. With all these things in mind, let’s look at the best seat covers for Jeep Wranglers today.

Benefits of Installing Seat Covers in a Jeep Wrangler

One of the most essential features of a Jeep Wrangler is its interior seating, which is why it's essential to protect it from dirt and wear and tear.

Installing seat covers in your Jeep Wrangler is one way to ensure your vehicle’s interior looks good for years to come. Seat covers not only add comfort and style to your Wrangler but also offer some other benefits.

One benefit of having seat covers in your Wrangler is that they can provide additional protection to the upholstery from dust, spills, and other substances. This can prevent further damage or premature wear on the interior fabric caused by exposure to these elements over time.

In addition, choosing a waterproof fabric such as neoprene or vinyl will provide an extra layer of protection against any liquids that might get spilled inside your vehicle.

Another great advantage of using seat covers in a Jeep Wrangler is increased comfort. Many aftermarket Jeep Wrangler seat covers use foam padding and breathable fabrics that provide an extra layer of cushioning while driving.

This can help reduce fatigue while traveling long distances and make it easier to sit in one spot for hours if you're taking an off-road excursion or camping trip.

Finally, installing stylish seat covers can add a personal touch of customization to your Jeep Wrangler's interior design. Depending on the type and brand you choose, you have endless possibilities for color and pattern combinations to tailor your ride according to your preference.

Top 7 Seat Covers for Jeep Wranglers

When shopping for seat covers, plenty of options are available to fit your needs. Whether you want something durable enough to stand up against mud, sand, and dirt or something more stylish with a unique pattern or color scheme, there is sure to be a perfect option!

To help narrow down the choices, we've compiled a list of the top seven Jeep Wrangler seat covers you can buy today.

1. Bestop Jeep Seat Covers

You may also want to consider the Bestop Seat Covers if you’re looking for a great option. Bestop makes more then soft tops. They make seat covers for early CJ's and Wranglers from 1987 - 2023.

These high-quality waterproof seat covers provide excellent air circulation while remaining waterproof and durable enough to stand up against any outdoor activity or weather condition.

The newer years will be airbag compatible.

The adjustable straps make them easy to install while allowing a snug fit that won’t shift around when you're on the move!

2. Rough Country Neoprene Seat Covers

Another great option is the Rough Country Seat Covers Set. They make protection for your Jeep seats from 1997 - 2003. These neoprene seat covers to provide maximum protection with water-resistant material and adjustable straps.

Not only do the Rough Country neoprene seat covers protect against spills, but they also offer to cushion and comfort while driving. You can choose from black or gray, depending on what best matches the overall look of your vehicle's interior.

If you're looking for waterproof seat covers, the Rough Country neoprene seat covers may be for you.

3. Diver Down Neoprene Jeep Wrangler Seat Covers

The Diver Down custom fit seat cover kits fit just like the factory installed them. Each cover is cut to a specific pattern to ensure it fits like a glove. 

Diver Down neoprene is extremely durable and is soft to the touch. They offer seven colors to get the perfect combo for your Jeep.

If you drive in the heat or with the top off, you'll appreciate the cool to the touch neoprene. This is especially true if you wear shorts or no shirt in the summer.

The back of theses covers has a map pocket to hide junk.

Like the others on this list, they are super simple to install.

4. Rugged Ridge All Terrain Seat Covers

Rugged Ridge makes several styles of seat covers. They offer water resistant covers and some have cargo storage on the backs of the seats. Their neoprene covers are pretty good.

Their seat covers are made to be easily installed. The hooks and straps are easy to use. If you're looking for seat covers for your Jeep, check out Quadratec to see the full line of Rugged Ridge covers. 

5. Oasis Leather-like seat covers

Oasis Leather-like seat covers are model specific and come in a variety of colors. There covers are made for 2007 - 2023  2 and 4 door Wranglers.

They have an installation video on YouTube that demonstrates step by step how to install them.

There are millions of Jeep Wranglers on and off the road. You can make yours stand out by upgrading your worn out seats with Oasis faux leather seat covers.

6. Aierxuan Jeep Wrangler JK JL 4-Door Seat Covers

Aierxuan seat covers are manufactured for 2007 - 2023 Jeep Wranglers. Be advised that the front seat covers will fit for 2-Door or 4-Door; while the full set will only fit the 4-Door.

These seat covers are waterproof and wear resistant with the faux leather, protecting your seats from spills, dirt and the harsh effects of the sun. They have an anti slip backing to keep the covers in place during aggressive off-road driving. 

These seat covers are airbag friendly for you and your family's safety. For their comfort, these are compatible with heated and cooled seats.

Installation is easy and takes about a half hour.

7. Katzkin Re-upholstery with Real Leather

Check out Katzkin Seat Covers if you're interested in real leather seat covers. They have professional installation across the US, and their custom seat covers customization is endless.

Katzkin has all the normal colors of leather along with tooled leather, exotic and wild colors to match any Jeeper's taste. 

The company also offers plenty of options to get it just right. They have piping, stitching, perforating, embroidering and embossing options.

Considerations for Choosing the Best Seat Covers for Your Ride

Jeep Wranglers are some of the most popular off-road vehicles today. They are reliable and durable, and they look great.

But when it comes to protecting your Jeep Wrangler’s upholstery against dirt, mud, rain, and other elements of nature, an essential accessory is a good set of seat covers.

Seat covers come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and materials to fit almost any budget or performance requirement.

When you’re shopping for a seat cover for your Jeep Wrangler, there are several considerations to keep in mind:

Jeep Seat Covers- Front seat covers? Rear seat covers? Or both?

When shopping for your Jeep Wrangler seat covers, you'll find that some manufacturers only offer the front seat covers. If you have the rear bench seat or the 4-door Jeep Wrangler, verify that the rear seat covers are included.

I've known a few guys that ran without their bench seats for a long time. They bought front custom seat covers, but when they installed the rear bench seat, the manufacturer didn't make the rear seat covers.

You'll get frustrated when the front covers on your Jeep seats don't match the rear seat covers.

Jeep Seat Covers- Material

First of all, consider the material of the seat cover you’re interested in. Vinyl is a popular option because it is resistant to water damage and abrasion; however, it can be challenging to clean if it gets too dirty.

Cloth covers provide good protection from dirt and wear but may require more frequent cleaning due to their absorbent nature.

Neoprene seat covers can provide excellent protection against punctures and tears while providing a comfortable feel –plus, they are also waterproof!

Finally, leather is highly durable but expensive; it may be worth considering if you keep your Jeep for many years.

Second, think about how often you will use your Jeep Wrangler. If you take it out on long off-roading trips frequently, you should use a more robust material that can handle extreme conditions without wear or tear.

On the other hand, if you use your Jeep mainly for leisurely drives around town, something lighter may do just fine.

Jeep Seat Covers- Features

Thirdly, pay attention to any special features that come with specific models, such as built-in lumbar support or adjustable straps that make installation more effortless than ever.

You may also want to check out custom fit options, so your seat cover fits perfectly over your Jeep’s seats without bunching or sagging in awkward places.

Additionally, some seat covers offer extra pockets to store items like maps or sunglasses while driving safely and securely. In contrast, others even have integrated armrests that add comfort when sitting in the driver's seat for extended periods.

Jeep Seat Covers- Cost

Finally, remember to factor in cost when choosing – cheaper doesn't always mean better seat covers! I get it. Jeeps are expensive by themselves and can be expensive to operate depending on how you drive.

While price should always be considered, don't sacrifice quality save a few bucks since this accessory will most likely need regular replacement due to its exposure to harsh outdoor conditions.

Instead, opt for high-quality materials that will last longer and offer better protection.

Choosing the best seat cover for your Jeep Wrangler doesn't have to be hard. With the right knowledge about materials and features, plus a bit of research into different brands available at various price points, you'll find one perfect for your needs and budget.

Summary of Benefits of Installing a Seat Cover on your Jeep Wrangler

Installing a seat cover is one of the best ways to protect and preserve the interior of your Jeep Wrangler. They are some of the easiest Jeep Wrangler mods you can perform.

Seat covers are an affordable and easy way to shield your vehicle’s upholstery from dirt, debris, spills, and wear and tear. They also keep your seats clean, comfortable, and looking new for years to come.

Seat covers for Jeeps come in various materials, colors, styles, and designs, so you can find one that perfectly matches the look and feel of your ride. The most popular types are made from neoprene, canvas, or leather.

Neoprene is water-resistant, which makes it perfect for rainy or muddy conditions, while canvas provides extra durability against wear and tear and UV protection from the sun’s rays.

Leather is luxurious but expensive; however, it can last long if you take proper care of it. No matter which types you choose, they will all provide excellent protection while still allowing you to show off your style.

You can even get custom-fit seat covers that will fit like a glove around the contours of your Jeep’s seating area. This ensures optimal protection without compromising comfort or style.

Another benefit is that many seat covers are machine washable, so you can easily keep them looking fresh and new after lots of use.

Finally, installing a seat cover on your Jeep Wrangler will add an extra layer of security. They are designed to stay in place when driving on rough terrain or during extreme weather conditions such as windy days or snowstorms.

With all these benefits, it's no wonder why so many Jeep Wrangler owners choose to install a seat cover!

Jeep Wranglers are fun, stylish cars that many drivers enjoy taking off the beaten path. But because of all the rough terrain they're designed to handle; their seats can take a beating. That's why seat covers are such an essential accessory for Jeep Wranglers.

They protect your upholstery from stains and dirt and add a bit of extra cushioning and padding to make your ride more comfortable. If you're in the market for seat covers for your Jeep Wrangler, be sure to check out our top seven picks.

Sauna has so many health benefits and is an absolute joy to use. But what happens when the next pandemic shuts down the local gym? It happened to us, and we decided we would eventually install a basement sauna.

We had already finished the gym and slowly built up a decent amount of workout equipment just before the covid hit in early 2020. We had the benefit of having a blank canvas because our basement was unfinished when we bought the house.

If your basement is finished, it'll take a little work, but it is doable. This is how I installed our basement sauna and a simple guide to give you an idea of what it will be like when you build a sauna in your basement.

I'm sure the company (Saunafin.com) I bought mine from will agree that I'm not a professional installer. I'm sure I installed our sauna differently than how they intended. But in the end, just like my welding projects, I did it my way.

Steps to build a sauna in your basement.

The first step to building a sauna in your basement is verifying whether you need a building permit. I can neither confirm nor deny whether or not I got a permit for it. 😉

You may also want to verify the residential electric codes.

Framing the sauna walls and ceiling.

In Wellington, Colorado, you have to frame the walls as floating walls. That's why you'll see the 3-inch gap at the bottom of our sauna's walls.

The ceiling height was 83-1/2", and our frameless glass sauna door was framed with a rough opening of 27-1/2 x 76-1/2".

Supports for the upper bench were framed at the height of 33" at the top and 16" for the lower bench. The heater stud supports were framed at the height of 26". Most of the studs were framed at typical 16" centers.

The inside of the sauna walls with upper bench support stud at 33" at the top and 16" on the top support for lower bench.

I used that 3-inch space to install the inlet ventilation to the heater. I had to trim the baseboard, so I milled out the baseboard trim with a CNC router.

Routering out sauna air inlet.

Above is the baseboard trim milled out to use as a heater air inlet vent.

Looking at the floating wall from the inside to the air inlet vent.

Once the wall was finished, I installed the air inlet vent cover under the heater.

Running the electrical and ventilation.

Your basement sauna will require power for lighting and the heater. The lighting will be 110v power, and the heater will require the same or 220v power. The heater we purchased required 220v with a 30 amp, two pole breaker.

Sauna wire 10-2 Romex

According to the sauna's instructions, a wire capable of 194 degrees and 300 volts was needed. I ended up using Romex 10/2 wire for this.

Sauna wiring.

The wiring for our basement sauna is fed from the breaker to the controller. From the controller, 220v is distributed to the heater.

Sauna controller wiring.

A temperature sensor is also mounted 1 to 2 feet in front of the heater on the ceiling. I used a 3/16" drill bit to drill a hole in the cedar to feed the control wire from the sensor to the controller.

Testing the sauna power.

I framed a small square in the ceiling of the sauna for an adjustable vent that came with the sauna kit. From the air vent, I ran a flexible 3" metal hose to an air register on the outside wall.

Sauna adjustable air outlet vent line.

Sauna air outlet vent.

Insulating the sauna.

Insulation is required to hold the heat in the sauna. I used the boxed store insulation bats. You essentially install them between the studs like regular walls. Just cut to fit.

I installed the bats without paper facing. My framing was with 2x4 lumber, so I used R-13.

Installing the reflective barrier.

The sauna kit should have a reflective barrier to help reflect heat into the sauna. It's fairly easy to install. Installation is simple: rolling it out and stapling it to the studs. You'll want to overlap the seams by roughly 3 inches.

The instructions said not to tape the seams. So, I didn't. Who says guys don't read instructions?

Covering the sauna ceiling and walls.

Covering the sauna ceiling with cedar seemed to be the way to go. When I started the interior walls, I installed the first course of cedar a 1/2 inch off the flooring as the instructions recommended.

You'll want to ensure you hit each stud when you nail the cedar tongue and groove. You'll also want to nail in the tongue to hide the nails.

Along the corners of the interior walls, you can nail anywhere as long as it's within a 1/4" from the corner, as trim will cover the nails.

The nails should be galvanized to prevent rusting with the steam the basement sauna will create.

For the last course, I ripped the board on a table saw at an angle to make installing the last boards at the top easier. I don't know if it's the right way, but it worked for me.

Constructing the benches.

The benches will be built by marking lines on the walls where your pre-framed support studs were installed. Verify the supports are level and screw them through the cedar and into the studs.

The bench tops should be screwed from underneath to hide the screws and prevent someone from touching the hot metal.

Depending on your basement sauna floor plan, you may have an L-shaped upper. Our sauna was designed for an upper L-shaped bench with a lower bench.

Benches built, backrest and upper skirt installed.

Our kit had a bench skirt to hide the space between the benches. To install the skirt, you can use a laser to mark out lines to keep everything square and level.

I built them outside the sauna with 1" screws from the backside for aesthetic reasons. Once the backers were installed, I nailed the skirt with the finishing nailer between the slats.

I used the excess wood, which was supposed to be door trim for the bottom bench skirt.

Installing the sauna heater.

The heater hangs on two brackets secured through the siding and into the support studs with screws.

Sauna heater installation.

Once the heater is hung, wire it up according to your kit's instructions.

Sauna heater wiring.

After the heater is installed, you'll want to install the rocks. I washed the rocks before placing them in according to the manual.

Heater rocks and heater guard built with 2x2s.

Next, you'll want to frame the guard around it to protect users from getting burned.

Installing the floor cedar kit.

Our kit came with an option for a floorboard kit. Once again, you'll want to use screws from underneath for aesthetics. I could have installed the flooring kit before the heater guard; however, we wanted to be able to pull them up for cleaning.

Sauna floor kit and lower bench skirt installed.

I essentially made them into sections that fit together like a puzzle.

Trimming out the sauna and sauna door.

The corners of the sauna are trimmed with 1/2" square trim. I trimmed the door for the exterior walls to match the rest of the house's trim.

Next, I installed the nice light shade.

Light shade installed.

Sauna exterior door trim completed.

Break in test.

You'll want to test run the sauna heater for 30 minutes with the door open with nobody inside. The sauna heater has oils and residues that must be burned off before use.

When I performed the test, it set off the fire alarms in my basement. I had to open two windows to flush out the air.

The one mistake I made.

I framed our sauna before I leveled the basement floor. Yeah, I know, a boneheaded mistake to say the least. I had planned for the 1/2" marble tile, but not the 3/4" leveling compound.

It forced me to cut out the door header and the drywall. Not hard, but I wasted time that I didn't have. Don't be me; level your concrete floors before framing the sauna.

First sauna session.

Our first sauna session was killer. It proved that the money was well spent, and the work was well worth every hour (it took me three or four days to finish it). It was especially rewarding to see the smile on my wife's face.

Along with the feeling of accomplishment, it felt cozy, comfortable, and divine! We sprinkled water with eucalyptus on the rocks. It opened my sinuses and got me sweating like I'd stole something.

FAQs On building a basement sauna.

Does a basement sauna need a drain?

According to everything I found online, only commercial saunas are required to have drains on the floor.

Is it cheaper to build your own sauna?

I think it's cheaper to build your own sauna. If you were to hire it out, it would cost you an arm and a leg. There are some cheaper pre-assembled kits on the market, but I know in my heart they're not as lovely as the one I ordered from Saunafin, and you won't get the custom look.

How much does it cost to build a sauna in your basement?

We ordered the top-of-the-line kit from Saunafin with all of the options for a 5 x 6 sauna, and all in, it cost me around $7300, including everything purchased from the local box store. This price includes shipping from Canada to Colorado.

The price is worth it to us as it's an excellent way to relax, and the feeling you get from building it yourself is priceless. You'll get serious bragging rights!

Final thoughts on building a sauna in your basement

Building a sauna is a lot of work and can be expensive, depending on your method. I chose the DIY basement sauna method to save money and have the flexibility to do it my way.

In the end I went from this:

To this:

Our Basement Sauna

I can't say enough about the wood that came from Saunafin. I'm sure I could have saved a little extra money by purchasing the tongue and groove locally; however, I doubt I could have purchased a better-quality white cedar than they offer.

Their staff was super helpful and always friendly to work with. If I had to do it again, I'd go the same route, but I'd level the floor first!

If you're thinking of performing a basement sauna install, check their kits out and do it. Basement saunas aren't challenging to install if you have a little skill.

Hopefully, this guide gave you insight into what's involved with DIY basement saunas. If you are building a sauna, how's it going? We'd love to hear how your project is going.

If you're shopping for a quality sauna kit, get in touch with Saunafin at 1-800-387-7029 to see what they can do for you.

Field welding is a great way to weld metal pieces together in any location – either indoors or outdoors. This form of welding offers many advantages, including convenience and mobility – which can be especially important if you're working with something too large to transport inside easily.

However, some potential downsides come along with this type of welding. In this blog post, we’ll explore what field welding is, examine its pros and cons, discuss safety precautions when performing outdoor welds, and provide helpful tips on how best to ensure your work looks great.

What is a field weld?

Field welding is when a weld must be performed at the location of the final installation. This can be due to the size of the equipment being welded. This can be structural welds, and another example would be piping and pipelines.

In the oil field where I work, we aren't allowed to have flange sets as they're potential leak points. With environmental precautions in mind, all pipelines are welded. Stick welding is the most common welding process used for this.

Another example of field welding is structural steel fabrication. Structural steel fabricators often have to perform a field welding repair on location. It may be required for new construction as well. Stick welding is the welding process used for this application as well.

Most often, stick electrodes are used rather than a wire feeder. Flux-cored welding techniques could be used. However, the leads tend to be shorter and thus require the welders to be closer to the workpiece.

What is the purpose of field welding?

The purpose of field welding is to make welding repairs on equipment that can't be removed from their location due to size, time, and resource availability.

There are also times when even flanged piping can't be pre-welded due to the installation running between floors and walls of process facilities.

The other purpose of field welds could be during in-service piping weld repairs. This type of field repair is often welding sleeves in a corroded section of pipe.

What is the difference between shop weld and field weld?

Shop welding processes are performed in a controlled environment where MIG welding equipment can be used. The MIG welding operation gas prevents airborne contaminants from creating poor weld quality.

Field welding is often performed outside and therefore requires stick welding. The self-shielded processes are required as a MIG setup would lose all of its gas required to protect the weld joint.

Field weld inspections.

Field welds will have to be inspected. If it's piping, there will generally be an operational step to have non-destructive testing performed to verify weld quality. This is an accepted practice under API-570.

These inspections can be performed using high- and low-level x-ray and ultrasonic inspection techniques. However, the latter is generally used to verify enough base material metal to be welded before field work.

The x-ray technique requires coordination with operations and other crafts in the area to prevent accidental radiation exposure.

A quality control inspector and engineering groups will inspect structural steel welds.

Shop welding with a hydrostatic test.

I've seen hydro testing performed on the drill sites on highly long pieces of pipe where flange connections were available. It can be done, but with a ton of scrutiny and math due to fluctuations in outside temperature and windy conditions.

Performing shop welds better and hydro-testing the spool after welding is better than performing x-ray inspections in the field.

Reasons Shop welding is better Than Field Welding-

• Components are at a constant temperature.

• Fabricators are more comfortable in the position.

• Easier inspection methods.

• Constant voltage.

• Removed from potential hydrocarbon-rich environments.

• Better welded joint, in my opinion.

• More choices for filler metal.

• Plasma cutting availability.

Welding Processes Used

Typically, field welding is performed with the stick welding process, and in some cases, flux-cored welding techniques are used.

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (Stick welding process)

Stick welding uses electrodes that create protective gas as it's burned to protect the molten metal. Engine-driven stick welder will have longer leads than a wire feed setup and have plug-ins for other welding tools.

Pipe welding.

With pipe welding, there are many considerations with field welds that might not be required with welding structural steel. Scaffolders and insulators may be required to prepare the repair location. Operations staff may need to cut rates or energy isolate the pipe.

In-service pipe welding packages require a heat loss test performed. Heat input is added and then allowed to cool. Depending on the product temp flowing through the pipe and how fast the flow is will determine if the joint will cool off too fast or not.

If a heat loss test can't be passed, metal shavings are then collected to determine if the field welding repair can be made. Mag particle testing is quite often used.

If pipe sections have to be removed to perform the repair, it's possible to remove flammable material from the pipe. No longer are you allowed to cold cut the pipe and light a torch on one end to burn out the flammable material.

To safe out the line, it may require diesel flushing and steaming to get it cleaned. In some cases, welding plugs can be used with a nitrogen purge to keep the welders safe.

Field welding pros and cons.

Every welding process has its pros and cons. Field welding is no exception. Here we'll cover the pros and cons, so you better understand them.

Field welding pros-

• No chance for a weld bust due to fitment in the field.

• Saves time-consuming demolition and reinstallation.

• Pipelines can be restarted faster for production. (Happy customer.)

Field welding cons-

• Location can be undesirable.

• Added costs and equipment. (Scaffolding, manlift, wind wall construction.)

• Field inspections can be burdensome.

• Premature failure due to ambient temperature issues.

• Potential contamination and other defects.

• Location can limit the welding processes that can be used.

• Field welding adds other crafts. (Insulators, scaffolders, electricians if heat traced, energy isolation, potentially steaming to evacuate hydrocarbons.)

Final thoughts on field welding.

Field welds have their applications. Whether it is required for a structural steel project or running a pipeline, there are reasons to use the field weld. They can be faster and just as effective if performed correctly.

With all of the pros of a field welding repair, there are things to consider. Field welds have an even greater level of scrutiny than fabrication shop welds.

Environmental considerations should also be considered. Wind, temperature, weather, and welder safety must be considered. Additional PPE and work boots may be required if your welders work in an arctic environment.

Hydrocarbons and H2S in process facilities create a whole other hazard in itself.

The welding types need to be considered along with the types of filler metals required per the welding procedure.

Hopefully, this post has given you a better understanding of the field welding process and how it can have both pros and cons. We use it all the time in the oil patch where I work. If we can remove it and perform the welding in the shop, it's always the preferred option.

If you are new to cutting sheet metal, you should know that you can cut and shape sheet metal easily.

When it comes to metal fabrication, it’s always good to have some extra tools around to help you work with metal, and it is not only the proper equipment but also the correct way to use them.

You need to ensure that you get the right information about the tools available for metal cutting and fabrication. Whether welding tools, forming tools, or cutting equipment, you need the right tool.

This is a very simple list of sheet metal working tools. At least you'll know what is available.

The Different Types of Sheet Metal Forming & Cutting Tools

You need some heavy-duty metal working tools and accessories working with mild steel. Aluminum metalworking is the same. Here's my list of items you should have in your shop if you can purchase them.

If the price scares you, there are cheaper options from sites like Woodward Fab, Eastwood and Amazon.

Metal Cutting Tools

Cold Cutting Saw

A cold-cutting circular saw offers a clean way to cut steel and aluminum without the stock getting extremely hot. Eastwood is selling the one I bought. It comes with a guide to keep your cuts straight.

Check out their Mini Metal Saw specs and features on their website.

Chop Saw

Chop saws are great for cutting mild steel and aluminum metal. There are two different types of chop saws. The older kind uses abrasive discs cut through. The newer style that I recommend, and use is the Evolution Chop Saw.

The Evolution uses a cold-cut blade for faster and cleaner cuts. Its adjustable blade makes angles easy. You can touch the workpiece right after the cut as there is limited heat buildup.

Check the price of the Evolution Chop Saw.

Sheet Metal Shear

The Woodward Fab sheet metal shear does a good job cutting through steel material.

Tubing Notcher

If you work with tubing, you'll need a tube notcher. This tool takes the guesswork out of marking and cutting tubing. Used to you'd have to trace a line around the tube and then cut and grind to meet your next tube.

All of that has been eliminated with the tubing notcher.

Plasma Cutter

A plasma cutter is a machine that is a must around any metal fab shop. A plasma cutter can slice through thick material, and if used properly, this tool can create intricate cuts and angles with no need for dangerous gas, like a torch.

You can do a lot with a plasma cutter as long as you know how a plasma cutter works A little practice will clean your cuts right up..

Metal Shaping Equipment

There are lots of metal-forming tools out there for shaping metal. You name it. They probably have it. If not, hopefully, you have the skills and fabrication equipment to make what you need.

Drill Press

A drill press is one of the simplest metal fabrication tools that one could own. They are great for performing the repetitive task of drilling holes in metal. It's one piece of equipment I use all the time.

They all have adjustable tables to adjust the capacity. Their capabilities are endless. Besides drilling, you could mount hole cutters to punch different diameter holes into steel.

One note of caution, the accuracy is better on higher-quality machines.

Bead Roller

A bead roller can make louvers, door panels, and floor pans. You can handle fairly large workpieces if you get one with a deep throat depth.

A bead roller is a cool sheet metal fabrication tool that can make things look sharp and strengthen sheet metal simultaneously. It forms beads, flange bends, and offsets depending on the dies used.

The roller forms the metal as the workpiece is clamped down. As you roll the piece through, it forms lines and can be used to make curved lines.

Both Woodward Fab and Eastwood sell bead rollers. Woodward Fab has one for sale on Amazon that is a pretty good price with free shipping.

Metal Shrinker & Stretcher

A metal shrinker and stretcher can help take the washboards out of sheet metal bends. It is another tool that isn't always needed but is nice to have when you do.

As the name implies, you can help stretch metal around corners and shrink on the indies of your bends to keep your project looking straight.

Hammer and Dolly Set

If you're doing bodywork, you need a hammer and dolly set for fine-tuning your sheet metal. They work well for removing dents and smoothing out welds when installing patches on body panels.

Metal Brake, Shear & Roller

A combo machine that can roll thin sheets is good for bending and shearing. Some come with a large throat depth for larger sheet capacity. This tool is handy for battery stands, air ducts, floor pans, and anything else you can imagine.

Woodward Fab and Eastwood both carry these.

Planishing Hammer

If you have to perform a lot of sheet metal forming, such as body panels, you need a power planishing hammer to get the job done. These heavy-duty hammers will make short work of metalworking auto body panels. Their large design offers great capacity.

You can see them at Woodward Fab, and another company has a build-it-yourself kit if you want a little more welding time.

English Wheel

An English wheel takes a lot of practice; however, you can make some cool stuff. This is by far one of the harder tools for sheet metal fabrication tools to master. I tried it once on a buddy's wheel, and it was just made for good entertainment.

Here is a video of Make It Custom on how to use an English wheel.

Dimple Dies Set

Dimple die sets are a cool way to give your project some customization. Not only do they look good, but they strengthen your sheet metal. The bends act like beads from a bead roller. They naturally keep the sheet metal from flexing.

Woodward fab offers sets of dimple dies at an affordable price. They cut the sheet metal into perfect holes. If you keep tightening them, they'll leave a perfectly flared-shaped dimple.

Metal Grinding and Sanding Tools

I'll roll right through these as they're pretty self-explanatory. For every job you perform to create your project, you'll either need to grind or sand.

Before welding, you need to prep the metal before striking an arc. Using a sander or grinding tool will save time and money by removing slag and mill scale.

Angle Grinder

An angle grinder should be in every metal shop, period. This tool is probably one of the most used tools in my toolbox. You can sand, grind and cut. One of the great features of the angle grinder is its ability to get into tight places.

Bench Grinder

Bench grinders are another great tool for working on small components that need grinding. I always use this machine when I'm rounding off round stock.

Die Grinder

A die grinder is an air-operated tool that takes small flap discs and other accessories for grinding, sanding, and polishing. Die grinders are great at getting into tight-fitting spaces that would be too tight for an angle grinder.

Belt Sander

A bench-mounted belt sander is nice for cleaning edges and deburring cut steel. The longer the belt, the cooler the belt will stay, and the longer the belt's life.

Cheap metalworking tools.

Several companies sell affordable fabrication tools. I've found that you can get away with cheaper ones. Most of the tools nowadays are made overseas. It's not that I wouldn't like to buy American all the time, but I'm just like most people trying to get by.

Woodward Fab, Eastwood, and Amazon all have affordable prices on power tools, and welding gear and you can shop their respective store online.

Final Thoughts on Metal Fabrication Tools

You can buy many different equipment and machines to create awesome projects in your shop. There are more tools than this list but look at 17 cool metal fabrication tools.

If you're just starting out, it can seem like a lot to take in. It's just like eating an elephant. Take it one bite at a time. I always reinvest a third of the money I make back into my shop. If you do the same, your toolbox will be full in no time.

I could have mentioned the bandsaw, clamps, and other items, but I've already covered them in the article "33 Welding Tools Every Beginner and Accomplished Welder Needs".

I didn't mention milling machines or lathes on purpose. They were covered in "What is metal fabrication?" At some point, I'll do individual articles on milling machines and lathe work.

Leave a comment below if you've tried any of these or think of things to add to this list. I'd love to hear your thoughts and hear about a recent project you worked on.

Are you fascinated by welding but unable to wrap your head around the various types of welds? You're not alone! Sometimes it is tricky to know how every weld type works and what purpose they serve.

This article gives you a perfect idea of the different types of welding and their applications during the metal fabrication process. 

The Different Types Of Welds-

The most common weld type is the "fillet weld," named after its cross-section view's shape. Other types include plug welds, flange welds, backing welds, seam welds, and surfacing welds, which will be discussed later in this article.

This article aims two-fold; first, to help you discover the various weld types and types of welding, and second, to allow you to learn about their real-life applications.

Fillet Weld

As one who is new to welding, the fillet weld will likely be your first weld joint to learn as it is accepted to be the most commonly used weld. What is a fillet weld? It is a solid connection between a vertically-positioned plate and a horizontally-positioned plate.

Both pieces involved in a fillet weld are usually perpendicular (as in an L or T joint). You can have them joined together as overlapping pieces. An essential reason why fillet welds are typical is how cost-efficient they are.

In addition to being affordable, fillet welds are considered more economical than groove welds (which we will discuss as we go on).

They are helpful in construction that requires significant welds, as in steel construction. Anything other than a fillet weld in this situation is not economical.

Another plus for fillet welds is their ability to hold a considerably heavy load. What is quite unfortunate, however, is that professionals—at least in the welding community—do not deem fillet welds fit for practical use in projects where loading is dynamic to the welding site.

The different types of welding include:

Full fillet weld

In the full fillet weld, the diameter of the weld is the same as that of the joined metal.

Staggered intermittent fillet weld

This type refers to two intermittent weld lines on a joint. A perfect example is from a tee joint, where the increments of the fillet are staggered in one line when compared to the other.

Chain Intermittent fillet weld

This type of fillet weld refers to two lines of staggered fillet weld in a T or lap joint. In this fillet weld type, the welds on both lines are opposite.

Another term for intermittent welds would be stitch welds.

Groove Weld

Groove welds are a weld of a joint in a groove. 

A good example that adequately captures the groove weld is the joining of two beveled workpieces. 

The beauty of groove welds is that they allow the joining of parts of a workpiece in the same plane by simply depositing welding beads between them into the groove.

Compared with other types, the groove weld takes more time. It requires the beveling of the two pieces with a bevel machine or grinder. The weld is the same, but job preparation takes longer.

However, the groove weld creates a stronger weld better for complete penetration. Groove weld applies to the following:

• Pipework or pipefitting 

• Hollow structural steel connections like handrails

• Column splices

Surfacing Weld

The surfacing welding process is welding to the surface of the workpiece rather than in a joint. This welding technique can achieve specific dimensions, replace, build up, or repair worn metal surfaces.

Surfacing welds contribute the wear-resistance layers of metal to the surface of an object, strengthening it. 

This welding technique is a cost-effective means of prolonging and protecting the shelf life of tools and equipment used for aggressive work or in an application that has increased wear potential. You can enhance the final weld quality using a surfacing weld with square butt joints.

Listed below are common types of welding that you will likely come across:

• Furnace fusing

• Gas metal arc welding surfacing

• Plasma arc surfacing

• Oxy-acetylene surfacing welding

• Submerged metal arc welding surfacing

• Submerged arc welding surfacing

• Gas tungsten arc welding surfacing

Plug Weld

Plug or rosette welds are circular welds made through a hole in one of the members in the joint. The entire scope of plug welding is to fasten two different surfaces together, utilizing a little hole in one of the pieces.

The weld is applied to the inside of the hole, joining the two together.

Plug welds are commonly applied in the automotive industry instead of spot welds when there isn't sufficient space to take the equipment for spot welding. The resulting weld's quality is usually more robust than a spot weld.

Plug Welding Uses:

You can also use this welding type to repair holes in aerospace components that are pretty expensive, restoring them to a brand-new state. Plug welds help cut costs and are applicable in the following:

• Used in welding rod or bung ends in a pipe or tube
• Plug welds can join metals of varying thickness
• Useful in manufacturing and repair of automotive components such as floor pans

Slot Weld

The slot weld is a type of weld made in a hole in one member, joining it to the surface of the other member. The cavity exposes the second member. The elongated hole may be open at one end or entirely or partially filled with weld filler.

The significant difference between a slot and a plug weld is that the shape of the plug weld is determined only by its diameter. The shape of the slot weld is characterized not only by the diameter but also by the length.

Slot welds come in handy when a rewired overlap between two surfaces occurs. Below are unique applications of spot welds:

• Used in the transmission of shear force in lap joints
• It helps to prevent the buckling of overlapped parts

Flash Weld

Flash welding is a known method to eliminate the need for filler metals. When creating flash welds, a current passes to form a resistance between two distinct surfaces.

When the surfaces are brought together at a point, the applied current flows through them and melts the material. The melted material is what you see as a distinctive flashing when they exit the joint in a spray of particles. Among the molten materials are contaminants and oxides.

When there's enough melted material eliminated, an applied force joins the surface of both metals. This process is what facilitates a butt weld that is devoid of residual melted metal in the joint.

The process of flash welding is economical, fast, and able to join metals that are not similar at different melting points.

Flash welds uses are:

• Joining workpieces that are thick, such as pipes and chains
• Connecting sections of mainline rail
• Fussing metal sheets, bars, and rods

Seam Weld

Seam welds are a type of weld that allows workpieces to be welded along a progressive seam and overlapped. People create this unique type of weld through two different methods:

Resistance Seam Welding

Resistance seam welding involves the process of spot welding but with motor-powered wheels rather than a fixed rod for the welding electrodes.

A picture of a seam welder 

This type of seam welding is popular in the fabrication of metal sheets and manufacturing components of automobiles such as radiators, steel drums, and fuel tanks.

Friction seam welding

In the friction seam welding process, heat occurs through friction in place of stationary electrodes. This welding type helps to get rid of any occurrence of interdiffusion.

The friction seam welding method is perfect for materials that are naturally hard to weld using conventional methods.

Below are a few benefits of seam welds:

• They provide durable and sturdy welds
• Seam welds are pretty easy to perform
• They are suitable for the manufacture of gas and liquid-tight vessels.

Spot Weld

Spot welds use a technique called "spot welding." In this technique, welding occurs between two workpieces as spots. You can think of this as a form of resistance welding that is adopted to bring together at least two metal sheets without filler material.

The ideal way of making spot welds is by focusing electric current on small spots between adjoined metal sheet surfaces—shaped electrodes made of copper help to pass the electric current needed to join the two metal sheets.

The applied current starts to melt the metal. Once melted, the current is removed, and steady pressure is maintained as the molten metal material starts to harden, producing a spot weld.

Like the earlier reviewed weld types, the spot weld is inexpensive and easy to create. They are also a popular choice of weld in industries like:

• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Electronic
• Firearms manufacturing
• Building of metal furniture

Upset Weld

Upset welds are consequences of resistance welding processes that produce fusion across an adjoined surface area. Upset welding can be done concurrently along a joint by combining pressure and heat.

Pressure is first applied before and during the welding process to create heat. The heat produced during upset welding comes from the resistance to the free flow of electric current at the contact points between both surfaces.

You'll find upset welds used in wire ring fabrication, construction of wheel rims, burner rings, and every other circular part of a machine that has a small cross-sectional area.

Using upset welding affords you some distinct benefits, like:

• High-quality welds with fewer fusion defects
• It is compatible with various workpieces that are pretty difficult to join together.
• Welding equipment that is easy to control, operate, and maintain

Frequently Asked Questions

Are joints and welds the same?

Joints differ from welds. The five main joints in welding are:

• Butt joint
• Lap joint
• Corner joint
• Edge joint
• Tee joint

How do I identify a good weld?

The primary sign of a good weld is uniformity. A good weld has excellent penetration and uniform heat transfer, indicated by the bluish heat marks on the metal workpiece. 

What type of welding is most beginner-friendly?

MIG welding is beginner-friendly because it is effortless to learn. MIG welders use a wire that runs through the entire machine quickly, making the welding process consistent and fast.

What are the different types of welding processes?

flux cored arc welding FCAW

metal arc welding GMAW

metal arc welding SMAW

Tungsten arc welding GTAW

Welding it Together

Here you have it; the various types of welding designed to meet different needs. From DIY projects to heavy-duty industrial work, you can always trust the above list of weld variations to be ideal for various situations.

The key focus in choosing what type of weld is best for your project is the uniqueness of each type. While some welds are cost-effective and ideal for backyard tasks, others require some level of expertise to create.

What factors determine the best weld for your project? Well, it depends on what you want and how you want it done. As you gain experience with various tasks, you will know.

In addition to choosing the proper weld for your daily project, below are a few safety rules to adhere to:

• Always be sure that the welder and tools are in good working order

• Do not weld if there's not enough ventilation

• Ensure you are wearing PPE

• Weld only in areas that are fire safe.

This article contains affiliate links.

The Jeep Wrangler is a remarkable off-road rig. Like everything, there's always room for improvement. The title of this post is "Top 100 Jeep Wrangler Upgrades", when it should have been titled "Top 107 and counting Jeep Wrangler upgrades".

There is so much aftermarket support for the Jeep brand that it's hard to identify only 100 upgrades. This list could go on forever, however, for brevity's sake, we'll leave it at 105 for now.

In this post, we'll cover exterior, interior, performance and overlanding upgrades. Some of these could fit in multiple categories.

Table of Contents

Exterior Upgrades

The exterior Jeep Wrangler says a lot about your Jeep and your use of your Wrangler. Here is our list of exterior mods that are both protective and functional.

1. Bumpers

Face it, the factory bumpers are designed to offer minimal protection for your vehicle in the event of a crash. Sooner than later, you'll bump your Jeep into an obstacle.

The options are almost endless. Perform a good search to find a quality bumper that meets your requirements.

If you've got some skills and the imagination, you could fab up your own bumpers.

Aftermarket bumpers offer better protection and make your Jeep look better as well. Some brands offer winch plates, light mounts, recovery mounts for D-rings and protective guards for the winch and grill.

You could weld a bumper from a kit or build your own DIY bumpers.

2. Tire Carrier

Jeeps carry the weight of their spare tire on the tail gate. The tailgate is fine with the stock tire size. Add the weight of an extra-large spare while off-roading and you'll soon have problems.

Tire carriers built by the off-road companies are generally mounted to their bumpers and some can be mounted to any flat surface.

Not only will an aftermarket carrier stand up to the weight, but it'll also allow for a drop down tailgate.

Or you could build your own if you can weld with a quality hinge kit from Amazon and latch system.

3. Cargo Racks

Jeep vehicles are small by design. Their small design allows for easily maneuvering around obstacles. The small design unfortunately limits storage space, especially on 2 door Jeeps.

Find a cargo that will fit your Jeep and budget.

Check Price

Adding a cargo rack doubles the storage and offers a place to mount pioneer tools, overland tents, lights and other accessories.

4. Rock Sliders

Rock sliders protect your Jeep's body along the bottom edge when driving over logs and boulders.

Find rock sliders that'll fit your Jeep.

Check Price

5. Tube Fenders

Tube fenders are a practical way to enlarge the wheel opening on the front and rear to allow for larger tires. There are generally offered in multiple widths to keep mud and debris off the Jeep.

See the selection of tube fenders at Extreme Terrain.

Extreme Terrain

Poison Spyder

6. Fender Flares

Fender flares are a good way to open up the wheel wells also. I was once pulled over by the Alaska Highway Patrol because my Wrangler's tires stuck out past the stock fenders. I bought aftermarket fender flares to stay legal wave the fine as it was a fix it ticket.

Fender flares are a great way to open up the wheel wells for larger tires. 

Check Price

7. Body Armor

Body armor is a good way to protect the corners of your Jeep and if done right can look pretty cool. It was originally designed to cover damaged and rotted out corner panels on older Jeeps.

Protect your Jeep's rear corner panels or dress up damaged ones.

Check Price

8. Radiator Grill

If you drive in colder climates where the road service gravels the road or you travel gravel roads you'll likely want a radiator grill for protection.

Protect your Jeep's grill from rocks and gravel.

Check Price

9. Versahitch

If your vehicle tows a trailer and is required to carry other racks off the back then you should check out the Versahitch. It can me used for mounting D rings for recovery and tons of other implements.

Click below to see it on Quadratec's website.

Check Price

10. Winch

A winch is another must have tool for any serious offroader. There are ton of quality models out there. Be sure to choose a winch that is rated for your rig and then some.

Warn has been around for a long time with their trail tested winches.

Check Price

11. Spare Fuel Storage

Nothing is worse than worrying about running out of fuel. You can repair a vehicle, however you can't just refine fuel. Adventure further out with extra fuel storage. Several systems are out there for fuel and water.

12. Spare Water Storage

If you overland and like the comforts of a shower, you'll have to carry extra water. You might as well get a system to carry water and fuel.

13. Soft Top / Summer Top

Nothing is cooler and says Jeep like driving topless. Not that kind of topless. It's fun until rains, hail, extreme sun or dust storms arrive. If you have a hard top, you'll want to invest in a soft top or Bimini top for protection and peace of mind.

This one is the same one we run in the summer on the 2011 Rubicon.

Check Price

14. Hood

Your hood can do more than just provide protection for your engine and vital components on your vehicle. It can help cool the engine and look awesome as well.

The Poison Spyder hood louver kit is a great way to hide hail damage, cool the engine compartment and look sharp.

Check Price

15. Hood Locks

If you live in a sketchy area which is sadly, pretty much everywhere nowadays, you should keep honest people honest and get hood locks to lock up your engine compartment.

Protect your investment from the would be criminal with a good hood lock. These locks use your original Jeep key!

Check Price

16. Hi-lift Jack

A hi-lift jack is an off-road warriors best friend. With attachments it can be used to lift and even winch out a stuck Jeep. Decide where you'll store it and get a mounting kit for it as well.

The Hi-Lift Jack will get you out of a lot of tight spots with the proper use, accessories and technique.

Check Price

You'll need to have a way to store your hi-lift jack with a quality mounting system.

Check Price

17. Skid Plate

If you are into serious off-roading, you'll want to invest in skid plates to protect your Jeep's undercarriage. The stock skids aren't strong enough for serious rock crawling.

18. Tailgate Reinforcement

If you don't want to opt for a spare tire carrier upgrade for large tires, then you'll need to buy a tail gate reinforcement kit. These kits strengthen your tailgate hinges or support them to prevent warping and damage.

If you carry a larger tire and hit the trails hard, you better reinforce your tailgate if you can't afford a tire carrier.

Check Price

19. Door Off Mirror Kit

It's illegal to drive without side mirrors on the highway in a lot of jurisdictions. Keep the men and women in blue on real criminal activities by getting a pair of mirrors for when you pull off the doors.

Stay legal and safe with a door off mirror kit.

Check Price

20. Half Or Tube Doors

If you've never wheeled with half doors, you're missing out. The give you better visibility, while a tube style door will give you more along with an array of accessories.

Safer than doors completely off and are just cool. Great visibility when off-roading.

Check Price

21. Fender Liners

Fender liners help keep your engine bay cleaner than plain open wheel wells. This is especially the case with some tube fenders.

Performance Upgrades

The factory has done a pretty good job with following the customer base, however their latest creation Rubicon 392 is out of my price range. I imagine it's out of a lot of peoples price range.

This next set of mods might not get you a 392, but they'll help your Jeep conquer the trail and you'll have the pride of building your Wrangler up.

22. Cold Air Intake

Cold intakes are an easy upgrade for your Wrangler. They bring cool oxygen into the engine instead of the hot air in the engine compartment. These generally have better filters that are serviceable.

Let your Jeep's engine breath fresh cooler air for better performance.

Check Price

23. Snorkel

Snorkels help keep dust and debris from entering the filter housing and restricting much needed oxygen flow for your engine's combustion. Other benefits of a snorkel is insurance from ingesting water into your engine through the intake. Snorkels also bring cool oxygen into the engine.

Protect your filter and engine's intake during water crossings and dusty trial running.

Check Price

24. Exhaust

A new exhaust whether custom or bolt on can be an excellent compliment to a new intake. The intake allows the engine to breathe and an opened up exhaust will let your engine exhale better.

25. Axle Gearing

If you plan to run larger tires, you'll need to change out the gearing in your axles. The gear change will put the performance feeling back into your Jeep Wrangler.

Yukon Gear & Axle has some excellent information on how to swap out ring and pinion gears along with all of the parts to make it happen.

26. Lockers

If you are into serious off-roading, you may as well add lockers to your axles while changing the ring and pinion gears. If your Jeep Wrangler is the Rubicon model, then obviously you already have the lockers you need.

Selectable lockers are preferred so there is still an ability to drive on the road and in certain off-road situations. Selectable lockers come in pneumatic, electrical and cable actuated.

There are some lockers that are super easy for the beginner to install, and others are a little more advanced. Find a locker that works for you.

Check Price

27. Suspension

When it comes to Jeep mods, the suspension lift is often one of the first things Jeepers want to perform. Suspension lift kits are designed to lift the Jeep to allow for larger wheels and tires. They'll often perform better with better handling and geometry of the control arms if done right.

Suspension lifts vary in cost depending on the quality and lift height.

28. Tires / Wheels

Tires & wheels are another great mod. They allow for better traction. Wheels are either made from steel or aluminum. Some will heave the ability to deflate the tires to minimum pressures due to there bead-lock design. The meats you choose should be adequate for the terrain and season your wheeling in.

29. Spare

Don't be that person that will install a lift, install larger tires and then have a factory spare hanging off the back. The spare needs to be the same diameter or you could damage your running gear components.

30. Steering

Larger tires cause other issues to include steering linkage. This problem only gets worse off road and locked. The factory Mopar steering will eventually get destroyed with 35" or larger tires. A heavy-duty steering, whether custom or kit will keep your Wrangler moving. At a minimum is a steering stabilizer.

You can find Heavy Duty Steering upgrade components at Barnes 4WD.

31. Brakes

One important and often overlooked Wrangler mods is the brakes of the vehicle. Lifted vehicle with larger meats under it will need extra stopping power. Improve your brakes. Swap to disc brakes on the rear if you have drums.

Check Price

32. Engine Swap

Engine swaps are another great option in the way of performance mods. Obviously, this will void any factory warranty so you may want to wait until you sack out the original engine.

You can source donor engines off of Craigslist, Facebook Market place or Copart.

An engine swap can be a major endeavor when it comes to Jeep mods. Novak and Advance Adapters has swap parts and information to make it a little easier.

33. Axles Swap

If you plan to get in to serious off-roading in extreme terrain, you'll want stronger axles. A vehicle with locked axles, large tires and rock crawling a prone to snapping smaller spline axles. Even coming off rocks hard or drop-offs can bend axle tubes.

The F-350 front Dana 60 and rear Sterling axles are a popular axle swap. Barnes 4wd and Artec Industries provide axle swap kits to make things easier.

34. Axle Shafts

Upgrading to chromoly axle shafts or larger spline axle shaft kits are a cheaper way to beef up factory axles.

Jeep JK Axles & Hubs for Wrangler (2007-2018) | ExtremeTerrain

35. Axle Truss

An axle truss is another inexpensive way to protect your axle tube from bending. They can also be used in the rear to build a custom triangulated rear suspension.

Heavy Duty Axle Truss – Barnes 4WD

36. Transfer case

Synonymous with extreme drivetrain is the upgraded transfer cases for Jeeps made by Advance Adapters. The 2 Speed Atlas II and 4 Speed Atlas IV. Both are a twin stick design to offer two wheel drive in low range. Gear driven instead of the suspect chain cases.

Atlas Transfer Case Jeep JK 2SP & 4SP Builder - Advance Adapters

37. SYE Slip Yoke Eliminator

If you don't have one of the Rubicon TJ models, you'll want to install a slip yoke eliminator to protect your driveline and keep moving in the event you lose the rear drive shaft. JKs don't need them.

If your lifting a TJ 4 or more inches you'll need a slip yoke eliminator.

Check Price

38. Transmission

Swapping out to a heavy-duty transmission is another great option when it comes to strengthening your drivetrain. NV-4500s and T-19s are some common swapped manual transmissions in TJ Wranglers. The current line up of Jeep Wranglers has pretty good transmissions.

Novak has a ton of information on transmission swaps. Advance Adapters has a huge knowledge section on swaps.

39. Transmission Shifter

A short throw shifter can be a nice upgrade that any Jeep owner could install themselves with minimal mechanic's skills.

40. Clutch

I currently have a manual transmission in my TJ Wrangler. I have the Center Force dual friction clutch and it has held up well. An upgraded clutch will give you better holding power.

Centerforce Clutches offer excellent holding power. Had mine for years.

Check Price

41. Chip / Tuning

A chip and programmer can gain you descent amount of horsepower and torque.

Plug and play tuning for performance or fuel economy.

Check Price

42. Supercharger

A costly mod for your Jeep, but the horsepower gains can be astronomical with a supercharger. At least its an easier install than an engine swap.

Wrangler JK – RIPP Superchargers (rippmods.com)

43. Batteries

Upgrading to better batteries is a must with lighting, winch, power inverters and stereo equipment upgrades.

If you're running winches, lights and everything else, get one.

Check Price

44. Alternator

You'll want a heavy-duty alternator for your upgraded batteries.

You'll need a heavy-duty alternator to keep up with the Optima batteries.

Check Price

45. Radiator

There are custom radiators for every model of Wrangler to include engine swapped applications for better cooling and longer engine life.

Jeep JK Radiators for Wrangler (2007-2018) | Extreme Terrain

46. Transmission Cooler

If you tow, rock crawl or do a lot of desert running, a transmission cooler is a great mod.

Check Price

47. Sway Bar Disconnects

Disconnects replace the front sway bar links so that you can gain maximum articulation for better traction. Vary in length depending on the lift height.

Check Price

Interior Upgrades

48. Roll bar

The Mopar roll bar is for a minor roll over at best. If you've ever seen a Jeep flip over in Moab's Hell's Revenge or Hot Tub obstacles then you know why you need a sturdy roll bar for your Wrangler. A quality roll cage can save your life and Jeep.

Jeep Full Cage Kits |  (poisonspyder.com)

49. Under Hood Storage

Under your hood is a great place to hide valuables and spare tools. I'm always hiding things in plane sight. I'll do a post on under hood storage ideas someday.

50. Seats

Your stock seats are good for cruising. Eventually, the seat springs and fabric will get sacked. Replace that worn out stock seats with quality replacement seats. If you want custom, check out these ones from PRP.

51. Seat Covers

Seat covers is an inexpensive way to dress up your interior and keep your vehicle looking new. Well, at least the seat covers. Some covers are waterproof.

Jeep Seat Covers | Quadratec

52. Seat Storage

Several companies make a style of set cover that has modular stowing on the back.

Check Price

53. Heated Seats Kits

There are a few companies that offer heated seat kits that will fit any style seat in any kind of vehicle. A great idea for kids and your better half if they're cold natured when driving topless.

Check Price

54.Tub Bed Liner

The first mod I did was removing the carpet so I could put a roll-on bed liner in the tub to protect it from rusting. Still there to this day. You can always put the carpet back in when your done coating your tub.

Quadratec Tru-Fit® Rear Cargo Liner for 07-18 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited JK | Quadratec

55. Trail Rated Floor Mats

I bought these trail rated floor mats from Quadratec. There great if you play in the snow and mud.

 All Weather Floor Liners for 07-13 Jeep Wrangler JK | Quadratec

All Weather Rear Floor Liner for 07-18 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited JK 4 Door | Quadratec

56. Stereo

Who doesn't want to jam out on a long trip or just cruising. Some models offer GPS, touchscreen and tie ins for front & rear cameras.

Check Price

57. Front / Rear Camera System

A front and rear camera system will help when backing up or hooking up to a trailer. A front camera mounted under the hood in the grill opening can help you navigate over obstacles.

Check Price

58. GPS

A GPS or navigation system is another great interior mod for safety. These are great when planning routes and building new trails also.

Check Price

59. CB Radio

The CB radio is a great upgrade for communication between friends and even during emergencies. Some off-road parks and Jeep groups require a CB in the vehicle.

Check Price

60. Storage System

When hitting the trail, it's important to have all of your belongings safely stored in some kind of storage system.

61. Storage Safe

If you carry valuables or a firearm, you'll want a safe to lock and keep them out of the wrong hands. An overhead vault is good and an under seat option is even better unless you frequent deep water crossings.

Check Price

62. Dash Cam

A dash cam with mount is pretty cool to record adventures and can save you money in the event of an accident. It's another way of protecting yourself.

Check Price

63. Go Pro & Mounting System

A GoPro with mounting hardware is a good way to record your adventures. They can attach to the Jeep, cage and under carriage for really cool off-road footage.

Check Price

Check Price

64. Floor Liners

I don't have carpet in my TJ but in the Rubicon JK 4 door we do. I bought these floor liners to protect the carpet. It makes clean up easier.

65. Overhead Storage

The Jeep JK Attic Storage system is great to keep light stuff out from under your feet.

Jeep JKU Attic – Blue Ridge Overland Gear

66. Hard Top Insulation

Living in Fairbanks, Alaska with a Wrangler for 15 years, I wish I would have had insulation in my hard top. If you live in cold regions or hot, this will be a good option and drown out excess road noise.

Check Price

67. Grab handles

Grab handles are another cheap and easy mod that will help your passengers climb up in to a lifted Jeep. Grab handles come in fabric with a rubber/plastic grip and there are weld in grab handles for custom cages. Some new Jeeps come with grab handles, our 2011 did.

Check Price

Lighting Upgrades -

68. LED Headlights

LED headlights are absolutely awesome. I bought these inexpensive pair for our 4 door Rubicon Wrangler on Amazon 3 plus years ago and still work great. I'll eventually install them on our TJ Wrangler "Golden Dragon".

Read our Jeep headlight post: Shopping For The Best Jeep Headlights For Your Wrangler In 2022?

Excellent lights for the money. Had them on for 3 plus years.

Check Price

69. Fog Lights

I installed these LED fog lights on our stock JK that I bought on Amazon 3 plus years ago and still working great. Fog lights really help light up the trail.

Best Jeep Fog Lights I Found That Didn’t Break The Bank-

Excellent fog lights for the money. Had them on for 3 plus years as well.

Check Price

70. Light Bar

A light bar is another great Jeep mod to use off-road at night.

Check Price

71. Auxiliary Reverse Lights

Nothing worse than trying to back up at night on the trail. Grab a pair of auxiliary back up lights before you run over something you'll regret. You won't need these if you get tail lights like the ones below.

72. LED Tail Lights

LED tail lights are extremely bright when they light up. The vehicle behind you can't say they didn't see them. I bought these for the 4 door JK Wrangler about three years ago on Amazon and they work great.

Have these on our JK for 3 plus years. Reverse lights are super bright.

Check Price

73. Turn Signal LED Lights

LED turn signals are a great compliment to LED headlights and tail lights. I bought these on Amazon 3 years ago for our 4 door Wrangler.

Have these on our JK for 3 plus years.

Check Price

74. I/R Lights

If you live in an area that offers hog hunting, then IR lights or an IR spot light is a must.

If you don't have night vision or night vision front cameras, don't buy these.

Check Price

75. Ambient Lighting

Another popular trend is different colored ambient lighting below the dash.

Check Price

76. Undercarriage Lighting

Has been a trend the last few years. You'll see a vehicle with them on videos of King Of The Hammers.

Check Price

77. Interior LED Lights

At work we use LED dome lights in the cold dark winters in Alaska. They work great and would work good in your Jeep as well.

Check Price

Trail Safety & Recovery Upgrades -

Not all of these are mods but are good items to have in your Jeep on your next adventure.

78. Tool Box

Your tools need a place to stay. You'll want it secured in case of you find yourself upside down.

Check Price

79. Small Mechanic's Tool Set

Every Jeep owner should have a small tool set when leaving the road.

Check Price

80. Torx Sockets & Bits

Jeep loves to use the torx screws and bolts. Don't be caught off the road with out these tools.

Check Price

81. Onboard Air Compressor

Used to inflate tires, small pneumatic tools and operate pneumatic lockers.

Check Price

82. Onboard Air Tank

Added volume with an additional tank will give you more inflation power. Especially trying to set a tire's bead.

 83. Onboard Welder

Not necessary, but a dang nice thing to have is an onboard welder. Pay a recovery fee on the trail and you could have almost paid for an under hood welder.

Jeep On-Board Portable Welding System - Premier Power Welder, LLC.

84. Power Inverter

A power inverter is great for battery charging, running small power tools and a mini blender for a margarita at the end of a long day on the trail.

Check Price

85. Tow Straps

Tow straps are self explanatory. You or someone you know ill break down or get stuck.

Check Price

86. Ratchet Straps

Ratchet straps come in handy when trying to set a bead when you've come off the wheel not to mention the other million uses.

Check Price

87. Shackles

Shackles are always handy to have around to connect various straps for recovery operations or towing. Grab a couple three for your tool box.

Check Price

88. Rated Fire Extinguisher

You should have a fire extinguisher in your Wrangler. Grab a mount with it to secure it in a place you can easily get to in an emergency.

Check Price

89. Battery Disconnect Switch

Safety is important. I've personally had a vehicle catch fire. It could have been saved if I would have had a way to kill the battery power. The only saving grace was that nobody got hurt and it wasn't a Jeep Wrangler!

Check Price

90. First Aid Kit

A quality first aid kit is a must when off-roading. Make sure to purchase a mount for it so that it's always where it should be. Replace items and check for expiration dates of perishable items.

Check Price

91. Tire Repair Kit

Another one of those things that you'll wish you had it when you don't.

Check Price

92. Tire Deflator

Great tool to lower your tire pressure for better traction.

Check Price

93. Flashlight

You need light during an emergency and a flashlight is the right tool for it.

Check Price

94. Work Lights

Working light are a great nicety to have during a breakdown or working under the hood.

Check Price

95. Locking Lugs

If you value the wheels on your Wrangler, locking lugs guards your wheels from a would be thief.

Check Price

Overland & Camping Upgrades -

96. Overland Tent

Great way to camp and sleep above the snakes.

Check Price

97. Water Filtration System

Turn almost any water source into potable drinking water.

Check Price

98. Kitchen System

All I can say is, "people got to eat!"

Overland Vehicle Systems 30100001 Komodo Camp Kitchen | Quadratec

99. Fridge Freezer Combo

Great upgrade over a traditional cooler. Even make a small one for a 2 door Jeep.

Check Price

100. Portable Shower Kit

Who doesn't like to be clean?

Zip Instant Hot Shower | Zodi.com

101. Awning Kit

Keep the hot sun off of you during your next outing.

Check Price

102. Jeep Mattress

A jeep mattress is a great way to get started overlanding.

AirBedz Inflatable Air Mattress for 07-20 Jeep Wrangler JL & JK Unlimited | Quadratec

103. Sleeping Platform

More expensive than a simple mattress but great idea is the Oryx Platform. Products for 2 door and 4 doors. They are based out of Fort Collins, which is 7 miles from me.

104. Solar Kit

Great for trickle charging and emergency power. Here is an inexpensive on on Amazon.

Check Price

105. Power Bank

Another great option for electrical power. Here is a highly rated one on Amazon.

Check Price

106. Overland Trailer

You can buy or build a DIY overland trailer for upgraded camping.

Tentrax Ascend OVERLAND OFF-ROAD TRAILER

If you can't quite afford the Tentrax, you could easily build one using a Dinoot Trailers kit.

107. Off-road Hitch

An off-road hitch keeps the trailer on when you're off-road.

Final Thoughts On Jeep Wrangler Upgrades and Mods -

If your a Jeep Wrangler owner, hopefully this list of mods and gear has inspired you to get out and modify your vehicle no matter which model you have. If you're not an owner then hopefully this list inspired you to consider a Jeep vehicle or at least gave you ideas for upgrading your rig.

Top Jeep Wrangler Modifications For First Timers

Other than tops and cargo racks, most mods will fit both 2 door and 4 door Wranglers. If there is something you think we missed, let us know. We like good, bad and indifferent comments.

This article contains affiliate links.

If you're looking for Jeep Wrangler LED fog lights, I have found what I think is the best Jeep fog lights. You might ask, "Are they expensive?" Nope. "Name brand?" Nope. What they are is affordable, long lasting, and give off great light.

When I went to upgrade our Jeep Wrangler JK for our daughter to drive back and forth to work, I bought some affordable LED headlights. After installing them, the headlights looked awesome. Unfortunately, the headlights were so much of an upgrade, that the stock OEM halogen fog lights looked dull.

Aftermarket LED lighting for a vehicle can be expensive. I knew had to order aftermarket fog lights to match the new headlights. After searching online, I found a great pair of LED fog lights that were an easy plug and play install.

So far, these fog lights have performed well for nearly 3 years in the challenging Colorado weather.

Jeep Fog Light Upgrades-

Jeep aftermarket products can be expensive. LED fog lights are no different. While searching for replacement lights, I found fog light prices ranging from $50 - $500+.

If you're like me, and like to save money, you'll like the price of these replacement fog lights.

The Best Jeep Fog Lights I Found-

XPRITE4 LED fog lights are designed for those off-roading adventures and are built to perform for years with LED high performance optics for maximum light output and durability. With an aggressive design and simple install, this kit is a perfect upgrade to any Jeep. Product description: This item is for the 2017+ Wrangler and JK Unlimited JKU.

Xprite 4" Inch LED Fog lights are an excellent replacement for the stock fog light. Your eyes are your window to the world. In inclement weather and poor visibility, your eyes need a boost with improved illumination.

High Performance LED Chip- 

These fog lights are super bright and light up the ground in front of your Jeep. The color of these lights is 6000K. They provide the best driving visibility in foggy environments or off-road conditions.

Surprisingly bright for such an affordable set of fog lights.

High Quality Fog Lights-

The Xprite fog lights have been on our Jeep Wrangler JK for almost 3 years with no problems. The lights have a sealed aluminum housing and have an IP67 waterproof rating.

Colorado weather often gives us fog, hail, snow, dust and rain. These fog lights have held up and provide a nice quality light for our Jeep JK. If you're skeptical about quality, don't be.

As of writing, these Xprite Jeep fog lights have over 3,100 reviews with an average rating of 4.7 stars.

LED Fog Lights Fitment-

According to the manufacturer, these Jeep fog lights will fit the following Jeeps:

• '07-'18 Jeep Wrangler JK 2 Door and Wrangler Unlimited JK 4 - door
• Jeep Grand Cherokee 2011-2013
• Sahara or Rubicon Wrangler JL with OE plastic bumper.

For aftermarket bumpers using the OEM "4 Bolt" mounting style location.

I'm sure you could fab up brackets to work with these Jeep fog lights to mount on any Jeep or vehicle for that matter. These are the same lights that I'll use on the 1998 TJ build.

LED Fog Lights Price-

The cost of these lights is quite good. They are less expensive than many of the other fog lights that I found. 

A Newer Version Of These Fog Lights For Your Jeep Wrangler-

It's crazy how fast electronics are updated. As I said earlier, we've had our Jeep Wrangler fog lights on for 3 years and there is already an updated set of these lights.

4 inch Xprite Fog Lights w/White Halo Ring DRL, 4 Inch Foglights Compatible with 07-18 Jeep Wrangler JK

These headlights are a must have for your Jeep Wrangler JK. Not only do they add a little style, but they are also extremely functional. These Jeep fog lights fit directly in place of the original Jeep halogens and come with a wiring adapter kit so that you can connect them to your existing fog light wiring harness. They are DOT approved.

With easy plug and play installation, it takes less than half an hour. You will enjoy more safety on or off the road. It is adjustable so you can adjust it according to your needs. Provides you a better vision so you can drive more easily and safely.

These fog lights are waterproof with an IP67 rating. They’re better equipped for heat dissipation due to the ribbed backsides which keep lenses dry.

With a dust-proof and rustproof aluminum housing, these Jeep fog lights will last a long time and provides great light in front of the vehicle.

These Jeep fog lights look good to some with their halo ring daylight running lights. They come with many different halo colors. The colors offered are white, amber, blue, red and green.

Other Resources To Buy Jeep Fog Lights-

There are plenty of other aftermarket dealers that sell Jeep fog lights, if these aren't for you. Extreme terrain carries a lot of different brands of Jeep fog lights along with other lighting. You can also shop for fog light kits at Quadratec and 4Wheel Hardware sells fogs as well.

Installation-

The Jeep fog lights found on the JK bumpers is easily swapped out with just a few tools and a half hour of time. This is just an overview video of the installation. Your install may be different depending on how your Jeep is set up with aftermarket bumper or winch plate.

There was a video on how to install these fog lights on the product page. You can click the image below to take you there.

When I installed our Jeep fog lights, I pulled the grill off. While I was at it, I replaced the stock turn/parking lights with an upgraded turn signal to match the rest of the lights.

Final Thoughts On My Fog Lights Purchase-

If you're tight on a budget like I always am and are looking for a pair of LED fog lights to replace your Jeep Wrangler JK bumper fog lights, check one of these out.

Whether you want the original ones that I run or the newer upgraded fog lights, you'll be glad that you bought them. They both light up the road and are an affordable fog light that won't break the bank.

If these fog lights were to fail on me in the future, I would honestly buy them again. Theses fogs have lasted for three years with absolutely no problems. If they continue to build quality fog lights, you could replace them every 3 years for the next 27 years before you'd have spent what the price for the expensive fog lights cost.

The installation is plug and play with the included wiring adapters. It couldn't be easier to get a safer and brighter view of the road ahead. It took less than a half hour of light work to install my Jeep fog lights for our Jeep Wrangler.

Are these the best Jeep Wrangler LED fog lights? It's debatable at best. I just know they work as advertised and I saved money for other Jeep modifications. So, in my mind, they were the best fog lights for my need.

I needed an affordable set of LED fog lights that would function, look good as well as last. That's exactly what I got purchasing these lights.

If you are shopping for Jeep Wrangler LED lights, check out our article on the Jeep Wrangler LED headlights that I installed.

I get asked all the time by people I meet, "What's it like working the oil fields on the north slope in Alaska? The next question I'm asked is, "why do you do it?" I always answer with, "It's awesome and why not?"

The north slope life isn't for everyone but it's an excellent way to earn an honest living for some. Me included.

Yes, the weather can be unbearable in the dark cold winter. The mosquitoes are intolerable in the 24 hours per day summer sun. You're away from your family half the time. You work long hours. And last but not least, you have to travel all that way.

Yeah, and I never miss the plane to go back to work on Alaska's north slope.

Producers

As of now, there are several oil producers on the north slope. The ones that I'm familiar with are ConocoPhillips, ENI, Hilcorp and a new outfit that's still in the planning phase, Santos.

All the producers have one goal. Get as much oil into the Trans Alaska Pipeline as safely and environmentally sound as possible. They all do a pretty good job of that.

As good as the producers are, they couldn't do it without the help of contractors. There are a ton of contractors that make life easier and more efficient on the slope.

My Work & Second Home

My work is a blast. In the oil and gas business, you never know what the hitch will bring. Every hitch is different and that's what keeps it interesting. I've yet to have a normal hitch. As the saying goes, every day is a school day.

The arctic environment keeps it challenging in itself. Alaska's north slope has constantly changing weather. During the summer months it may be foggy in the morning, hot and sunny during the day and cold and rainy at night. The one constant is the continually circling sun.

Beaufort Sea frozen over in the winter.

I saw four days of snow flurries this July. Not a shocker, but it still amazes me.

The winters are filled with snow and ice. I've seen temperatures down into the -50s and -78 with the wind chill. Darkness settles in during the winter months.

Everyone wears layered flame-resistant clothing, gloves, balaclavas and the best work boots they can afford to stay warm during the freezing temps.

One hitch you may have a drilling rig moving from one location to the next. The next, as was the case in August, an electric vehicle road rally showing up to Oliktok Point, which is where I work.

West Of Prudhoe Bay

Camp Life

The camp that I live in while I'm on the slope has everything one would need. It's often considered the largest hotel in Alaska. My day consists of waking up, grabbing breakfast and lunch before I make my commute to the job site.

After returning 13 hours later, my free time kicks off again with dinner, a call to my wife, a hot shower and then off to bed. Then it's wake up, rinse and repeat for 14 days straight.

Not much free time, but it works.

Food

Two hot meals are served for breakfast and dinner. There is a room with a salad bar, soups, sandwich making items, fruits and other snacks to pack for lunch. Special meals are cooked for the holidays and special events.

All the great food is prepared by catering contractors. Cooking would be the last thing you'd want to do after a 12-hour shift.

Safety & Environmental Stewardship Culture

I'm blessed to work for one of the best oil and gas companies on earth.

It was a culture shock to me when I first started working on the slope in 2010. I was used to the dangerous conditions at the refinery and a true sense of leadership not really caring about the workers.

Three things stood out to me right off the bat when I arrived on the north slope:

• The local leadership actually treated you like a person and generally cared about you as a person and your personal safety.
• The conscious effort made by the company to maintain a healthy relationship with the environment is evident with every decision that is made.
• Lastly, how the heck did they get all of this equipment up here on the slope.

Operations

My Actual Job Title

My job is in operations. I'm a production operator. When you tell someone you're an operator, they assume you answer a phone, drive a loader, or work in special operations for the DOD. It couldn't be further from those professions.

I view it like the infantry of the oil and gas business. In the Army, there was the infantry and then everybody else who supported them. Operations is responsible for all the daily crude oil production on the slope. Everyone else supports operations and ultimately makes it so operators can perform their work.

Operator jobs require an in depth understanding of the production process and the associated equipment in that process. As an operator, you'll never be able to optimize oil production, troubleshoot problems, and prepare equipment for maintenance activities unless you're in tune with your process.

Not only do I monitor processes, some days I'm a janitor, welder, and fabricator. With the job being so far removed from the resources needed for day-to-day operations, we find ourselves being resourceful and doing a lot of in-house projects to make life better. It kind of helps to be a jack of all trades.

With safety in our oil field being the top priority, operators are responsible for safe work practices in our areas of operation. Issuing permits to work, preparing equipment for maintenance and helping to write safety procedures are some of the ways operations ensures the safety of all the employees and contractor workers in the area.

Drill site operators-

All operators on the north slope where I work are required to be certified and capable to operate the drill sites. A drill site is a small pad with 18 - 30+ wells on it. This is where production is brought to the surface for processing. There are also injection wells to inject water and gas into the formation to maintain reservoir pressure.

Unlike the lower 48 states with pump jack operated wells, the wells around the north slope are mostly gas lifted wells. Drill site operators test the wells monthly to determine better ways to optimize them for better oil production.

Drill site operators interact with oil field services companies on a daily basis. Some are used for down hole and facilities maintenance and preparing for drilling rigs. Operators also perform post drilling rig maintenance to prepare for bringing on oil production wells.

Facilities Operators-

Facility operators operate in facilities where oil and gas produced on the north slope is separated. Oil is separated from the gas, water and some solids and then shipped out as a salable crude oil. It then heads down pipelines until it gets to other gathering centers to be pumped into the trans-Alaska pipeline.

Process Facility

Travel To The Slope

The worst day of the month generally starts with an hour drive to the Denver airport. It's a drive through the chaos that is I-25. Nothing like passing drivers at 80mph while texting on their phones.

Flight To Anchorage

I start off with a 2.5 hour flight to Seattle. From Seattle it's another 3.5 hour flight north to Anchorage. I generally get there around 0130 in the morning. Find an available bench to rack out on until the gate opens at 0500 am to catch my charter flight to the slope.

Company Charter To The Slope

Flying Over Denali To Slope

Our company has a charter services company that's based out of Anchorage, Alaska to fly contractor workers, operators and engineers to the north slope. My flight leaves at 0700 am and arrives two hours later at the small runway far from anything else in Alaska. 

Day 1 of 14 starts. I work a week of nights followed by a week of days. At the end of the 2 weeks, I backtrack to home with an overnight stop in Seattle.

Travel From Slope Over Denali

The North Slope's Beauty

Beaufort Sea & Arctic Ocean

Just north of where I work is the Beaufort Sea and Arctic Ocean. It's like any other sea around the world until winter comes. Once winter sets in, the arctic ice pack slowly moves south until it becomes a solid sheet of ice. It usually freezes up in late October to early November. Open water generally arrives in June.

The Northern Lights

When the long summer sun finally starts setting, the temperatures drop. It's these cold nights that bring on nature's light show. The aurora borealis, or northern lights are incredible on the slope with the minimal manmade light. 

Northern lights over an Alaskan oilfield.

Arctic Inversion Lights At Night

Wildlife On The Slope

Water Foul

Every spring, thousands of migratory geese and other foul arrive on the slope to lay eggs and raise their little flock. The wet tundra provides high protein for their goslings so they can mature enough to fly out before winter.

Not all will make it with constant attacks from hungry artic and red foxes eager to pack their dens for the coming winter.   

Little migratory bird resting on a polar bear protection cage.

Arctic Fox

There are two types of foxes on the slope. The red and the arctic fox. The arctic fox's coat turns brown in the summer and white in the winter.

Caribou

There are caribou herds that migrate to the slope during the summer months. These herds can be in the thousands and are a pain when they decide to cross the main roads. All wildlife on the slope has the right of way and aren't allowed to be hazed off the road.

So, there are long traffic jams when they decide to cross. The wait for the passing herd can be up to half an hour.

Caribou Shedding Their Velvet

Brown Bears

Brown bears are on the slope. Like most bears, they hibernate in the winter and eat all summer. 

Polar Bears

The most terrifying thing on the slope is the polar bears. The mothers and their cubs hibernate during the winter while the adult males and adolescent bears stay on the ice pack all winter.

Polar Bear Running Across Parking Lot

Seeing the size of these bears is a humbling experience. It's one thing to see them in a zoo, but to see them in the wild with no protective cage. That's a whole different experience.   

Polar Bear in the North Slope

Polar bear road trip in the oilfield.

Polar Bear Cage Protection

Other wildlife.

There are other wildlife species on the slope, but I don't have pictures of them. When I do, I'll post them here. There is musk ox, wolverines, and the occasional sick wolf or moose that's lost.

Family Life

Luckily for me, my wife is a stay-at-home wife, so we are together for two weeks straight when I'm home. The time off allows us to travel and spend every chance we get just being together. There are no more take-it-for-granted moments at our house.

My wife is a very strong and independent woman, and she has to be. North slope life isn't easy. Unless you marry someone on the slope, your better half will never know what your slope conditions are all about. You are essentially living so far north that it's like living on another planet.

Likewise, workers on the north slope have to be hardy as well. It's not easy to leave loved ones behind for 2 weeks at a time. This especially true during the holidays. There are birthdays, anniversaries and sporting events that will surely be missed.

When you do go home, it's spending quality time with your family. I see neighbors working 9 - 5 with the one- or two-hour commute to Denver or Cheyenne. They see their spouses and kids for a couple hours per day and 2 days a week when they're home.

As a sloper, I see my family more in two weeks than they do all month. 

Final Thoughts-

Working the oil fields on the north slope in Alaska isn't for the faint of heart, but it works for a few of us.  As rough as it sounds, there is a decent living to be made if one is inclined to work.

Attitudes of the workers is a top priority. Most people on the slope are in good spirits. It'll be hard to find someone bad. They just don't last.

You live with these people more than your family. It's bad enough to be away from home; but it would be miserable to work with a bunch of people with bad attitudes. 

If you're not afraid of hard work, cold dark nights and mosquitoes and the occasional polar bear, the oil fields on the north slope in Alaska might be for you. It works for my family and me. If not, I wouldn't be here.

This article contains affiliate links.

After college, our daughter started working at a laboratory. Her shift started at 3am. She complained about the halogen headlights on our Jeep JK 4 door so I started shopping for the best Jeep headlights I could find.

The obvious choice was LED headlights. The problem with LED headlights is the cost. Some of the lights I found were $700 plus. I have a heart as big as Alaska for my kids, but my wallet doesn't match my heart.

I searched online for Jeep headlamps in my price range and found a really great set of LED lights that I could afford. I was skeptical with the price being so low, but I've had them on with great results for the last 3 years with no problem.

If you're shopping for a good LED headlight and you're on a budget, then you'll want to keep reading. In this post, I'll show you the best affordable headlights for your Jeep.

Affordable Jeep Wrangler LED Headlights-

The Jeep Wrangler headlights I chose were the AUDEXEN 7" round LED headlights. I bought them with skepticism; however, I have been extremely happy with them for the last 3 years.

They're an affordable DOT approved LED lighting option for your Jeep. The aluminum housing and poly carbonate has held up well in Colorado weather.

You'll enjoy the lower price than other brands on the market. They are dang sure brighter than halogen lights.

With the cost savings with purchasing these headlights, I ended up buying LED fog lights, turn signal lights and taillights to complete the Jeep's lights.  

Features-

This LED headlight consumes 30W of power on low beam and 60W on high beam leaving plenty of room for other accessories.

These headlights are super easy to install. They come with a H4 to H13 adapter and have a built-in anti-flicker harness. It took me about 30 minutes to install and I move pretty slow.

7 inch led headlights are compatible with:

Jeep Wrangler JK 2 Door 2008-2014; 2016-2018

Wrangler JK 4 Door 2008-2014; 2016-2018

Wrangler JL 2018-2021 Note: A JL bracket is required: B07V7T1Q9T)

Wrangler TJ Unlimited/LJ 2003-2005

Wrangler TJ 1998-2000; 2002-2005

Wrangler CJ-7 1976-1986

Brightness-

The AUDEXEN Jeep Wrangler headlights are really bright with original high intensity LED chips. They're 50% brighter than similar headlights. This headlight's low beams deliver 3000 lumens while the high beam offer 6000 lumens to help you see what lies ahead.

Combined with the fog lights I installed; this combo gives off awesome light. If you're interested to know about the fog lights, you can read my article about the most affordable Jeep fog lights I've been running for the last 3 years.

Durability-

These affordable Jeep Wrangler LED headlights are rated for over 80,000 hours. We've had these lights on our Rubicon since Feb of 2020 with great lighting and no problems.

This cheap headlight replacement is waterproof with an IP61 rating that should hold up well while off-roading in wet conditions.

The housing on these LED lights is a die-cast aluminum with poly carbonate lenses.

Price-

These headlights for your Jeep Wrangler won't break the bank. They cost about 1/5th of other new headlights.

The Best Jeep Headlights (LED)-

If you're looking for a premium LED headlight, you should look at the JW Speaker headlights. They are an excellent lighting option with excellent 5000k white lite beam.

They're one of the best Jeep Wrangler LED headlights that offers excellent lighting. These headlights for your Jeep are both DOT and Transport Canada approved for highway use.

Features-

7 inch led headlights are compatible with the following models:

2007+ Jeep Wrangler and 4 door Wrangler.

Dual Burn high beam function for extra punch of light

Super easy plug & play installation for easy headlight change out.

No anti-flicker harness required for a cleaner set up.

JW offers a black bezel or hydro dipped bezel with carbon fiber pattern depending on your style.

Brightness-

JW's Jeep Wrangler LED headlights are brighter than other headlight options on the market with their Dual Burn. It's essential the low beam and high beam on at the same time for maximum visibility and light coverage.

The Dual Burn is excellent LED lighting when off-roading at night.

Low beam provides 1770 and high beam provides 3000 lumens. They don't state what the Dual Burn provides.

Durability-

JW Speaker offers a warranty on their lights. The warranty is a 1 year and up depending on the model and service of the lights.

These headlights feature an aluminum housing and polycarbonate lens. The JW LED headlight is rated down to -40 degrees which should be good for most colder climates.

Price-

These are high quality headlights that come at a premium. The price is a lot higher than the AUDEXEN LED headlight, but still cheaper than the new Jeep factory LED lights option.

FAQ's On Jeep Wrangler LED Headlights

What are the best Affordable Jeep Wrangler LED Headlights?

This is our picks for the most affordable LED headlights.

What are the most affordable LED headlights for your Jeep Wrangler?

The Most Affordable YJ LED Headlights-

The best value in headlights replacement for owners of YJs has to be the HWSTAR H6054. They provide good quality light for your vehicle in both high and low beam modes.

Not only are they brighter, but these Jeep LED lights will give your Jeep an updated and modern look. The housing is durable, and they are waterproof with an IP67 rating.

(DOT approved.)

Even though these vehicle lights are durable, the seller offers a lifetime and 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Installation is basically plug and play.

The Most Affordable TJ LED Headlights-

AUDEXEN 7" round LED headlights. These are the ones I discussed above. These quality lights have held up well on our Jeep Wrangler for the last 3 years with no problems.

The install is super simple, and owners will appreciate the lighting output provided by these quality headlights.

(DOT approved.)

The Most Affordable JK LED Headlights-

Once again, the AUDEXEN 7" round LED headlights. These are the ones I discussed above. They come with the flicker plug and play harness for these newer Jeeps.

They are unbelievably great compared to other replacement headlights on the market.

These lights have kept my daughter safe while driving at night for the last 3 years. In my opinion, these are the best Jeep Wrangler LED headlights for your Jeep due to the price if you're on a budget like me.

(DOT approved.)

Do I need an anti flicker device on my Jeep?

If your Jeep Wrangler has the CANBUS system lights, you'll need anti flicker device for your Jeep. Daytime running modes and fault sensors with the CANBUS system causes these flickering issues.

In 2007 Jeep JK's and newer you will need an anti-flicker adapter. An older TJ or YJ Jeep shouldn't need an anti flicker device.

What's the difference between LED and Halogen headlights?

The difference with halogen lights comes down to how they go about projecting their bright yellow light. Halogen lighting is by far more common, but LED headlights have become more popular in recent years.

An LED headlight setup will cost quite a bit more than halogen headlights. They cost more because they're the best headlights that you can get. In my opinion, they are worth every penny when you think of the safety aspect.

A halogen light has a yellow beam while an LED headlight has a true white light for better visibility. The LED low beam is almost as good as a halogen high beam.

The same is true when shopping for fog lights for your Jeep.

Final Thoughts On Jeep Wrangler Headlights-

When choosing Jeep Wrangler LED headlights, there are a lot of options. You can spend the money and buy the premium LED headlights or buy a descent quality headlight replacement that doesn't break your bank.

You can search at Extreme Terrain, or Quadratec for LED headlights as well. I just couldn't afford them at the time and I'm glad I couldn't. Mine have held up well and they're pretty cool Jeep headlights.

I chose the less expensive headlight options and haven't had any regrets after running them for almost 3 years. If you're on a low budget like myself, try these out.

If you've got the money, you could try a premium brand and see how they work for you. Either way you go, LED headlights will offer a lot more light to see the road ahead.

The more light you have, the safer it will be for you and your family, whether off-road or traveling the highway. You can't put a price on making your Jeep safer for your family.

What good is having the best Jeep Wrangler, if you can't enjoy it safely at night. Purchase the best headlights you can afford and get your Jeep some fog lights while you're at it. While you're at it, get yourself some LED tail lights to round out your build.

This article contains affiliate links.

Using clamps for securing workpieces during welding has been the standard forever. However, clamps take time to position and don't always work well. That's where welding magnets come in.

Welding magnets offer a faster setup, and with preformed angles, makes it easier to get it right the first time. I use a lot of different styles of magnets. Some are better than others, so in this post I'll try and show you the best magnets I use and why.

What is metal fabrication?

The Best Selectable Welding Magnets

A selectable magnet allows you to turn the magnetism on or off. We bought these and have been using them for a while. They are awesome to work with, fit into tight spaces and stay fairly clean by turning them off.

MagSwitch Mini Multi Angle Tools

The Magswitch Mini Multi Angle magnet is my absolute favorite on/off magnet. The price is a little more than a normal magnet set, but is worth it to me. You'll like the multiple angles, strength and clean setup.

Features-

• On/Off with easy to rotate switch

• Offer multiple angles 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, and 135

• Come in multiple strengths for different applications

• Good for flat stock, round stock, and tube

Best for:

• keeping the metal shavings off of the magnet.

• knob for on/off operation is easier on arthritic hands.

• tight areas.

• easy angle finding for 7 different angles.

Best Adjustable Angle Welding Magnet:

If you're like me and design as you go, you'll appreciate an adjustable angle magnet.

Strong Hand Tools Angle Magnetic Square

Strong Hand Tools makes some quality metal fabrication tools. Their angle magnet square is a must have if you're one of those design as you go fabricators. Sometimes you're not sure what angle it will be until you hold your stock in position.

The Strong Hand Tools Angle Welding magnet will hold any angle from 30 to 270.

Features-

• 30 - 270 angles
• 33lb holding force
• 6" holding surface for each leg of the angle.

Best for:

• Design as you go fabrication.

Best Budget Welding Magnets:

If you're on a limited budget like most of us DIYers, you can get more bang for your buck with a descent set of budget friendly arrow magnets.

Tool Rock 4" 50lb Arrow Magnets

The Tool Rock 4" set of arrow magnets is a bargain. You get 4 magnets with 50lbs of holding force. I buy these every so often from Amazon when ordering other stuff.

With the free shipping and wallet friendly price, you can't beat this magnet set.

Features-

• 50lbs of holding force
• 45, 90, and 135 angles

Best for:

• Those on a tighter budget.

Buyer’s guide: features to consider when buying welding magnets

Angles the magnet offers-

You'll want to get all the angles that you think you'll need. If you're not sure, an adjustable may be the best option for you.

Always on or On/Off switch?

You don't have to have an on/off magnet. Having one is nice for easy setup and clean up. It really depends on your budget.

Magnet Strength-

Depending on your application, you may get away with lighter magnets. For me, I always go with 50lbs of force or more.

Durability

A magnet that's covered will generally hold up better than an open one. Taking care of your yours by only tack welding while using it will keep it lasting longer for open magnets.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Can welding magnets be used for ground connection?

The short answer is no. A regular welding magnet isn't rated for the amperage. There are some made that are designed to be used as a ground. You just need to ensure the amperage is rated for your machine and application.

Magswitch makes them in a 300, 600 and 800 amp rating. Way faster setup and easier than clamps on certain stocks where clamps won't fit.

How to get metal shavings off a magnet?

There are basically two ways to remove metal shavings and dust form your magnet. The first way is to blow them off with compressed air. Just be sure to watch where you're blowing the shavings off and wear eye protection.

The second way is to use sticky tape to pull off the shavings. This is a cleaner, yet more expensive way of cleaning them. I generally blow them off first to remove the bulk of the shavings. After that, I'll use duct tape to finish it off.

Do welding magnets with an on/off switch use any battery?

No, most magnets with an on/off switch do not use batteries. They're a mechanical magnet. There are some magnets that use electricity to energize them, however those aren't typically used in home welding shops.

What do welding magnets do?

Welding magnets secure your work pieces in position long enough for you to tack weld the pieces into position. Once tacked, you can remove the magnets for final welding of your project.

A welding magnet is another option to secure your work instead of a clamp. Clamps can be aggravating to use in certain layouts. A magnet will make setup quicker and easier in most cases.

Final Thoughts-

There are different types of welding magnets. If you like the on/off feature, then you'll like the Magswitch brand. Strong Hand Tools makes awesome on/off magnets as well.

If you are a design as you go type fabricator, go with the Strong Hand Tools adjustable magnet. It's a little cheaper than the Magswitch and gives you a little more flexibility.

If you are on a budget like me, then get the arrow magnets are an excellent price. If you can afford it, order a combination of all three styles. It's what I have and works great for me.

Hopefully this post has shown you what is available for welders for stock positioning. Be sure to check out some of our other articles on welding tools.