When you drive a Wrangler every day, everywhere, you quickly learn the vehicle's strong and weak points. We're not talking about ground clearance issues here; we're talking about seats that are a pain in the butt and several other short-comings in the interior. It's one thing to build the ultimate rock crawler, and it's a totally different challenge to build an off-road worthy Jeep that you can comfortably drive to work Monday through Friday.
We attacked the worst interior offenders and tried some products that promised to set things right. While a couple of items are on the expensive side, we chose items that we thought were the best value. Right after we were finished making all of these changes, we did a 500-mile road trip and were able to take note of what the changes we made really did for us.
Of all our interior mods,...
Of all our interior mods, the console took the longest to install. It goes together like a jigsaw puzzle, but is rock-solid when everything is tightened up. If you don't install the optional bolts for more security, there is no drilling required.
These upgrades were made to a JK, but similar products are available for TJs, which have the same shortcomings when it comes to the interior. Many of the same ideas and products can be applied to any model Jeep.
The factory plastic center...
The factory plastic center console is okay, but nothing to rave about. Even when locked, it wouldn't take much more than a 10-year-old with a screwdriver to break into it. The Tuffy security console offers loads more storage, steel construction, and a real lock. It has provisions for the rear power-window switches and rear cupholders.
Tuffy Security Console
Why: We wanted a safe and hidden place to mount a CB, along with a truly secure place to lock stuff when we leave the Jeep.
Benefits: This is a bolt-in console for the JK that provides twice as much storage, a 12-volt power outlet inside, nice padding on the console lid for arm comfort; it's built from 16-gauge steel with a 1/4-inch thick pry-guard latching system.
Drawbacks: It's about 21/2 inches taller than factory, which may be a comfort issue for smaller drivers.
Overall: This is definitely a step up in storage and functionality, and we really like being able to mount a real CB completely out of sight. Having a place to securely lock valuables in a Wrangler gives us peace of mind.
Floor Tray
What: Rugged Ridge Floor Liners
Why: If you live outside of sunny Southern California, you probably drag 10 pounds of mud into your interior every time you go four-wheeling.
Benefits: Deep tread design keeps your shoes above the mud and water, super-deep sides keep the muck on the liner, they are injection molded for a precise fit, and feature self-sealing floor hook attachment to avoid leaks.
Drawbacks: None.
Overall: This is a no-brainer: They make the interior look better and clean up easier.
For an off-road-only Jeep,...
For an off-road-only Jeep, we'd pull the carpet and lay down some spray-in bed liner. But for daily driving, the carpet kills a bit of road noise. These Rugged Ridge floor liners let us dump the terra firma back where it belongs-and they hold liquid better than we do.
The rear liner is not as thick...
The rear liner is not as thick as the front, but offers very high sides. If your Jeep has the factory subwoofer, you'll need to cut out a corner section of the mat. It won't fit with the Tuffy rear enclosure unless you do a lot of cutting, which defeats most of the purpose.
These cargo liners are three...
These cargo liners are three times deeper than others, molded to fit, and don't move around under your feet. The front and rear floor liners are made from a plastic that has rubber-like feel and properties.
Trunk Junk
What: Tuffy Security Deck Enclosure
Why: Stuff in the back of a Jeep is in plain sight and easy to five-finger; also an airborne winching block really hurts when it smacks you in the head.
Benefits: Easy to install, keeps stuff hidden, retains ability to use all of the original cargo capacity, panels are made from 16-gauge steel, lid has recessed area to hold additional cargo, includes two large trays that install on either side, comes with weather seals.
Drawbacks: Uses factory tailgate as rear panel so it's not as secure as Tuffy's security drawer.
Overall: Quite a bit less expensive than the security drawer, the deck enclosure is great to keep stuff from flying around inside your Jeep and for giving you extra security while off-roading. There is still space on top for ordinary stuff you might toss in the back of your Jeep.
Corbeau offers quite a variety...
Corbeau offers quite a variety of seats, each with multiple upholstery color and material options. We chose the LG1 for their comfort and side support. A benefit we didn't expect was more space inside our Jeep. The seatbacks are shorter, and using high-density foam reduces the overall size, giving back-seat passengers about 11/2 inches more leg room and lowering our seating position by about an inch.
Corbeau LG1 Front Seats
Why: After about 30 minutes, we were shifting all over to try to keep comfy in the factory seats, and when off-roading we were just plain shifting all over as the terrain bounced us around.
Benefits: High-density, injection-molded foam for comfort, side bolsters for lateral support, reclining, slots for harness-style shoulder belts, application-specific seat brackets for easy bolt-in. If you have a two-door Wrangler, Corbeau also offers a matching rear seat.
Drawbacks: Getting in and out is a bit more challenging with the seat side bolsters.
Overall: Don't skimp on seats. The seat swap was one of our most expensive upgrades, but they are the one that we appreciate the most. High-quality, heated seats are the way to go; worth every penny.
The only challenge to installing...
The only challenge to installing the Corbeau seats is getting the factory seatbelt mounts and wiring off the original seats. Carefully remove the wiring connectors, one of which is hidden under the side upholstery (shown).
The seatbelts attach to the...
The seatbelts attach to the new Corbeau seat frames with original Torx-head bolts. When we first slid the new seats in, the inside seatbelt hit the console. We thought the Tuffy console was wider and thus caused the problem, but that wasn't the case. The mounting tab on the seat frame is angled outward. The seatbelt stem is made of flat steel and easily bent, so the belt was tighter to the seat.
We ordered our seats with...
We ordered our seats with heat elements already installed. We routed the wiring under the console and tapped into the factory 12-volt power outlet in the dash. To mount the switches, we drilled holes in the Daystar switch panel. These holes must be about a 1/8-inch closer to the outside edges than the rectangular Daystar switches in order to make room for the bezels.