--- {"type":"list","title":"Most Off-Road Builds Get These 7 Things Wrong","listId":143674,"canonicalUrl":"https://listium.com/@JordanMcDowell/143674/most-off-road-builds-get-these-7-things-wrong","visibleItemTotal":7,"creator":{"id":"JordanMcDowell","name":"Jordan McDowell","url":"https://listium.com/@JordanMcDowell"},"stats":{"views":55,"likes":0,"followers":0},"category":"automotive & vehicles / off-road vehicles","publishedAt":"2026-05-30T02:02:08.749Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-30T02:02:08.749Z","fields":[{"id":0,"name":"Name","type":"PrimaryText"},{"id":1,"name":"Notes","type":"Text","format":"long"},{"id":2,"name":"Image","type":"Image"}]} --- # Most Off-Road Builds Get These 7 Things Wrong By [Jordan McDowell (@JordanMcDowell)](https://listium.com/@JordanMcDowell) 55 views · 0 likes · 0 followers Published 30 May 2026 · Updated 30 May 2026 Category: automotive & vehicles / off-road vehicles **Most newer riders typically start with the flashy stuff. Wheels, a leveling kit, maybe some lights. That is fine, but the builds that hold up on the trail are the ones where the fundamentals got sorted first. Here are seven upgrades worth doing, and the order actually matters.** ## Items ### 1. [CV Axles : Stop Waiting for the Clunk to Get Worse](https://listium.com/@JordanMcDowell/143674/most-off-road-builds-get-these-7-things-wrong/0/cv-axles--stop-waiting-for-the-clunk-to-get-worse) Item ID: `0` - Notes: > ATV and UTV axles are among the parts people replace after they fail rather than before. By then, you are already stranded. The warning signs are there for weeks: that clicking noise on tight turns, a slight vibration under load, and some slop in the wheel. All of it points to the same thing. > > \*\*Sixity\*\* has a solid catalog of \[ATV and UTV replacement axles\](https://www.sixity.com/axles/) built to OEM spec for brands like Polaris, Can-Am, Yamaha, and Honda. No dealership markup, ships fast, and they back fitment with a guarantee. Worth bookmarking even if you do not need them yet. - Image: ![Image](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/17d671f0-3561-416f-9f05-6c762fe42477/original.jpg) ### 2. [Lift Kit : You cannot Fake Ground Clearance](https://listium.com/@JordanMcDowell/143674/most-off-road-builds-get-these-7-things-wrong/1/lift-kit--you-cannot-fake-ground-clearance) Item ID: `1` - Notes: > A lot of rigs look lifted but are not actually set up for the trail. A proper lift changes your approach and departure angles and gives you room for larger tires. A two-inch spacer lift is better than nothing, but if you are serious about what you are building, a full suspension system is the move. > > \*\*Quadratec\*\* carries \[\*\*Jeep lift kits and suspension parts\*\*\](https://www.quadratec.com/categories/jeep-lift-kits-suspension) for JK, JL, TJ, and Gladiator platforms. Budget options, mid-range kits, full long-arm setups. Filter by your Jeep and your tire goals and go from there. - Image: ![Image](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/390b5ca3-af1a-4b72-9812-155838d18078/original.jpg) ### 3. [Suspension Parts for Your Daily Driver : The Ignored Half of the Build](https://listium.com/@JordanMcDowell/143674/most-off-road-builds-get-these-7-things-wrong/2/suspension-parts-for-your-daily-driver--the-ignored-half-of-the-build) Item ID: `2` - Notes: > Drivers pour money into their trail rigs and let the truck they actually drive every day fall apart underneath them. Worn ball joints and sloppy control arms do not just make the ride rough. They affect handling, throw off your alignment, and wear tires unevenly. > > \*\*Sixity Auto\*\* carries \[OEM-quality car suspension parts\](https://www.sixityauto.com/suspension/) for most domestic and import makes. If your 4x4 doubles as a daily driver, this is where you start before anything cosmetic. - Image: ![Image](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/e6c08978-9905-435b-95ce-2106abc8d69d/original.jpg) ### 4. [Brake Pads : Size Up Your Stopping, Not Just Your Tires](https://listium.com/@JordanMcDowell/143674/most-off-road-builds-get-these-7-things-wrong/3/brake-pads--size-up-your-stopping-not-just-your-tires) Item ID: `3` - Notes: > Bigger tires add rotational mass. More weight, more terrain, steeper descents. Your stock brake pads were not spec'd for any of that. Brake fade is the kind of problem that sneaks up on you and then hits hard. Swapping to pads with better heat tolerance is one of the cheaper upgrades on this list and one of the more important ones. > > \*\*Sixity\*\* carries \[\*\*powersports brake pads\*\*\](https://www.sixity.com/brakes/) for pretty much every ATV, UTV, and motorcycle brand worth naming. Good resource if you are maintaining more than one machine at a time. - Image: ![Image](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/86bf1f0c-f585-4c7c-9a80-eacae4739cd2/original.jpg) ### 5. [Hood and Tailgate Lift Supports : The Fix You Keep Putting Off](https://listium.com/@JordanMcDowell/143674/most-off-road-builds-get-these-7-things-wrong/4/hood-and-tailgate-lift-supports--the-fix-you-keep-putting-off) Item ID: `4` - Notes: > This one does not get talked about much. A hood lift strut is a hassle at best and a hazard at worst. A tailgate that drops hard every time you open it is wearing out the hinges and eventually going to catch someone's hand. Weak or dead gas struts are behind both problems, and replacing them takes about 15 minutes. > > Lift Supports Depot focuses specifically on this stuff. They stock \[tailgate assists\](https://www.liftsupportsdepot.com/products/tailgate-assists/) along with hood and hatch lift supports for trucks, Jeeps, and SUVs. They also carry Polaris UTV fitments and stainless mounting hardware, which is worth grabbing if you are in a wet climate or doing any serious mud work. - Image: ![Image](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/56b8c057-604d-407b-bbf5-2c687cc3ce8e/original.jpg) ### 6. [Steering Components : Sort This Out the Same Day You Do the Lift](https://listium.com/@JordanMcDowell/143674/most-off-road-builds-get-these-7-things-wrong/5/steering-components--sort-this-out-the-same-day-you-do-the-lift) Item ID: `5` - Notes: > Run a lift and bigger tires, and your steering geometry changes. Tie rods and drag links that were fine before are now working at new angles and wearing differently. Most people notice the wandering feeling on the highway a few months later. A few had to find out the hard way on the trail. Either way, the fix is the same. > > \*\*Quadratec's\*\* \[Jeep steering and brakes catalog\](https://www.quadratec.com/categories/jeep-steering-brakes) covers the hardware you need for Wrangler and Gladiator builds. Tie rods, drag links, stabilizers, the works. Do this at the same time as the lift, not as an afterthought. - Image: ![Image](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/95305c23-0142-4ab7-836a-29662ef59491/original.jpg) ### 7. [Steering Wheel : The One Part You Touch on Every Single Drive](https://listium.com/@JordanMcDowell/143674/most-off-road-builds-get-these-7-things-wrong/6/steering-wheel--the-one-part-you-touch-on-every-single-drive) Item ID: `6` - Notes: > Custom steering wheels get written off as a vanity upgrade. They are not, or at least the right one is not. A good aftermarket wheel gives you better grip, reduces hand fatigue on long runs, and actually fits the ergonomics of a modified cab better than a factory wheel designed for a stock setup. > > Exclusive Steering has been doing custom and made-to-order wheels since 2008. Their \[Jeep steering wheel collection\](https://www.exclusivesteering.com/collections/jeep) covers most Wrangler setups and works with the aftermarket hubs that come standard on most lifted builds. > > Get the mechanical stuff right first. The visual upgrades are easier to enjoy when nothing underneath is broken. - Image: ![Image](https://img.listium.com/images/width=800,height=800,fit=scale-down,format=webp/l/d96b386d-b93c-4002-b973-b579fb08d10f/original.jpg)