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Rob, Standard brake discs are made of cast iron, not steel, although I wouldn't be surprised if cheap ones use lower-quality ingredients. If you've upgraded your pads and brake fluid (from DOT 3 to DOT 4 or 5.1), the only way to genuinely improve braking is with larger/wider/heavier discs...

What does the kit you're looking at include? Unless it incorporates larger diameter or wider or heavier discs (i.e. with more center vanes) it's unlikely it will hugely improve your stopping and/or resistance to fade. I think I've linked to this article before but it's worth doing again. Just...

As has been mentioned a couple times now, what would really help is going down a size in tires. It's not just a gearing issue. Larger, heavier tires/wheels take more power to accelerate and more power to stop. They're harder on steering and suspension components. And every centimeter you raise...

I'm assuming you have the V6 and an auto transmission? The current V6 is a poor performer in terms of fuel economy, and its power band is way too high in the RPM range (as with most non-diesel truck engines these days). Your 33-inch tires aren't helping, but be warned: Re-gearing to 4.88s will...

Congratulations on your new camper! If you plan to remove the camper between trips, air bags are the only proper way to maintain a decent ride and handling both loaded and unloaded. It it's going to stay on, a spring upgrade is better as it will maintain full compliance. One good approach is to...

Yes: Either the ARB kit or the Extreme Outback ultimate Puncture Repair Kit. Whatever you do, stay away from plug kits with plastic-handled insertion tools. Also, I recommend going on Amazon and looking for Safety Seal extra thin plugs to augment whatever kit you buy. The plugs that come with...

By all means I would carry a full-sized spare (well-lashed down)—along with a high-quality plug kit and a high-quality compressor. The Dempster is better known for general tire shredding than simple punctures, but you should be prepared.

Nice work Patrick! Thom, thanks for the link on the clip-on chucks.

I always promote airing down to suit conditions. It's easier on the vehicle and occupants, provides better traction (or flotation) and reduces trail erosion. As such, I endorse almost any product that makes it easier to air down (and back up). However, I have to admit I thought the InDeflate was...

I don't think the issue is suspension; I think it's leverage. All that weight out back is stressing and twisting the structure and there's no solid support underneath for it. If the suspension isn't bottoming out forcefully, only flex would do that to the window.

Excellent!

Very clever use of the hurricane ties!

Agree on changing the fluid, something probably fewer than one percent of vehicle owners do as often as they should. Also, have you upgraded your fluid? It's the cheapest way to improve fade resistance. At the risk of more self-promotion, I'll link a relevant article again, here.

If you read the article I linked and noted the surplus Humvee scissors jack and the adapter—that's an affordable and very strong option. Bulkier than a bottle jack, though, and can't use the excellent accessories from Safe Jack.

That is a single sheet of aluminum turned up on each side, with slots for cinch straps. Very simple:

Barring an unlikely failure, there should be no need to get them up. The panels on our 2012 FWC were still working perfectly when we sold it in 2021. However, they can be removed; it would just takes some muscle power. For me, the zero wind profile and zero theft profile is worth the slight risk...

FWC did install ours, but I've installed others since, such as on our HZJ75. They are indeed bonded; it's easy and reduces the through-holes to one. These are Renogy semi-flexible panels, 100 watts each.

This article might help.

You need roof-mounted solar. It's really not that difficult; if done at all well there are no dangers of leaks, and nothing else will give you 100, 200 watts of power, or more, with so little hassle. We had 200 watts of solar on our FWC, which gave us complete power autonomy running a fridge...

About 95 percent of problems with "warped" rotors don't involve warped rotors at all. The issue is improperly bedded pads and uneven glazing of the rotors from coming to a complete stop when the rotors are extremely hot. This causes a pulsing that feels like warped rotors. I'm not saying it's...

A snorkel will definitely not increase power. And unless the rest of the vehicle (ECU location, etc.) is suited for deep water crossings even a sealed snorkel won't do much for your fording depth. It does get the air intake above some ground-level dust, which is the reason they come standard on...

I wrote a review of one of the first Antigravity units on the market and have been a fan of them since. We used a fleet of them at the Overland Expo to jump the dead vehicles and motorcycles of participants. One day Tim Scully, our instructor for field welding, and I were chatting, and I said...

I second Dave's suggestion. Old Man Emu has a suspension kit for your vehicle, which would give you a useful lift (around two inches) without messing up driveline angles or your fuel economy too much. Combine that with new tires of a modest increase in diameter and it might be all you need and...

I wrote a review of the Tremor for OutdoorX4 when the 2020 Fords were introduced. It is an impressive machine; I think you'll love it!

I've been told that any high-quality synthetic silicone grease should be fine for polyurethane bushings. I use Superlube or Amsoil. One thing to note is that the tip pads on OME springs should be lubed now and then. The easiest way to do so is to jack up the vehicle by the chassis so the...