We live in an age when many gas stations make you pay to air up your tires. Yes, you're coughing up as much as 50 cents for air. So when life's little necessities start draining the pockets, we know that the allowance for modifying your truck begins shifting commas and decimals to the east. Therefore, we've put together a list of items you may be surprised are so budget-friendly-plus a sampling of sky's-the-limit stuff you can get if you've got some (or a lot of) money to burn-and your tires are already filled.
Part: Form-a-Flex radiator-hose kits.
Dollars: $75-$99
Details: The hoses are made from corrugated 300-series stainless steel rather than copper and can be permanently bent by hand. The hoses fit 1 1/2- and 1 3/4-inch inlets, and kits are available in 1-, 2-, and 3-foot lengths.
Buy: Earl's Performance Products, 310/609-1602, www.earlsplumbing.com
Part: Slave-cylinder hose replacement for '97-and-newer Jeep TJs
Dollars: $69.99
Details: This kit allows you to replace stock plastic hydraulic clutch lines with stainless steel braided line for improved heat and abrasion resistance and more flexibility.
Buy: Advance Adapters, 800/350-2223, www.advanceadapters.com
Part: Diesel-controller pillar mounts
Dollars: $52-$75
Details: A direct replacement for the driver-side A-pillar cover, so the company's Attitude diesel monitor/controller is within reach. It's made from 0.125-inch-thick ABS plastic and can be painted to match the interior.
Buy: Edge Products, 888/360-3343 or 801/476-3343, www.edgeproducts.com
Part: Super Turbo muffler
Dollars: Starts at $59.99
Details: This direct-fit system has all-aluminized, mandrel-bent pipes. Patented flow directors are used to channel exhaust flow for bueno performance.
Buy: DynoMax, 734/384-7807 (dealer locator), www.dynomax.com
Part: Traditional bikini top for '76-'86 CJs and '87-'91 Jeep Wranglers
Dollars: $89.95
Details: It's a soft top in camo colors (military, urban, and desert). The top will have reinforced edges, hard-core buckles, and webbing.
Buy: Bestop, 800/845-3567, www.bestop.com
Part: Heavy-duty shackles
Dollars: $64.95-$79.95 per pair
Details: Swap out your stock shackles with the Rock Crawler line, with tow-bar attachment for the '76-'86 Jeep CJs and Scramblers, and boomerang-style rear for '87-'95 YJs. They have 1/4-inch-thick side plates and Grade 8 hardware.
Buy: Currie Enterprises, 714/367-2232, www.currieenterprises.com
Part: Bed and surface protection
Dollars: $14.95 for basic black (prices vary based on color)
Details: Tuff Stuff spray-on polyurethane will fight off abrasion, impact, and corrosion, and won't crack or peel. You spray on up to 1/4-inch thickness, and it'll bond to the surface.
Buy: Rhino Linings, 888/744-6604, www.rhinolinings.com
Part: Limiting straps
Dollars: Start at $45.75 per pair
Details: The heavy-duty Rock Ready straps come in 16-, 20-, 24-, 28-, and 32-inch lengths, and have a 7,000-pound rating. Each has double webbing, and the metal pieces are zinc-plated to last.
Buy: Skyjacker Suspensions, 866/423-3253 (dealer locator), www.skyjacker.com