Best Jeep Wrangler Upgrades for Winter Driving, Ranked by What Matters

The best winter upgrade for a Jeep Wrangler is a set of four winter tires, and nothing else on the list comes close. Four-wheel drive gets a Wrangler moving in snow, but it does nothing to help it stop or turn on ice. After tires, the upgrades that matter are a tested battery (and a block heater in severe cold), better visibility, traction devices that actually fit, and a recovery kit you keep in the Jeep all season.

Lifts, light bars and big mud tires are not winter upgrades, and some of them make winter driving worse. Here is the ranked list for JK and JL owners, with what Jeep’s manuals and the tire industry actually say.

Winter Wrangler upgrades in order of importance

1. Four winter tires, and how to read the snowflake

Winter tires work for two reasons: the tread is cut for snow, and the rubber stays soft in the cold. Bridgestone explains that all-season and summer tread compounds stiffen in freezing temperatures, and a stiff tire cannot grip well enough to accelerate or stop. The same page recommends a full set of four rather than two, because mounting only two gives up traction and creates a grip mismatch between the axles. Jeep’s manual adds its own warning: mixing tire sizes or types (M+S, snow) between front and rear can cause unpredictable handling, and on a 4WD vehicle unequal tires can damage the transfer case.

The symbol to look for is the three-peak mountain snowflake. Under the USTMA definition, a tire earns it by beating a standard reference tire by at least 10 to 12 percent in a packed-snow traction test. Plain “M+S” carries no such test, so it means much less.

Here is the part most winter lists leave out: the snowflake is a snow test only. It says nothing about ice. The USTMA defines a separate ice grip symbol, a mountain with three icicles, for tires that pass an ice braking test under ISO 19447. Some all-terrain tires popular on Wranglers do carry the snowflake, and they are fine for snowy back roads. If your winters mean glare ice and freezing rain, a dedicated winter tire with a soft compound is the better choice, and an ice-rated one is better still.

Size matters too. Narrower tires press harder into snow and cut down to the surface, while very wide tires tend to ride on top. If you run 35-inch or wider tires in summer, a slightly narrower winter set on separate wheels is a common choice among owners who drive in deep snow, and it saves the summer tires from salt.

2. A battery that has been tested, plus a block heater in deep cold

Cold does not usually kill a healthy battery. It exposes a weak one, because a cold engine is harder to crank at the same moment the battery has less to give. Get a load test every fall. On many JL models with engine stop-start, there is also a small auxiliary battery, and when it weakens the stop-start feature and other electronics start acting up. Our guide to a Wrangler that won’t start explains how the two batteries share the work.

Jeep’s JL owner’s manual recommends an externally powered engine block heater, available from a dealer, for reliable starting below minus 22°F (minus 30°C). If you live where that happens, it is the second most useful winter part you can buy. A block heater also warms the cabin faster on any cold morning.

3. Visibility: blades, washer fluid and lights

• Winter wiper blades have a rubber boot over the frame so ice cannot pack into the joints. A Wrangler’s upright windshield catches spray from every truck ahead of it.
• Washer fluid rated for your temperatures. Jeep’s manual says to choose a mixture that meets or exceeds the temperature range of your climate, which keeps the lines and reservoir from freezing.
• Clear the lights. Owners in snowy states commonly report that LED headlights, which run cool, do not melt snow and ice the way halogen bulbs did. Brush them off at every stop on a snowy drive.
• Clear the roof. A Wrangler’s flat hard top holds a lot of snow, and it slides onto the windshield the first time you brake.

4. Traction devices that fit a Wrangler

Chain-control areas in the mountain West can require traction devices even on 4WD vehicles in some conditions, so check the rules where you drive. Clearance is the problem on a Wrangler. The 2024 JL manual allows traction devices on the rear axle only. For the stock 245/75R17 tire on a Sport it lists low-profile S-Class chains or AutoSock textile covers; for larger tires, including the Rubicon’s LT285/70R17 and the LT315/70R17 used on 35-inch packages, it lists AutoSock only.

Jeep’s rules for using them: install as tightly as possible and retighten after about half a mile (AutoSocks do not need it), stay at or under 30 mph, avoid sharp turns and big bumps, do not drive long on dry pavement, and never fit them to the spare. If you hear a device breaking, stop at once, because a broken chain can damage brake lines and fenders. Lifted Jeeps with aftermarket tire sizes are outside the manual’s table, so ask the device maker what fits.

5. Driving in snow: use the 4WD you already have

The cheapest winter upgrade is using the transfer case correctly. Shift into 4H on snow-covered or icy roads and 4L for deep snow at walking pace. On a part-time system, go back to 2H once the pavement is clear or patchy dry, since part-time 4WD binds on dry surfaces. JLs with the Selec-Trac full-time system add a 4H Auto mode that can stay engaged on mixed roads. Our guide on how to put a Wrangler in 4-wheel drive covers each mode and the shifting procedure.

Leave stability control on for road driving. If you get stuck in deep snow, the traction control system can cut power while the wheels spin, which is why a flashing traction light often appears just before a Wrangler stops moving. The traction control light and loss of power guide explains what the system is doing and when to switch it off briefly.

Check tire pressures on cold mornings. Air pressure drops as temperatures fall, and the first freezing week of the year is when many Wrangler tire pressure lights come on. A blinking tire pressure light is different: it points to a sensor fault, often after swapping to winter wheels without sensors.

6. The recovery kit that rides along all winter

A Wrangler will take you farther from help in winter than most vehicles, which is exactly why the kit matters more than any accessory:

• A shovel, ideally a sturdy folding one
• A recovery strap and rated soft shackles or bow shackles, used only on proper recovery points
• Traction boards, which get a Wrangler out of more snowbanks than a winch
• A jump pack, charged at the start of the season
• Warm layers, gloves, a blanket, water, snacks and a flashlight
• Sand or kitty litter for traction, and an ice scraper with a brush

If you are stuck and waiting, keep the tailpipe clear of snow before running the engine for heat. A blocked exhaust can push carbon monoxide into the cabin.

7. Keeping the cabin warm and dry

Rubber floor liners are the best small purchase, because snow melting off boots turns carpet into a sponge that fogs the windows for weeks. If you remove the top in summer, reinstall the hard top before the first storm and check the door and top seals while you do; our guide to removing and refitting Wrangler doors and tops covers the hardware. A hard top is warmer and quieter than a soft top, and soft top zippers get stiff and fragile in deep cold, so open them gently. Heated seats are available on many trims if you are buying; on an older Jeep, aftermarket seat heater kits exist, but have them installed with proper fusing.

What to skip, and the salt routine

A tall lift and wide mud-terrain tires do not help on winter roads. Mud tires have big, widely spaced blocks with little siping, which is the opposite of what grips ice, and a higher center of gravity makes a slide harder to catch. Save the money for the tire set above.

Finally, salt. A Wrangler frame and its brake lines sit right in the spray of salted roads, and corrosion works quietly for years before it shows. Rinse the underbody whenever temperatures rise above freezing, paying attention to the inside of the frame rails, and look the frame over each spring. The Wrangler maintenance checklist covers the rust check and the battery test with the rest of the yearly items.