Mods are permanent unlockable upgrades to Rico's tools, weapons, or any vehicle he handles. These upgrades can only be unlocked by collecting Gears. Gears are rewards for completing various challenges. These gears are not "consumed" when selecting an upgrade; they cumulatively stack and count towards the required number of gears needed for the next upgrade. That said, the only way you can unlock all mods is by perfectly accomplishing their corresponding challenges. Some modes can't be active simultaneously but you'll have the option to activate which ones you want as you see fit.
Below are the 8 different mods types and their corresponding challenges.
Mod Type | Challenge |
Destruction Mods | Destruction Frenzy |
Explosives Mods | Crash Bomb |
Weapon Mods | Shooting Gallery |
Tether Mods | Scrapyard Scramble |
Traversal Mods | Wingsuit Course |
Land Vehicle Mods | Land Race |
Air Vehicle Mods | Air Race |
Sea Vehicle Mods | Sea Race |