We love to hit the trail, ride along with customers and put our products to the test. From Easter Jeep Safari to the Jeep Jamboree series, all of us here at JKS love to spend our free time out off the beaten path. This year we had an interesting offer to attend the 2014 JK Experience, a weeklong offroad wheeling trip covering hundreds of miles and multiple trails as more than a dozen JKs show what they are made of.

We've had our 2008 Jeep Wrangler JK for years and it's performed great as both a test mule for new products as well as a trail rig for events. Its been built up over the years to include a Sprintex supercharger and other performance upgrades, various JKS components, bumpers and body armor, winch and recovery gear, RCV axle shafts, 5.13 gears, 37'' tires and its signature 1/2-cab hardtop. While all of these upgrades have helped it perform admirably out on the trail, the rig was looking beat up, worn out and in need of a fresh look. With JK Experience only 2 weeks away the JKS R&D crew ripped into the JK pulling bumpers, body panels, sliders, and suspension tearing it down to a blank canvas for the guys to build on. First to go on were a pair of JCR Offroad bumpers, mauler "stubby" up front and a full width vanguard in the rear. The front houses a Warn 9.5Rc winch while the rear integrates a custom low slung tire carrier the team built in house. The TMD cowl hood received fresh paint along with the Nemesis fenders and rock sliders to complete the 2-tone look. A set of 37x12.50x17 Nitto Trail Grapplers were mounted up on 17x8.5 Hutchinson beadlocks to help get traction out on the trail. The suspension was updated with a preproduction version of the 4.5'' Jspec Pro System featuring dual rate coils, lower control arms, adjustable track bars, front ACOS pro, Fox evolution 2.0 remote reservoir shocks, and a Fox 2.0 steering stabilizer. Inside the cage was largely scrapped and a rear support was fabbed to work with the 1/2-cab along with a Poison Spyder trail cage to help keep the guys safe out on the trail. Finishing off the build the JK received fresh graphics.

After a bit of test-and-tune on the RTI ramp this Jeep is ready to head west for the start of JKX and whatever they have in store for us over the next week. The event starts this weekend, be sure to follow us on Facebook for updates. Here are some shots of the buildup, for more see Facebook.

                                           

For more on JK Experience head to jk-experience.com

To keep up with JKS out on the trail head to the JKS Facebook Page atfacebook.com/jksmfg