Of all the trails that I have run in Northern California to date, the Slickrock Jeep Trail is by far one of my favorites.  Without a doubt, its location deep inside the heart of the Stanislaus National Forest and breathtaking scenery is simply to die for and its relatively short but technically challenging terrain makes it perfect for day runs. Needless to say, when it came time to plan our 2nd run with the JK-Forum.com NorCal Crew, this is the trail we had to do.

Along for the ride we had Liz (DizzyLiz) and Sean in their Black Rubicon Unlimited sitting on an RE 3.5″ Super Flex Lift and 35″ BFG MTs, Matt (brknmach) and his dad with their Steel Blue Rubicon RE 4.5″ Long Arm Lift and 36″ Iroks, Chip (kidjeep) and his daughter with their Silver Sahara Unlimited sitting on a TeraFlex 2.5″ BB, 1″ BL and 35″ Toyo MTs, Stacy (R8R ROK) and his family with their Silver Sahara Unlimited sitting on a TeraFlex 2.5″ BB and 32″ BFG MTs, David (MBATF) and his mom with their Black Rubicon Unlimited sitting on a Clayton 3.5″ Lift and 37″ BFG KM2s, Zip (PeeJ_Zip) and his wife with their Black X sitting on a Rusty’s 3.25″ Lift and 35″ Baja MTZs, Mark (rampage) and his kids with their Jeep Green Rubicon Unlimited sitting on a Full Traction 3″ Ultimate Lift and 35″ ProComp Xtreme MTs and of course, Cindy (WOLette) and I in our Stone White Rubicon Unlimited sitting on a TeraFlex 4″ Flex Arm Lift, 1″ More BL and 37″ Toyo MTs.

If you would like to watch the short video that Cindy put together from this 2nd Project-JK NorCal run across the Slickrock Trail, simply click on the screen or link below:

Project-JK NorCal Slickrock Jeep Trail Run 2008 YouTube Video

If you would like to see photos from our run, click on the link below:

Project-JK NorCal Slickrock Jeep Trail Run 2008 Photo Gallery

And last but not least, if you would like more information about the Slickrock Jeep Trail, please click on the link below to see the trail report that I wrote last year:

Slickrock Jeep Trail

Once again, I’d like to give special thanks to Liz for helping me to put this run across the Slickrock Jeep Trail together as well as to everyone else who came to join us. We had a great time with all of you and look forward to wheeling with you again soon!

Eddie

Located deep in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountains near the Sonora Pass, Niagara Rim is a beautiful trail that Cindy and I had been wanting to run for quite some time now but always found it logistically difficult to do.  Certainly, it’s quite a haul to get to from our home down in Southern California and it’s even quite the trek from South Lake Tahoe where we normally spend a good part of our summers.  And, being that Niagara Rim is a ‘difficult’ rated trail, it’s also one that we preferred not to do alone and finding friends who could join us out in this remote location had proven to be somewhat of a challenge.  Needless to say, when we announced that we would be doing a run/camping trip out on this trail about a month ago over on JK-Forum.com, we weren’t sure what to expect and had no idea of who if anyone would be able come along.  Of course, what we hadn’t taken into consideration was the fact that just about every planned run on JK-Forum.com has a way of getting people to come out of the woodwork and this trip was no exception to the rule.  Much to my surprise, when all was said and done, we were able to get a total of 10 Jeep JK Wranglers coming from all over Northern and Southern California to join us. 

Unfortunately, Cindy and I weren’t able to get out of town a day early as was originally planned and actually ended up not being able to leave until late Friday night.  Fortunately for us though, our good friends Jen (toad) and Jeff (Bullfrog) were kind enough to wait for us so that we could caravan up with them and that made the long drive up a whole lot easier to do.  While the plan was to make it up to camp no matter what, I think all of us were toast by the time we got to Merced and the thought of setting up camp at 2:30 AM wasn’t very appealing to anyone.  So, we all decided to call it a night, checked into a local Super 8 Motel and caught a few hours of sleep.

The following morning, we were back on the road again by 6:00 AM, made a quick stop in Sonora for breakfast and just by chance, had the pleasure of hooking up with Mike (WeGo4×4) and Todd (FireRescue707) along the way and we all rolled into camp by about 9:00 AM.  After saying our hellos and taking some time to explain the reason for our delay, we unpacked our Jeeps, setup our tent and camping gear and then proceeded to remove our soft top and doors.  Tempted by what they were seeing us do, pretty much everyone else in our group decided to do the same and by the time we were off to the trail, our campsite was littered with an array of Jeep doors leaning up against trees, rocks and even on the ground - truly a sight to be seen.

Of the 10 JK’s in our group (three 2-door and seven 4-door), most were slightly to moderately built up and one was bone stock with street tires.  Of the drivers we had, most had some wheeling experience but never on the kind of terrain they would be seeing and a couple were in fact total newbies.  At just a little over 6 miles in length, Niagara Rim is a relatively short trail that normally would take about 3 hours to complete but soon after we started the trail, it became clear to us that we wouldn’t be getting back to camp until the end of the day.

Starting off with a steep descent down a rocky hillside followed by a tough climb up some loose boulders and soft soil, the first real obstacle on Niagara Rim is called No Way Out and it’s presented to you right from the get go. While there is a bypass around the climb, everyone in our group decided to make the most of this trip and take a stab at it.  And, as you can imagine, those with a greater degree of flex, big aggressive tires and/or lockers made it up the climb with ease and those without… well, they did struggle a bit and even required some stacking of rocks but with the exception of only a couple of JK’s who were forced to take the bypass, everyone else was able to make the climb. Beyond No Way Out, the trail continued to be rocky and somewhat of a challenge all the way up to the top of Hard Brake Hill and a tow strap was needed a couple of times to help out Tyler (JKid) who had the only stock JK in our group.

Hard Brake Hill gets its name from the fact that it is a very steep descent down a hillside with very loose soil and to make things a bit more interesting, about half way down, there are rocky outcrops protruding from either side of the trail making it just narrow enough to prevent you from squeezing through without some effort.  In other words, you have to come to a near stop at this point in order to carefully negotiate your way over these rocks and given the circumstances at hand, this can be quite a challenge especially if you lack a good low range to help you engine brake your way down or have street tires that offer very little traction.  While everyone in our group did make it down this section with ease, it was a little concerning to watch Tyler in his stock JK essentially make a controlled slide to the bottom of the hill.  The trail beyond was easy and very scenic as it took us past fields of Mule Ears and across a ridge that offered stunning views of the Stanislaus National Forest beyond.  This continues for a couple of miles until we reached our next challenge, Sidewall Suicide.

Sidewall Suicide is an obstacle that takes you up and around a jagged outcropping of lava and then has you descend a short but steep, tippy and narrow shelf that can potentially put you on your side.  Nothing life threatening per se but going over would sure put a damper on your day for sure.  Because of this, most people tend to pull close to the sharp rocky wall on the driver side and rubbing your tires against this can result in damage and/or destruction of the sidewalls - hence the name ‘Sidewall Suicide.’  Fortunately, this obstacle can be bypassed and a little more than half of our group made the wise decision to do just that.  All in all, Sidewall Suicide really isn’t that difficult of an obstacle and is probably more psychological than anything but it’s certainly not for everyone.  And, of the people in our group who did choose to take on this challenge, all were able to clear it with ease. 

After a brief stop for lunch, we made our way down Shale Hill and over to the Lion’s Butt.  While the Lion’s Butt is a specific obstacle on the Niagara Rim Trail, it is also a play area that offers terrain such as large granite slabs, boulders and ledges very similar to Moab.  By far, I think this was everyone’s favorite part of the trail and we pretty much spent the rest of the day playing here.  Of course, Cindy and I loved it here as it gave us a chance to really put our new Off Road Evolution EVO Front Coil Over and rear EVO Lever Suspension System to the flex test and let me just say, we were blown away by it’s performance (more details to come soon)!!  Being that traction was optimal on the granite, even Tyler had an easy time pushing his JK to the limit.  Before heading back out, we decided to make our way down and around the Lion’s Butt obstacle and it was at this point that we nearly had our first casualty of the day.  The Lion’s Butt is basically a steep descent down two large granite slabs with a crack down the middle.  However, the crack isn’t exactly in the middle and the two slabs are exactly even and attempting to straddle it will ultimately put the passenger side of your Jeep up on the high side towards the end and in a very bad way just you start to drop off of the slabs.  Jen did this a bit and it gave her a fright as her passenger rear corner started to take flight when she came off the slab.  Unfortunately, Kristen didn’t see this and when she made her way down, she straddled the crack even more and if it weren’t for Chip (kidjeep) jumping on the rear corner of their Jeep at the last second, she would have gone over for sure.

Considering ourselves lucky that nobody got hurt and nobody sustained any real damage on their Jeeps, we decided to skip the last and hardest section of trail called the Rock Pile and call it a day.  As it was, sunset was fast approaching, everyone was tired and several members in our group were in need of heading back home.  Taking one of the many cut-across trails that hook up to the main trail, we were able to make it back to camp in no time at all, got those in need of leaving situated and the rest of us relaxing with dinner in hand and good company around a nice warm campfire.

The following morning, most of our group packed up and headed for home.  With only Jen, Jeff (Bullfrog), David (MBATF), Jeff (BeepJeep), Cindy and I left, we decided to head back out to the Rock Pile.  Now, according to Charles Wells, author of the California Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails books, the Rock Pile is ”strictly extreme hardcore 4-wheeling” and let me tell you, it really is.  Essentially, the rock pile is a large granite expanse with cracks you can negotiate up, huge ledges you can climb, slabs you can traverse across and boulders you can play on.  While we were there, we encountered a guy in a rock buggy that had made his way up almost to the top of a long nasty crack only to break his tie-rod, drag link, steering assist, front drive shaft, winch cable trying to pull himself out and toast a couple of Optima Yellow Top batteries trying to weld things back together.  Truly, he was in a bind and if it weren’t for the fact that his other buddies were also in highly modified buggies that could get into difficult positions and help him out, I’m not sure what he would have done.  But, I digress.  For our purposes, we found a lesser crack to work our way up and spent our final morning at Niagara Rim working at it.  Without a doubt, the boulders here were huge and proved to be a real challenge and a ton of fun.  Being that Jeff’s (BeepJeep) 2-door was only an X with 33’s, he decided to leave it behind and hitch a ride with David but much to our surprise, Jen was able to make it up in her 2-door X sitting on 4″ of lift and 35’s.  In order to get back down, we had to negotiate our way across a large granite face cris-crossed with deep fissures and a steep drop off at the end and for the 4-doors, this was no problem at all.  While we did end up hooking a tow strap to the back of Jen’s JK just to give her piece of mind as she dropped off the final ledge, it wasn’t needed and she made it off just fine as well.

Of all the trails that I have had a chance to run here in California, I’d have to say Niagara Rim is by far one of my new favorites.  Yes, it is very far and a chore to get to but that might also be the reason why it’s still so clean, beautiful and devoid of crowds.  Plus, with the ability to take cut-across trails connecting the campground to the various points along the main trail, you can quickly and easily make your way out to your favorite play spots like the Lion’s Butt and Rock Pile.  Need I say, if you have an opportunity to make it out to this great wheeling spot, I would highly recommend it.

If you would like to see all the photos from our trip to Niagara Rim, simply click on the banner above or on the link below:

Project-JK.com Niagra Rim OHV Trail Run 2008 Photo Gallery

Of course, you know there will be a YouTube Video posted from this run as well so be sure to check back soon for it.

Eddie

Rear Trackbar Brace reinforces weak factory mounting bracket on 2007+ Jeep Wrangler models

Alliance, NE – August 2008: JKS Manufacturing has just released a highly effective and economical solution to a problem that has plagued many owners of the current Jeep Wrangler. The problem involves the factory track bar mount on the rear axle housing. Vehicle owners and industry specialists have reported an alarming number of rear track bar failures due to insufficient bracing of the factory mount. Most failures occur after the vehicle has been lifted, especially when aftermarket extension brackets are involved. However, some have even experienced failure on stock applications.

When failure occurs, the vehicle is rendered unsafe to drive and must be repaired before it can be safely operated. In most cases, the problem is not covered by the factory warranty and complete axle housing replacement is the only solution offered by dealerships. Unfortunately, this does nothing to correct the original problem which is bound to reoccur unless more effective measures are taken.

JKS developed the Rear Trackbar Brace to provide Jeep owners with a permanent solution to this problem. Constructed of high strength 7-guage steel that has been precision cut and formed using CNC equipment, the Rear Trackbar Brace fits perfectly over the factory mount. The heavy duty design connects the factory track bar mount to the axle with 45-degree reinforcement wings. This triangulates the mounting configuration to resist lateral track bar forces that would otherwise tear the weak factory mount from the axle.

For additional strength, the Rear Trackbar Brace wraps under the axle housing and attaches on the opposite side. This not only distributes track bar forces over a greater area, but also provides a smooth, snag-free surface to slide over obstacles. Furthermore, during installation it eliminates the need for awkward overhead welding and improves weld penetration. The Rear Trackbar Brace is compatible with most track bars, extension brackets and lift kits. Installation requires welding.

APPLICATIONS:
PN OGS169 fits 2007+ Jeep Wrangler JK, OE rear axle housing

MANUFACTURER INQUIRIES:
Jim Nollette, JKS Manufacturing
(308) 762-6949 / orders@jksmfg.com

www.jksmfg.com

Having completed almost a year of extensive testing and without any glitches or failures to speak of, TeraFlex is finally releasing it’s long awaited Jeep JK Wrangler Rubicon 241OR - 2WD Low Range Conversion Kit.  With this kit, you will now have the option to take advantage of your Jeep’s 4:1 transfer case low range and allow you to maintain the use of your rear locker but without needing to have your front end engaged as well.  Of course, by doing this you will effectively free up any 4WD related steering bind and this will help make negotiating tight sections of trail a lot easier.

Below is the official press release issued by TeraFlex:

TeraFlex JK Wrangler Rubicon 2Low 241OR
Murray, Utah- August 12, 2008.  Tera Manufacturing, Inc., manufacturer of TeraFlex suspensions, body protection equipment, low range gearing and HD axles, introduces the newest low range component for the JK Wrangler.

The TeraFlex 2Low 241OR for JK Wrangler Rubicon models will increase your standard low range shift pattern to include a rear 2WD low range option. This increases trail turning ability by allowing tighter turns on narrow switchbacks, and eliminates most front end steering bind associated with 4WD. The 2Low kit is a completely internal modification and does not require any other modifications to the transfer case housing or components. Installation can be done with the front half of the transfer case remaining in the vehicle.

TeraFlex products are available direct, or through authorized TeraFlex Dealers. For a complete list of Dealers in your area, or to purchase direct, contact TeraFlex at 801-288-2585 or visit them on the web, http://www.teraflex.biz/.

About Teraflex - Since 1997, TeraFlex has had a dominant hold on the Jeep market. TeraFlex was the first suspension manufacturer with a suspension system for the TJ Wrangler, and is still the only aftermarket company to offer a solution for the venerable 231 transfer case’s low range gearing. Continuing their stronghold, they offer the most comprehensive list of performance components for the JK Wrangler of any other manufacturer to date.

The TeraFlex Jeep JK Wrangler Rubicon 241OR - 2WD Low Range Conversion Kit is a useful and highly functional upgrade that I think anyone with a Rubicon will want to have.  And, with a low retail price of only $230.99, it is also a very affordable one as well.

Eddie

One of the things my wife and I really enjoy doing is having install parties at our house.  These parties give us a chance to meet and make new friends in the SoCal area, help them to build up their Jeeps and help educate them about it as well. For the most part, these install parties have involved one or two members of JK-Forum.com needing some work done on their Jeeps and typically, we would be able to get a few additional people to come by as well to help out or just to hang out and have some fun.  Of course, when we planned this party back in July, it never occured to us that it would become the fun filled event that it turned into.

With as many as 15 Jeep JK Wranglers signing up to join us for our party, eight of which would be coming for some help, it became very clear to us that we might have a small problem on our hands.  Although several of the Jeeps needing help were just coming to have some simple mods installed like 4xFix steering stabilizer and EVAP relocation brackets, the rest were coming to have things like a budget boost installed, a front bumper installed, a rear bumper installed, control arms installed, control arms adjusted, a body lift installed and drive shafts installed.  Needless to say, I didn’t think having all these Jeeps over at my condo would sit too well with my neighbors or the association but as luck would have it, Mel and Lisa from Off Road Evolution caught wind of what was going on and offered up a solution that I simply couldn’t refuse.

Even though our install party was planned on a Sunday and on a day that was actually Mel and Lisa’s wedding anniversary, they still generously offered to open up their shop and allow us to have our party there.  Granted, we wouldn’t be able to use their lifts or most of their tools, but we still would get a large area to work with and that was exactly what we needed.  In all, we were able to get as many as five Jeeps inside and worked on all at the same time and that allowed us to keep things moving right along.  And, in true Jeepin spirit, many of the people who came to our party did so not because they needed help with their Jeep but rather, came to lend a hand and help other Jeepers in need. When all was said and done, everyone who came for some help got it and that was all that I could ever hope for.

If you weren’t able to join us for the fun at our SoCal Summertime Install Party, be sure to check JK-Forum.com for future events as we do have them all the time.  In the mean time, if you would like to see a few pics from the party, simply click on the link below:

Project-JK.com SoCal Summertime Install Party 2008 Photo Gallery

Eddie

Special Thanks: I’d like to give a BIG special thanks to Mel and Lisa at Off Road Evolution for their generous hospitality.  I’d also like to give thanks to Woods from 4xFix for coming to the party, helping to install products and for providing pizza for everyone.  Of course, I really need to give thanks to our moderator Jen (toad) for bringing snacks and drinks and for helping to organize things and to Mark (Rubimon) who’s only purpose for coming out was to offer a hand and help others out and boy did he ever do a lot of that!!

Of all the non-performance enhancing off road accessories I have seen come out for the Jeep JK Wrangler, I’d have to say that the all new Off Road Evolution EVO 1017: EVO Trail Table is by far one of the most useful and coolest.  Certainly, I think it’s definitely something that everyone could use.

Made out of 1/8″ steel construction and powder coated black, the EVO Trail Table is extremely durable and functional.  Mounted to the inside surface of your Jeep JK Wrangler’s rear tailgate, the EVO Trail Table store flat and out of the way when not in use and takes up so little room that it’ll even clear your subwoofer.  When in use, the EVO Trail Table folds out and provides an impressive 348 sq. in. of space that can be used as a picnic table, camp stove stand or even a work bench. 

Features and Benefits
• Made specifically for the JK to maximize area while clearing the rear subwoofer
• 348 sq. in. of usable surface area
• Folds up when not in use, taking very little cargo area.  Only takes up 1.5” of cargo area
• 1/8” steel construction
• Powder Coated Black
• Extremely durable
• Various uses from a trail work bench to a picnic/bar-b-que table
• Easy installation. Drilling Required
• Can be mounted in two variations.  Table folds up or down.
• Made in the USA

To see more photos of the Off Road Evolution EVO 1017: EVO Trail Table in use or to see how strong and versitle it is, click on the link below:

Off Road Evolution EVO 1017: EVO Trail Table Photo Gallery

For more information about the Off Road Evolution EVO 1017: EVO Trail Table, please contact Off Road Evolution by email at: mel.wade@offroadevolution.com or by phone at: (714) 870-5515.  Or, visit their website at: www.offroadevolution.com

Eddie

We here at Off Road Evolution have decided to expand our installation and custom fabrication skills into the manufacturing realm with Off Road Evolution MFG.  The push into manufacturing comes from our years of building custom bulletproof parts from suspensions systems, skid plates, custom cages and armor.  Now we’ve finally created an efficient means of getting these parts out to you. Helping us to make this transition a smooth one and taking the spot of head engineer, we are proud to announce the newest member to the Off Road Evolution team, Andrew “Lego” Perle.  No stranger to the 4×4 industry, having many years experience as engineer for a large suspension manufacturing company, off road race car building and bringing a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree to the table.  Andrew is also a die-hard enthusiast and fabricator alike. With this addition and our custom heritage, we will bring you hardcore parts once only available as a one-off design.

Join the Evolution…

In addition to its spectacular beauty and rich history, there is a reason why the Rubicon is legendary and considered to be the Mecca of all Jeep trails.  Without a doubt, the Rubicon is by far one of the most challenging and demanding 17 miles of trail that you can possibly run.  The countless boulders, ledges, trees, water crossings, mud, tippy rock faces and tight squeezes that you encounter along its entire length are relentless and determined to break you down both mentally and physically. Certainly, the Rubicon is not a trail for the faint of heart or the squimish as breakdowns, rollovers and body damage is the norm and is to be expected.  And, if you’re feeling the call that all Jeepers feel deep inside their hearts of running the Rubicon someday, I would highly recommend that you do it with the Jeepers Jamboree.

Truly, the “Granddaddy” of all Jeep events, the Jeepers Jamboree is in fact the oldest, toughest and largest of it’s kind and has a reputation that is known throughout the world. Started in 1952 as a way to boost the economy in the Georgetown Divide area, the Jeepers Jamboree has become an iconic annual event that is attended by hundreds of Jeeps of all model styles and levels of modification. While there is a registration fee that you will need to pay in order to attend this epic event, I have found it to be a very small price to pay for everything that you get for it including the exclusive use of the trail, three delicious meals a day, entry into some awesome giveaways, live music entertainment and dancing.  However, in my opinion, the biggest perk you will get from attending the Jeepers Jamboree is having scores of experienced spotters stationed along the length of the trail who make it their purpose to help guide you safely through all the toughest obstacles.  And, if you are unfortunate enough to suffer a breakdown, there are dozens of experienced mechanics at two repair stations, one of which is located at Buck Island Lake and the other at Rubicon Springs.  These mechanics will help provide any trail fixes that you might need without any cost to you except for parts that might be needed but a small donation is always appreciated.  Of course, the experience of being a part of this amazing event is something that is simply priceless.

Now, in spite of all the years that I have been wheeling and even wheeling up in the Lake Tahoe area, I’ll have to be honest and tell you that up until now… I’d never had a chance to run the Rubicon Trail.  As much as I had always wanted to, every year there was always another reason why I couldn’t but as luck would have it, the opportunity to attend this year’s 56th Annual Jeepers Jamboree presented itself and my wife Cindy and I jumped on it.  And, fortunately for us, we wouldn’t have to go alone as we would later find out that our good friends Liz (DizzyLiz), her husband Sean, Chip (kidjeep) and his wife Kristen would all be joining us and would be their first time on the Rubicon as well.

On the day of our trip, Cindy and I we met up with our friends just before dawn at the Loon Lake staging area, aired down our tires, grabbed some coffee and breakfast and then picked up a boxed lunch that was waiting for us at the trailhead.  Being that the Jeepers Jamboree is a “go at your own pace” kind of run, there was no line up we needed to get into or trailboss leading a group, so once we were all situated, I took the lead and we all made our way over to the Gatekeeper.

From what I’ve been told, the Gatekeeper has been modified a bit and isn’t nearly as tough as it used to be and based on what I’ve read about it, it wasn’t.  However, make no mistake, this first length of trail is still very much a challenge and a ton of fun.  As is the case with most of the trail, there are options that you can take along the way that will make things easier for you or virtually impossible depending on how built up your Jeep is.  Beyond the Gatekeeper, we decided to make an extended stop at the Granite Bowl to take in the breathtaking views and to try and find our route across.  Although the trail is marked with reflectors that are attached to the granite and a few signs attached to trees that have managed to poke through cracks in the rocky face, they can both be difficult to spot and negotiating your way across the bowl can be a bit tricky.  Fortunately for us, the Jeepers Jamboree made special effort to mark off the way with rocks carins, ribbons and even spotters positioned along the way to help point us in the right direction.

Beyond the Granite Bowl, we were met with an endless string of difficult rock challenges and tippy ledges that needed to be climbed and descended.  These obstacles hammered on our skidplates, bumpers and rocker guards and continuously pushed our suspension to the limits. Did I mention how nice it was to have experienced spotters all along the way?  Of course, I suppose things might have been a bit easier for me if it weren’t for the fact that Cindy kept asking these guys to take me up hardest lines so that she could get some good shots.  Anyway, slowly but surely, we kept this up until we reached Buck Island Lake where we kicked off our shoes, cooled off in the waters and had the pleasure of meeting up with Dan DeWolf, Director of the Jeepers Jamboree, who flew in by helicopter if you can believe it.

Rested up and ready for the trail again, we hopped back in our Jeeps and continued to make our way to Rubicon Springs on some of the most challenging sections of trail we had enountered yet including the extremely tight, technical and tippy Big Sluice.  And, if you can believe it, just as we were nearing camp and feeling pretty good about things, I made the stupid mistake of turning off the historic Rubicon Bridge just a bit early and for the very first time all day, I found myself holding on tight as I almost rolled my Jeep in one of the most unlikely place - oh the shame!!

While the Jeepers Jamboree does have a four day trip which leaves on a Thursday, everyone in our group could only make it to the three day trip which leaves the day after and as you can probably guess, by the time we rolled into Rubicon Springs, every good camp spot was already taken.  In fact, the entire area looked something close to what I would imagine a refugee camp in a war torn country would look like except, instead of hearing bombs in the distant and seeing blank stares from starving childeren with soot covered sallow faces, we heard music blasting from radios and saw hundreds of people dancing around, drinking beer and having a great time.  Truly, for at least one weekend every year, the isolated and tranquil Rubicon Springs is transformed into nothing short of a mystical mega party up in the woods.

After setting up our tents along the edge of camp, we set off for the heart of Rubicon Springs trudging our way on foot through a canopy of trees, sticky mud and throngs of people partying everywhere.  Within a few hundred feet, we could start to see the wide and glassy Rubicon River flowing quietly along the road we were on and as the forest opened up, we came across an old cabin and a large open grassy area where a bonfire was being built, a full bar was serving up drinks, an ice-cream stand was providing cool treats, a kitchen area was barbecuing pork for dinner and a band was setting up on a stage nearby.  Soon after dinner, the bonfire was set ablaze and the band started to rock and continued to do so well into the night.

If you’ve never attended the Jeepers Jamboree, you need not worry about setting your alarm clock or concern yourself about sleeping in late.  Whether you partied until 2:00 AM the night before or have a killer hangover that you’re trying to sleep off, the fine folks from the Jeepers Jamboree have a wakeup call that’ll snap even the deepest sleepers right awake and right at the crack of dawn, guaranteed.  Following a wonderful hot biscuits and gravy breakfast, we walked over to the main open area and checked out some of the cool rigs and products that were on display by manufacturers and vendors who sponsor the Jeepers Jamboree.  Soon after breakfast and the show, we did see a lot of other folks taking off on foot to do some fishing or in their Jeeps to do wheeling in the area but we decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing down by the river, soaking in the sun and refreshing ourselves with some cold beers.  Granted, I did take some time out of my relaxing to utilize the repair station in camp to make some minor trail fixes but that was pretty much the extent of my work for the day.

I think it was the last night of the Jeepers Jamboree when I realized that I was finally losing my mind.  At least, as soon as the sun started to go down, I started to hear the soundtrack from the Wizard of Oz permeating from the trees and just as the bonfire was about to be ignited, a whole host of characters from the Wizard of Oz emerged from the forest.  In all, I think I saw at least two different naughty Dorthy’s, a Dorthy that really needed a shave, an elaborate Lion, a Tinman and Scarecrow and even a host of munchkins complete with lollipops.  Of course, these people were all part of a club and other clubs came out wearing other costumes as well.  As was the case the night before, the party atmosphere all around us was simply electric and before the band could start rockin, the Jeepers Jamboree took some time to kick things into action by announcing all the big prize winners of their giveaways.

The following morning, our earth shattering wakeup call came in a half hour early but our group had already been a awake for the better part of an hour packing up our gear.  Even though there was really only one major section of trail left to run, Cadillac Hill, we had been hearing Jeeps leaving Rubicon Springs all night long and a few of us were eager to get in the line-up before it got overwhelmed with Jeeps.  And, even though we skipped breakfast and got on the trail by 5:30 AM, we still found ourselves stuck in bumper to bumper traffic about half way up the hill.  A lot of the waiting we had to do was caused by a U-Joint break on a rig just past the V-notch but even after it was fixed and on its way again, the trail was a challenge and lined up with hundreds of Jeep and so it was slow going and very dusty all the way out.  In all, I think it took us close to three hours to reach the end of the trail and in hindsight, I think I would just take my time the next time around and leave later on in the day.  From what I understand, it wouldn’t have taken us any longer to go later and we would have been able to have a nice hot breakfast and lunch as well.

After running the Rubicon Trail for the very first time, I can tell you that it really is everything that it’s cracked up to be.  In fact, some of the guys that I know who have been running this trail for about 10 years were telling me that it’s been getting progressively harder to do every year even with all the rock stacking done by the Jeepers Jamboree trail crew.  As far as how the Jeep JK Wranglers performed on the Rubicon goes, everyone in our group had an Unlimited and I can tell you that nobody had any problems what so ever.  While a 2-Door might of had an easier time negotiating some of the really tight sections on the trail such as the Big Sluice, our much longer 4-Door Unlimited’s still managed to get through just fine - just maybe a little slower.  Granted, I wouldn’t recommend doing the Rubicon in a stock JK, Chip did prove that it could be done in a Sahara with as little as a 2.5″ TeraFlex Budget Boost, 1″ Body Lift, 35″ Toyo M/T’s, rear locker and rocker guards.  And, as I mentioned before, if you’re planning to run this trail in the future, I would strongly recommend that you do it with the Jeepers Jamboree as they will do their best to keep you safe and help you to have a great time.

If you would like to see photos from our trip across the Rubicon Trail and from the 56th Annual Jeepers Jamboree, please click on the banner above or on the link below:

Project-JK Jeepers Jamboree 2008 Photo Gallery

We are working on a YouTube video of our trip now and hope to have it available to see as soon as possible.  Please check back soon as it will be published here once it is.

Eddie 

Special Thanks:  I would like to give special thanks to Dan DeWolf for making our very first trip across the Rubicon Trail and adventure with the 56th Annual Jeepers Jamboree one that we’ll remember forever.  You guys and gals really do an amazing job. I would also like to thank Liz for helping us out by taking so many of the photographs that you seen in our gallery and for allow us to use them here.

For a limited time only, Mastercraft Seats will be offering a FREE Canvas Tool Bag (a $29.95 value) when you purchase a set of Mastercraft Baja RS Seats.  This offer is valid from July 24th - August 15th and is only available at Off Road Evolution and Northridge4×4.  To take advantage of this member special, simply call either one of these vendors, place your order and tell them you want the “Project-JK.com Offer!”

If you would like more information about Mastercraft products, please visit their website at: www.mastercraftseats.com. You can also contact them by phone at: 619-449-9455 or by email at: sales@mastercraftseats.com.  To place an order for Mastercraft products, please contact Off Road Evolution or Northridge4×4.

Last weekend, Cindy and I finally got a chance to hook up with some of the great people up here in Northern California and do an official Project-JK.com run with them.  Specifically, we got to do a run up the Signal Peak Jeep Trail which is located southwest of Truckee and north east of Auburn, right off the I-80.  In fact, for those of you who are familiar with the Fordyce Jeep Trail, Signal Peak is right next to it and actually shares the same staging area.  Unfortunately, this trail run was kind of a last minute event that our good friend Liz (DizzyLiz) helped put together over on her NorCal sub-forum of JK-Forum.com but in spite of that, we still were able to get a total 4 Jeep JK Wranglers (all of which were 4-door Unlimiteds) together for the run.
 
In addition to our Jeep JK Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited which is currently running a TeraFlex 4″ Flex Arm kit and sitting on 37″ Toyo M/T’s, we also had Liz in her black 3.5″ Rubicon Express lifted Rubicon Unlimited sitting on 35″ BFG M/T’s, Chip (kidjeep) in his silver 2.5″ TeraFlex Budget Boost lifted Sahara Unlimited sitting on 35″ Toyo M/T’s and David (MBATF) in his black 3.5″ Clayton lifted Rubicon Unlimited sitting on 37″ BFG MT KM2’s.
 
Now I should tell you that this was the first time that I’ve run the Signal Peak Jeep Trail and can tell you that it was a lot of fun.  It’s a short trail and perfect for a quick day run.  The first half of the trail had us climbing up a steep and narrow road with a lot of loose boulders and rocks and that’s most likely the reason why it gets a “difficult” rating.  While I don’t think it would be wise for just any 4WD SUV to do this trail, I do feel that a stock JK Rubicon could do it with ease as well as an X or Sahara with more aggressive tires.  Further up the trail, the brush did get a lot thicker for us and I think it’s safe to say that all our Jeeps were given a wonderful custom pin striping job.  However, as we closed in on the top, things did open up nicely and we were treated with beautiful open meadows filled with wildflowers.  Once at the top, we took a break for lunch and made the short hike out to the abandoned stone fire lookout structure that overlooks the railroad snow sheds below.  Of course, it there weren’t any wildfires burning and choking smoke filling the air, we would have been able to see outstanding views of the Sierra Nevada’s beyond.  From there, it was all downhill and easy going.

If you would like to watch the short video that Cindy put together from our first official Project-JK NorCal run up to Signal Peak, simply click on the screen or link below:

Project-JK NorCal Signal Peak Jeep Trail YouTube Video

If you would like to see photos from our run, click on the link below:

Project-JK NorCal Signal Peak Jeep Trail Run Photo Gallery
 
Once again, I’d like to give special thanks to Liz for helping to put this run up the Signal Peak Trail together as well as everyone else who came to join us.

Eddie

Don’t think this can happen to you?  Think again!  With the installation of a lift kit, big oversized tires and a dropped pitman arm, more side loading will be placed on the sector shaft of your steering box (which in factory configuration is a single shear mount) and more and more people that I know are starting to damage or break theirs.  As a matter of fact, I have broken my sector shaft as well and when yours breaks - you’re walking!!

Fortunately for us, there is an answer to this problem and it is the all NEW bolt on EVO 1015 Sector Shaft Brace.  Developed by our good friends over at Off Road Evolution, the EVO 1015 Sector Shaft Brace is a bolt on item that double shears the shaft and therefore helps to alleviate some of the side loading on it. 

Features:
• Bolt on installation (Drilling of two holes required)
• Double shears the sector shaft inside of the JK steering box
• Helps to alleviate side loading on sector shaft.
• Can be used with any suspension kit that has a drop trackbar bracket on the frame side (i.e. like the kind that Full Traction, Rancho and Rubicon Express makes).

Needless to say, if you are running 35″ tires or taller and play hard on the trails, this really is a must have upgrade and I would highly recommend it.  For more information about the EVO 1015 Sector Shaft Brace, please contact Off Road Evolution by email at: mel.wade@offroadevolution.com or by phone at: (714) 870-5515.  Or, visit their website at: www.offroadevolution.com

Eddie

So I was watching my favorite TV personality, Todd Offenbacher (a real hoot to watch), on the local Tahoe RSN channel when I saw a piece he did featuring a local wheeling spot that was right here in the South Lake Tahoe basin. Apparently, this area was called Twin Peaks and was just minutes away from the Y (where highway 50 and 89 split off) and if you can believe it, in all the years that I have been coming to Lake Tahoe, I can honestly say that I had never heard of this place. In fact, none of the books or maps I had indicated anything about this trail or OHV area but after doing some research online and locating the actual Twin Peaks mountains on a map, I decided to take some time off of my busy work week and find this place.
 
As it would turn out, Twin Peaks is literally in town and down by a youth fishing area called Saw Mill Pond.  Towards the end of the parking lot, you will find a gate which will tell you that the trail ahead is Twin Peaks and that it’s only open from 9am - 7pm.  Not too far beyond the gate, you will come up to a split in the trail.  To get to the top without any problems, stay to the left and if you want to play on some pretty tough rocks, stay to the right.  This first play area is called “Twister” and is a challenge.  Up beyond that and near the peak, you will find a second rock garden with a bypass to the right called “Washboard” (most likely because of the railroad ties you have you drive over).  This second rock garden is just as challenging as the first and towards the top, it gets extreme.  If you’re bold enough to give the extreme part a try, there is an axle that’s been sunk into a large boulder towards to top that you can winch off of if needed.  The top of the peak is just a 100 yards up beyond that and offers stunning views of the Tahoe basin and mountains beyond. All in all, it’s more of a small play area than a trail but challenging enough to offer hardcore Jeepers some fun.  Of course, being minutes away from home makes this place a perfect place to test out your rig and or to hone in your abilities.  If you visit this area, please stay on the designated trails and away from the tempting ledges which are in fact off the trail.  Anyway, here is a short video that Cindy made of our Twin Peaks excursion and I hope you enjoy it.

Project-JK Twin Peaks Trail YouTube Video

If you would like to see photos from our visit to the Twin Peaks Trail, simply click on the link below:

Project-JK Twin Peaks Trail Photo Gallery

Eddie 

Special Thanks: I’d like to give special thanks to RSN and to Todd Offenbacher for informing me about all kinds of great information like this great trail, great weather reports, snow reports when I’m up here boarding and for entertaining the hell out of me.

If you’ve just lifted your Jeep JK Wrangler 3″ or more (or are planning to do so), you will need to do one of the following: A) Install a set of rear brake line extension brackets or B) Install a set of stainless steel extended brake lines like the kind that Crown or Currie Enterprises offers through Northridge4×4. Without them, you will run the risk of damaging your factory brake lines and/or compromise it’s connection to your brake calipers when flexing on the trail.   Upgrading your brake lines to a set of extended ones is simple to do and the instructions below should make it even easier for you.

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4WheelDrive Hardware in conjunction with Project-JK, JK-forum, invites members on its first Official East Coast JK only Trail ride & Meet and Greet.  The event will take place on October 10-12 at Rausch Creek Off-Road Park in Joliett, PA. JK forum members in attendance will receive a Free Event T-Shirt and Goodie bag.  Each registered vehicle will receive a raffle ticket to be eligible for Thousands of dollars in prize giveaways from Sponsoring Vendors, Full Traction Suspension, PureJeep, Solid Axle Industries, Bestop, Ox Locker, Tuffy plus many others. LowRange magazine will be covering the event! For further information and to register please check out the JK-Forum Eastcoast Area Forum for further details:

JK-Forum.com Eastcost Area Forum

So you know, you’ve all been notified well in advance of this awesome Meet & Greet so you have no excuses for not being a part of it!!  If you would like to print out some handouts to give to your friends, click on the link below:

East Coast JK Fest PDF Handout Flyers

Eddie

With more and more people building up their Jeep JK Wranglers and getting them to sit on 37″ tires or larger, it’s no wonder that so many members of JK-Forum.com have made axles and the components that make them what they are, one of the hottest topics of conversation. Whether it be in regards to installing new gears, upgrading axle shafts or replacing them altogether, people are looking for answers and in more cases than not, I have found that they don’t even know what questions to ask. Of course, a lot of this is because the subject of axles is completely Greek to them.      Thanks to the help of David Castillo from Currie Enterprises, this article was written to help provide some basics about front and rear axles. Our goal is to help educate people, give brief overviews of the major components that make axles what they are and to provide a reference point to work off of.

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In celebration of Independence Day, Northridge4×4 will be offering Project-JK.com members 5% Off + FREE Shipping on all orders over $250* between June 26th and July 6th, 2008.  At the time of checkout, be sure to enter in the coupon code: JULY4TH

www.northridge4×4.com

* This special offer does not apply to products made by PUREJEEP, Rubicon Express and Poison Spider as well as package deals and/or previously negotiated prices.  

This Project-JK Moab Easter Jeep Safari 2008 YouTube video represents the final installment of our EJS adventures and is of our Day 4 run across the Elephant Hill Trail. Located south of Moab in Canyonlands National Park, Elephant his is by far one of the most beautiful trails you can run in the Moab area and is a must see for anyone visiting the area. You will have to pay a small entrance fee in order to get in the park but trust me, it’s worth every penny. The Elephant Hill Trail itself isn’t very difficult but there are a few sections along the way that have big enough rocks and ledges to negotiate that will give a stock Jeep some trouble and is most likely why it gets a “most difficult” rating. The trail is run as a loop and I would highly recommend that you take the time to hike the 1/2 mile trail out to the Confluence Overlook as the view is simply breathtaking.

Once again, in addition to our normal SoCal crew, Jen (toad), Jeff (Bullfrog), Cindy (WOLette) and I, we were also fortunate enough to get Wayne, his wife Kathy and son Aaron as well as Brian (Bracket) and his wife Lauren to join us on this run again as well. To watch our short video on the Elephant Hill Trail, simply click on the screen or link below:

Project-JK Moab Easter Jeep Safari 2008
Day 4 - Canyonlands Elephant Hill Trail YouTube Video

To see a ton of photos from our sunset run up the Elephant Hill Trail, click on the link below:

Project-JK Moab Easter Jeep Safari 2008
Day 4 - Canyonlands Elephant Hill Trail Photo Gallery

While we did go on a few more short runs, this video of our trip through Canyonlands on the Elephant Hill Trail will be the last one from our Moab Easter Jeep Safari 2008 adventure. If we can find the time, we will try to make one last one that contains highlights as well as scenes from around town, at our Project-JK.com Meet-n-Greet, on the Hell’s Revenge Trail and more. But, until then, thanks for watching our videos and be sure to check back for upcoming episodes we are working on now featuring trips across the Mojave Desert and into Death Valley.

Eddie

To celebrate the kids getting out of school for the summer, the doojers, WOLette and I decided to make a 3 day trek up the good ol’ 395.  Leaving on Wednesday night, we met up with the doojers in Culver City and made our way to Lone Pine where we stayed the night with the hopes of getting a fresh and early start in the morning.

Bright and early the next morning, we met up with the Lone Pine Film Commissioner, had breakfast with him at the amazingly delicious Alabama Hills Cafe (definitely a must if you in the area - be sure to try the homemade bread!!) and then took a tour of the incredibly scenic Alabama Hills.  Along the way, we learned about the Alabama Hills long history of movie making that’s been going on in this area since the turn of the 20th century. In the past, the Alabama Hills was used extensively as a backdrop for Westerns featuring actors such as Roy Rogers and John Wayne.  Today, it still gets used on a regular basis but now serves as a backdrop for places such as Afganastan and features actors such as Robert Downey Jr. in movies like Ironman.

After leaving the Alabama Hills, we made our way north a bit and took a trip out to the Reward Mine.  This is a mine I had heard about a long time ago but had never been to before.  In fact, it was only until JeepCacher mentioned it to me a few months back that I decided it was time to make it a destination.  Now, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the Reward Mine, it is mine that is HUGE and you can actually drive down into and go as far back as a quarter mile!!  There are many chambers and side tunnels you can explore and towards the end of the main tunnel, there is enough room for you to make a 3 point turn.  In fact, there might be enough room to get as many as 3 Jeeps down there and get them turned around.  From this point, you can explore the mine further on foot but care should be taken as several of the shafts that I had seen were collapsed or in the state of collapsing.  If you are concerned with exhaust fumes, I can tell you that there is a vertical ventilation shaft towards the end and fresh air flows though the mine at all times.  In fact, when we got to the mine, the outside air temperature was 102°F and as you walked up to the mine entrance, you could feel a chilly breeze blowing past you with a temp closer to 65°-70°F.  But, even at that, I wouldn’t recommend that you let your engine idle for extended periods of time down there.

After leaving the Reward Mine, we continued our journey north, stopped in Bishop to pick up some provisions and a fire permit and then headed on up to our final destination of the day - Laurel Lakes.  Located just south of the town of Mammoth Lakes, the Laurel Lakes is by far one of the most spectacular places that I have taken my Jeep to in the Easter Sierra Nevada Mountains.  In fact, it is so beautiful up there that many off road trail books highlight it and Tony Hugel made it his cover shot.  Anyway, with the sun hiding behind the towering peaks and daylight fading quickly, we decided to stop short of the lakes and setup camp amongst the lush Aspen groves along Laurel Creek.  As we would find out the next day, it was a good thing we did too.

After breakfast the next morning, we got in our Jeeps and made our way up to the Laurel Lakes to do some fishing.  Unfortunately, our trip was cut short as we came across a small snow drift that was still blocking the trail - of course, I should remind you that this was the end of June.  And, while we were able to dig our way through it, we came across two more drifts that were significantly larger and impossible to negotiate and/or dig through.  Needless to say, we were forced to make the rest of the trip on foot and just to take in the view and snap off a few pics.  After making our way back to camp, we had a leisurely lunch and then spent the day relaxing in the vast open meadow nearby and tried our luck at fishing in the creek.

On our final day, we decided to get an early start, have breakfast at the Good Life Cafe down in Mammoth Lakes and then make one last trip up to the world famous ghost town of Bodie before heading back for home.  While I have driven past Bodie countless times in the past, I had never actually stopped in the State Park itself for a number of reasons.  However, I must say that I was really glad that we did this time around.  Of all the ghost towns I have visited over the years, Bodie is truly the largest and most impressive one I have seen to date.  Although this ghost town is anything but during peak season, it definitely is a must see destination.

If you would like to see all the photos that we took on this trip, simply click on the link below:

Adventures on the 395 Photo Gallery

I would like to give special thanks to doojers for helping to organize this trip and for inviting us to come along, Lone Pine Film Commissioner, Chris Langley for the educational tour of the Alabama Hills and the friendly rangers at Bodie State Park for taking the time to share some of the great history surrounding this wonderful California gem.

Eddie

Chino Valley, Arizona – Performance Accessories makes it simple to maintain your Jeep JK’s ride height, with a new 1-inch body lift kit. Adding accessories such as a winch, spare tire carrier, your luggage, and family members, adds a lot of weight to your Jeep JK. The weight pushes down on the suspension and you could loose as much as .5 to 1-inch of ground clearance, which can make the difference between a smooth trail ride and one that scrapes skid plates and rubs fenders.

Performance Accessories’ 1-inch body lift helps maintain your JK’s proper ground clearance while allowing you to enjoy the factory ride on the trail. On the highway, the body lift doesn’t affect the vehicle’s suspension geometry and maintains a smooth ride. The body lift kit #991 fits 2007-’08  Jeep JK, Wrangler and Unlimited, 2-door and 4-door models equipped with an automatic transmission. It can also be installed by the home mechanic in about an hour and retails for less than $120. The kit comes with high-grade hardware and Performance Accessories’ proven performance in providing 90% of the off-road industries’ body lifts for more than 25 years.

Performance Accessories also makes 1-inch, 2-inch and 3-inch body lifts for various other make, model and year, Jeeps; all made in the U.S.A. For more information on this or any other Performance Accessories product, contact Performance Accessories, 3651 N. Highway 89, Chino Valley, AZ 86323, (928) 636-7080. Or visit them on the web at www.p-a-g.net.