Shop Build: Trail Jeeps Polar JK

Oct. 20, 2014 By Jaime Hernandez
Trail Jeeps prides themselves in only using the best American off-road parts. An emphasis is made on reliability to “get you there and back” with every build.

With so many Jeep Wrangler JKs flooding the trails and mall parking lots these days, it’s hard to be different. They all look the same—boxy, rugged and ready to go off-road at a moments notice. That’s great, but what if you want more than stock? What if the cookie cut JK isn’t for you. Then you must modify, my friend.

Meet Weston Blackie, professional rock crawler and owner of Trail Jeeps. Blackie has been around Jeeps and dirt all his life. He grew up on a 300-acre ranch in Texas where he got hooked on off-roading at a very early age. He also competed professionally in W.E. Rock and XRRA, earning the W.E. ROCK “Sportsman of the Year” award. One could say that Blackie knows a thing or two about off-road.

TNT Customs JK Guardian Front Bumper outfitted with LED lights and Warn winch sits at the front of the Trail Jeeps Polar JK. Truck-Lite LED headlights and clear turn signals frost the grill.

Lately, Blackie has been focused on building high-caliber Jeeps out of its shop in Golden, Colorado. Blackie and the Trail Jeeps crew specialize in bringing to life Jeeps that are capable of tackling any trail. They also have a knack for making them look good. Some of their off-road services include complete vehicle outfitting, Hemi conversions, JK8 conversions, superchargers, suspensions systems and other Jeep modifications.

The Polar Jeep JK is a special edition model offered in 2014, inspired by the severe conditions found in the Antarctic. Polar badges show the coordinates of Vostok in Antarctica (78 degrees S, 106 degrees E) where the coldest temperature in the world was recorded, a chilling -128.56 degrees Fahrenheit.

We ran into Weston Blackie in Moab, Utah, with his latest Polar JK build. The beautiful sapphire blue Jeep really stood out from the crowd. Not only did it have a striking look, but it also was modified well beyond stock. Blackie chose the Polar JK because he really liked the new Hydro Blue color. We concur.

The Trail Jeeps Polar JK is powered by the 284-hp 3.6-liter Pentastar petro engine, five-speed automatic with Command-Trac NV241 part-time, two-speed transfer case. Under the hood, an AFE Power Intake matched with catback exhaust system makes this Jeep purr. Blackie plans to pump up the power with a Magnuson Supercharger soon, adding between 80-100 HP and 60-70 lb-ft of torque.

Recently, Blackie completed a 4,000-mile trip to the Northwest as part of the JK Experience (http://www.jk-experience.com/), which tackles a number of off-road trails and scenic highways in the United States. They had absolutely no failures, topped with an excellent time.

Off-Road.com takes a closer look at the Trail Jeeps Polar JK to see what makes it such a solid rig.

The Jeep Polar JK has a unique black interior, featuring leather seats, Pearl White stitching and special edition “Polar” embroidery in the headrests.  The grab bar and ring around the dashboard vents are accented in ceramic white gloss to really chill this rig. The Polar package also comes equipped with front side airbags, UConnect infotainment, 6.5-inch touchscreen navigation, 40GB hard drive, USB and aux ports--and just in case you get bored--a DVD player for your entertainment pleasure (Photo: Blake Phillips).

A special feature only found on the Polar edition Jeep Wrangler JK are its ceramic white rings on the gauge cluster featuring the Polar logo and blue background. Illumination is also in blue.

Inside the Polar JK, Blackie has modified the transfer case lever and added two discreet switches that lock up the front and rear Dynatrac axles. Otherwise, the Polar JK interior is intact (Photo: Blake Phillips).

Trail Jeeps added a custom safety roll cage that runs front to back, finished in ceramic white, to match the Polar trim. It’s formed closely along the roof and interior bodylines, maximizing cargo space inside the Jeep (Photo: Blake Phillips).

The Trail Jeeps Polar JK is running King Off-Road Racing Shocks and bump stops, Y-arm front suspension with Synergy springs and a Currie Antirock sway bar.

A Dynatrac ProRock 60 sits up front, under the Jeep JK. It is equipped with RCV Performance axles, ARB lockers, steel EVO skid plate and a PSC Motorsports cylinder assist to help steer the big 40-inch Nitto tires.


The Trail Jeeps Polar JK is running 40-inch Nitto Trail Grapplers mounted on black Trail Ready Beadlocks. Also visible are Dynatrac 40 spline 4340 full floating axle shafts, leading to a monster ProRock 80 in the rear.

Trail Jeeps used TNT Customs JK Guardian rock sliders on the Polar JK.  Blackie puts them to the test in Moab, only a few scratches after gliding over red rock.

In the rear, thre-link suspension using Synergy springs and 2.5 adjustable King shocks and bump stops help keep the Dynatrac ProRock 80 planted to the ground. Some additional upgrades include AFE Power cat back exhaust and TNT Customs steel bumper.

TRAILSIDE WITH BLACKIE
Weston Blackie, what are your favorite places to go off-road?
Blackie: Anywhere in Colorado, Moab, St George, UT and the Rubicon
All time favorite trail is Pritchett Canyon

Favorite mod on your Polar Jeep JK?
Blackie: My Dynatracs, never let me down!

Any future mods in the works?
Blackie: We are planning to add on an Evo Double Throw Down suspension and a Magnuson Supercharger

BAM! There you have it. Make sure to check out Trail Jeeps’ website and social media channels for even more radical Jeep builds. 

See you on the trail.

SOURCE
Trail Jeeps
303-495-7595
http://trailjeeps.com/

Trail Jeeps in Colorado (Photo, Blake Phillips).


Off-Road.com Newsletter
Join our Weekly Newsletter to get the latest off-road news, reviews, events, and alerts!