The four-door JK Wrangler Unlimited (JKU) blasted a major hole in an emerging market that Jeep had been carving out for years. An off-road capable Jeep that had four-doors was previously left to Wagoneers, Cherokees and Grand Cherokees. The JKU took this model and added everything that we love about Wranglers: Removable top, removable doors, body-on-frame design, and kept the solid differentials. Soccer Moms and Jeeper Dads finally lusted after the same vehicle.

Building a JKU can be a lot like ordering off an a la carte menu. You take one main chunk and add all sorts of various types of add-ons that can be interchanged. Straight out of the gate, Eddie Salazar’s JK was an odd combination. A hard top was selected for general comfort but “I also have half doors”, says Salazar “because that’s the way all Jeeps should be built.” 

Initially, Salazar’s brand new 2012 JKU stayed relatively low-key with easy bolt-ons like a budget boost, bumpers, winch and skid plates. This helped keep everything kosher and not void any warranties from Jeep. After that though, all bets were off.

Salazar bought his first Jeep new in 1991. He put some 30-inch tires on it and says the mods just kept going on their own. The man ran through a line-up of Jeeps over the years, consisting of a Cherokee, a Grand Cherokee, a YJ, a CJ, two TJs, and a 2006 LJ. The LJ was the favorite, but a growing family of four that included 2 car seats deemed it just not big enough. The new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine was the motivator Eddie needed.

Not many engine upgrades have been thrown at the Jeep. A Superchips Flashpaq and an AFE Muffler/Y-pipe system round it out.

The rest of the Jeep was decked out from nose to tail. A Poison Spyder Brawler Lite front bumper with factory fog lights was bolted on with a Warn 9.0 RC winch using a synthetic line to serve extraction duties, should the Jeep bite off a bit more than it can chew. GenRight four-inch Tube Flares built from 6061 aluminum surround the wheel wells both front and rear.

Out back, a Poison Spyder RockBrawler rear bumper keeps the tail covered and has dual 2.5-inch clear LEDs built-in for extra reverse and camp lighting. A Teraflex Heavy Duty Hinged tire carrier handles spare tire duty and utilizes cast aluminum plate and forged hinges.

Inside the Jeep, Salazar opted for Katzskin Leather seats with heaters to keep his wife content. Power door locks were added to give a slight bump on the ease-of-use scale. Tunes and navigation are handled by a custom-mounted Samsung tablet, with sound pumped through a mixture of Alpine and Infinity speakers, as well as a JL Audio subwoofer. A backup camera was snuck into the license plate frame and a sPOD Switch and Source System was installed to handle all the switching duties.

The real meat of this bad boy is below the chassis. A ton of thought and preparation went into the suspension and differential choices that Salazar made. He ultimately selected Currie Enterprises front and rear RockJock 60 differentials. Each high pinion differential is housing 5.13:1 ratio gear sets and ARB Air Lockers for quick and easy selection.

Ramped up to a massive 40 splines, Salazar would need to hunt down some gnarly obstacles to find something that will break one of these 4340 steel axles. Set at 71-inches from wheel mount to wheel mount, these things are extremely wide; the JK itself is roughly 65-inches. Adding on 40-inch Nitto Trail Grappler tires wrapped around 17×9 Method Wheel True Beadlocks that have a hefty 4.75-inch backspace, the outside-to-outside measurement of the tires gives this thing a healthy footprint.

Warn premium hubs and Method beadlocks ensure the massive 40-inch Nittos continue providing grunt.

The wide stance allows this Jeep to stay extremely stable, though it can be a hindrance on narrow obstacles; but that’s what the 40-inch tire is for, right? Just go over it all! Each differential is spun using a J.E. Reel 1350 driveshaft for added drivetrain strength. Providing stopping grunt are stainless steel brake lines that send squeezing power to a full set of Hawk LTS brake pads installed on original equipment brake calipers. The JK calipers are bolted to Currie Enterprises 1-ton knuckles and Warn Premium locking hubs. Currie Enterprises 4130 chromoly tie rods and tie rod ends were custom-made for the extended width.

However, a set of wicked differentials isn’t quite enough to turn this rig into a go-anywhere and do-anything dirt mover. Salazar carefully selected components that he thought would work well together and brought them and the differentials to Rebel Off Road in Costa Mesa, CA for professional installation. Teraflex control arms and trackbars were selected knowing full well that beefy links would be required to tame those Currie RockJocks.

Synergy coils, Elka Shocks and Terflex links keep this rig riding beautifully through whatever terrain is thrown at it.

Elka reservoir shocks and Synergy 4.5-inch lift coils keep the Jeep riding smooth no matter the terrain. “In many ways I pieced together components that I thought would work well together,” says Salazar. “Synergy coils and Elka shocks were chosen for their comfortable ride characteristics. Teraflex arms and trackbars were picked because of their strength. I wanted to try and keep the weight gain as minimal as possible, so I chose ASFIR aluminum skid plates, GenRight aluminum fenders and Poison Spyder aluminum rocker guards.”

No off-road vehicle build is ever really finished. There is always an upgrade looming off in the distance to get it just that much better or a complete revamp begging to completed. Despite this, Eddie feels his build is almost complete. Adding a few auxiliary lights is on the short list, somewhere after that just might be hydraulic steering and maybe, just maybe, there could be a supercharger in the mix somewhere.

He doesn’t intend on making this rig a trailer queen, either. “My four-door JKU allows me to drive the Jeep to my destination while being able to take my family with me,” said Salazar. “I think that getting there is half the fun! The Jeep is driven to all destinations, no tow vehicles. This is the one reason I chose top-quality components.”

Salazar continued: “Having spent a lot of time around Jeeps allowed me to mix and match components that I felt were the best for the intended job –Teraflex arms and trackbars, Synergy coils, Elka shocks. This combo gave me a great on road ride and excellent handling in the dirt and rocks as well.”

All in all, Eddie Salazar spent a few years and a few bucks to get his rig to where it is now; a family-oriented fun machine. His Jeep flexes with ease and runs through desert washes like it’s perfectly at home.