Rock Krawler Suspension’s ‘HellaYeah’ 2019 JL Wrangler build uses turbo power, 37s, and a 3.5-inch lift to get over the rocks out in Moab.
Moab is more than just a place for Jeep to show off its cool concept vehicles every year or the Mecca for off-roading enthusiasts. It’s the ultimate testing grounds for new modifications and enhancements. So after Rock Krawler Suspension installed some upgraded hardware on their 2019 JL Jeep Wrangler build, aka HellaYeah, they headed to Moab to see how it would perform.
Judging by the Driving Line video above, we’d say Rock Krawler’s mods got the job done. “The goal with this Jeep … was that … I wanted to come out here and show that a very simple, basic lift kit from us can eat any of the big trails out here. And it has. It absolutely has,” company representative Adam Collen said. His team went with one of Rock Krawler’s stage one 3.5-inch mid-arm suspension kits, but – of course – they didn’t stop there. After all, what kind of Jeep build would it be if it only had one mod?
HellaYeah is also equipped with a Dynatrac ProRock 44 front axle and a Rubicon-spec Dana 44 rear axle. Its aftermarket fender flares sit above sets of inner fender liners and 17-inch beadlock wheels surrounded by 37-inch Nitto Grappler tires. A narrow replacement front bumper gives the big rubber room to move while its integrated Warn winch is there to help in case HellaYeah gets into a sticky situation.
According to Collen, a lot of people online have bashed the JL’s available turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. He praises its performance in HellaYeah, though. “It gets out here, it does work. I spent a full day on Cliffhanger and used less than a quarter tank of gas.” That mighty four-banger is connected to 5.38 gears, which enable HellaYeah to cruise at 80 mph and roughly 2,200 rpm. Most importantly, with that combo, HellaYeah “eats rocks all day,” according to Collen.
Now that HellaYeah’s mods have survived Moab, it’s onto Rock Krawler’s next round of hardware torture, which will put its three-link long-arm suspension systems to the ultimate test.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
