We’re more than just the parts we supply at Turn 14 Distribution. This industry is a lifestyle, and we’re right there in it. The best way to understand performance products is to get them out of the garage and into the terrain they were built to conquer. That is exactly why our team jumped at the chance to trade our desks for the driver’s seat for a day exploring the trails of the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA) in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Deep in Pennsylvania’s coal country, AOAA is packed with countless miles of unforgiving rocks, steep bowls, and notoriously sticky silt, making it the ideal proving ground for the off-road performance products we work with every day. Our test mules? A trio of purpose-built Jeeps, fully prepped and ready to tackle whatever AOAA had waiting for us.
BUILT FOR BATTLE
Partnering with Turn 14 Distribution gives dealers access to some of the industry’s best performance products, and this trip provided a real-world look at what those products can do. First up was Senior Marketing Coordinator Ryan Evans’s 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. While a formidable machine right off the assembly line, Ryan’s build elevates the Gladiator platform to an entirely different level.
Dialing in the ride is fundamental to any serious trail build, and that starts under the chassis. Ground clearance is critical both for clearing sharp obstacles and accommodating larger rubber. For Ryan’s Gladiator, that foundation began with Rock Krawler’s 3-inch Overland lift kit. Providing impressive clearance and enhanced articulation, this setup is vital for navigating deeply rutted forest paths and deep water crossings without having to stress-test the skid plates.
While bumps and knocks are part of the lifestyle, that doesn’t mean you can’t tame the trail. Ryan accomplished that with a set of Bilstein B8 8100 reservoir shock absorbers. These shocks put in serious work throughout the day, effortlessly soaking up punishing impacts from washboard tracks and hidden tree roots. The final touch to dialing in the ride was with the Artec Industries Axis Aluminum Steering Kit. This setup reinforces vulnerable factory steering linkages while dampening harsh feedback through the wheel, whether doing some serious crawling or just cruising to the next trailhead.
Ryan’s Gladiator also received a fresh set of shoes for the trip, stepping up from 37s to massive 40×13.5 BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 tires wrapped around some stunning Weld Racing Ridge wheels in bronze. This setup delivered relentless clawing traction through the slickest Pennsylvania clay, offered a quiet, smooth ride home on the turnpike, and tied the build’s overall aesthetic together seamlessly.
The sights and sounds of the build were backed by Baja Designs and MagnaFlow. The weather during our trek alternated between heavy overcast skies, full-on rain showers, and lingering mist. Combined with trail dust and a dense forest canopy, the DOT-approved LP6 headlights and LP9 auxiliary pods sliced through the gloom with ease. On the sound side, MagnaFlow’s Overland exhaust system produced a throaty, aggressive tone that echoed through the timber without sacrificing a single millimeter of crucial departure angle or ground clearance.
Because a trail rig is never truly finished, Ryan already has plans to add a RealTruck rooftop tent for campsite comfort, an ARB onboard air compressor to speed up tire deflation and inflation, and auxiliary lighting from Nacho Offroad Technology to complete the lighting setup.
FORM, FUNCTION, AND HARDCORE ARTICULATION
Senior Truck & Off-Road Sales Specialist Ryan Gartenmayer took a similarly aggressive approach when building his Jeep Wrangler JKU. Looking first to suspension control, Gartenmayer also selected Rock Krawler for control arms, opting for their Pro Elite billet kit to achieve fully tunable articulation through deep rut lines. These arms pair with a JKS Manufacturing J-Control 3.5-inch lift kit featuring FOX 2.0 shocks for a plush, controlled ride over miles of uneven, wooded terrain.
This JK also rolled on 40×13.5 BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain KM3 tires, mounted on polished, clear-coated Method Race Wheels 315s to strike a balance between durability and style. Turning massive 40-inch tires through heavy mud places intense stress on driveline components, so Gartenmayer upgraded to Revolution Gear & Axle 5.13 performance gears and heavy-duty chromoly axle shafts. The axle housings themselves were fortified with Artec Apex front and rear trusses to prevent tube flex under heavy load.
Rounding out the Wrangler’s equipment is a comprehensive Baja Designs lighting package—including DOT LP6 headlights, LP4 auxiliary lights, Squadron fog lights, and a row of S1 pods for perimeter illumination. For self-recovery insurance, a Superwinch SX12SR 12,000-pound winch stands ready on the front bumper, while the interior features supportive PRP Seats EnduroTrail buckets trimmed in classic Tuxedo Tweed. Future updates for this rig include a bit more lift height and a heavy-duty steering upgrade to optimize handling for the 40-inch tire footprint.
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Rounding off our trekking trio was the ultimate showcase of modern off-road engineering: the T14 x Bilstein Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. After turning heads at SEMA and touring the country, we decided it was time to take this Gladiator out of the spotlight and trade tire shine for mud.
Built from the dust up by Rockstar Performance Garage, this beast’s suspension is fortified with Bilstein B8 8100 DSA Series adjustable shocks and a Rock Krawler 3-inch Silverback suspension system. It clawed through the deep AOAA mud effortlessly thanks to massive 40-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Pro XS tires and a Yukon Gear & Axle Stage 4 heavy-duty drivetrain package.
With an AWE Tuning high-clearance exhaust, Artec Industries belly pan skids, and DV8 Off-Road steel bumpers, we never had to worry about trail damage ruining our day out of the office. Plus, a full suite of Mishimoto cooling upgrades kept the Pentastar V6 running flawlessly under heavy load. To top it all off, it functions as a complete backcountry campsite on wheels, featuring a RealTruck bed rack and Rugged Ridge rooftop tent.
CONQUERING THE COAL TRAILS
Out on the trail network at AOAA, Penny, our lead guide from Off Road Consulting, navigated our group through the full spectrum of terrain that makes this park famous. The route featured everything from fast gravel fire roads to off-camber rock staircases, but the true highlight was charging through deep silt beds and wading through water-filled mud pits spanning the trail.
Pennsylvania may not boast the sheer elevation of the Rocky Mountains, but the climb to the ridge lines delivers views that are just as rewarding. Over off-camber rock gardens, the Rock Krawler suspension systems allowed all three Jeeps to flex effortlessly, keeping the BFGoodrich KM3 tires pressed firmly into the mud below. Whether pulling through thick mud ruts or steering out of slick clay lines, the combination of regeared differentials, locker traction, and reinforced steering linkages kept our drivers in complete control. It was a full day of real-world wheeling that proved this hardware does far more than look good on a spec sheet—it performs when conditions get rough.
PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS
Getting out of the office and onto the trails is a great reminder of why we live and breathe this industry. More importantly, putting these builds through their paces gives our team the firsthand experience needed to support the dealers, builders, and shops who rely on us every day. Feeling how BFG KM3 tires clean out in thick mud or how a Rock Krawler long-arm system articulates on a 30-degree incline gives us a level of product knowledge that simply can’t come from a spec sheet.
Whether you are an established shop outfitting a customer’s vehicle or a builder working on your own project, Turn 14 Distribution is here to help you get the job done. With extensive inventory and industry-leading logistics, we make it easier to get the quality components you need and keep your builds moving, wherever the trail takes you.
