Disassembly of the factory suspension requires removal of the skidplate, front steering, and track bar.
The Trail Master 5-inch Flex-Joint kit can be installed by the seasoned driveway mechanic. But we observed a few tricks to make it easier by following the guys at 4West 4 Wheel Drive Store in Colton, California, who installed the suspension on their '08 Jeep JK Unlimited in about five hours.
The kit consists of new front and rear control arms and coil springs along with all of the necessary hardware to replace the factory suspension. Trail Master also supplies a set of its SSV shocks and Kevlar-lined, braided stainless steel brake hoses to make the kit as complete as possible. All of the components feature a rugged crinkled black and gray powdercoat finish, and because the company makes all of its components in-house at its facility in Chino Valley, Arizona, each piece fit like it was supposed to.
The factory control arms shown here will be removed and replaced with the Trail Master units featuring the company's unique Flex-Joint.
Although the kit allows the use of 37-inch-tall tires, 4West 4 Wheel Drive Store decided to use an aggressive set of Dick Cepek 35x12.50R17 Mud Country Radials mounted on 17x10 Dick Cepek DC-1 wheels that feature a black and machined finish. This combination would allow the Jeep to handle both daily street use and some serious off-road crawling while looking good doing both.
The Trail Master suspension system for the Jeep JK Unlimited retails for just under $3,000. It is also available for the two-door Wranglers and Rubicons for slightly less and can be purchased with or without the upgraded driveshafts. Although the price may seem slightly higher than other suspension systems available for the JK, the Trail Master kit is one of the most complete on the market. Considering that you will avoid costly disasters on the trail, such as a broken driveshaft or Heim joint, the added benefit of knowing your suspension can handle whatever situation you can steer it into is well worth the extra cost.
The best way to describe the Flex-Joint is that it has the properties of both steel and plastic. Most importantly, it won't wear out or tear under extreme articulation. | 
Featuring a nice powdercoat finish, the new Trail Master control arms are larger, stronger, and will provide additional suspension articulation and travel over the factory pieces. | 
On areas where the control arms attach to the suspension, polyurethane bushings are used with grease fittings on the attachment bolts. |
New front bumpstops are provided in the kit and require drilling out of the factory bolt hole. | 
High-quality front and rear springs give the Jeep JK its additional ride height. These come powdercoated black and will easily fit into the Jeep's spring pocket if you drop the axles low enough. | 
Up front, Trail Master uses these quick-disconnect antisway-bar extensions. Although in this case they are unnecessary as the vehicle features the electronic sway-bar disconnect option. |