Grand Exploration — Field NotesTrip reports and build write-ups from Grand Exploration.https://www.grandexploration.com/en-usThe Rear End We Actually Needed: 6 Monkeys High-Clearance Bumperhttps://www.grandexploration.com/blog/wk2-high-clearance-bumper/https://www.grandexploration.com/blog/wk2-high-clearance-bumper/Cutting the WK2 rear fascia, keeping the parking-sensor loom intact, and dialing in a reinforced 37-inch spare carrier on Jon's Granite Grand.Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBuildWK2ArmorFabricationGrand ExplorationPulling Backward: A Rear Winch for the Granite Grandhttps://www.grandexploration.com/blog/wk2-rear-winch-install/https://www.grandexploration.com/blog/wk2-rear-winch-install/The 6 Monkeys rear mounting system, Carbon Off-Road 12K, gearbox re-clocking, fairlead positioning and battery wiring that gave our WK2 a second recovery direction.Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBuildWK2RecoveryElectricalGrand ExplorationThe $500 Parts Jeep: Building a DIY Trailhawk the Factory Wayhttps://www.grandexploration.com/blog/wk2-trailhawk-donor/https://www.grandexploration.com/blog/wk2-trailhawk-donor/Why a totaled 2018 diesel Trailhawk was worth buying whole, what we needed to recover, and what we learned about using a donor to add Quadra-Drive II to a 2015 Limited.Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBuildWK2DrivetrainDonor vehicleGrand ExplorationLess Pipe, More Clearance: Rethinking the 3.6L WK2 Exhausthttps://www.grandexploration.com/blog/wk2-v6-exhaust-mod/https://www.grandexploration.com/blog/wk2-v6-exhaust-mod/Why we cut back the Granite Grand's rear exhaust, abandoned the simple Flowmaster plan, and built a tucked-up system around the bumper instead.Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBuildWK2ExhaustFabricationGrand ExplorationDeep in the Owyheeshttps://www.grandexploration.com/trips/alvord-expedition-2026-09-19/https://www.grandexploration.com/trips/alvord-expedition-2026-09-19/Five rigs, five days and a lot of dust: the spires of Leslie Gulch, a homestead camp at Birch Creek, a string of river crossings, one fuel lesson, and a victory lap on the Alvord playa.Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTTrip reportDIY Trailhawk: Giving a WK2 Limited Its Factory eLSDhttps://www.grandexploration.com/blog/wk2-elsd-retrofit/https://www.grandexploration.com/blog/wk2-elsd-retrofit/How a wrecked $500 Trailhawk became a working factory rear eLSD in Jon’s 2015 Grand Cherokee, from the axle swap to the custom harness, CAN network and JScan commissioning.Sat, 29 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTBuildWK2DrivetrainWiringChris PenchoenFortune Creekhttps://www.grandexploration.com/trips/fortune-creek-2026-07-11/https://www.grandexploration.com/trips/fortune-creek-2026-07-11/A first-time off-roader, a family who came expecting a forest road, and a Wrangler from Trail & Tread. Everyone got home under their own power.Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTTrip report