Gladiator - Take 3

To recap:

I purchased a 2020 JT Rubicon (black with tan interior) when they first came out. Mild build on 37s. Loved it but going from a full size truck to a JT didn't work for me at the time so went back to a full size just over a year later. I drove that truck about 2 years and life changed and I no longer needed a full size truck. Picked up a used 2021 JT Rubicon (white with black interior). Immediately went to 37s with some extras. Loved the truck but life changed and between the wife and I we had the JT and a JL Rubicon 4xe and we needed a road vehicle for travel. Sold the JT and picked up a new Wagoneer for the wife to drive and I DD'd the 4xe. Wasn't for me.

That leads me to do a swap with my neighbor for his 2022 JT Rubicon (black with black interior) right at a year ago now. He pulls the 4xe behind his coach and loves it. When he bought it new I added a Warn Zeon 10s and A-pilar lights.

So here we are with my 3rd JT Rubicon. I immediately start building it. First mod was a set of Rock Slide power steps for my girls and then a Maximus grill guard on the stock bumper. I didn't take many pics but here are a few. Huge shoutout goes to @rubclt and his sons at Escape Offroad for the help with the lift install. Teraflex Alpine 3.5" RT3 Extended travel with Falcon shocks. Had to use a Clayton Offroad rear trackbar so I could mount the 37" spare underneath. The Teraflex one doesn't allow anything bigger than a 35" out back.

LMAO. Looks like an addiction to me. The fun type……

Time for wheels and tires. I am a huge NITTO fan so of course I go with a set of 37s Trail Grapplers mounted on a set of Fuel wheels. I was ready for something different when it came to the wheels.... well I found it in these. The candy red makes the red on the factory decals pop. My daughter approves.

After that things just stayed the same for awhile. I did add some factory flare extensions that come on the JL Xtreme package which fit perfect up front but the backs have to be modified. I like the look. I also picked up a barely used set of MOPAR tube doors. In my honest opinion these are the best on the market. Don't rattle, the look fits the Jeep, great quality. The Warn version is a close second. I also added the MOPAR front sunrider.

The most recent addition would be OBA. I went with the same set-up as I used on my white JTR. GRIMM Offroad mount for the driver's fender well with the ARB twin compressor. It's a tight fit with the Falcons but it works.

Looks great.
Did those Trail Grapplers balance well?

TravelnMan said:

Looks great.
Did those Trail Grapplers balance well?

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Very well. I have run these on many Jeeps both mine and past customers.

For anyone who owns a JL or JT or plans to own one in the future here's some intel you need to know.

The factory drag links are notorious for giving up the ghost even with the suspension / tires in stock form. Add to that a lift and larger tires and it's gonna happen soon. It's an act of Congress to get a dealership to do anything about it. I get it if you roll in with a lift and larger tires but those who have had failures in stock form???... just another reason to hate dealerships. The various forums are full of stories of dealers blaming owners for abuse of theirs Jeeps off-road and denying warranty.

In the past I have always upgraded to the Teraflex HD drag link / tie rod kit at the same time I lifted the Jeep which has been within weeks of purchase. Therefore I haven't dealt with the failures. This go-around I decided to wait on the steering upgrade. Well after less than 6k miles post lift one of my drag link ends failed. Fortunately, the failure results in clunky steering and wandering in my case.

Ordered and installed the Teraflex HD steering kit this week along with a Falcon Nexus 2.2 adjustable stabilizer as I have done before. I know this is a tried and true upgrade with my past experiences so no worries there. The JT drives like a dream again. I'm really liking this suspension and steering set-up.

My '24 392 was at the dealership getting the oil changed at 9k miles. Well, when the service manager entered the VIN it was immediately flagged for some type of "Rapid Response TSB" for front swaybar replacement, even if no customer complaints. My number was included, so I'm/their waiting for a $5k dealer cost sway bar assembly

It was for some 23/24 Gladiator and Wrangler Rubicons with the electronic sway bar disconnect, so keep an eye on it.

spankrjs said:

My '24 392 was at the dealership getting the oil changed at 9k miles. Well, when the service manager entered the VIN it was immediately flagged for some type of "Rapid Response TSB" for front swaybar replacement, even if no customer complaints. My number was included, so I'm/their waiting for a $5k dealer cost sway bar assembly

It was for some 23/24 Gladiator and Wrangler Rubicons with the electronic sway bar disconnect, so keep an eye on it.

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I'm glad they are treating you right!

AdamH said:

For anyone who owns a JL or JT or plans to own one in the future here's some intel you need to know.

The factory drag links are notorious for giving up the ghost even with the suspension / tires in stock form. Add to that a lift and larger tires and it's gonna happen soon. It's an act of Congress to get a dealership to do anything about it. I get it if you roll in with a lift and larger tires but those who have had failures in stock form???... just another reason to hate dealerships. The various forums are full of stories of dealers blaming owners for abuse of theirs Jeeps off-road and denying warranty.

In the past I have always upgraded to the Teraflex HD drag link / tie rod kit at the same time I lifted the Jeep which has been within weeks of purchase. Therefore I haven't dealt with the failures. This go-around I decided to wait on the steering upgrade. Well after less than 6k miles post lift one of my drag link ends failed. Fortunately, the failure results in clunky steering and wandering in my case.

Ordered and installed the Teraflex HD steering kit this week along with a Falcon Nexus 2.2 adjustable stabilizer as I have done before. I know this is a tried and true upgrade with my past experiences so no worries there. The JT drives like a dream again. I'm really liking this suspension and steering set-up.

View attachment 115763

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My ‘23 4xe had bad wobble at 12k miles. Dealer replaced the steering stabilizer. It masked the problem for a couple thousand miles then it started again. I got under it while my better half turned the wheel back and forth. I could feel a popping in a steering rod end. Took it to the dealer and explained the exact part that needed replacing. They kept calling back with “we can’t find the problem”. I requested to talk to the tech, told him which part to hold while another tech sawed the wheel back and forth. They miraculously found the problem after that conversation.

It is currently in a different shop for a recall on potential battery manufacturing defects. On top of that it has a check engine light that started a couple weeks ago for hybrid battery pack voltage change limit exceeded and I have significantly less battery capacity that started in the last couple months. Normally it will take 12kwh or slightly more, now it will barely take 8kwh. Wishing I had gone with the 392 instead. Might trade it for a C8 since my better half has been considering one. Either that or an S5 (though I am not thrilled for the prospects of Audi reliability).

ag4ever said:

My ‘23 4xe had bad wobble at 12k miles. Dealer replaced the steering stabilizer. It masked the problem for a couple thousand miles then it started again. I got under it while my better half turned the wheel back and forth. I could feel a popping in a steering rod end. Took it to the dealer and explained the exact part that needed replacing. They kept calling back with “we can’t find the problem”. I requested to the tech, told him which part to hold while another tech sawed the wheel back and forth. They miraculously found the problem after that conversation.

It is currently in a different shop for a recall on potential battery manufacturing defects. On top of that it has a check engine light that started a couple weeks ago for hybrid battery pack voltage change limit exceeded and I have significantly less battery capacity that started in the last couple months. Normally it will take 12kwh or slightly more, now it will barely take 8kwh. Wishing I had gone with the 392 instead. Might trade it for a C8 since my better half has been considering one. Either that or an S5 (though I am not thrilled for the prospects of Audi reliability).

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Our 4xe seemed to always have a recall or TSB that had to be addressed. It never left us stranded or really negatively impacted us but was just aggravating.

AdamH said:

Our 4xe seemed to always have a recall or TSB that had to be addressed. It never left us stranded or really negatively impacted us but was just aggravating.

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We really liked our 4xe, it was perfect for my wife's driving situation. We had zero issues over 3 years and 30k miles, but the recall with no fix in sight led us to turning it in instead of keeping it.

Picked up a set of factory half doors yesterday about 2 hrs away. Fully loaded with proximity sensors, heated power mirrors, and twill upper windows. These were new in box never mounted. Problem is they are hydro blue so time to paint.

For those out of the loop Jeep only offered half doors as an option for two years for the JT/JL and they didn’t make many. Not terribly hard to find them for sale but distance and color can be hard to match up with what you have. Main reason most seem to give for selling are storage issues for a 2nd set of doors.

I spent the day today tearing them apart for paint AFTER ensuring no adjustments are needed for fitment on my JT.

These will complete the Summer transformation. Picked up a nearly new twill soft top last week with the help of @rubclt

Imo, all CJ's and Wranglers should have half doors. You get the door off feeling without having to remove the doors fully. I do like how the YJ/TJ versions seem to drop down lower for a little more open feeling.

Agreed. The first thing my wife said when she came to see the driver door mounted up “for all this work I figured it’d be a smaller door”. LOL

Doors back from paint. Now to reassemble

Ready for Summer

Those half doors are slick. How do you like them? And how hard is it to fold down the soft top on a Gladiator?

I believe all Jeeps should have the option of half doors but as time has gone on they are getting fewer and fewer. Driving around without doors all together isn't always an option so half doors, in my opinion, are a great compromise. I have a set of YJ half doors for my Scrambler as well.

I don't understand the front upper window configuration personally. Looks goofy with the two panels but it is what it is. I don't plan on having them in much at all.

Softtop - that's an interesting set-up. The rear window slides out on either side then you take the side panels off. At that point you have a safari style top. To go even further you unlatch at the windshield and fold it back and it rides on top folded up - looks like a spoiler on the back of the cab. There are aftermarket companies working on making a top that folds down and lays flat on top of the front of the bed which looks way better. My biggest issue with the top is honestly getting the rear window in and out. The taller the Jeep is the harder it is to do.

I'll get some pics with the top "down" today to show.