What did you do TO your Gladiator today? [ADMIN WARNING: NO POLITICS, NO GUN TALK]

[mx5red]

Do you have stock LCAs or the Clayton lift? I assume the lattter. Did the LCA stay in place when you removed the bolt? I had a hell of a time putting in the front LCA with the Mopar lift. I did finally use blocks under the wheels and knocked them with a sledge. Maybe I'm just confused (again).

I have a hodgepodge of brands. I have an AEV spacer lift and geometry brackets so I still have all OEM control arms. Rock Hard control arm skids, which some people have said caused a clunk because the ears are so stiff they may not let the 190ft-lb on the bolt actually tighten on the control arm, so it shifts inside the bracket/skid.
I liked the Clayton FAD skid because it looks the beefiest and has more mounting points so hoping it’ll beef up the weak point of the axle.

when I first put the spacer lift and skids on, I also had one or two bolts that gave me trouble for a while. I tried the ratchet strap thing and it didn’t move for me. I had pry bars I hammered in to help, and using a Jack under the differential flange helped pull the control arm into alignment and that’s how I got them to line up.
When I removed them this time to mess with the FAD skid, I set chocks and I laid sideways so my knee was by the tire when I was putting the bolt through. I used my knee the put leverage on the tire which helped roll the axle back slightly to line up. If you had a helper to help while you’re under the car, rolling a wheel puts way more leverage to move the axle than just pulling the axle itself.

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[NachoRuby]

At what stage was the orange persuader needed?

I used it to push the pins in on the stock rivets. That's it. I punched the pins in so that the rivets would come out easily, without much prying.

 

[OutdoorGeek]

Today the jeep had a soft topper bed top installed and my bed organizer reworked to fit. Ready for bird season!

Those are awesome drawers - any more info on the build?

 

[Vanishing Point]

2 D Cell Maglite mounted
5 D Cell Maglite mounted.
Both securely so they can't go anywhere in a wreck.

 

[dutch7]

Those are awesome drawers - any more info on the build?

Thanks - 3/4" plywood construction 48" wide and 58" long x 8" high. the height is what was important to me, tall enough for most items and does not take up the entire bed depth with the tonneau on. the sides are notched for the wheel wells and the drawers lined with carpet (not necessary but nice). On the left side I carry all my recovery items, tire repair, rags etc towards the cab - towards the tailgate goes my commonly used hunting items and dog collars and such. On the right is cleaning rods, space for shells, jackets, and anything else that you might need.
The drawer bottoms have those plastic corner protectors you would use on drywall and small dolly wheels mounted on the ends so you pick up slightly when opening or closing and they roll right in and out. This works super slick and really makes the drawers very useful and fully loaded are no problem to operate.

Also I used that foam rubber pad from Tractor Supply top and bottom of the box to keep things from shifting around.

 

[J3colt]

How have they held up? I like the look.

They're holding up very well to weather and washings. For the price they're a steal.

 

[Geoarch]

I have a hodgepodge of brands. I have an AEV spacer lift and geometry brackets so I still have all OEM control arms. Rock Hard control arm skids, which some people have said caused a clunk because the ears are so stiff they may not let the 190ft-lb on the bolt actually tighten on the control arm, so it shifts inside the bracket/skid.
I liked the Clayton FAD skid because it looks the beefiest and has more mounting points so hoping it’ll beef up the weak point of the axle.

when I first put the spacer lift and skids on, I also had one or two bolts that gave me trouble for a while. I tried the ratchet strap thing and it didn’t move for me. I had pry bars I hammered in to help, and using a Jack under the differential flange helped pull the control arm into alignment and that’s how I got them to line up.
When I removed them this time to mess with the FAD skid, I set chocks and I laid sideways so my knee was by the tire when I was putting the bolt through. I used my knee the put leverage on the tire which helped roll the axle back slightly to line up. If you had a helper to help while you’re under the car, rolling a wheel puts way more leverage to move the axle than just pulling the axle itself.

That's a great idea about having someone roll the axle. I also had trouble with the rear shock slider when the shock completely moved out to it's longest point. Geez.

 

[KoBear]

2 D Cell Maglite mounted
5 D Cell Maglite mounted.
Both securely so they can't go anywhere in a wreck.

?

 

[Summitsearcher]

Welds done on the polish hitch for my snow plow on my QuadraTech QRC bumper. Looks great! Now to put this heavy beast back on. ?

 

[Vanishing Point]

?

? Perhaps.

But years ago when I worked as a bouncer I learned to appreciate the Maglite. Old school. Simple. Feels good in your hand. Never breaks. Hard to lose or misplace (at least the 5 D cell and 6 D cell version). Adds a sense of confidence when you check on a noise outside. And when you are bored spinning it in the air and catching it after a 360° rotation makes the time pass.

All my Maglites are LED or have had the LED upgrade. They all have the crenellated strike bezel. And they all have the glass breaker end cap. They are multi functional.

I have a new fangled million squared lumen rechargeable flashlight the has a Cree something or other LED bulb but I always grab the Maglites to do stuff.

And quite honestly everyone who sees them knows deep down inside..... that I'm an old geezer set in my old geezer ways. ?????

 

[Dls79]

Gladiator and M1101 traile got a trophy at the car show

 

[Gladiator addict]

I looked at my Gladiator and knew I made the right decision. (7 months in and I still stare at it every day).

 

[Sarge502]

Added the Mopar grille/winch guard bull bar to the steel bumper for a little more aggressive look.

 

[kooltoys]

Sanded, wire brushed, primered, and painted knockoff steel bumper that developed a quarter size rust spot next to plastic trim under Hause lead. I thought a rock caused it, but the repair ended up revealing a spot under the paint roughly 1.5 by 4 inches. We’ll see how the rest holds up when it was installed less than a year ago. As a heads-up for anyone in the same situation, VHT bumper and trim paint is a close match.

I have multiple spots on mine 1.5yrs old. repair looks good. I was told about $300 to powder coat it

 

[rconkin]

Installed Rock Hard bumper with tow brackets to flat tow behind our coach. Now to decide which winch.

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