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What did you do WITH your Gladiator today?

ShadowsPapa

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What did I do with........ well, went shopping with it.
My wife is so used to me driving my truck when we go out or shopping she automatically opened the door in front of my truck as we were ready to leave the house and then we walked out to the garage and remembered the blade - hesitated, and then asked me if it was ok.....
Yeah, no problem. I wouldn't mind a bit of a drive with the snow plow on and the weight in the back anyway. I'd only driven it around our place with the plow on front.
As we hit the road I paid attention to the road manners, handling, steering, ride, bumps and so on.
Honestly?
Didn't see much difference.
MPG was down a bit but then it was 8 degrees, a bit of wind and the snow plow is just as aerodynamic as the Gladiator is so I knew it wasn't going to improve mpg any.
But I was impressed with how little it dropped.
I didn't reset things but my in-the-head math and watching the cluster told me it dropped maybe 1 mpg, 2 tops. Drove on I35 north where the speed limit is 70 and kept it to 65 (safety, etc.)
I didn't notice any extra wind issues. It still handled like a Gladiator on the highway.
Ride - no real change. RR tracks were exactly the same. Some rough road spots were a bit more noticeable but then I've got 300 pounds hanging off the front and 210 pounds of sand in the back. The front springs were compressed a bit and likely into the higher rate portion of those Synergy springs.
Honestly, it rode fine. Taking off, stopping, turning, no big deal at all.
Ride - fine.
No swaying or any behavior that was negative in any way. It still rode as nice as my wife's GC, IMO.
So I guess using Synergy multi-rate springs up front and the stock rear springs with air bags was a good way to go.
Drove from home to Ames - 50-55 minute drive. All the way up the engine temp was in the 190s, transmission temp was way under that, oil temp was 180-190s.

My setup -
2022 Overland with stock rear springs, .75" Daystar spring spacers and air bags in the rear (about 6 psi air in the bags)
3 x 70 pound bags of sand in the rear at the very back of the bed.
Front springs are Synergy 1" springs, (#8863-10)
Stock shocks all 4 corners.

We did our shopping in Ames (loaded up about 120 pounds of various bird foods for the next month) and headed back toward home. Wife wanted to stop as a quilt store and grocery store so did some other "running around" and again - no issues driving highway or in town.
The truck behaved fine, rode great handled great and although I'll still probably drop the plow off the truck when there's a couple of weeks with no snow in the forecast, I see no reason to scramble to take it off just because I want the truck for something.
 

Benbean66

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I helped tow a few truckers to the top of one of the hills in my area. Only about 2" of snow, but it's a steep hill, and some of the drivers weren't used to driving in the white stuff. Glad I got the Max Tow, lol!

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ShadowsPapa

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Cleared our driveway - mostly. No use doing a good job as the wind is still picking up, blowing it around. We didn't get much at all, maybe 2". I plowed a path out just for fun, and will wait until the wind calms to do any more.
Man, I love this truck.
 

Larry-D

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Watched my wife make a couple of trips while her 2018 diesel Grand Cherokee is at the dealer waiting on a high pressure fuel pump. Right at 20K miles codes were being thrown.
 

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HikerBob

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Went to see the Blackhawk Lights in Girvin here in JAX Florida. Duuuuval County. Merry Christmas to everyone and Happy New Year!!
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mx5red

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I helped tow a few truckers to the top of one of the hills in my area. Only about 2" of snow, but it's a steep hill, and some of the drivers weren't used to driving in the white stuff. Glad I got the Max Tow, lol!

Jeep Gladiator What did you do WITH your Gladiator today? F09EF8A2-9BF1-4184-AB76-736CCEDFD408


Jeep Gladiator What did you do WITH your Gladiator today? F09EF8A2-9BF1-4184-AB76-736CCEDFD408
what tires? chains? I'm surprised you had enough traction to pull them.
 

Benbean66

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what tires? chains? I'm surprised you had enough traction to pull them.
No chains. Brand new 35" Toyo AT3's. Max Tow w/LSD. 200lbs of weight in the bed and 4Lo. 30K lb kinetic rope.
Most of the trucks that attempt this hill make it, but some need a little more help.
 

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Pescatoral Pursuit

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Played in my sandbox.
Normally I start at the high end and work my way down. The easy part was silt fenced off but I had to see if she could make it up even with the factory rubber. 16 ° incline at the top and soft sand all the way up.
First try netted this result. Second try was with the duck crawl switch in 4L. Cute but didn't work. Almost drove away but couldn't live with myself so aired down to 18psi, and have it another go. That was the answer; went up and over like nothing.

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Lynn_F

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Went to 3B Offroad Park in Eureka Springs, AR over the weekend. It was a pretty cool place but could have used better trail signs. The map app that it referred to didn't work either. Overall it was a lot of fun and gave me a chance to actually test my truck a little bit without being too concerned I was going to roll off down the side of a mountain. We played quite a bit on the obstacle course and then did some easy/moderate trails. The moderate trails were a bit much for my wife and kids so I didn't get to explore those for long. We were able to find the cave!!

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