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

[FreedomWV]

Windows tinted today.

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[DailyMoparGuy]

Finally installed the rest of my MC control arms. However, I’m a little nervous about how close the passenger side, front UCA is to the frame. Maybe a millimeter of separation…The driver side was close too but not that close.

Edit: Just drove it for the first time after installing and was pleasantly surprised how much smoother the ride was. No alignment yet though so I assumed it would ride the same as before.

 

[22EcoDs]

Finally installed the rest of my MC control arms. However, I’m a little nervous about how close the passenger side, front UCA is to the frame. Maybe a millimeter of separation…The driver side was close too but not that close.

Adjustable track bar?

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

Adjustable track bar?

Yup, I do have one. I didn’t even touch it though. You thinking it needs to be adjusted? I am getting an alignment on Friday so I can let them know about it.

 

[22EcoDs]

Yup, I do have one. I didn’t even touch it though. You thinking it needs to be adjusted? I am getting an alignment on Friday so I can let them know about it.

I'd be curious on how the axle is sitting centered in the frame based on the clearance. That looks like it will rub to me when flexed.

 

[22EcoDs]

Is that joint flipped 180? Looks like there's some sort of bushing or spacer on it? Sorry I'm not too familiar with their arms. @DailyMoparGuy

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

Is that joint flipped 180? Looks like there's some sort of bushing or spacer on it? Sorry I'm not too familiar with their arms. @DailyMoparGuy

Maybe so, I’m not too sure. I may need to give MC a call about that. Good catch

 

[WILDHOBO]

I just installed adjustable uppers last weekend, and my passenger side was close to the frame as well. I called the vendor and showed them and they considered it normal. I had it aligned today at a reputable Jeep shop and they had no concerns either. My track bar is adjustable, but correctly, and my axle is centered. But I shared your concerns.

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

I just installed adjustable uppers last weekend, and my passenger side was close to the frame as well. I called the vendor and showed them and they considered it normal. I had it aligned today at a reputable Jeep shop and they had no concerns either. My track bar is adjustable, but correctly, and my axle is centered. But I shared your concerns.

Interesting. I’ll try to remember to post back here with what my shop says next weekend. Hopefully it’s consistent with your shop’s conclusion.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Interesting. I’ll try to remember to post back here with what my shop says next weekend. Hopefully it’s consistent with your shop’s conclusion.

Please do. And I’ll let you know if I have issues. I’m hitting Moab next week, so I’ll definitely find out fast.

Edit: it’s perfect on the road so far. No contact with fast, nasty, rutted interstate.

 

[mx5red]

This was a big one!
Finished installing my Rock Krawler Pro-X cradle and upper control arms, and new Clayton 2.5” HD springs.
Spent all night monday jacking up the truck and drilling/tapping the bosses on the axle. Took me hours to finish, I couldn’t get the included drill bit to drill in. Granted, I kept the axle dropped but attached so there was not a lot of room to put my weight behind it…
So, I used couple of my smaller cheap bits and they worked like a charm, eventually the RK bit worked.
I removed the bracket for the e-locker since it was in the way.

there was a pretty big gap under the cradle, but torquing the bolts down laid it flush.

I didn’t get to finish putting arms in until today. I cheaped out and didn’t get other control arms… for now.
I tried to keep the lowers attached and undo one upper at a time so I wouldn’t have trouble getting the bolts in.
Well, the RK Pro-X arms are supposed to be for 3”+ lifts and they really raised the pinion angle. The joint ends are basically screwed all the way into the arms so not much shorter adjustment. If I had adjustable lowers I could tinker with them but I didn’t want to at this point.
So, they were not easy to get in. I had to use another jack under the front of the diff to raise the pinion and get the arms to line up.
Pro Tip - attach the cradle ends first, easily, then struggle to get the frame ends in. Way easier!

Now I’m all set!
Stock springs with spacers 20.5” to Clayton ~22” (21.625 +\- .25)

I think I gained ~2.5” over my OEM Rubicon springs with 2” AEV spacers. I’ve gotten too heavy and I only had ~2” between the bumps stops and the pads, which is why I got the Clayton springs. Otherwise I had been content with the spacer lift.

Now

I think the pinion angle looks pretty good to me (I have a carrier bearing spacer from my spacer lift).

now to find a day to put the front Clayton springs in.

 

[Blade1668]

My impatience got the better of me. I was waffling about buying an induction heater - I had the tab open on my browser for 2 or 3 days but figured, no, I can do this and save a few hundred bucks.
Well......
Right AFTER the bolt broke, I came in and ordered the induction heater.
These are LONG LONG big bolts. The broken part alone is 55mm long. The shortest body bolt MOPAR lists is something like 107mm. That means that over 50mm of that bolt is THREADS and sticking up above the "nut" up there. Stupid long. All it needs to do is engage all of the threads in the nut above with almost nothing sticking through. Others are something like 115 or 120 mm long.
The broken end has a really thick layer of red thread locker on it. I figure they used about 1 tablespoon of thread locker per bolt.
My comment on the length of the bolt is that - there's 55mm of bolt shank between the bolt head and the threads.
You have to heat a bolt head with a big round thick flat washer under it before the shank would even start to get hot. Then there's 55 mm of shank to heat hot before the thread locker gets hot. In the mix is rubber body cushions ready to melt.
I made the mistake of trying to weigh the risks of heating a long heavy bolt really hot, flat washer up against body mount and melting or destroying that and doing damage before the thread locker got warm enough to let go.
So, expensive mistake. I've decided that with my hand issues going on, I'd pay the dealer shop to fix my mistake. While they have it, I can make about half of what I expect the repair to cost by doing some restoration work in my shop. That will help. But I know me - and if there's not a big consequence for such a thing, it might get repeated. This way I can't say "oh, well, no big deal" next time as I won't let there be a next time.
I guess I know me - I've got to shoot myself in the foot at least once before I remember to check the chamber and eject that last bullet first.

Well if I ever decide to remove them myself it might be worth the drive to Iowa. since you got a induction heater.

Sitting here waiting for the sun to warm up things so I can go work on L-track tie downs in the bed (ugh, more hole drilling....)

But was watching the Jeep concept video from Brad at TrailRecon and he made mention of a historic Jeep expedition through the Darien Gap - a video I haven't been able to find until now. Not Gladiator related, but it is part of Jeep's history, and it is amazing! What these things have accomplished years ago before lockers were really a thing, on a stock rig with no lift either. Just goes to show Jeeps are pretty darn capable in their stock form.

I haven't watched that video in a long time, a great trip they had.
Oh I didn't do anything to my JT today but did replace the battery in my LJ today (yesterday now) my core battery was a USA made Optima battery... it lasted a good while, 1999 one. My other 2 Optima batteries have went belly up, but I'm going to try to recondition them again. A blue top was in it from around 08.

 

[Lunentucker]

Took it to Big-O this morning and ordered a new set of Yokohama Geolandar MT’s, because I ran over a creosote bush yesterday the size of a redwood. Put a giant chunk of lumber through the sidewall of my driver side rear. Lucky for me it’s acting like a plug and holding pressure pretty good. Only losing a couple pounds Every few hours or so. The new tires won’t be in till tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. These were getting due anyway. On the bright side, I will now have three full sized spares.

Took advantage of the the down time in the driveway. Pulled the air filter out for some maintenance. Of course I dropped one of the air box screws somewhere into the engine compartment and couldn’t find it for the life of me.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I like that guy's commercials.
And plugging a hole from the outside is doing something.
I used his flex seal where the RSE power step harnesses enter the cabin for the left and right doors.

 

[chorky]

Couple more things tackled today - although I sorta wish I went for a drive instead with how nice of a day it turned out to be.

L-Track and repurposing the mounting rails from the RTT since I hard mounted it to the canopy.

Although she is getting heavy. Assuming full water, food, clothes - but not winches, recovery gear, or aux fuel tank, I am sitting about 180 pounds over GVWR, and 415 pounds under GAWR. I can't imagine how badly overloaded those with the AluCab is. They must be well into the 7,500 pound range with is quite a ways over GAWR. However, Matt weighed his and he was almost at GAWR without him or his wife or food/water in the rig. And they wheel way harder than I do and have not yet had any abrupt failures, so it should be ok - I likely will still be under GAWR.

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