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

[TheTrailGeek]

Finally wrapped up the front end upgrades...

- Dynatrac HD Prosteer Ball Joints
- Fusion 4x4 2.5 Ton Tie-Rod and Drag Link
- RCV Axle Shafts with FAD
- Reid Racing Knuckles

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[TheTrailGeek]

Rusty’s LCA frame skids. All holes lined up for me.

Looks good! I got the Rusty’s stabilizer relocation bracket. Didn’t work well at all with a larger aftermarket track bar. Required modification to get it installed. Bolt hole is too close to where the track bar bolt is so you can’t get a nut on the second bolt. Super strong, but the design could use some tweaking. I’d go with the Clayton Off-road one if I had to do it over again.

 

[Blade1668]

Yeah once the JT is done it's time to get the TJ back up to good condition before we have another recession.... I recently found on Quadratec that Crown (who usually just makes stock replacements) make adjustable control arms for the TJ - but they use the factory bushing for NVH reduction, which is super awesome!! So gonna be going back to stock bushing style on the TJ, and dropping lift from 4.5 to 2.5". I might have the shop do that one also though, well see.... Driving 70 miles on a mis-aligned TJ could be disastrous. lol

Hmmm... I might need to check out them control arms too. I've been working on my LJ lately, new battery the made in Colorado Optima battery gave up on me.... only 20 plus years. Pulled winch off for tear down to clean re-grease, now I get to order replacement brushes for the motor. It decided to quit working.
After I get a few appointments knocked out I might take break on cabin to install the lift kit on my JT.... and hopefully get around to installing the front locker too.

 

[Blade1668]

Yeah I was not meaning to reference any of those other folks that indicate the aux battery is the only one liable to have problems. That's just a terrible argument. But I have seen a lot more people talking about the aux going bad than the main - however, the only other forum I am really on is jeepforum just for the TJ, so it's probably just a factor of restricted sample size.

I think battery tenders should be a given. Granted they are not, but they should be. I killed two AGM's on my TJ over a year and a half because of charge time not being remotely enough, and super cold temps in the -20's for 3-4 months. That was one of the first things I did to the JT was a CTEK battery charger/tender since it can easily sit for 2-3 weeks in the winter. Probably need to do the same to the TJ before next year. I am a perfect example of 'what not to do' in terms of making sure your AGM is charged. My 'commute' is literally 1 mile. I should walk, but being lazy and freezing temps with balance issues I prefer to drive. So the battery (and other things) in the TJ really are at a declining state since the drive is just so darn short. I purposefully don't do that to the JT knowing it's not great.

I hope the CTEC battery maintainer works better than the P.O.S. one I got. I found it to be perfect for destroying Optima batteries, or at least discharging them to point of failure. I trashed the one I got after it being a highly recommend one. I then bought the small Optima battery charger it's been great even after damaging the case. With it and hooking 2 batteries to it it saved one of prior mention batteries. I've got 5 battery savers hooked up in a shed for maintaining 2 4wheelers, boat batteries, and LJ.

 

[AstroZombie]

Upgraded to 35’s

 

[chorky]

I hope the CTEC battery maintainer works better than the P.O.S. one I got. I found it to be perfect for destroying Optima batteries, or at least discharging them to point of failure. I trashed the one I got after it being a highly recommend one. I then bought the small Optima battery charger it's been great even after damaging the case. With it and hooking 2 batteries to it it saved one of prior mention batteries. I've got 5 battery savers hooked up in a shed for maintaining 2 4wheelers, boat batteries, and LJ.

ouch! Yeah I dont use optima anymore. There are better options. Unfortunately they went downhill a while ago. CTEK has been around a long time. So far it seems to be doing a good job. Whenever it is plugged it it fires right up and keeps the batterie's just over 13v on maintain mode. I have watched it go through a few cycles and when off the batteries naturally drop to 12.7 once surface charges dissipate. I would think a charger that drains batteries is totally faulty. Norco is also a good option but they dont operate in colder temps like the CTEK does.

 

[Blade1668]

ouch! Yeah I dont use optima anymore. There are better options. Unfortunately they went downhill a while ago. CTEK has been around a long time. So far it seems to be doing a good job. Whenever it is plugged it it fires right up and keeps the batterie's just over 13v on maintain mode. I have watched it go through a few cycles and when off the batteries naturally drop to 12.7 once surface charges dissipate. I would think a charger that drains batteries is totally faulty. Norco is also a good option but they dont operate in colder temps like the CTEK does.

Well I haven't bought a Optima battery in over 10 years myself but I do still have a few left. I do still use AGM type batteries in vehicles. the battery core I used when I replaced my LJ battery was over 20 years old. It had been in my 90XJ before I moved it to LJ.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I am going to go ahead and put the charger on mine today after doing some voltage checks.

Checked voltage of battery pair (still connected, so with the slight parasitic load of the Jeep on them) voltage was sitting at 12.46
Connected charger.
A few hours later, fully charged, charger said 100%.
Disconnected and it settled at 13.0 after a few seconds.
Next day - drove it for errands - cluster displayed 14.9 almost the entire time I was driving. It did drop back to 14.8 after a while.
VERY interesting and so very very different from my 2020. It actually dropped voltage back dramatically with a full charge. This one does not.
It's been a few days now, I've driven it a couple of times. Temperatures mostly in the 50s, last night it was in the 40s and the voltage always read 14.8.
It will drop to the lower 14s when I pull up to a stop - let off the gas, and/or it's dropped back to idle. The voltage drops then, but comes right back up as I accelerate up to road speed again, settling at about 14.8 (for a while it was 14.9 when the temperature dropped into the evening)
That's after a full charge.
Ironically, this 2022 is acting more like a voltage-regulated system of the 1970s where the voltage drops at idle because the alternator is spinning more slowly and it can't keep up with the load, then it ramps up again with RPM.

My summary of observation on voltage is that this 2022 is programmed very differently than my 2020 was, and it keeps up a much higher voltage than my 2020 did. Even with batteries at about 60% or higher state of charge, this one keeps the voltage up. Even one day after fully charging the batteries, it keeps the voltage way up.
I only see lower voltage at idle just like I would my 4.0 or my 360 with constant voltage regulation.
Everything always works perfectly.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

ouch! Yeah I dont use optima anymore. There are better options. Unfortunately they went downhill a while ago. CTEK has been around a long time. So far it seems to be doing a good job. Whenever it is plugged it it fires right up and keeps the batterie's just over 13v on maintain mode. I have watched it go through a few cycles and when off the batteries naturally drop to 12.7 once surface charges dissipate. I would think a charger that drains batteries is totally faulty. Norco is also a good option but they dont operate in colder temps like the CTEK does.

I use a BatteryMinder (1500 mA) I bought years ago at Northern Hydraulics. It works great - keeps batteries up fine and has actually breathed new lift into a couple of really old batteries I have. The one in my lawn tractor is probably about 8 or 9 years old, and there's one on my alternator test bench that's likely close to 15 years old (old tech, not AGM) and although it may not start a car any more - it's still holding a charge and handling load testing when I check out alternators just fine.
I also have one I can't recall the name of - bought 2 or 3 years ago, almost looks like a Craftsman brand.
I use those to maintain, and I've got my NAPA charger to actually CHARGE.
I expected my lawn tractor battery to be toast it's so old, it's the original, and it sat all winter unused but the battery minder kept it alive and did it's desulphating thing.

I know the Norco is a huge name that gets tossed about in the Jeep community - but I suspect it's just because of peer name dropping, and name recognition. There's cheaper options that work just as well (maybe better - other names have been at it a lot longer.)

 

[chorky]

Well I haven't bought a Optima battery in over 10 years myself but I do still have a few left. I do still use AGM type batteries in vehicles. the battery core I used when I replaced my LJ battery was over 20 years old. It had been in my 90XJ before I moved it to LJ.

Abit jealous. I wish mine was the LJ rubi but it's' the GE edition and they only made those in the TJ. The LJ is the perfect size woods jeep IMO.

Checked voltage of battery pair (still connected, so with the slight parasitic load of the Jeep on them) voltage was sitting at 12.46
Connected charger.
A few hours later, fully charged, charger said 100%.
Disconnected and it settled at 13.0 after a few seconds.
Next day - drove it for errands - cluster displayed 14.9 almost the entire time I was driving. It did drop back to 14.8 after a while.
VERY interesting and so very very different from my 2020. It actually dropped voltage back dramatically with a full charge. This one does not.
It's been a few days now, I've driven it a couple of times. Temperatures mostly in the 50s, last night it was in the 40s and the voltage always read 14.8.
It will drop to the lower 14s when I pull up to a stop - let off the gas, and/or it's dropped back to idle. The voltage drops then, but comes right back up as I accelerate up to road speed again, settling at about 14.8 (for a while it was 14.9 when the temperature dropped into the evening)
That's after a full charge.
Ironically, this 2022 is acting more like a voltage-regulated system of the 1970s where the voltage drops at idle because the alternator is spinning more slowly and it can't keep up with the load, then it ramps up again with RPM.

My summary of observation on voltage is that this 2022 is programmed very differently than my 2020 was, and it keeps up a much higher voltage than my 2020 did. Even with batteries at about 60% or higher state of charge, this one keeps the voltage up. Even one day after fully charging the batteries, it keeps the voltage way up.
I only see lower voltage at idle just like I would my 4.0 or my 360 with constant voltage regulation.
Everything always works perfectly.

Hmm that is interesting. I dont have the same experience. Mine last summer when it was pretty hot certainly dropped charge voltage to the high 12's (probably due to temps). But I keep it on the charger almost all the time now when I'm home - mostly because I have left the fridge on the last few weeks to make sure its working good, and it keeps a good voltage going. But I have noticed now when I take off for a drive, like I went looking for bears last night for maybe 5 hours, and the voltage was hovering in the low 13's. Only when I first started after stopping for a little snack did it touch to the 14's. But, if the batteries are lower from having not plugged it in and letting it sit for a few weeks, or if from running the fridge, it will go up to its max around 15 / 15.1 and stay there for a while before lowering to the high 14's for a good few hours. To me it seems to be working correctly.

I will say the first 6 months of ownership mine acted the same as you (last spring) where it would sit for a good week or two of not being driven, then during a drive it would stay high 14's. I suspect that is just from it doing its job and getting that bulk charge up before going into float? I only really noticed the difference since putting in the Genesis and the onboard CTECK.

I use a BatteryMinder (1500 mA) I bought years ago at Northern Hydraulics. It works great - keeps batteries up fine and has actually breathed new lift into a couple of really old batteries I have. The one in my lawn tractor is probably about 8 or 9 years old, and there's one on my alternator test bench that's likely close to 15 years old (old tech, not AGM) and although it may not start a car any more - it's still holding a charge and handling load testing when I check out alternators just fine.
I also have one I can't recall the name of - bought 2 or 3 years ago, almost looks like a Craftsman brand.
I use those to maintain, and I've got my NAPA charger to actually CHARGE.
I expected my lawn tractor battery to be toast it's so old, it's the original, and it sat all winter unused but the battery minder kept it alive and did it's desulphating thing.

I know the Norco is a huge name that gets tossed about in the Jeep community - but I suspect it's just because of peer name dropping, and name recognition. There's cheaper options that work just as well (maybe better - other names have been at it a lot longer.)

Yeah that battery minder is probably a batter quality unit - although not sure what temps it works at. I landed on the CTEK because they got back to me with operational temps I down to -10 if I remember correctly. So for me that is helpful. I think Norco only worked to a little below 32. I have seen some of those battteryminders around aviation stuff though so they're probably good stuff. The Norco I personally have seen frequently on some of our government rig's. I really didn't see them around the jeep community much - well not until I looked them up. But gov rigs was my first experience with them. They seem ok as long as temps dont get cold frequently - I really hope to get a garage/shop built before next winter but that probably won't happen....

Maybe the optima batteries are just hit and miss. I know for a time some years ago they had major quality problems. I did go through probably 2 of them in my little Jeep - the cells just went bad. The one in it now was put in last year and so far it's holding up without a charger and with frequent 1 - 2 mile drives, which we all know isn't good. So who knows. I do think I'm going to put in a full river once this one dies though - so far I have been happy with their batteries, and the internal design - they offer a 3D exploded view to you can see how the plates are set up. It's pretty robust. Although time will tell with them. I'm going to be really curious to see how things work out with having a starter 64ah hooked up directly with a deep cycle 115 ah battery. Their engineer said it won't really cause any significant and noticeable issues - but I'm a little skeptical. Since hooking up the DC 115 my fridge runtime to get to 12.4v has almost quadroupled. So something with the design of that battery must be quite different.



Instead of going camping this weekend and taking Friday off - with issues that kept me at home, I ended up picking up an extra 10 hr work day to use next week and checked on some prescribed burning my district did. We have a pretty short window of favorable conditions.

Unfortunately some of the trees we didn't want logged got burned up. But it happens, and puts on a fun show.

 

[Blitzinger]

Little trial and error but got the propane tank mounted to the rack.

 

[Blade1668]

Abit jealous. I wish mine was the LJ rubi but it's' the GE edition and they only made those in the TJ. The LJ is the perfect size woods jeep IMO.

mine isn't a Rubicon... i didn't want to take the hit on taxes and tag fees every year until H### freezes over. In first 4 years of ownership just paying for Ad Valorem on tags would have been more than what the front D44 axle and 4-1 transfer case would have cost in the county I lived in S.E GA. I could have a custom axles built for less than it would have cost me.

Back on thread topic now: Time to put R.T.T. back on, flush n fill water tank.

 

[Jeepmonster]

Cleaned up the wheel wells/fender liners. After washing with a pressure washer, I used CD-2. It works great for just about everything plastic, and even metal. Too bad the stuff is discontinued. This stuff works and lasts much longer on black plastic much better than any plastic conditioner from Griot's, Car Guys, Meguar's, Turtle Wax, Mothers, etc. I ordered a can of Griot's Engine Bay Dressing. Hopefully, it's just as good (for $30 a can, it better be).

Before

After

 

[TotallyReasonable]

Took advantage of the beautiful spring weather and gave the truck a nice wash, clay bar, and “wax”. I used the mothers CMX ceramic spray, really easy and works well in my experience with the wife’s car.

I love driving through mud but hate cleaning it!

 

[JTBurns]

Sent in the last payment for my 2020, it's mine!

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