392 Gladiator V8 Hemi confirmed by Jeep CEO!

[Glamisfan]

‘Member when Jeep said that they couldn’t and wouldn’t put a V8 in the JL? All the while AMW was slapping them in left and right!

People speculated that it wouldn’t pass a crash test. That it would take too much whatever to make it pass a crash test. Seems like there were a couple more excuses that people came up with?

Well guess what. Jeep proved themselves and others wrong and put a V8 in the JL! they do it again!

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[ShadowsPapa]

‘Member when Jeep said that they couldn’t and wouldn’t put a V8 in the JL? All the while AMW was slapping them in left and right!

People speculated that it wouldn’t pass a crash test. That it would take too much whatever to make it pass a crash test. Seems like there were a couple more excuses that people came up with?

Well guess what. Jeep proved themselves and others wrong and put a V8 in the JL! they do it again!

Apples and oranges. A JL is not a JT. You don't expect 1750 pounds payload and 7,000 pound towing out of a JL

People speculated - and that's all they did. They never bothered to look at the bigger picture, the fines for not meeting CAFE numbers and so on. People love to armchair this stuff and miss the bigger picture.

People keep reaching out to other vehicles to compare instead of reading back over the threads that have covered all of this ad nauseum.

 

[Stan H]

What do those all have in common? Wide hoods and integrated fenders/bumpers that house accessories and reservoirs. Most also have dual cooling intakes split by the bumper - both of which are design features the JT and JL lack.


And where will all this added cooling go? The pinched Wrangler hood forces reservoirs, electrical, and other engine accessories into the space around the engine. That limits space for radiators already limited by the narrow front end and wide flying fenders.

Diesel owners already know this, the Wrangler shaped front end is just too limiting to get sufficient airflow and cooling. It’s time to redesign the JT and give it a more utilitarian shape inspired by the J10, J20, or M715.

I would buy one even though I aint getting rid of the one I got. It would become a toy.

 

[Stan H]

I believe AMW was doing what essentially Jeep did later in the JL,
They added larger radiator, bigger cooling fan with lower thermostat and different fan programming. A V8 can go in a JT it just has to be done correctly. I know a guy that put one in a JL and He was months doing it . It was a huge undertaking. He is very savvy with all that stuff but it took alot of work. Motor mounts ,Fan, fan controller, the wiring . Etc.. but with perseverance he got it done.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

A V8 can go in a JT it just has to be done correctly.

Sure it can - just not pass towing testing and so on. They also have to be really careful in other areas because although fines are 0 now - that can change after midterms.

But here we are going in CIRCLES as all of this was covered back in the first few pages!

 

[Stan H]

Sure it can - just not pass towing testing and so on. They also have to be really careful in other areas because although fines are 0 now - that can change after midterms.

But here we are going in CIRCLES as all of this was covered back in the first few pages!

You are correct it was covered.

 

[smlobx]

The 392 Wrangler is rated to tow 3,500 pounds. Some of that I imagine is suspension and wheelbase, the rest is likely cooling capacity. The Gladiator in most packages is rated at and north of 6,000 pounds.….

Close but not quite.
The wrangler Rubicon with the 3.6 can only tow 3500#’s also. The difference between the Wrangler and the Gladiator is the wheelbase and possibly the brakes (I didn’t check) everything else is the same. So cooling has absolutely nothing to do with the Wrangler 392’s towing capacity.

 

[smlobx]

Sure it can - just not pass towing testing and so on. They also have to be really careful in other areas because although fines are 0 now - that can change after midterms.

But here we are going in CIRCLES as all of this was covered back in the first few pages!

Bill please provide me proof that a V8 will not pass the towing test…I have never seen any definitive information on the subject by Jeep or any other authority…

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Close but not quite.
The wrangler Rubicon with the 3.6 can only tow 3500#’s also. The difference between the Wrangler and the Gladiator is the wheelbase and possibly the brakes (I didn’t check) everything else is the same. So cooling has absolutely nothing to do with the Wrangler 392’s towing capacity.

Nope - the 2026 Rubicon X with the 3.6 with the correct axle ratio is rated at 5,000 pounds.
4.10 gears, 33" tires (standard on the X) and a 3.6 tows 5,000 pounds. The hemi, stuck at 3,500 pounds.
You burn more fuel, thus generate more BTUs and heat rejection becomes an issue UNDER LOAD.
It's logic and engine engineering.

Rubicon X

• Engine Options: 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 or 2.0-liter Turbo
• Transmission: Six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic
• Configuration: Two-door or four-door
• Towing Capacity: 2,000 pounds1 (two-door), 3,500 to 5,000 pounds1 (four-door)

Well, look at this - only the smaller engines have the higher towing capacity - wonder why that is. Cooling, perhaps?
Even the dealer told my wife - if you do want to ever tow with it, get the 3.6. And I saw why, looking at the charts.

So, the new JLU my wife has on order can tow 5,000 pounds!

 

[Sweetums]

Close but not quite.
The wrangler Rubicon with the 3.6 can only tow 3500#’s also. The difference between the Wrangler and the Gladiator is the wheelbase and possibly the brakes (I didn’t check) everything else is the same. So cooling has absolutely nothing to do with the Wrangler 392’s towing capacity.

No, but the 392 isn't going to be worked as hard in the Wrangler vs a Gladiator that's towing - so the substandard cooling doesn't come into play for the Wrangler to the same degree that it would for a Gladiator.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Requirements for 5,000 lb towing

• Body Style: Must be a four-door model.
• Trim: Rubicon or Rubicon X.
• • Transmission: 8-speed automatic transmission.
  • Axle Ratio: 4.10 axle ratio.
  • Engine: 3.6-liter V-6 or 2.0-liter turbo engine.
  • Tires: LT285/70R17C tires or similar (33-inch tires).

Seriously, pure logic and it's been covered back about 4 dozen pages ago or so.
To get HP, you burn fuel. To get more HP, you burn more fuel.
Burning fuel creates heat of combustion. Some of that, not nearly what people think, is converted to mechanical energy - the rest is rejected - out the exhaust and through the cooling system and a tiny amount via the air surrounding the engine (miniscule, so no, opening vents doesn't really do much)
The HP jump between the engine sizes is large - so is the extra heat put out. So, how are you going to remove it?
They struggled just to get the 3.6 to pass muster - packed all they cool for a cooling system under the hood. Engineers and design team went back and forth - pretty much restraining what the people working on keeping it cool could do.
2024 they changed the grill style - hmmm, did that coincide with the bump from 3,500 to 5,000 pounds towing for the JLU. Well, isn't that interesting............ they made other changes and wanted to bump up the tow rating (different rear axles, for example) but ran into cooling problems. So out comes a new grill design.

It's a puzzle that makes sense if you consider all of the pieces on the table.
So if the 3.6 (when properly equipped) is rated for 5,000 pounds after the new grill and different rear axles (started with 2024 model year) - why not the beloved hemi?

 

[smlobx]

Nope - the 2026 Rubicon X with the 3.6 with the correct axle ratio is rated at 5,000 pounds.
4.10 gears, 33" tires (standard on the X) and a 3.6 tows 5,000 pounds. The hemi, stuck at 3,500 pounds.
You burn more fuel, thus generate more BTUs and heat rejection becomes an issue UNDER LOAD.
It's logic and engine engineering.

Rubicon X

• Engine Options: 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 or 2.0-liter Turbo
• Transmission: Six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic
• Configuration: Two-door or four-door
• Towing Capacity: 2,000 pounds1 (two-door), 3,500 to 5,000 pounds1 (four-door)

Well, look at this - only the smaller engines have the higher towing capacity - wonder why that is. Cooling, perhaps?
Even the dealer told my wife - if you do want to ever tow with it, get the 3.6. And I saw why, looking at the charts.

So, the new JLU my wife has on order can tow 5,000 pounds!

the rubicon to rubicon is a better comparison and the towing capacity of the Wrangler is 3500#’s

Bill please answer my post #773 if you can…

 

[ChrisNLA]

the rubicon to rubicon is a better comparison and the towing capacity of the Wrangler is 3500#’s

Bill please answer my post #773 if you can…

If you click the little #1 it mentions that 3,500 lbs is the base configuration.

This page:

https://www.jeep.com/2026/wrangler/capability.html

Claims 5,000 pounds on a 4 door Rubicon when properly equipped. It neglects to mention what exactly 'properly equipped' is

Edit: I presume the 3.6L is the key, based on the post above.

(I have no dog in this race - I think Bill's logic is sound, but I'm not as devoted to finding a hill to die on).

 

[ShadowsPapa]

If you click the little #1 it mentions that 3,500 lbs is the base configuration.

This page:

https://www.jeep.com/2026/wrangler/capability.html

Claims 5,000 pounds on a 4 door Rubicon when properly equipped. It neglects to mention what exactly 'properly equipped' is

(I have no dog in this race - I think Bill's logic is sound, but I'm not as devoted to finding a hill to die on).

I listed the properly equipped twice - I guess it's being ignored.

4.10 ratio, 33" tires, auto transmission, Rubicon or Rubicon X, 3.6 or 2.0

the rubicon to rubicon is a better comparison and the towing capacity of the Wrangler is 3500#’s

that's OLD and incorrect. They always show the BASE. You have to click into it to get the better info.
I posted the specs from Jeep - and it clearly states 5,000 and the dealer even told my wife last week - "hey, the one you are looking at can even tow 5,000 pounds now".

Below is the Rubicon to Rubicon comparison changing ONLY the engine.

So, here it is AGAIN, proving it's 5,000 for the 3.6 and 3,500 for the hemi -
First I chose the Rubicon with the 3.6 and I get this -

FIVE THOUSAND for the 3.6 but choose the HEMI and you drop 1500 pound towing capacity -
I simply changed the engine to a hemi -

As far as "proof" it's cooling - do you really think Jeep has that published anywhere?
Put the puzzle pieces together, and with some pattern recognition, experience with engines and cooling and critical thinking, you see - gee, identical vehicles, but the one with 200 more HP and that burns a lot more gas and puts out more heat - when they had trouble cooling the 3.6 to get their ratings and once in a while a diesel owner talks about heat and towing - it makes total sense.
Another way to look at it - with all of the issues, all of the trouble that Jeep went through to get the ratings for the JT - squeezing hard, and then later changing grill design - hmmmmm.

Sorry, I don't have a youtube channel with inside sources telling us that it's about the cooling - it's simple math, logic, pattern recognition, critical thinking.......
Do you really believe Jeep is going to publish this type of information? Why would or should they?
The change goes back to the 2024 model year - from 3,500 to 5,000. The same year with the new grill.

Almost 200 HP more - that takes gas.. Dropping from 25 t 17 mpg - yeah, it burns gas. And where does that energy go? Cooling system. It's an engineering thing. Heat rejection.

But....but....but Ram..... but nothing. It's got a larger cooling capacity. The grill isn't confined so much and they shove air up from under the bumper.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It neglects to mention what exactly 'properly equipped' is

Here is that list - my dealer has it, as well as some others, and an article about Wranglers and towing. They all say the same thing -

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