392 Gladiator V8 Hemi confirmed by Jeep CEO!

[ChrisNLA]

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

Yea I edited my post before you posted this one when I realized your previous one had covered it.

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[jmr]

The JL Rubicon got the tow increase because of the full float rear axle first offered in 2024. I don't know why the JT didn't get the full float axle too.

 

[legacy_etu]

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!

I thought Jeep adding the full float rear axle option is what enabled the 5K lb. towing bump from 3500lbs....
Edit:
agh. JMR beat me to it.....

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The Rubicon got the tow increase because of the full float rear axle first offered in 2024. I don't know why the JT didn't get the full float axle too.

That's the same year they increase grill openings..............
But the difference isn't purely the axle as the hemi is still only 3500 and has the same axle under it.

I'm speculating they figured it wasn't necessary for the JT as it handles 7,000 pounds fine with the axles under it already.

I'm not so sure the increase is ONLY the axles - put the JT axles under the JLU............ They didn't need to go to those axles at all for towing - heck, the Grand Cherokee out-tows the JLU and it doesn't have heavy axles under it. It does have more cooling capability, though.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I thought Jeep adding the full float rear axle option is what enabled the 5K lb. towing bump from 3500lbs....

agh. JMR beat me to it.....

Part of it - but can't be the whole story. The grill was also introduced then, and the JT tows well over 5,000 with the axles it has, and the Grand Cherokee 6,200 pounds with the 3.6 engine - it has better cooling capabilities.
The full floating axle shouldn't be necessary to add only 1500 pounds to the towing when the JT does 7,000 without full floating axles and the GC has whatever axles are under it - certainly not as beefy as even the prior JLU axles..

 

[WilldWilly]

With 470 ft lbs compared to under 300 means the 6.4 would pull 7k like it isn't back there, keeping rpms down, and not working as hard as the lame 3.6 or the turbo 4. Seems like all this "on paper it does not work" crap is not real-world testing. I am sure a v8 with 3:50 or 3:73 final would easily pull 7k without overheating. I hate the word can't. That is failure. Can is a better word. If jeep wanted a v8 in the gladiator, it would be there. They would find a way to make it work. After all, they seem quite happy to stuff one in a Wrangler, and charge a premium for it.

 

[RudeJeepin]

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).

Pretty sure it also has to do with the rear axle. Has to be that new floater.

Edit; looks like several beat me to this.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

With 470 ft lbs compared to under 300 means the 6.4 would pull 7k like it isn't back there, keeping rpms down, and not working as hard as the lame 3.6 or the turbo 4. Seems like all this "on paper it does not work" crap is not real-world testing. I am sure a v8 with 3:50 or 3:73 final would easily pull 7k without overheating. I hate the word can't. That is failure. Can is a better word. If jeep wanted a v8 in the gladiator, it would be there. They would find a way to make it work. After all, they seem quite happy to stuff one in a Wrangler, and charge a premium for it.

Unreal ...just toss stuff out there with no real experience and no research or depth of knowledge on engine heat rejection and cooling,
and then comparing a JLU to a jt.
To get that power it has to burn more fuel. More cylinders to keep cool.
I guess you'll never understand the why's and why not because your mind is made up it works in the JLU (with greatly reduced towing) so it has to work in the JT.
Funny stuff

 

[WilldWilly]

Who are you exactly? You must be the guy who spends his whole life telling people what they can't do. Most of your posts seem to be a bunch of "You can't do this, you can't do that, it will never work." My real-world experience is putting big engines in small spaces several times over. 351s in Pintos, 350s in Vegas, s-10s and Volkswagen Beetles. Everyone had its challenges including cooling, driveshafts, brakes, exhaust and so on. I am sure if Jeep wanted to do it, it would be done.

Like I said, if they wanted to do it, they would do it. Jeep Wrangler 392 Extended Indefinitely, Gladiator to Gain V-8 Too

 

[Glamisfan]

To get the full 470 hp yes it takes more fuel and more air and more cooling. But, to tow 7,000 lbs up a 6 percent hill with a 6,000 lb truck at 50 mph will take approximately the same amount of power, no matter what engine you have.
The problem comes when you have more horsepower, so you think that you can drive faster up that hill. You can, but the cooling system won’t be happy.

As to the 5,000 lb Wrangler towing capacity, it also has a receiver brace that bolts on and connects to the frame.

Also, from what I’ve read the Wrangler has been rated to tow 5,000 lbs in Europe since the JL came out.

 

[ChrisNLA]

I am sure if Jeep wanted to do it, it would be done.

Like I said, if they wanted to do it, they would do it. Jeep Wrangler 392 Extended Indefinitely, Gladiator to Gain V-8 Too

Seems like the easiest answer then.

They don't want to.

Besides, they can't even build a stock truck that won't death wobble at 34,000 miles on stock size tires - what makes you think they can do anything else

 

[Glamisfan]

I wish some of the people on here that have done the AMW swap would chime in on if they overheat on a daily basis?
Or if they have to sign a paper saying that they won’t tow anything?
I’ve never seen any complaints from AMW owners.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Who are you exactly? You must be the guy who spends his whole life telling people what they can't do. Most of your posts seem to be a bunch of "You can't do this, you can't do that, it will never work." My real-world experience is putting big engines in small spaces several times over. 351s in Pintos, 350s in Vegas, s-10s and Volkswagen Beetles. Everyone had its challenges including cooling, driveshafts, brakes, exhaust and so on. I am sure if Jeep wanted to do it, it would be done.

Like I said, if they wanted to do it, they would do it. Jeep Wrangler 392 Extended Indefinitely, Gladiator to Gain V-8 Too

You are actually quoting that debunked garbage?
Go read the first few posts in this and other threads. The CEO never said any such thing. Those blogs and rags twist things around to get readers excited. Wow, you haven't kept up

 

[ChrisNLA]

I wish some of the people on here that have done the AMW swap would chime in on if they overheat on a daily basis?
Or if they have to sign a paper saying that they won’t tow anything?
I’ve never seen any complaints from AMW owners.

They don't have to sign anything. AMW likely promises nothing in regards to towing capacity as they aren't obligated to. I'm sure they perform admirably under most circumstances.

Now, if someone wants to hook 7,500 pounds to the back of one and conduct whatever standardized test Jeep does and see if it performs - I'd like to see that too

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I wish some of the people on here that have done the AMW swap would chime in on if they overheat on a daily basis?
Or if they have to sign a paper saying that they won’t tow anything?
I’ve never seen any complaints from AMW owners.

Do you understand how these things get the tow ratings that they do - the standard SAE test they must endure - fully loaded, up mountain inclines and so on............ Sure, I could stick a hemi in mine and tow just fine. But I'd likely fail the standardized testing in the mountains.

This is a small part of it - and notice the temperature and AC requirements -
To simulate some of the toughest conditions a truck and trailer combination will face, the J2807 “Highway Gradeability” tests take place on a well-known stretch of Arizona highway, the 11.4-mile-long Davis Dam Grade. If trucks are not tested on this specific stretch of steep road, they can be run in a simulation using a “climactic” wind tunnel. Ambient temperature plays a significant role in this test with a minimum temperature of 100 degrees required at the base of the grade. In addition to a hot climate outside the truck, the test requires the air conditioning system to be set at maximum cold, with outside air selected (not recirculating) and the fan running at full blower speed.

Do you think those conversions will pass that and all of the other tests - and never get too hot, no MIL, no breakdowns, etc?

Of course someone who has had the conversion done is going to say yes it tows fine - but they don't have to run it through the rigorous testing truck makers do.

They don't have to sign anything. AMW likely promises nothing in regards to towing capacity as they aren't obligated to. I'm sure they perform admirably under most circumstances.

Now, if someone wants to hook 7,500 pounds to the back of one and conduct whatever standardized test Jeep does and see if it performs - I'd like to see that too

People are letting their emotions and "they could do it if they want to" get in the way of certain realities.

Who are you exactly? You must be the guy who spends his whole life telling people what they can't do. Most of your posts seem to be a bunch of "You can't do this, you can't do that, it will never work." My real-world experience is putting big engines in small spaces several times over. 351s in Pintos, 350s in Vegas, s-10s and Volkswagen Beetles. Everyone had its challenges including cooling, driveshafts, brakes, exhaust and so on. I am sure if Jeep wanted to do it, it would be done.

Yeah, you've told us that. So? Totally different circumstances. You had no restrictions at all. Nothing preventing you from cutting or fabricating or modifying to make it work, and, you were not having to pass specific testing.
So it doesn't even compare, it's not at all the same thing. You weren't trying to tow 7,000 pounds of trailer up 11 miles of 6% grade with FULL AC on with a 100 degree ambient temperature at the start of the test.

And - BTW - yeah, same here, so what? Been there, done that. And, I worked in production shops for years and currently do restorations and engine builds. So as long as we're comparing credentials.......... how far ya wanna go? I've been trying to avoid that as folks here tire of it.

Oh, and it's real interesting that cars "back then" that put out less HP had a 2 row core radiator, but the larger displacements and higher HP models of the same exact car, had a 3 row core. There were other differences as well - even back in the 1960s the engineers knew - more engine, more heat, need more cooling.
I added about 70 HP to one of the cars I have now and had to add a shroud and different radiator to keep it cool.

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