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

[Mightytalldude]

Changed out the front standard 3.5" Teraflex springs with the 3.5" Teraflex Overland series. With the steel bumper and winch, I should have done that originally to compensate for the extra weight. I do need to look at replacing the track bar, at 95k miles, it's not as tight as it should be at the bushings.

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[ChrisNLA]

Changed out the front standard 3.5" Teraflex springs with the 3.5" Teraflex Overland series. With the steel bumper and winch, I should have done that originally to compensate for the extra weight. I do need to look at replacing the track bar, at 95k miles, it's not as tight as it should be at the bushings.

What size tires do you have here? Specs in general on the build?

Slowly going down a path I have been avoiding, lol...

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

I was told by the Jeep guy in the campground they were swapping parts because of the manpower it takes to refinish the paint. Looks like that doesn't happen anymore.

So if I’m planning on a new paint job anyway do I really have to worry about it? I haven’t even checked mine but I’m planning on doing a raptor lining or some other lining of the entire vehicle. Researching different shops for that now.

 

[Mightytalldude]

What size tires do you have here? Specs in general on the build?

Slowly going down a path I have been avoiding, lol...

35" 255/85 R17 Micky Thompson Baja Boss "pizza cutters". Keeps the tires tucked in. It's a '20 Sport S with lots of Rubicon take-offs. I'm that "it's stock, but not" guy. Suspension is Teraflex Overland 3.5" front springs, Teraflex 3.5 rear springs. Falcon 1.1 extended travel shocks on all 4 corners, Alpine adjustable lower front control arms, Teraflex track bar relocation brackets front and back. Swapping to a roc-trac transfer case later this year, and then adding 4:88 gears and lockers early next year. It's a manual transmission, which is best matched to the roc-track and shorter Rubicon gearing. Will I miss the 21mpg, yes but I'll take the 100:1 crawl ratio every day over the current 53:1 ratio.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

35" 255/85 R17 Micky Thompson Baja Boss "pizza cutters". Keeps the tires tucked in. It's a '20 Sport S with lots of Rubicon take-offs. I'm that "it's stock, but not" guy. Suspension is Teraflex Overland 3.5" front springs, Teraflex 3.5 rear springs. Falcon 1.1 extended travel shocks on all 4 corners, Alpine adjustable lower front control arms, Teraflex track bar relocation brackets front and back. Swapping to a roc-trac transfer case later this year, and then adding 4:88 gears and lockers early next year. It's a manual transmission, which is best matched to the roc-track and shorter Rubicon gearing. Will I miss the 21mpg, yes but I'll take the 100:1 crawl ratio every day over the current 53:1 ratio.

Are you going used for that transfer case or new? If new, do some price checking and compare to something like an Atlas. Kinda nice to be able to choose which gear ratios you want for high/low. While the 241 is a great transfer case there’s always ways to be better. They’re always good to talk to in any case. I’ve had some good conversations with their techy people while looking into stuff.

 

[Mud Pie]

So if I’m planning on a new paint job anyway do I really have to worry about it? I haven’t even checked mine but I’m planning on doing a raptor lining or some other lining of the entire vehicle. Researching different shops for that now.

If you trust your painter to properly remove any corrosion you already have and not just spray liner over it. The way I look at it is, Jeep will do it for free; so let them do it then get your Jeep repainted at your leisure, corrosion free.

The corrosion was quite hard to see, it's little blisters that is really easy to overlook. I had some that was on the bottom edge of my hood and it's been growing, that was in your face. The ones along the doors and inside the door edges took some looking and feeling. I, at first, just took it as sloppy welding. I tried to snap a few pics, they were more than worthless....

 

[ChrisNLA]

If you trust your painter to properly remove any corrosion you already have and not just spray liner over it. The way I look at it is, Jeep will do it for free; so let them do it then get your Jeep repainted at your leisure, corrosion free.

The corrosion was quite hard to see, it's little blisters that is really easy to overlook. I had some that was on the bottom edge of my hood and it's been growing, that was in your face. The ones along the doors and inside the door edges took some looking and feeling. I, at first, just took it as sloppy welding. I tried to snap a few pics, they were more than worthless....

The corrosion in some cases is propagating from a seam I believe. Basically, in the crimped seam their is a lack of corrosion inhibitor (where the inner and outer panels come together). I assume that's why a lot of the jobs were getting panels completely replaced. You can't repaint and fix the problem inside of the crimped seam. It can come right back.

Also, prep work on aluminum panels sucks, lol.

On my truck I have a little spot of corrosion on the hood and you can open the hood and follow it right back into the seam.

 

[Kbracken]

The corrosion in some cases is propagating from a seam I believe. Basically, in the crimped seam their is a lack of corrosion inhibitor (where the inner and outer panels come together). I assume that's why a lot of the jobs were getting panels completely replaced. You can't repaint and fix the problem inside of the crimped seam. It can come right back.

Also, prep work on aluminum panels sucks, lol.

On my truck I have a little spot of corrosion on the hood and you can open the hood and follow it right back into the seam.

The other big problem area we see at my shop for the Jeep corrosion warranty is the hinge area on the doors as well because the hinges are on the doors when paint and corrosion protection is applied, so under the hinges is usually only a thing coat of e-coat primer, so thus causing the bubbles on the doors around the hinges.

 

[ChrisNLA]

The other big problem area we see at my shop for the Jeep corrosion warranty is the hinge area on the doors as well because the hinges are on the doors when paint and corrosion protection is applied, so under the hinges is usually only a thing coat of e-coat primer, so thus causing the bubbles on the doors around the hinges.

I thought they had alleviated some of this with a new film they started applying under the hinges. I forget what year that was.

Either way - that makes sense. One less barrier to stop corrosion.

 

[Kbracken]

I thought they had alleviated some of this with a new film they started applying under the hinges. I forget what year that was.

Either way - that makes sense. One less barrier to stop corrosion.

Not quite sure about that, we have gotten a few 2024's in already that we are repairing/replacing for corrosion.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Not quite sure about that, we have gotten a few 2024's in already that we are repairing/replacing for corrosion.

Guess not then

 

[Mightytalldude]

Are you going used for that transfer case or new? If new, do some price checking and compare to something like an Atlas. Kinda nice to be able to choose which gear ratios you want for high/low. While the 241 is a great transfer case there’s always ways to be better. They’re always good to talk to in any case. I’ve had some good conversations with their techy people while looking into stuff.

I'll have to see what my wallet can afford. I'm planning on the stock roc-trac for ease of modification. I don't wheel hard enough for an Atlas, and I don't have a sugar mama for funds. Have to throw in an extra $1k for the core charge temporarily until the old one ships back with a new one, and shipping adds another $150-300ish on top of that, but a salvage yard one for a manual transmission runs about $1500, lots of burned manual JLU and JT units in salvage across the US . With that, it's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. There's one 12 miles away, but the JT was flood damage from Florida, so not touching that with a 10' pole. Sea water destroys internals quickly. I use car-part.com to source parts from all the salvage yards.

 

[Shibbyjeep]

Some done yesterday some done today. Wired my winch back up and reinstalled my factor 55 flat link then reinstalled my Auxbeam lights on my new to me bumper. Today I finished fitting my motobilt highline fenders, now they are ready for powdercoat that I'll do sat while installing the bobbed bed.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

I'll have to see what my wallet can afford. I'm planning on the stock roc-trac for ease of modification. I don't wheel hard enough for an Atlas, and I don't have a sugar mama for funds. Have to throw in an extra $1k for the core charge temporarily until the old one ships back with a new one, and shipping adds another $150-300ish on top of that, but a salvage yard one for a manual transmission runs about $1500, lots of burned manual JLU and JT units in salvage across the US . With that, it's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. There's one 12 miles away, but the JT was flood damage from Florida, so not touching that with a 10' pole. Sea water destroys internals quickly. I use car-part.com to source parts from all the salvage yards.

Sounds good to me! Any plans to upgrade the chain linkage or 6 gear planetary gear while they’re out of the vehicle?

 

[WILDHOBO]

What size tires do you have here? Specs in general on the build?

Slowly going down a path I have been avoiding, lol...

You’d love his build. Good friend. So well thought out, and so unstoppable.

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