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

[ShadowsPapa]

Installed a 1.5" leveling kit

May I ask what 2 post lift you have there and how you like it? That's one of my next purchases as I'm getting too old for the up and down under cars on stands and my wife agrees a good lift would be safer as well. My shop has 15' ceiling so no issue there although the jokers that did the floor screwed me royally and didn't do as I asked so I'll have to have the floor cut and pads put in to hold a 2 post lift.

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[jurfie]

3000 Miles and 1st windshield down! Lower your glass deductible before it happens to you! The nearly vertical glass is super susceptible to cracking with even the smallest pebbles!

Welcome to Jeep ownership! I've replaced my JK's windshield three times and fixed chips twice. I've given up.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I opened the receiver I ordered for the front and touched up the bad powder coating with epoxy paint - does that count? If I uncover and move one of my cars out, I could install it in the next couple of days otherwise will wait until things warm up a bit. Shop is FULL.

 

[hosejockey61]

May I ask what 2 post lift you have there and how you like it? That's one of my next purchases as I'm getting too old for the up and down under cars on stands and my wife agrees a good lift would be safer as well. My shop has 15' ceiling so no issue there although the jokers that did the floor screwed me royally and didn't do as I asked so I'll have to have the floor cut and pads put in to hold a 2 post lift.

It's an old Rotary lift from the 80's. They don't make them anymore. I love it though. It's a complete game changer for me. I do some mild builds for people, and not having to pull the axle out to do gears or install a locker is really nice. Everything about it is nice.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It's an old Rotary lift from the 80's. They don't make them anymore. I love it though. It's a complete game changer for me. I do some mild builds for people, and not having to pull the axle out to do gears or install a locker is really nice. Everything about it is nice.

I thought Rotary still made lifts - I know several brands are under one mother-ship and tied together these days.
Anyway, you are another who said they really liked theirs. I was already convinced but it helps hearing more.

I do engine remove/install from the bottom, suspension and steering rebuilds, differentials, well, pretty much everything. I know detailing my cars for shows, exhaust work, driveshafts, you name it. So much easier with a lift. I did a brake swap on one of my cars and having the thing on stands and sitting slouched on a stool working on that thing, ugh. Try tightening up a pinion yoke nut laying on the floor under a car and getting a good swing with a 3/4" drive breaker bar then the big torque wrench. The initial crush of the crush sleeve takes some effort. Not fun when you have only inches of clearance to work in.
At least for the engine removal and installs I do have my gantry crane to lift the front of the car up so I can roll the engine and transmission under together as an assembly. And with a 4x4 - it's far more easy to install engine, transmission and transfer case all as one unit .
I think I saved enough on the JT purchase I have enough left to buy a lift (and enough from Dad's estate to enclose the lean-to of my shop so i have inside space for my JT)

 

[DMC1]

Installed a 1inch leveling puck in the front and a 3/4 inch puck in the rear.

Here is another shot looking down the side after installing the leveling kit.

 

[BW Montauk]

Finally slapped some KO2 315/70s on.

 

[khokhonutt]

Nice cover. I have been holding out for BAK Revolver I saw at the show - super clean on the sides. But you can't beat yours for the price.

Yeah, for me the Trifecta is one of the best on the market for a soft tonneau. I've had them last ownership of 2 different trucks. The only one I've replaced was in a hail storm that did $2,000+ in damage to the truck and made us replace our roof.

I've got my eye on a hard cover, for when we do longer off-road camping trips, but like you I'm waiting on companies to release the goods for Gladiator.

 

[Joker4L]

so do the geometry correction brackets adjust things to compensate for the taller 37" tire?

they are more for the lift to correct the amount of caster. I’m sitting right around 7 degrees of caster with these installed and it really does make a huge difference for such a low price. There is even adjustability built into it.
Only downside to it is if your a serious rock crawler, it hangs down about an inch so it may snag on some rocks :/

My JT is a commuter with some light off roading so I’m not worried about it.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Here is another shot looking down the side after installing the leveling kit.

So you leveled it by a whopping quarter inch ;-) Curious - are those the cast aluminum "spacers" we used to use under the Eagle springs to raise things up a bit? Compress or lift the spring, insert the cast spacer on the spring support, let the spring back down onto the spacer, you just gained a half inch for every inch of spacer thickness since the spring sits back about halfway on the upper control arm of those. Jeep would be inch for inch and likely a lot easier to install them on.
I've installed spacers on other cars and vehicles, but not Jeep but assume it's super simple with a basic spring compressor.

 

[jwilson2899]

You can't really see it that well in the picture, but when you look underneath the spare tire and hitch stick down a little further then the step, so it shouldn't be a clearance issue. It also tucks up nice a flush with the rear bumper so it is out of the way.

Awesome, thanks for posting that. Looks like similar fit to my Tacoma one, hopefully Santa will listen and bring me a JT version now.

 

[bhbdvm]

I have some info on the Magnaflow driver side single exit street version on another post but no pictures. I had a previous Magnaflow on my Ram 1500 with the Hemi and it sounded great but also had some drone. I opted for this model for my Gladiator because I wanted sound under acceleration but nothing obnoxious (subjective) or overly pronounced at idle or cruising. Magnaflow has two other versions (Dual exhaust rear exit and Rock Crawler) and the other two are louder based on info on their website and talking with technical support. I liked the single exit because it looks closer to stock, doesn't blow exhaust in my face when i'm hitching my trailer, and is tucked up pretty well for any off road I may do. For me, this exhaust checks the boxes. Here are some pictures.

 

[mojocho]

Welcome to Jeep ownership! I've replaced my JK's windshield three times and fixed chips twice. I've given up.

Yup! On my jku, I eventually only replaced when it was in my line of sight. Had 5 chips that played connect the dots at one point. Went through all the stages of Jeep ownership:

1. Oh no! Gotta replace with OEM... Need that jeep emblem on there.
2. Seriously?! Not getting OEM, but got to replace right away.
3. WTF?! Maybe it'll buff out. Wait for the next one
4. Ok. That's a big one. Time for a new one since I've got a several now.
5. I DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING.
6. Oooh how pretty. Hey honey, watch how slowly that crack is moving toward the other one.
7. Cracked window? Yeah it's a Jeep thing, officer.

 

[mojocho]

Here is another shot looking down the side after installing the leveling kit.

Between that beautiful Jeep in that beautiful garage, looks like an advertisement or museum piece. Very nice.

 

[DMC1]

Here is another shot looking down the side after installing the leveling kit.

Here is another shot.

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