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

[jebiruph]

I don't have a rain cover for my JT yet, but I for my JL I bought a couple of nerf balls to stuff between the sport bar and the rain cover (Mopar because it's lightweight and easy to store in vehicle) to take up the slack and prevent pooling. I got the idea from the Mopar instructions for the cover that say to use a towel above the sport bar to prevent pooling. I found the nerf balls work better than towels.

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[Mopar King]

I don't have a rain cover for my JT yet, but I for my JL I bought a couple of nerf balls to stuff between the sport bar and the rain cover (Mopar because it's lightweight and easy to store in vehicle) to take up the slack and prevent pooling. I got the idea from the Mopar instructions for the cover that say to use a towel above the sport bar to prevent pooling. I found the nerf balls work better than towels.

Smart thinking! So a rain cover and a few Nerf Guns, ha-ha!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Ha-ha, too funny. I have the storage boxes under my rear seats. 99% of the time my kids are with me and I have cargo in the bed. I wouldn't have room to bring them along or if I did they would be in the way. We get similar situations here (Green Bay) this time of year. Its not uncommon to see pop up showers daily but our news folks cover the basis and just always say 5-10% chance of rain. I have only been caught out 3 times this summer so far. Once it was heavy - but I was able to get under a canopy within a few minutes. The other few times it was light and nothing really made it to the interior unless we were at a stop.

Oops - you don't have room for that big bag under there then. I had wondered about getting storage for under there but I sort of like the wide open area as I carry so much "stuff" and if the bag wasn't there, where the heck would I put it that mice wouldn't enjoy the soft fabric inside? My kids are grown and moved on - one in China with a family (last I heard a few years ago anyway) and the other in Florida with a wife and son (holy terror is more like it) - funny thing, if they are moved on and my son is like 38 and his son is 6 - why to I have two big tubs of their stuff stored in my garage?????

 

[Mopar King]

Oops - you don't have room for that big bag under there then. I had wondered about getting storage for under there but I sort of like the wide open area as I carry so much "stuff" and if the bag wasn't there, where the heck would I put it that mice wouldn't enjoy the soft fabric inside? My kids are grown and moved on - one in China with a family (last I heard a few years ago anyway) and the other in Florida with a wife and son (holy terror is more like it) - funny thing, if they are moved on and my son is like 38 and his son is 6 - why to I have two big tubs of their stuff stored in my garage?????

Ha-ha. Hard to let go!!!

I love the underseat storage(its PACKED fulll)....and the bluetooth speaker behind the seat.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

SORT OF off topic - but since we're on "top off" or "panels out" or "doors off" or "covers" - that sort of thing - I've been thinking, wondering, pondering, my wife likes the idea of doors off. I think it's legal in Iowa........ and I see pics with fronts off, all 4 off, etc. - I have questions for the Jeep JT experts on the topic -

How many run ONLY front doors off?

How many only run ALL doors off?

If you run FRONT ONLY off and take out only the freedom panels, do you have a big wind scoop in the back of the cab - a strong wind blowing you backwards? Will it blow the back glass clean out of the JT roof?

I wonder as with some vehicles, hatchbacks, wagons, and Jeeps like the Grand Cherokee, front windows down you raise the air pressure inside and you make the hatch chatter - the pressure pushes out and then the gap closes as the pressure is released - it can be hard on the ear drums! It's a horrible droning sound, high pressure air. I found opening the rear windows helped a ton.
I've also seen the black glass blown clean out of the 71-74 Javelins when people hit over 100 mph with the front windows down (loong doors, big window opening area).
So is there a problem with panels out, front doors only off, rear doors on?

What say ye oh ye great and wise and all powerful Jeep wizards and gurus?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Ha-ha. Hard to let go!!!

I love the underseat storage(its PACKED fulll)....and the bluetooth speaker behind the seat.

They keep saying "we'll pick that up next visit, Anson may want some of those things next time we're up" (that was over a year ago..............)

I didn't know there was underseat storage boxes or options until this forum - dealer didn't really say anything.......

 

[Mopar King]

They keep saying "we'll pick that up next visit, Anson may want some of those things next time we're up" (that was over a year ago..............)

I didn't know there was underseat storage boxes or options until this forum - dealer didn't really say anything.......

Ha, just mail him them the stuff! Then its on them if they want to keep it or discard it.

Yeah, I would think you can get them pretty cheap after the fact. The just sit down under the seat and bolt in.

I work with a bunch of folks who can get me Mopar Parts at wholesale pricing if you ever want something like that PM me.

 

[Mopar King]

SORT OF off topic - but since we're on "top off" or "panels out" or "doors off" or "covers" - that sort of thing - I've been thinking, wondering, pondering, my wife likes the idea of doors off. I think it's legal in Iowa........ and I see pics with fronts off, all 4 off, etc. - I have questions for the Jeep JT experts on the topic -

How many run ONLY front doors off?

How many only run ALL doors off?

If you run FRONT ONLY off and take out only the freedom panels, do you have a big wind scoop in the back of the cab - a strong wind blowing you backwards? Will it blow the back glass clean out of the JT roof?

I wonder as with some vehicles, hatchbacks, wagons, and Jeeps like the Grand Cherokee, front windows down you raise the air pressure inside and you make the hatch chatter - the pressure pushes out and then the gap closes as the pressure is released - it can be hard on the ear drums! It's a horrible droning sound, high pressure air. I found opening the rear windows helped a ton.
I've also seen the black glass blown clean out of the 71-74 Javelins when people hit over 100 mph with the front windows down (loong doors, big window opening area).
So is there a problem with panels out, front doors only off, rear doors on?

What say ye oh ye great and wise and all powerful Jeep wizards and gurus?

I run all doors off, period. Being that I usually have the entire family....everyone likes the no door style.

If it was just me.....I think I would still take all 4 off. I see it both ways all the time though.

 

[khokhonutt]

SORT OF off topic - but since we're on "top off" or "panels out" or "doors off" or "covers" - that sort of thing - I've been thinking, wondering, pondering, my wife likes the idea of doors off. I think it's legal in Iowa........ and I see pics with fronts off, all 4 off, etc. - I have questions for the Jeep JT experts on the topic -

How many run ONLY front doors off?

How many only run ALL doors off?

If you run FRONT ONLY off and take out only the freedom panels, do you have a big wind scoop in the back of the cab - a strong wind blowing you backwards? Will it blow the back glass clean out of the JT roof?

I wonder as with some vehicles, hatchbacks, wagons, and Jeeps like the Grand Cherokee, front windows down you raise the air pressure inside and you make the hatch chatter - the pressure pushes out and then the gap closes as the pressure is released - it can be hard on the ear drums! It's a horrible droning sound, high pressure air. I found opening the rear windows helped a ton.
I've also seen the black glass blown clean out of the 71-74 Javelins when people hit over 100 mph with the front windows down (loong doors, big window opening area).
So is there a problem with panels out, front doors only off, rear doors on?

What say ye oh ye great and wise and all powerful Jeep wizards and gurus?

I'm no wizard and I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but...

I've run in pretty much all configurations. I don't have a great storage solution for the hard top, and I'm not happy with the Mopar safari top, so we've only spent a couple days with all doors and top off.

Recently we've run both with all 4 doors off and the back half of the hard top on. I've noticed no noticeable buffeting as a result. I do open the back glass window, although I can't say that makes a huge difference. We also have an Alien Shade front shade that we like to run in this configuration.

If we take the dogs with us, we'll take the front doors off and leave the back doors on with the windows down. Again, no noticeable ill effects. We've even run late night up the interstate with that configuration with the door windows up and the back window open. Again, no noticeable issues.

 

[Mopar King]

SORT OF off topic - but since we're on "top off" or "panels out" or "doors off" or "covers" - that sort of thing - I've been thinking, wondering, pondering, my wife likes the idea of doors off. I think it's legal in Iowa........ and I see pics with fronts off, all 4 off, etc. - I have questions for the Jeep JT experts on the topic -

How many run ONLY front doors off?

How many only run ALL doors off?

If you run FRONT ONLY off and take out only the freedom panels, do you have a big wind scoop in the back of the cab - a strong wind blowing you backwards? Will it blow the back glass clean out of the JT roof?

I wonder as with some vehicles, hatchbacks, wagons, and Jeeps like the Grand Cherokee, front windows down you raise the air pressure inside and you make the hatch chatter - the pressure pushes out and then the gap closes as the pressure is released - it can be hard on the ear drums! It's a horrible droning sound, high pressure air. I found opening the rear windows helped a ton.
I've also seen the black glass blown clean out of the 71-74 Javelins when people hit over 100 mph with the front windows down (loong doors, big window opening area).
So is there a problem with panels out, front doors only off, rear doors on?

What say ye oh ye great and wise and all powerful Jeep wizards and gurus?

I run all doors off, period. Being that I usually have the entire family....everyone likes the no door style.

If it was just me.....I think I would still take all 4 off. I see it both ways all the time though.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I'm no wizard and I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but...

I've run in pretty much all configurations. I don't have a great storage solution for the hard top, and I'm not happy with the Mopar safari top, so we've only spent a couple days with all doors and top off.

Recently we've run both with all 4 doors off and the back half of the hard top on. I've noticed no noticeable buffeting as a result. I do open the back glass window, although I can't say that makes a huge difference. We also have an Alien Shade front shade that we like to run in this configuration.

If we take the dogs with us, we'll take the front doors off and leave the back doors on with the windows down. Again, no noticeable ill effects. We've even run late night up the interstate with that configuration with the door windows up and the back window open. Again, no noticeable issues.

BUFFETING - THANK you, that's the term I was after - you are obviously familiar with it LOL
I guess I could open that rear window bit and let air out. Keep forgetting it's there since the Silverado if you had the defrost option you could not get the sliding glass, with the JT you can.

Limited places to put doors in my garage - even rearranging to get the truck inside and rigging a way to lift the top and keep it hanging, you get in and out with enough room to walk around the truck and the Grand Cherokee in the other side, but we have so much STUFF in there.
Maybe my wife is right - on the west side of the garage just pull in a dumpster and start tossing.....

But door storage was a big question. This may motivate me to clean things out more. Taking the top off motivated me to clean up so I could get the truck inside to begin with.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I run all doors off, period. Being that I usually have the entire family....everyone likes the no door style.

If it was just me.....I think I would still take all 4 off. I see it both ways all the time though.

I've seen pics both ways but it just looks a bit better with all 4 off, just my opinion looking at photos. I was thinking of making mobile racks to put the doors on since my walls are full of shelves and other stuff hanging up.

 

[Mopar King]

I've seen pics both ways but it just looks a bit better with all 4 off, just my opinion looking at photos. I was thinking of making mobile racks to put the doors on since my walls are full of shelves and other stuff hanging up.

Yeah, I agree.

So I for my past few Jeeps I hung them on the garage wall. This go around I invested in Rugged Ridge storage bags. You literally zip up around the door while its on the truck then lift it right off in the bag. I take mine down and put them in the storage room in my basement for the summer. The bags are super nice, a fleece or long cotton lining to keep the doors safe and clean. Probably the happiest I have been for door storage. The top I use the Lange hoist but you need pretty high ceilings to use it and keep walkable drivable clearance.

 

[jebiruph]

Smart thinking! So a rain cover and a few Nerf Guns, ha-ha!

4" nerf ball, don't bring a nerf ball to a nerf gun fight.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Yeah, I agree.

So I for my past few Jeeps I hung them on the garage wall. This go around I invested in Rugged Ridge storage bags. You literally zip up around the door while its on the truck then lift it right off in the bag. I take mine down and put them in the storage room in my basement for the summer. The bags are super nice, a fleece or long cotton lining to keep the doors safe and clean. Probably the happiest I have been for door storage. The top I use the Lange hoist but you need pretty high ceilings to use it and keep walkable drivable clearance.

Wow, I just did some google on those and I see bags for fronts at a bit over 100, then bags for rears - 200. That's over 300 for front and rear door bags! Ouch.

For the top, I hoist it up and leave it hanging, I can drive my cars clean through the garage under the top hanging there.
The truck will just clear now, if I did a lift, likely won't clear but I can't see driving the truck clear through the garage anyway. I back it up a bit further than where normally parked, lift the top off, then when I park it I stop about 3 or 4" forward of the top.

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