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Panthers65
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Brent
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2021
- Threads
- 46
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- 574
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- 593
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
- Vehicle(s)
- NA
- Occupation
- Account Manager
Is that with GA Gladiators on FB? Saw they had a ride this past weekend.
FINALLY got word my dealership received my glad, picking it up this week sometime, hope to join yall soon
ygrignon
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Yanik
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2021
- Threads
- 6
- Messages
- 163
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- 160
- Location
- Georgetown, TX
- Vehicle(s)
- JT Sport S Max Tow, Maserati Ghibli, Audi Q5
- Build Thread
- Link
- Occupation
- Software Engineer
With the 93 or E85 tune?
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Aonarch
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #69
I was going with just the OEM steel skid plate, but I didn't want to have to make it fit.
I went with the Rugged Ridge skid plate instead. It took me an hour to install, including having to clearance the skid plate for the OEM fog lights. This would have been much easier with the bumper off, but it wasn't a big deal.
I went with the Rugged Ridge skid plate instead. It took me an hour to install, including having to clearance the skid plate for the OEM fog lights. This would have been much easier with the bumper off, but it wasn't a big deal.
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Aonarch
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- Thread starter
- #71
Installed the lift on Saturday.
Annoyed at Clayton for their subpar instructions. I know how to install a lift on these, so I didn't need to follow them line by line. But what I did need help with was the upper control arm length and track bars lengths.
Apparently my instructions, even though they were labeled JT Gladiator, had the 2 door JL lengths included.
So I had to reinstall the front control arms after a test drive and not liking the pinion angle. I just knew the angle looked off, so I went off to Google in search of other people's lengths with other lift kits. That is when I saw a post from Clayton Offroad here with the correct measurements. Pretty annoyed. The track bars were the same issue. I need to reinstall those as well.
I get that there measurements are a starting point, but mine were way off due to being a 2 door. So I had to fight the axle quite a bit to install them.
Then adding further drama. I had a Synergy Drag Link on backorder, which luckily is arriving Friday or so. But I couldn't get my steering wheel straight at all with the factory drag link. I loosened the adjuster nut and with the tires on slick, wet concrete, barely adjusted the wheel. Well... That was enough to cause the drag link to pop apart, damaging the threads in the process. So I had to remove it and reassemble it, with actual threads falling off. I took a two day break after that happened, and just fixed it today.
I can't wait for the Synergy drag link.
My toe was dead on, I had a 2 1/4" lift on the front already, so toe didn't change much.
I haven't measured the height yet, post-lift. I will once it settles a bit. By eye, it is wayyy more than 2.5". I'm thinking more like 4". I also used a .5" spacer in the front to account for my bumper, skid plate, and winch.
Annoyed at Clayton for their subpar instructions. I know how to install a lift on these, so I didn't need to follow them line by line. But what I did need help with was the upper control arm length and track bars lengths.
Apparently my instructions, even though they were labeled JT Gladiator, had the 2 door JL lengths included.
So I had to reinstall the front control arms after a test drive and not liking the pinion angle. I just knew the angle looked off, so I went off to Google in search of other people's lengths with other lift kits. That is when I saw a post from Clayton Offroad here with the correct measurements. Pretty annoyed. The track bars were the same issue. I need to reinstall those as well.
I get that there measurements are a starting point, but mine were way off due to being a 2 door. So I had to fight the axle quite a bit to install them.
Then adding further drama. I had a Synergy Drag Link on backorder, which luckily is arriving Friday or so. But I couldn't get my steering wheel straight at all with the factory drag link. I loosened the adjuster nut and with the tires on slick, wet concrete, barely adjusted the wheel. Well... That was enough to cause the drag link to pop apart, damaging the threads in the process. So I had to remove it and reassemble it, with actual threads falling off. I took a two day break after that happened, and just fixed it today.
I can't wait for the Synergy drag link.
My toe was dead on, I had a 2 1/4" lift on the front already, so toe didn't change much.
I haven't measured the height yet, post-lift. I will once it settles a bit. By eye, it is wayyy more than 2.5". I'm thinking more like 4". I also used a .5" spacer in the front to account for my bumper, skid plate, and winch.
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Aonarch
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- Thread starter
- #72
The fact that this is advertised at 2.5" of lift is hilarious.
Everything is measured at the bottom of the pinch seam with the same tires. Right behind or in front of the tires depending on front or rear. The fuel load was at full or nearly full. The interior load (junk) was the same for all measurements.
Stock springs with a 1.5" Teraflex front spacer
Driver's Front: 49cm
Driver's Rear: 50.5cm
Rubicon 340 & 343 springs with a 1" spacer in the front, Max Tow rear springs with a .75" spacer in the rear, plastic front bumper
DF: 50.8cm
DR: 52cm
Same setup as before, but add in the Rugged Ridge HD front bumper and the Warn Winch
DF: 48cm (Dropped 2.8 cm)
DR: 51.5cm (Dropped 0.5 cm)
Clayton 2.5" Ride Right+ Kit with Bilstein 5100s and a 0.5" front spacer
DF: 57cm
DR: 60cm
Now the kicker is, with a full fuel tank the passenger side used to dip 1.2cm, now it is less than 0.5cm.
I never measured stock on the stock tires, however I can do the math and supply stock height if you were to run 35s without a lift, by subtracting 1.5" with the static front spacer.
DF: 45.2cm?
DR: 50.5cm?
That would come out to 2" of front negative rake on a Max Tow, which sound right.
So over stock suspension I gained:
DF: 11.8cm or 4.65"
DR: 9.5cm or 3.75"
That is a lot. I'm happy with the height, just saying that if you measured or were expecting a 2.5" lift, yeah that ain't the case.
The Rubicon Launch Edition springs provided 1.25" inch lift in the front over the factory installed springs.
So even if you have a Rubicon you are still getting at least a 3.5" lift in the front, not the 2.5" advertised.
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Aonarch
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- Thread starter
- #74
It drives great with the 5100s, but they are on the firmer side both advertised and felt on the street. So if you want a softer ride, I'd go with the 4600s, aka the classic yellow shock bodies.
I've never had these before, I've always went with 4600s, which are off-road focused, but softer. I wanted the 5100s because I do tow and overland with a bunch of junk.
The 5100s are the only shocks besides factory that I've had on this, and the factory shocks were garbage. Super soft and wallowy, especially with the tiny factory tires.
