Slow & Steady Overland Build

[DiscoDino]

Sponsored

 

[Flying J]

I’m a bit late starting my Overland build thread. I’ll start with the pic I posted in the show-off thread when I picked up the vehicle on New Year’s Eve 2019 from Airpark Jeep in Scottsdale.

123120: A late white Christmas on New Years eve...

010120: Not long after bringing her home, I picked up Rubi LE takeoffs from Whatexit? here on the forum. LetzRoll in Mesa, AZ installed the takeoffs and a Mini Tazer to allow me to calibrate to the new wheel height and disable the dreaded auto-shutoff.

010620: ...the little things matter too. Here is the rubber stubby antenna and monochrome flag decal - both from Amazon. (And, yes, I read about the proper orientation of The Flag prior to application.....)

012220: Today, I had the Mopar lift and 35” KO2’s installed (at Larry H. Miller, Avondale and Discount Tire, Scottsdale, respectively) after much reading and hand wringing over the level versus lift, 35 versus 37, and 3.73 versus regear discussions. The KO2’s are mounted on the LE rims, no offset from stock. I’m quite pleased with how it has turned out so far, particularly with the Mopar Lift and 35” wheels. I had planned on installing an earlier purchased Teraflex 1.5” leveling kit, but the rake to me seems less obvious with the Mopar lift, so will be returning the leveling kit. I don’t mind a little rake, though this may change after eventually replacing the bumper and adding a winch.

012520: Took our first drive off-road today along a short, relatively easy power line service road, Camp Creek OHV Trail. It had just enough hills, bumps, ruts and mud to make it fun and interesting for a first timer. We traversed the trail easily in 2WD, but mainly because I had a hard time shifting into 4WD and didn’t want to use monkey strength to force it. We are thinking Big Maggie Creek trail next, but avoiding the mine side....for now.

013020: Bestop Sunrider installed!! This ought to be everyone’s first mod, at least if your weather permits.

022020: Awesome work by pixeldecal.com to create a decal for my step father's U.S.S. Shangri La CVA-38 cruise patch. He would've been 75 today.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
LOG:
123119 Bought from Airpark Jeep (Scottsdale, AZ)
010120 Bought Rubicon LE take-offs from @WhatExit?
010120 Rubicon LE take-off's installed along with a Mini Taser at Letzroll (Mesa, AZ)
010620 Rubber antenna + decals
010920 Sprayed bedliner
011620 Installed Bedrug
012220 Mopar Lift installed at Larry H. Miller Jeep (Avondale, AZ)
012220 BF Goodrich KO2 35's installed at Discount Tire (Scottsdale, AZ)
013020 Bestop Sunrider installed
020520 Mopar Trail Rails installed
022020 35” KO2’s replaced by 37” Milestar Patagonias at Outlaw Jeep (Scottsdale, AZ)
022620 Rugged Ridge Arcus bumper installed at Outlaw Jeep (Scottsdale, AZ)
022620 Black Rhino Overland Wheels installed at 4WP (Glendale, AZ)
030220 Rubicon hood install and Freedom Top body color paint scheduled

PLANNED (or at least thinking about):
- Synergy Mfg front track bar and sector shaft brace
- Rear control arm skid plate
- Steering stabilizer and bracket
- Winch. M8274 rebuild (ongoing)
- Bed

- Builtright Bedside Rack System
- Tonneau versus rack versus topper - uncertain​

LOOKING To Buy/Trade:
- Rear underseat storage box take-off
- Rubicon fender flare take-offs in white

Hey, My Dad was a Plank Owner on the Shangrla!

 

[mzeblue]

Hey, My Dad was a Plank Owner on the Shangrla!

My step dad worked in the engine room. His exposure to asbestos in those years gave him health issues later in life that ultimately took him about five years ago. Apparently, the complications later in life from that exposure continues to be an issue for surviving veterans from that ship.

Also, if he was on the 1968-69 cruise, I have that cruise log (sort of like their year book) and could look him up, and scan his picture for you.

 

[Flying J]

My step dad worked in the engine room. His exposure to asbestos in those years gave him health issues later in life that ultimately took him about five years ago. Apparently, this was common.

I have an extra CVA-38 sticker if you want one for free. Also, if he was on the 1968-69 cruise, I have that cruise log (sort of like their year book) and could look him up, and scan his picture for you.

Was that the Med Cruise when they dumped a mess of fuel on the beaches in Italy?
My Dad was on her a bit earlier. The 1944-45 Tokyo Harbor Cruise.
They cruised into Tokyo Harbor 2 weeks after the end of the war!
He was on the Belleau Wood 42-42 then the Shangri La 43-45
Shipfitter 1st and a Diver He came home with 15 Battle Stars.
His service number was 312 11 04. I memorize it when I was about 8 yrs old.
He passed 3 years ago at 94.
I miss him every day.
Her is his Shellback Certificate from the Belleau Wood
" Bound south of the equator for a mission of war"

 

[mzeblue]

Was that the Med Cruise when they dumped a mess of fuel on the beaches in Italy?
My Dad was on her a bit earlier. The 1944-45 Tokyo Harbor Cruise.
They cruised into Tokyo Harbor 2 weeks after the end of the war!
He was on the Belleau Wood 42-42 then the Shangri La 43-45
Shipfitter 1st and a Diver He came home with 15 Battle Stars.
His service number was 312 11 04. I memorize it when I was about 8 yrs old.
He passed 3 years ago at 94.
I miss him every day.
Her is his Shellback Certificate from the Belleau Wood
" Bound south of the equator for a mission of war"

I hadn't heard about the fuel mess. I'll research that later. Here's a great link for info and scans of cruise books (scroll to bottom): https://www.navysite.de/cv/cv38.htm

 

[mzeblue]

It’s been a while, as I’ve been busy cornering the market on toilet paper, rubbing alcohol, drinking alcohol and beef. Anyway, in the last month or so, I’ve had the top painted white (twice because the first body shop f#%ked up and didn’t actually smooth it out - long story), installed a BAK Revolver X4 tonneau (I will post install steps later), and installed an under rear seat storage bin that I bought here from PW04. I also decided to eventually install a Warn VR10 and save my M8274 for another project. I’ll update the original post with supplier details.

What’s interesting is this longitudinal channel shown below...I think it may allow install of a bike rack. I’ll confirm in the coming days.

 

[NC_Overland]

The Bak Revolver is legit. Best option IMO if you aren't weighing cost as heavily into the equation as I did...

 

[mzeblue]

I bought the BAK Revolver X4 on eBay. eBay now informs sellers when interested buyers are watching and gives them an opportunity to send a coupon to get them to buy. That happened to me and I got an offer from the seller to reduce the price to $900 shipped after the item sat on my watch list for a few days. Not a bad price, in my opinion.

Installation was straightforward. First step is to apply a provided seal that extends along a top surface of the bulkhead which engages the front edge of the tonneau once installed. There are two rails that are each attached to respective sides of the bed with four bolts: two in the back using the OEM tonneau latch attachment points (1st pic) and two in the front bulkhead corner (2nd pic). Downward pressure should be applied while tightening the bolts to engage the rubber seals against the side of the bed.

Below is the front driver side corner of the bed (obviously, the passenger side is the mirror opposite). I added a piece of excess seal to fill a curious gap between the frame and the top of the front bulkhead seal. In the foreground, you see the bracket to which the tonneau is ultimately fastened later in the install.

In the pic below, the oddly angled lever is spring-loaded and part of the latching mechanism.

Once the rails are installed, you place the rolled up cover toward the rearmost end of the bed and rollout forward so that outwardly extending bolts from the bottom of the front end of the tonneau extend through the aforementioned brackets on the earlier attached side rails. Now at this point, the tonneau is covering the bed, so you then have to roll the rear end of the cover forward to allow you to thread nuts and thereby cinch down each of the outwardly extending bolts from the cover to the brackets. Below, you can see the bolts holding the cover down; note the rearward bolt is used to attach the tether for securing and keeping the tonneau rolled-up.

Then, you roll out again to test fit with the side rails and the latching mechanism. I didn’t take pictures of these steps, but hopefully the description is clear.

I always think I’m smarter than the directions and as a result skipped installing the black spacers shown below which positions the rails more inwardly toward the bed center to ensure full engagement of the latching mechanism. Without these little gems, the latch only engages one side or not fully to both sides - either way, these spacers are not optional. I had to unbolt the rails and insert the spacers - an avoidable PIA.

Below shows the rear seal that engages the top of the tailgate. When latching the tonneau down. The seal compresses and seals against the tailgate.

Generally, since the rails are affixed to hard points on the body, so long as the rearmost edge of the tonneau lines up with the rearmost edge of the rails, then the tailgate will likely properly seal against the rear seal on the tonneau cover.

The instructions recommend using a heat gun or baking under the sun to smooth out the wrinkles in the rubber.

Finally, once everything is properly lined up and tightened down, the last step is to attach the rubber pads that prevent the aluminum underside of the tonneau from smashing the rear window, as shown below.

And, there it is.....took about 30 minutes to install and that includes fixing my mistake of not initially installing the spacers.

 

[capercrew02]

That Bak revolver looks great! I’m on the fence between this and the armis hard rolling. Are the rails on the x4 standard? That would be a Done deal for me, I plan to make an extra rack to go around the tonneau and if it has t-slots that would solidify an easy way to mound the rack. How sturdy does the mounting and frame seem to you?

 

[mzeblue]

That Bak revolver looks great! I’m on the fence between this and the armis hard rolling. Are the rails on the x4 standard? That would be a Done deal for me, I plan to make an extra rack to go around the tonneau and if it has t-slots that would solidify an easy way to mound the rack. How sturdy does the mounting and frame seem to you?

I still have to determine whether that longitudinal slot along each rail will hold ends of a bike rack, such as a Thule or Yakima. I’ll update as soon as I confirm...I suspect it does because I cannot imagine any other purpose for those slots. I have no worries about whether the system would support the weight of a bike rack and a couple bikes....assuming the slots function like I suspect they do.

 

[capercrew02]

I assume it will. Truck hero owns Bak Industries, as well as Retrax. If you compare the side rails between the the one you’ve posted, and the retrax XR series they seem identical. I just wish I could get a definite answer since the Bak website doesn’t mention this feature, or even show those rails, but now atleast two forum members show the slots with the Bak x4 they ordered. Below is the retrax Xr on an f-150 for demonstration.

 

[mzeblue]

I assume it will. Truck hero owns Bak Industries, as well as Retrax. If you compare the side rails between the the one you’ve posted, and the retrax XR series they seem identical. I just wish I could get a definite answer since the Bak website doesn’t mention this feature, or even show those rails, but now atleast two forum members show the slots with the Bak x4 they ordered. Below is the retrax Xr on an f-150 for demonstration.

I am quite sure you are correct. Will pick up a rack this weekend and test.

 

[jimbom]

I've got the X4 on order, and now I'm confused -- and really concerned. No other photos I've seen of the X4 show that raised rail, rather a much more flush fit (which is what I'm looking for) just like their Bakflips. Unfortunately, I've seen no advertisement showing the X4 on an actual Gladiator.

What they advertise:

So is this rail, which looks to raise the cover 1/2 inch, a part of the X4 cover or is that another/optional accessory?:

 

[mzeblue]

I've got the X4 on order, and now I'm confused -- and really concerned. No other photos I've seen of the X4 show that raised rail, rather a much more flush fit (which is what I'm looking for) just like their Bakflips. Unfortunately, I've seen no advertisement showing the X4 on an actual Gladiator.

What they advertise:

So is this rail, which looks to raise the cover 1/2 inch, a part of the X4 cover or is that another/optional accessory?:

Pretty sure it must be raised due to the inward step along each bedside of the Gladiator, as opposed to the Tacoma or Colorado, which have straight bedsides.

 

[jimbom]

Pretty sure it must be raised due to the inward step along each bedside of the Gladiator, as opposed to the Tacoma or Colorado, which have straight bedsides.

Steven (Capercrew02) sent me a video that showed some broader views and angles and it looks fine. Your zoomed-in, close-up, detail views were very informative, but somewhat exaggerated the issue and kinda freaked me out. As I told him, I ordered the X2 back in Feb, but Bak has been having supplier issues for that cover material, so just this morning I changed my order to the X4 which is in stock. It does look like they borrowed that channeled rail from the Retrax and if it can be used for some kind of rack, I'll probably come to appreciate it more so in the end.

I had a Bak folding tonneau on my Ram and really, really liked it. After much research I have no doubt that this design is a cut above all folding covers or any other rolling cover.

Sponsored