kyoung05
Active Member
- Thread starter
- #1
Hey everyone, starting this thread to document my Gladiator build. I posted a First Impressions thread in the General Gladiator Topics Forum, but this is my very first Jeep, and my first truck.
I loved the idea of having a "blank canvas," and also getting a good deal. So, I bought my very bare bones 2022 Gladiator Sport in Sting Gray off the dealer lot just over a month ago and have racked up 1,100 miles since then. My truck has no options except the trac–Lok Anti–Spin Rear Differential.
I've started the journey to add and swap things out to make it more of what I want. The thing is, I have no idea what that is just yet. This is both awesome, and scary.
I've owned many cars over the years that had very involved enthusiast communities (Hondas, Subaru's, BMW's, Charger Scat Pack, etc.) so I'm no stranger to the aftermarket. However, things feel a bit different with the Jeep. I think a lot of it is that with those other cars, the goal was generally "increased performance," which meant more power, more grip, more brakes (and for some, less weight). There are many ways to get there, and varying degrees of "doneness" - usually dictated by some combination of practicality, sanity and finances - but the goals were usually pretty similar.
While increasing performance definitely seems like what a lot of folks in the Jeep community are striving for, what "performance" means for a Jeep is so different from what I'm used to. So, I'm struggling a bit to figure out what this ultimately means for me, but I'm excited about figuring it out as I go along.
Before even getting the truck, I had done some research, and decided that I definitely wanted better/bigger tires - and probably better looking wheels, in addition to a level or slight lift. I had never gone off-roading before, so I didn't want to over index on making it the best at that, at the sake of everything else.
And with that, here's how things started. Here's how she sat right off the dealer lot:
Because my truck didn't come with a bedliner, and I knew I wanted to be able to use it for truck things without worrying about damage, I got a set of Weathertech bed and tailgate mats and Mopar all weather mats for the interior. The Mopar mats are great - perfect fit, and I love that they have a little drain plug. The Weathertech mats seem ok - fit wasn't as good as I had hoped initially - but it's been cold so I'm hoping that as the weather eventually warms up, they'll "mold" themselves a bit snugger. Overall, pretty happy to have things "protected."
After a few days (and many weeks of looking at other builds on this Forum), the stock Sport wheels and tires really started to get to me. They kind of sapped all of the "Jeep-ness" out of the truck, so I knew I would be looking to start there. I ultimately want a set of forged bronze wheels w/ 33" tires. However, I found a set of essentially new Mojave takeoffs from another forum member for a great price and couldn't pass it up. So, here she is hauling the wheels/tires back home, doing it's first "truck" thing. Kind of ironic that most of the "truck" stuff I've done has been for the sake of modifying it.
My wife and 4yr old son were having some trouble climbing into the cabin, so I knew I wanted to get a set of running boards or nerf bars. I did some research, decided on a set of N-Fab Nerf Bars, and planned to order them through my local Napa Auto along with the Weathertech mats. Despite the Napa website showing they carried them, turns out they weren't available in-store, and the guys there recommended some Westin HDX Drop Nerf Steps instead. I figured going with their recommendation helped the guys behind the counter out, so I pulled the trigger. I had my local shop install the Mojave wheels and nerf bars at the same time. Overall, I think it made a huge difference in the way it looks. Just way more aggressive badass. I still want a level kit or slight lift, but for now, I am pretty pleased with the way she sits.
Sting Gray wasn't my first choice in color. I loved the way my Go Mango Charger looked, and if that were an option for the Gladiator, I definitely would've ordered it that way and waited. Otherwise, I wanted something a bit brighter like Hydro Blue or High Velocity Yellow. Unfortunately, I would've had to order one in those colors and I was too impatient to wait. So, I figured if I had to have a mostly gray car, I could still add pops of colors with decals. I placed an order for some "Sting Gray" decals in a shade of orange that looks similar to Go Mango, and am waiting for them to come in. Not sure how heavy I want to go on the decals - quite frankly, I've never placed a sticker on any of my cars, ever - so we'll see how it goes.
Next, I wanted to get the windows tinted. I usually opt for ceramic tint if it's available since I like the heat reduction it provides. A local shop had some availability last week, and they used Johnson ceramic film. I went with 20% in the front, 5% in the rear. I thought the fronts would be a bit lighter than they are, but overall, I think it looks really good. I wish there was an easy way to tint the back plastic window on the soft top, but for now it doesn't bother me too much. This shop also does ceramic coating, so I'll probably bring it back for ceramic or graphene coating once I've gotten the decals on.
So far, my son and I took our first trip "offroading" to Collier Mills here in Central NJ. We didn't get into anything too crazy since it was our first time and we were by ourselves, but it was still a ton of fun. Looking at a rough patch of road, ditch, sand, mud puddle, etc. and asking yourself "should I?" is definitely a new but welcome experience for us.
Next up is a set of Rebel Offroad bed rails I have sitting in the garage, along with some mounts to hold shovels, traction board, etc. From there, I'm thinking maybe a steel bumper with a winch and a bed rack. Somewhere on my list is also a level/lift kit next, along with the Hellwig rear sway bar. I actually think it rides really good as is, but having a bit more clearance isn't a bad thing, and a more buttoned up ride and rear end would be nice too.
Overall, it's been an awesome 5 weeks of ownership so far, and I am stoked to continue this journey. I don't think I've ever modified a car as much as I have before even getting the actual license plate in the mail!
I loved the idea of having a "blank canvas," and also getting a good deal. So, I bought my very bare bones 2022 Gladiator Sport in Sting Gray off the dealer lot just over a month ago and have racked up 1,100 miles since then. My truck has no options except the trac–Lok Anti–Spin Rear Differential.
I've started the journey to add and swap things out to make it more of what I want. The thing is, I have no idea what that is just yet. This is both awesome, and scary.
I've owned many cars over the years that had very involved enthusiast communities (Hondas, Subaru's, BMW's, Charger Scat Pack, etc.) so I'm no stranger to the aftermarket. However, things feel a bit different with the Jeep. I think a lot of it is that with those other cars, the goal was generally "increased performance," which meant more power, more grip, more brakes (and for some, less weight). There are many ways to get there, and varying degrees of "doneness" - usually dictated by some combination of practicality, sanity and finances - but the goals were usually pretty similar.
While increasing performance definitely seems like what a lot of folks in the Jeep community are striving for, what "performance" means for a Jeep is so different from what I'm used to. So, I'm struggling a bit to figure out what this ultimately means for me, but I'm excited about figuring it out as I go along.
Before even getting the truck, I had done some research, and decided that I definitely wanted better/bigger tires - and probably better looking wheels, in addition to a level or slight lift. I had never gone off-roading before, so I didn't want to over index on making it the best at that, at the sake of everything else.
And with that, here's how things started. Here's how she sat right off the dealer lot:
Because my truck didn't come with a bedliner, and I knew I wanted to be able to use it for truck things without worrying about damage, I got a set of Weathertech bed and tailgate mats and Mopar all weather mats for the interior. The Mopar mats are great - perfect fit, and I love that they have a little drain plug. The Weathertech mats seem ok - fit wasn't as good as I had hoped initially - but it's been cold so I'm hoping that as the weather eventually warms up, they'll "mold" themselves a bit snugger. Overall, pretty happy to have things "protected."
After a few days (and many weeks of looking at other builds on this Forum), the stock Sport wheels and tires really started to get to me. They kind of sapped all of the "Jeep-ness" out of the truck, so I knew I would be looking to start there. I ultimately want a set of forged bronze wheels w/ 33" tires. However, I found a set of essentially new Mojave takeoffs from another forum member for a great price and couldn't pass it up. So, here she is hauling the wheels/tires back home, doing it's first "truck" thing. Kind of ironic that most of the "truck" stuff I've done has been for the sake of modifying it.
My wife and 4yr old son were having some trouble climbing into the cabin, so I knew I wanted to get a set of running boards or nerf bars. I did some research, decided on a set of N-Fab Nerf Bars, and planned to order them through my local Napa Auto along with the Weathertech mats. Despite the Napa website showing they carried them, turns out they weren't available in-store, and the guys there recommended some Westin HDX Drop Nerf Steps instead. I figured going with their recommendation helped the guys behind the counter out, so I pulled the trigger. I had my local shop install the Mojave wheels and nerf bars at the same time. Overall, I think it made a huge difference in the way it looks. Just way more aggressive badass. I still want a level kit or slight lift, but for now, I am pretty pleased with the way she sits.
Sting Gray wasn't my first choice in color. I loved the way my Go Mango Charger looked, and if that were an option for the Gladiator, I definitely would've ordered it that way and waited. Otherwise, I wanted something a bit brighter like Hydro Blue or High Velocity Yellow. Unfortunately, I would've had to order one in those colors and I was too impatient to wait. So, I figured if I had to have a mostly gray car, I could still add pops of colors with decals. I placed an order for some "Sting Gray" decals in a shade of orange that looks similar to Go Mango, and am waiting for them to come in. Not sure how heavy I want to go on the decals - quite frankly, I've never placed a sticker on any of my cars, ever - so we'll see how it goes.
Next, I wanted to get the windows tinted. I usually opt for ceramic tint if it's available since I like the heat reduction it provides. A local shop had some availability last week, and they used Johnson ceramic film. I went with 20% in the front, 5% in the rear. I thought the fronts would be a bit lighter than they are, but overall, I think it looks really good. I wish there was an easy way to tint the back plastic window on the soft top, but for now it doesn't bother me too much. This shop also does ceramic coating, so I'll probably bring it back for ceramic or graphene coating once I've gotten the decals on.
So far, my son and I took our first trip "offroading" to Collier Mills here in Central NJ. We didn't get into anything too crazy since it was our first time and we were by ourselves, but it was still a ton of fun. Looking at a rough patch of road, ditch, sand, mud puddle, etc. and asking yourself "should I?" is definitely a new but welcome experience for us.
Next up is a set of Rebel Offroad bed rails I have sitting in the garage, along with some mounts to hold shovels, traction board, etc. From there, I'm thinking maybe a steel bumper with a winch and a bed rack. Somewhere on my list is also a level/lift kit next, along with the Hellwig rear sway bar. I actually think it rides really good as is, but having a bit more clearance isn't a bad thing, and a more buttoned up ride and rear end would be nice too.
Overall, it's been an awesome 5 weeks of ownership so far, and I am stoked to continue this journey. I don't think I've ever modified a car as much as I have before even getting the actual license plate in the mail!
