Baby friendly Gladiator build!?

[villageregular]

Hi folks,

My wife and I are expecting a future crawler! We have a Sport S with Max Tow, and stock ride is a little rough. We feel every bump and pothole.

She's worried about the ride comfort during her pregnancy, and more importantly when we have a baby in the backseat. We'd like to make the ride more comfortable for her and the baby, but would still like to keep the towing capacity. I've searched around I've not seen a thread like this.

This a rare chance to do some upgrades, and make my wife happy!

Any suggestions on how to improve the ride quality and preserve payload/towing capacity? Feel free to suggest any product or change we could do.

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[RavensEyeOffroad]

Have her ride in a leaf sprung suspension for a while and then back to the gladiator.
first kid?

 

[abnormal 4x4]

I'm very new to Jeep so I don't know what will and what absolutely will not work, but...I wonder if you could go with a lighter weight of coil spring but then use airbags to retain the capabilities.

And congratulations!

 

[Clv22p]

No complaints on the Mojave with a baby and 4 year old. Maybe try and find softer springs and some really good shocks.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Have her ride in a leaf sprung suspension for a while and then back to the gladiator.
first kid?

I'll pit my leaf-sprung 73 against the ride in a JT. It's cushy, soft, you don't feel railroad tracks nearly as much as in my JT - even before the spring swap in my truck.
I have max tow springs under the rear of my truck now and they are definitely not as "cushy" as the stock overland springs - and my car is even smoother than that. A leaf spring TRUCK, yeah - but cars? Naw, many of them are smooth. Heavy cars on long springs, nice ride.
We had leaf spring cars when I had to race my first wife to the hospital - I mean race. Seat laid back, I figured any trooper who stopped me would in the end give us an escort. (it was a 30 minute drive, part of it on farm roads and gravel)

 

[RavensEyeOffroad]

I'll pit my leaf-sprung 73 against the ride in a JT. It's cushy, soft, you don't feel railroad tracks nearly as much as in my JT - even before the spring swap in my truck.
I have max tow springs under the rear of my truck now and they are definitely not as "cushy" as the stock overland springs - and my car is even smoother than that. A leaf spring TRUCK, yeah - but cars? Naw, many of them are smooth. Heavy cars on long springs, nice ride.
We had leaf spring cars when I had to race my first wife to the hospital - I mean race. Seat laid back, I figured any trooper who stopped me would in the end give us an escort. (it was a 30 minute drive, part of it on farm roads and gravel)

Well to be fair I meant something leaf sprung and 4wd...
My mojave eats train crossings and speed bumps for breakfast. :D

 

[Musicman]

You could always try the “minivan mod”

In all seriousness you are gonna spend a ton of cash to try to make the gladiator drive like a ram, and you may as well just get that. I have a 2yr and a 4 month old in my rubicon and no issues with bouncing the kids around. Since it’s a little bumpier they tend to fall asleep a little easier.

 

[red/green hawk]

I was on this bumpy forest road in the Valles Caldera a few weeks back in my MaxTow and marveled how smooth the ride was. I was cruising at 30mph with ease...little word of advice with kids, I have 4...don't cater to their comfort. They should be there to make your life easier, not the other way around. Kids are resilient and will get used to a bumpy ride no problem.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

As she gets into her third trimester she’s not going to be comfortable in anything.

Babies were fine in buckboards, it’ll be totally fine in your gladiator.

 

[Clv22p]

You also need mud tires. The roar on the tires on the road puts mine right to sleep.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Custom tuned shocks.

Being in Cali it’ll be easy for you. Talk to Wayne at Alltech Motorsports.

 

[red/green hawk]

Hi folks,

My wife and I are expecting a future crawler! We have a Sport S with Max Tow, and stock ride is a little rough. We feel every bump and pothole.

She's worried about the ride comfort during her pregnancy, and more importantly when we have a baby in the backseat. We'd like to make the ride more comfortable for her and the baby, but would still like to keep the towing capacity. I've searched around I've not seen a thread like this.

This a rare chance to do some upgrades, and make my wife happy!

Any suggestions on how to improve the ride quality and preserve payload/towing capacity? Feel free to suggest any product or change we could do.

Congrats, BTW!!! Oh yeah, don't even worry about mods. Your first kid you'll be spending every penny on that little crumb cruncher. It's not till the 3rd or 4th that you neglect their basic needs for a bumper or the like.

 

[JTBurns]

Yea my wife was pregnant with her third when we got the gladiator, and three of them fit comfortably back there for now. They also have no problem sleeping. We made it a straight shot from PA to FL, gonna do it again in a couple of weeks.

Rubi shock takeoffs would be a cheap and probably readily available option. I've added the shocks to mine and it firmed a the ride a little

Oh and congrats! You're kid will love the Jeep as much as you do

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Well to be fair I meant something leaf sprung and 4wd...
My mojave eats train crossings and speed bumps for breakfast. :D

Ah, like my Ford was - rode like a truck........... oh, wait, it was a truck! But put 2,000 pounds in the back and it rode like a car.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

You also need mud tires. The roar on the tires on the road puts mine right to sleep.

We used to put my first in the baby seat in the back of our Gremlin or my AMX and go for a drive on the gravel roads. He'd go right to sleep. We got an old-fashioned baby buggy and used to go for walks on gravel with him in that, worked every time. The sensory overload is great for cranky babies.

As far as the pregnant wife - there ain't a vehicle in the world comfortable enough when they get to a certain point.

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