Baby friendly Gladiator build!?

[ElDirector]

Congrats!

You, your wife, and your baby will be more than fine in a Gladiator. I had a lifted TJ when our kiddo was born. Yeah, my wife had to "hop" to get in, but the Gladiator will be SO much easier. The Gladiator will also ride SO much better. Heck, we managed to pack the kid in a carrier, diaper bag, luggage, pack-n-play, etc.. in that little TJ for long weekend trips. Again, the Gladiator will be SO much roomier.

My only advice is to leave the top on when you pull the doors, to keep the sun out of the kiddo's face.

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[Wheelin98TJ]

What you need are shocks, not springs, not a lift.

If you want something to make a softer ride for her, and then stiffer when loaded, you need quality adjustable shocks. Not going to be cheap.

King, Falcon, Fox, etc

Agreed.

Leave the coils alone.

 

[spectre6000]

We have a (what month is it?) 19 month old. Born right as the pandemic hit. The only consideration we had was whether or not a proper car seat would fit in the wife's JKUR. We live in the mountains, and have windy roads in addition to the bumps. Baby is just fine with all of it. Doesn't know any different.

There's a strong urge to "nest". It's kinda like modding out a mall crawler with all the cool bling without ever having done anything more than tootle through the suburbs; expensive and pointless. You'll either shove a ton of unused junk into the garage and store it for years, or you'll give it away on Craigslist. Just get things as the need arises (Amazon is wonderful for this), and get the best version of whatever it is for your needs. Save a lot of money that way for the fun stuff (like toys). Babies don't have to be expensive.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

What you need are shocks, not springs, not a lift.

If you want something to make a softer ride for her, and then stiffer when loaded, you need quality adjustable shocks. Not going to be cheap.

King, Falcon, Fox, etc

Really? Maybe it's about time I start posting some of the links and videos and book excerpts I have.....
The proof of ride change was my own JT - and my Eagle.

From motortrend -
Although a higher spring rate reduces body roll, it comes at the expense of a harsher ride. "Not only will a softer spring improve ride quality, it will also enable the tires to follow uneven road surfaces more precisely for improved grip. A tire that momentarily loses contact with the road due to having too stiff of a spring won't produce any grip at all,"

Another source -
The softer rate will generate a smoother ride while the stiffer spring will result in a firmer ride. You need to consider these options when you are selecting the proper spring rate for your application. Springs should typically be compressed 25-30% of the free length when supporting the weight of the vehicle.

This from Eaton Detroit - maker of springs for thousands of vehicles -
A Spring’s Spring Rate
A spring’s Spring Rate is the amount of weight required to deflect a spring one inch. The lower the Spring Rate, the softer the spring. The softer the spring, the smoother the ride.
https://www.eatondetroitspring.com/spring-rate-vs-load-rate/

I could paste in here a whole lot more from EXPERTS who design systems and do the math - but it won't make any difference to some who have their mind made up.

I had an entire semester of steering and suspension in college - and the video below is some of what was covered but this guy shows the math.

Note in this video - he talks of the stiffer spring hitting the bump and actually raising the vehicle in the air. The softer spring rate means the vehicle will not jounce - it will remain level and even.


Shocks dampen oscillations, yes, you can impact the ride with shocks but springs are what makes the car either stay at a steady height across bumps - or be tossed up into the air, or drop into dips because a compressed softer spring isn't there to push the tire down into the dip so the car drops as well.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Really? Maybe it's about time I start posting some of the links and videos and book excerpts I have.....
The proof of ride change was my own JT - and my Eagle.

From motortrend -
Although a higher spring rate reduces body roll, it comes at the expense of a harsher ride. "Not only will a softer spring improve ride quality, it will also enable the tires to follow uneven road surfaces more precisely for improved grip. A tire that momentarily loses contact with the road due to having too stiff of a spring won't produce any grip at all,"

Another source -
The softer rate will generate a smoother ride while the stiffer spring will result in a firmer ride. You need to consider these options when you are selecting the proper spring rate for your application. Springs should typically be compressed 25-30% of the free length when supporting the weight of the vehicle.

This from Eaton Detroit - maker of springs for thousands of vehicles -
A Spring’s Spring Rate
A spring’s Spring Rate is the amount of weight required to deflect a spring one inch. The lower the Spring Rate, the softer the spring. The softer the spring, the smoother the ride.
https://www.eatondetroitspring.com/spring-rate-vs-load-rate/

I could paste in here a whole lot more from EXPERTS who design systems and do the math - but it won't make any difference to some who have their mind made up.

I had an entire semester of steering and suspension in college - and the video below is some of what was covered but this guy shows the math.

Note in this video - he talks of the stiffer spring hitting the bump and actually raising the vehicle in the air. The softer spring rate means the vehicle will not jounce - it will remain level and even.


Shocks dampen oscillations, yes, you can impact the ride with shocks but springs are what makes the car either stay at a steady height across bumps - or be tossed up into the air, or drop into dips because a compressed softer spring isn't there to push the tire down into the dip so the car drops as well.

Did you read any of the links I posted in the other thread?

 

[Cruizer8]

I think lowering the tire pressure would be enough. We just had our 3rd child last week and, due to a high risk pregnancy, we had to drive to a hospital about 2 hours away every week for the last 6 weeks of the pregnancy. Besides discomfort that she had regardless of where she was sitting, the only thing she complained about was having a hard time getting into and out of the truck. I have a 2" Mopar lift with 35" tires and no sidesteps so that doesn't make it any easier.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Really? Maybe it's about time I start posting some of the links and videos and book excerpts I have.....
The proof of ride change was my own JT - and my Eagle.

From motortrend -
Although a higher spring rate reduces body roll, it comes at the expense of a harsher ride. "Not only will a softer spring improve ride quality, it will also enable the tires to follow uneven road surfaces more precisely for improved grip. A tire that momentarily loses contact with the road due to having too stiff of a spring won't produce any grip at all,"

Another source -
The softer rate will generate a smoother ride while the stiffer spring will result in a firmer ride. You need to consider these options when you are selecting the proper spring rate for your application. Springs should typically be compressed 25-30% of the free length when supporting the weight of the vehicle.

This from Eaton Detroit - maker of springs for thousands of vehicles -
A Spring’s Spring Rate
A spring’s Spring Rate is the amount of weight required to deflect a spring one inch. The lower the Spring Rate, the softer the spring. The softer the spring, the smoother the ride.
https://www.eatondetroitspring.com/spring-rate-vs-load-rate/

I could paste in here a whole lot more from EXPERTS who design systems and do the math - but it won't make any difference to some who have their mind made up.

I had an entire semester of steering and suspension in college - and the video below is some of what was covered but this guy shows the math.

Note in this video - he talks of the stiffer spring hitting the bump and actually raising the vehicle in the air. The softer spring rate means the vehicle will not jounce - it will remain level and even.


Shocks dampen oscillations, yes, you can impact the ride with shocks but springs are what makes the car either stay at a steady height across bumps - or be tossed up into the air, or drop into dips because a compressed softer spring isn't there to push the tire down into the dip so the car drops as well.

You and I both know you learn a lot more outside of college after you graduate and start working in your field. Textbook stuff is nothing compared to real world experience.

The guy who built the rig in the video below says coils are of little importance and it's all about shocks (when it comes to ride being soft or firm). And he doesn't just build Ultra4 rigs, he builds DD wheelers too. Do you need a better reference?

The links I posted in the other thread were threads he discussed this in.

 

[villageregular]

Your wife has new baby jitters, my wife did the same. They just want everything to be good with the baby and that's great. That said if we look back throughout history babies and moms had times way worse than they do nowadays. I'll assure you nothing about your new trucks suspension will hurt your baby.

I'm sure the baby and her would be fine. It's a good chance to upgrade and make her happy at the same time. Happy wife; happy life.

Diesel or gasser? I was think rare opportunity to upgrade. Ummm 2.5 lift 35s lower the air pressure a bit. Softer more forgiving ride. Add RSE steps for her to get in and out of said Jeep.

Gas. Good suggestions but might be a bit too much for us at the moment because it would make it tough for her to jump in and out.

Really? Maybe it's about time I start posting some of the links and videos and book excerpts I have.....
The proof of ride change was my own JT - and my Eagle.

Thanks for sharing these resources! Learned a ton.

Congrats on the new addition! I installed the rubicon shocks and front springs on my max tow. Gives a softer ride and the bumps are not as stiff. It’s a cheap solution. You can also add a spacer lift while it’s under the knife.

I think I might do exactly that. Thanks!

 

[Free2roam]

I'm sure the baby and her would be fine. It's a good chance to upgrade and make her happy at the same time. Happy wife; happy life.



Gas. Good suggestions but might be a bit too much for us at the moment because it would make it tough for her to jump in and out.



Thanks for sharing these resources! Learned a ton.



I think I might do exactly that. Thanks!

No jumping involved with the RSE auto steps

 

[Alans17]

FWIW, my (just barely) 2-yr old daughter fell asleep in the back seat while on Fins and Things in Moab. Like rocking the cradle, I guess.

 

[tfranks]

Car seats are a nice snug fit. My 3 month old seems to fall asleep faster the more bumps I hit. My wife doesn't like the bumps very much but she got over it. The worst part was just getting in when she was ~38 weeks pregnant. Get some good grab handles.
Oh and be prepared to sit pretty upright when you get the backwards-facing car seat in there. not a ton of room in there but it works!

 

[Musicman]

And when your crumb cruncher gets bigger you can do this kind of stuff.

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