Hey y'all. I'm new to the jeep/off-road world. Any advice would help!

[Rogue_One]

Yes, you will get much advice from deep pockets on our forum. You could do a 2.5" RC level kit (including shocks) plus .75" Daystar pucks in the rear, if you want to be level. That, my friend, is budget. Some/most would poo poo this idea, but all budgets are different. You are not going rock crawling, so no need to build a crawler imo

Thanks! I like the stance of RC. When I asked my local shop about it they said they wouldn't even consider installing RC lifts. Im not the expert but I've never heard a bad review from someone who has the suspension installed on their jeep (except maybe one). It seems tempting though. Thanks for the reply.

Sponsored

 

[Rogue_One]

That thing is sweet-looking just as it sits. It's a great color, and I think those wheels and rims are perfect for it. Fill up the wells nice and look on the money to me.


Isn't the current size on there considered a 35" tire"? I think that is a great look without all the issues that come along with a lift. Who am I to say though? Now I want to replace my 33's with 35's after seeing this! I can do it without needing a lift though so a bit easier for me. Maybe when my tires wear out I'll bump up. Your's looks perfect to me.

Thanks for replying. I am very happy with it. It is actually a 34.4 inch tire. I do have a 1 inch tereflex spacer up front which I forgot to mention. With the rubicon, the 4.10 gear ratio would be nice. I keep seeing these guys on here post sale alerts for tires, these seem way less expensive for 315/70 tires (34.4). Thanks for the kind words!

 

[Rogue_One]

Thanks. That thought has crossed my mind many of times. haha

 

[Rogue_One]

Beautiful truck. Looks to me like it has already got some kind of levelling lift in the front.

I appreciate your input. You have very sharp eyes and called it out. I forgot to mention there is a 1 inch tera flex spacer on it. Thank you.

 

[Rogue_One]

Drive it first, on road and off. See what it can do. Then decide what you want to do.

Most of these are more capable than the driver in stock form.

Adding lifts and changing parts just for the sake of doing so is not a good idea.

The higher you raise it and the bigger the tires makes your on road driving experience not as pleasant.

But, if it's just aesthetics you're after, you'll do what you want.

Thanks for the reply. Well said. It does cost money, but is it worth it? I like the idea of having a more capable jeep than stock. But I think some off road time, like you said, is needed to understand what this this is really capable of.

 

[Rogue_One]

I installed the Clayton 2.5 Overland Plus kit on mine. It actually lifted my Rubi 3.5 inches. The attached picture is with 35" tires and 37s would easily fit. I bought the lift during one of Clayton's sales and got the Falcon 3.1 shocks on clearance because they were being phased out for the Gladiator. For the lift and shocks I paid $3,590 and installed it myself in the driveway with a lot of help from the forum, Clayton, and youtube. Clayton also offers a 1.5" Ride Right lift that might be worth looking at.

https://www.claytonoffroad.com/product/jeep-gladiator-15-ride-right-lift-kit

My understanding is that this lift comes with the same components as are used in the Overland kit but you only get 2 front adjustable control arms rather than all 8. Depending on how much the 1.5 kit actually raises your JT, you should be able to get by with your factory shocks but you might want extensions.

Before ordering my lift I had it narrowed down to either Clayton and Metalcloak and I talked with both more than once. They are both excellent companies and they are more than happy to help. In my case I went with Clayton because I didn't want to upgrade my driveshaft. No matter whose lift you order, it will be worth your time to call them up and ask questions. Without exception, everyone I've talked to about Jeep parts have been very helpful.

Thanks for the reply. I will definitely consider your advice! I need to look more into that 1.5 kit from Clayton and give them a call. Those shock you got make me envious. How does it drive on the freeway? I have only heard one complaint about Clayton. Well maybe a few about the price too. This seems like a good path to get where I need without having to swap out the drive shaft. I really appreciate the picture too. It really helps to actually see the upgrades!

 

[Rogue_One]

I have the Clayton 3.5 Overland lift I just put on last month and I am still on my 35 KO2’s. I will go up to the KO2 37’s when it is time to replace the tires, but I am not in a hurry to do so. I paired the lift with the Bilstein 5160 shocks.

Thanks for the reply. That thing is a beast. That is the dream, 3.5 suspension on 37's. I am happy for you. It helps to see the picture of the suspension lifts installed. Please keep us posted on your gladiator build, it would be good to get some more pics and updates!

 

[Rogue_One]

35s and sway bar disconnects will take you pretty far.

edit: For my area, 33s are the minimum recommended size for the most difficult trails we have. I think for most people, 37s aren't really a "need". For sand, trails, light rock crawling, and mud the right 35 tires, paired with the right traction device, are probably adequate.

Thanks for the reply. Sway bar disconnects are a good upgrade to consider too. I think 35's are the sweet spot for me (for now). I would like to jeep up in South Dakota, it seems like some great wide open spaces.

 

[Rogue_One]

35s and sway bar disconnects will take you pretty far.

edit: For my area, 33s are the minimum recommended size for the most difficult trails we have. I think for most people, 37s aren't really a "need". For sand, trails, light rock crawling, and mud the right 35 tires, paired with the right traction device, are probably adequate.

Thanks for the reply. Sway bar disconnects are a good upgrade.

AEV stuff is rock solid and control arm brackets are a definite plus for ride comfort. What did they recommend? I went from the Mopar 2” lift to the Tereflex 3.5 lift with control arm brackets. Way better ride, especially on washboards, as the control arms maintain a more horizontal position.

I agree that you should see how it works for you before jumping in. Don’t waste your money on two lifts like I did.

Thanks for your input. It seems odd that jeep works directly with AEV to create new upgrades for jeeps coming right off the factory floors. All there Jeeps look great, and from what I've heard from one of the higher up guy that work there is they trail test all there rigs in Moab, Rubicon trail, etc.... I only know so much bc I have no experience in this world. They recommended Rusty's. Do you have any opinions on Rusty's? They seem legit, there springs are highly rated. I am considering them but there is not a lot of information about them on here.

How was your Mopar?! the good and bad. I am considering teraflex but im unsure because instead of a rear coil there is just a spacer. It seems odd it wouldn't come with rear coils. I like those kits a lot (seems everyone is using that kit). The guy from "the story till now' (you tube guy) seems to prove they are worthy. Your gladiator is really cool. One of the best looking I've seen on here. I would prefer to cry once than twice when purchasing a kit. I want a full set of control arms as well, just not sure what path to take. Thanks!

 

[Rogue_One]

OP there's some good advice here. Drive and enjoy your Jeep for a while before throwing any money at it. I've had mine for two years 20k miles and finally decided what I want to do with it. But I'm still taking it slow asking questions reading this and other forums. I'm very cheap so I hate the thought of adding mods then changing my mind and tearing stuff off and redoing it later.

Thanks for the input! I want to avoid that same scenario. This forum seems to be the best place to learn what to do and what not to do. Good luck on your build. Please post some upgrades as added.

 

[Idlethunder]

Thanks for the reply. I will definitely consider your advice! I need to look more into that 1.5 kit from Clayton and give them a call. Those shock you got make me envious. How does it drive on the freeway? I have only heard one complaint about Clayton. Well maybe a few about the price too. This seems like a good path to get where I need without having to swap out the drive shaft. I really appreciate the picture too. It really helps to actually see the upgrades!

The Gladiator is my daily driver so it sees a lot of highway time. In the 23 months that I’ve had it, the Falcons are the third set of shocks I’ve had and the best by far. They are adjustable but only between soft and performance mode. For a few hundred more you can upgrade them to the higher priced 3.3 series shocks by buying the upgrade kit. That kit adds fast adjust dials so that you do not have to remove the shocks to adjust them. By the time my shocks were delivered I had already talked with Teraflex and Clayton and was 95% sure mine would be best set to the soft setting. But, when I first installed them, I put them into performance mode to see how that felt and they were way too stiff. Came home and 45 minutes later they were set to soft and I've loved them ever since. On the highway they are excellent. A lot of my driving is either pot holed city streets or wash boarded dirt roads and they are great there too. The big difference between these and the stock Fox shocks that came on my Rubicon is that the Fox shocks were way too soft. On a rough trail at slow speeds the Fox shocks weren’t bad but anything much faster than a crawl and they felt very spongy. The Falcons are much better at every speed on or off road.

As others are advising, just drive it a while before you spend big money on it. I had already bought a few things before mine was even delivered but big ticket items like the lift and rock rails, those came after seeing what it could do. I feel very fortunate that I have not wasted much money on my JT. I have a small pile in the corner of the garage with items I decided against but for the most part, the things I’ve bought have worked well for my wife and I.

 

[Rogue_One]

The Gladiator is my daily driver so it sees a lot of highway time. In the 23 months that I’ve had it, the Falcons are the third set of shocks I’ve had and the best by far. They are adjustable but only between soft and performance mode. For a few hundred more you can upgrade them to the higher priced 3.3 series shocks by buying the upgrade kit. That kit adds fast adjust dials so that you do not have to remove the shocks to adjust them. By the time my shocks were delivered I had already talked with Teraflex and Clayton and was 95% sure mine would be best set to the soft setting. But, when I first installed them, I put them into performance mode to see how that felt and they were way too stiff. Came home and 45 minutes later they were set to soft and I've loved them ever since. On the highway they are excellent. A lot of my driving is either pot holed city streets or wash boarded dirt roads and they are great there too. The big difference between these and the stock Fox shocks that came on my Rubicon is that the Fox shocks were way too soft. On a rough trail at slow speeds the Fox shocks weren’t bad but anything much faster than a crawl and they felt very spongy. The Falcons are much better at every speed on or off road.

Thanks for the reply. I will keep that in consideration when shopping for shocks. I have heard nothing but good things about the falcons. I am glad to hear you are enjoying them. I like how your shocks have a dial that can be adjusted on the fly. Keep us updated on anything new with your gladiator.

Sponsored