How to configure Gladiator for 7650 Towing Capacity ?

[Blown7]

That is a 1/2 ton truck. It is in a different league. That is like me saying a Ram 1500, should out tow a Ram 2500.


Lets compare a Ram 1500 to a big rig too.


Gladiator is not a full size truck.

Its got the same exact frame as the 1500

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[WXman]

The specs found over on another thread in this forum equate to a 350# difference between the Rubicon and the Sport/S with Max Tow. To say the tires have nothing to do with is pretty bold, even if the .25" difference in height is true. Based on the metric tire sizes that are advertised on each model, the tires on the Sport/S are @31.5" tall and the Rubicon tires are @33" tall. Granted those sizes printed on the sides of the tires don't usually equate to a true size, but that's close to 1.5" difference in height alone so the circumference is almost 4.75" greater on the Rubicon's bigger tire. At least on paper. Certainly big enough to make a noticeable difference in the final gear ratio that actually gets to the ground for a relatively small displacement engine.

Are you talking about curb weight difference? Or payload difference?

As far as the tires go, that's the specific reason I stated that I have done measurements on Sport, Sahara, and Rubicon tires and suspension height with a level and tape measure to get the real world differences. I don't have any reason to believe Gladiator will be different. There is literally a 1% difference in tire diameter on the Rubicon.

That is a 1/2 ton truck. It is in a different league. That is like me saying a Ram 1500, should out tow a Ram 2500.


Lets compare a Ram 1500 to a big rig too.


Gladiator is not a full size truck.

Gladiator is a half-ton. Ranger, Colorado, Tacoma, Frontier, they're all 1/2 ton trucks. Payload capacity on all of those is pretty much spot-on payload capacity of F-150, Ram 1500, Silverado 1500, etc.

The size of the truck and the rating of the truck are two different things.

 

[Dietruck]

You haven't checked the Dodge 1500 specs have you? 4x4 lots more.

Did you also see the Ram 1500 4x4 tows less than the

Its got the same exact frame as the 1500

Please show me why you think that is true. It does share some rear suspension parts but the frame is not the same .

 

[fourlow78]

Are you talking about curb weight difference? Or payload difference?

As far as the tires go, that's the specific reason I stated that I have done measurements on Sport, Sahara, and Rubicon tires and suspension height with a level and tape measure to get the real world differences. I don't have any reason to believe Gladiator will be different.

I was looking at the curb weights.

 

[RedTRex]

Did you also see the Ram 1500 4x4 tows less than the

Please show me why you think that is true. It does share some rear suspension parts but the frame is not the same .

Frame is not the same

 

[BeepBeepIAmAJeep]

As mentioned, only the Sport can be equipped with the 1,650 lb. payload OR the 7,650 lb. towing.

Last I checked, max payload was on the manual and for whatever god awful reason, FCA didnt beef up the manual so its towing is an embarrassing 4500lbs... so you can get max payload or max towing but not both.

 

[Homer]

I believe the Rubicon suspension and weight are impacting the payload and towing capacity.

YOU are exactly correct.

 

[GoneTopless]

Practically speaking, let’s use my circumstances for an idea of what is a better choice for living with in the real world

I live in New England and the roads and weather are total shit. Mud season this year has been 6 weeks and counting. I’m talking mud like the Gladiator went through in the off road media press

My daughter rides horses as a competitive equestrian. Trailer is 2800lbs and one horse is 1000-1200lbs plus tack 500lbs

When TL did their review recently I was not surprised the V6 was huffing and working really hard to tow. If I go with a Rubi it’s going to be an unpleasant towing experience to the shows.

I may be mistaken but I am beginning to see the Gladiator more as a mid size toy runner but not a regular hauler

Price is steep and while a full size and a mid size are apples and oranges in my mind, if you tow or haul people long distances or heavy loads of 5000 or more and do it more than ten times a year, hard not to think full size is a better buy especially since it will likely be cheaper (new 1500 Laramie with discounts)

A Wrangler and Gladiator going long distance driving (family trip) isn’t going to have the comfort of a full size

The price is higher. The truck is less capable as a hauler for some of us, and it’s really not much easier size wise to park. Not much.

My father in law let’s me use his Tundra and it’s great fun to bang around in but it’s also nice to give it back.

I felt the Gladiator was a bad ass mid size easier to drive less thirsty, fun as hell pickup

But now I’m thinking maybe it’s just a cool hip toy for hauling small toys but not serious work. And maybe that’s all midsize trucks and I’ve been under a misconception

Any thoughts?

 

[ThirtyOne]

Practically speaking, let’s use my circumstances for an idea of what is a better choice for living with in the real world

I live in New England and the roads and weather are total shit. Mud season this year has been 6 weeks and counting. I’m talking mud like the Gladiator went through in the off road media press

My daughter rides horses as a competitive equestrian. Trailer is 2800lbs and one horse is 1000-1200lbs plus tack 500lbs

When TL did their review recently I was not surprised the V6 was huffing and working really hard to tow. If I go with a Rubi it’s going to be an unpleasant towing experience to the shows.

I may be mistaken but I am beginning to see the Gladiator more as a mid size toy runner but not a regular hauler

Price is steep and while a full size and a mid size are apples and oranges in my mind, if you tow or haul people long distances or heavy loads of 5000 or more and do it more than ten times a year, hard not to think full size is a better buy especially since it will likely be cheaper (new 1500 Laramie with discounts)

A Wrangler and Gladiator going long distance driving (family trip) isn’t going to have the comfort of a full size

The price is higher. The truck is less capable as a hauler for some of us, and it’s really not much easier size wise to park. Not much.

My father in law let’s me use his Tundra and it’s great fun to bang around in but it’s also nice to give it back.

I felt the Gladiator was a bad ass mid size easier to drive less thirsty, fun as hell pickup

But now I’m thinking maybe it’s just a cool hip toy for hauling small toys but not serious work. And maybe that’s all midsize trucks and I’ve been under a misconception

Any thoughts?

Umm yeah that’s about right.

I’d still be tempted to at least try it though. Maybe it’s better than you think.

 

[lrtexasman]

Practically speaking, let’s use my circumstances for an idea of what is a better choice for living with in the real world

I live in New England and the roads and weather are total shit. Mud season this year has been 6 weeks and counting. I’m talking mud like the Gladiator went through in the off road media press

My daughter rides horses as a competitive equestrian. Trailer is 2800lbs and one horse is 1000-1200lbs plus tack 500lbs

When TL did their review recently I was not surprised the V6 was huffing and working really hard to tow. If I go with a Rubi it’s going to be an unpleasant towing experience to the shows.

I may be mistaken but I am beginning to see the Gladiator more as a mid size toy runner but not a regular hauler

Price is steep and while a full size and a mid size are apples and oranges in my mind, if you tow or haul people long distances or heavy loads of 5000 or more and do it more than ten times a year, hard not to think full size is a better buy especially since it will likely be cheaper (new 1500 Laramie with discounts)

A Wrangler and Gladiator going long distance driving (family trip) isn’t going to have the comfort of a full size

The price is higher. The truck is less capable as a hauler for some of us, and it’s really not much easier size wise to park. Not much.

My father in law let’s me use his Tundra and it’s great fun to bang around in but it’s also nice to give it back.

I felt the Gladiator was a bad ass mid size easier to drive less thirsty, fun as hell pickup

But now I’m thinking maybe it’s just a cool hip toy for hauling small toys but not serious work. And maybe that’s all midsize trucks and I’ve been under a misconception

Any thoughts?

Edit to add I forgot the diesel option. If you really like the size of the JT just wait on it to see if they figure a way to increase the towing with better cooling somehow. It will do what you need.
Yep. I wouldn’t recommend it to tow your livestock and payload. If you want a midsize I’d go with the one of the GM diesel twins. If going full-size the F150 3.5 eco or diesel will do nicely as well as the Silverado 5.3, 6.2, or new 3.0 diesel.

 

[eternus]

I don't think it's just tires. How different are the tires really? To me the major difference is the weight that the rubicon components add.
Somewhere I remember someone saying that the Rubicon was about 500lbs heavier...

If you're really pushing for that extra 650 lbs of tow capacity you might want to look into a different vehicle for towing. The engine in this vehicle is still going to whine at 7000, let alone 7650.

 

[lrtexasman]

Yep, you may want to wait on the diesel, it has much, much more torque and is light enough not to get stuck grabbing trailers out of a muddy pasture. I expect the gas V6 will whine at anything over 3000 lbs due to needing to get to the powerband. I've always towing with full size truck or Tahoe and my first experience towing with a JL (buddy was pulling a 5x10 trailer with a 4-wheeler and a little bit of lumber to the deer lease, prob less than 3k) and I thought the engine was going to explode it was revving so hard to keep 65 to 70 mph on flat interstate. I will not be ordering or buying until I hear some real world experiences with the gas motor. But, if as mentioned by Tommy that it can not hold 60 MPH on Ike and the flat tow test is bad with 5k, then I am out. At this point I am about 90% sure the gas JT is not going to be able to comfortably handle the 4k I need it to. As such, I guess my wait is going to be extended a bit.

 

[drogers]

Its got the same exact frame as the 1500

No it doesn’t - it’s not even close. The gladiator has a completely different frame, custom made for it. The only thing it shares with the Ram are *some* rear suspension components and the rear suspension design.

 

[Chukronos]

Supercharger time?

 

[Murgatroid]

Is it me or does the Gladiator advertisement seem a little misleading. I was told by my salesperson that the the maximum tow package was already a part of the Rubicon tow package. He showed / told me that the maximum tow package was not an option for the Rubicon because the components of the maximum tow package were automatically included in the Rubicon tow package. It seems that the dealers/ salespeople are not really sure about building specifications themselves.

So far with my Gladiator what I've discovered is that you cannot ask a salesman, they will tell you anything to get the sale. Only the Sport model can be configured for Max tow. It has to do with added weight on the Overland and Rubicon. The max tow has the Rubicon 4.1 wide axle, no other suspension difference. The max tow weight has to do with added weight on Rubicon (heavier skid plate, etc.) cutting into the tow weight.

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