ISO Jeep Gladiator - First Time Buyer

[mobbdeep]

Hello! I recently joined this community to educate myself on the JT. I've never owned a Jeep but am wanting to downsize from a 1/2 ton truck. My activities the rig would support: Fly Fishing in the mountains of UT/ID/WY/CO, pulling a drift boat, mountain exploration, camping, possibly towing a small travel or overland type of trailer. I don't do rock crawling at all, unless I come along it on the trail.

For those experienced owners, if you were shopping for an eco-diesel platform, what year(s) and mileage would you be targeting for value & longevity? I plan on keeping this rig for 10+ years, over 100+ miles. I'm handy and can DIY most repairs.

I plan on building a rig that is comfortable & reliable, not overdone. Think 35" tires max.

What would you target and why? What should I absolutely steer away from?

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[Free2roam]

21-23 are the years I'd look at. Under 50k miles. Make sure the rear axle seal has been taken care of, it was an issue on all JT models I believe. Fuel pump recall done is another one. Check Carfax.
Do you require a Rubicon? Plenty of other models have a diesel as well. All came with 3.73 gearing. Certain models have a higher tow rating I believe. My Sport S Ecodiesel has 76k and change on it. I see you're in Utah. I actually bought mine from a dealer in SLC. I think it was SLC CDJR. Appears on the Carfax website that there are a few in your area as well as Vegas.
If you haven't read already there is the derate issues pulling something heavy on the dead of summer.
Good luck in finding one all priced around 34k.

 

[mobbdeep]

Thanks for the info. I don't require a Rubicon, I only really need a rear locker but I wanted the 4:10 gears with the upgrade to 35's. I will keep all of your suggestions in mind!

 

[Free2roam]

Thanks for the info. I don't require a Rubicon, I only really need a rear locker but I wanted the 4:10 gears with the upgrade to 35's. I will keep all of your suggestions in mind!

No rear locker only an LSD on any models except the Rubicon

 

[nanook12]

The diesel needs to be deleted for longevity
After you delete, the EOC #2 tow gives you over 330hp and 500lbs of torque. You won’t need to regear

 

[Jrgunn5150]

If I was shopping diesels, I'd want the cheapest, lowest mile one I could get out of warranty.

And I wouldn't buy a warranty for it.

I would have my delete parts on order the night I brought it home.

This is exactly how I bought my Ram, and that truck ran 445,000 miles. Often on waste vegetable oil lol. Always with indifferent maintenance.

 

[JTdiRtyD]

Alright;

EcoD is a great platform IF you understand diesels and aren't afraid of routine preventative maintenance and addressing issues. They are still new enough in the Gladiator that there aren't a lot of high mileage examples yet, but there are plenty of high mileage examples in the Ram.

I forget which year was the first year for the 3rd gen EcoD (21 or 22), but I'd opt for a 3rd gen. And obviously as low miles as I can find.


1) Emissions is probably the biggest issue. It causes carbon buildup in the engine that can lead to inefficiency and shorter lifespan, SCR and DPF filters clog up and can force the truck into limp mode and are costly to replace, DEF can cause issues and prevent the truck from starting. If you keep the emissions in tact you can opt for the GDE tune and maybe prolong some of the components lifespan, but the reality is emissions components are prone to failure and costly to fix. You can delete them and solve almost all common issues with the EcoD at the risk of failing inspection or getting fined. Once emissions are no longer in the picture, the engine itself is a pretty solid powerplant.

2) CP4 fuel pump is the next biggest issues. If it hasn't been replaced it's not a deal breaker, as they are replaced with the same model CP4 that is prone to the same issues. They key to prolonging pump life is using lubricating fuel additives and never allowing it to run dry. HotShots Secret EDT treatment each fill up is a good option.

3) EcoD has overheating issues when under load, and since you're in the mountains and plan to tow I'd def do some research on it. Theres a lot of info on here about this that you can search for. Theres ways to minimize the issue, but no real solution other than slowing way down to keep rpm's low.

4) You can't get a diesel in 4.10 gearing. All diesels, even the Rubicon, come with 3.73 gearing and the wide axles. Rubicon will get you front and rear lockers, 4:1 transfer case, and high line fenders to run 35's without any suspension work. You can swap to a 4.10, but 4.56 or 4.88 would probably be better since you're in the mtns and plan to tow. With that said, the 3.73s are still plenty good enough with the diesel torque.

5) Front suspension needs an upgrade. The weight of the diesel is too much for the springs and will cause you to bottom out the bump stops.

6) The EcoD has near non-existent engine braking (important for towing in the mtns). The GDE tune offers an add-on that uses the turbo vanes to create some back pressure, and the EOC tune claims this as well, but I've been told it's still not great. Once I am tuned, if it's still lacking engine braking I'll look at an aftermarket universal exhaust brake.

 

[fourfa]

I wanted the 4:10 gears with the upgrade to 35's.

Just adding a +1 to all the others above - only gas Rubicons got 4.10:1 axle gearing. All diesels got 3.73:1 axles no matter what package. But the stock diesel will happily turn 35s on 3.73s; you’ll barely even notice. I and many others are happy with 37s on 3.73s (though that’s about where opinions split).

Rubicons (gas and diesel) get a 4:1 transfer case for better slow crawling (2.72:1 otherwise) and it’s not hard to get mixed up between the 4:1 TC vs 4.10:1 axles…

 

[mobbdeep]

Thanks for the education - I really appreciate the input!

 

[20blue]

If you wasn't half way across the country I would sell you my low mileage 2022

 

[mobbdeep]

Those who have deleted, how are you passing emissions?

 

[nanook12]

Those who have deleted, how are you passing emissions?

there aren’t any! I only had 9K on the odometer, when I did mine…

 

[mobbdeep]

Let me rephrase it, how will you plan to pass emissions in 2-3 years?

 

[Jefe1018]

Let me rephrase it, how will you plan to pass emissions in 2-3 years?

You can’t with it deleted if your county requires it.

I loved my ecodiesel when I had it… but keep in mind the number of us that were disappointed when we modded it, enjoyed the torque but couldn’t tow with it for a lack of cooling capacity.

 

[banderson099]

No rear locker only an LSD on any models except the Rubicon

The Mojave didn't come in diesel but has a Rear Locker and 4.10 Axle Ratio

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