Jeep Gladiator Dark Sky Announced

[Badunit]

It was/is possible to tune the 3.6L ECM for 2022 and prior model years. Were there any tunes that gave it more power or more torque, without adding a supercharger? I haven't heard anyone crowing about it. I hear the 2023+ have finally been cracked but not a peep about anyone getting a tuner. If it can make more power or torque with just a tune, I'd think someone would have been saying something.

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[bill61]

I feel my Gladiator handles well and it has more power than my JKU. I don’t feel any flightiness or wandering.
Could it use more power, sure. But where is that line drawn as we all want more and more and more.

 

[MikeNH]

I do like that they included the disconnecting sway bar. It would be better as others have said if it had 35’s as a choice too. Thats why I say optioning out a Rubicon or Mojave with a package like this and having 35’s in the selection too.
I remember seeing a conversation a few years ago about a hardtop roof that folded down into the bed. I said my prayers that that would be available. But…
I think a hardtop roof folding down into the bed would be very nice, although most likely making the bed only used for storing the roof when down would be a waste of the bed.

It does not have the disconnecting sway bar. Axle disconnect is just the trash they use to keep the front driveshaft from spinning in 2wd to save fuel in theory. They took it off most Gladiators a few years back.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It does not have the disconnecting sway bar. Axle disconnect is just the trash they use to keep the front driveshaft from spinning in 2wd to save fuel in theory. They took it off most Gladiators a few years back.

Front Axle Disconnect - FAD
My 2022 had it. (not sure what it was removed from or when, but mine had the FAD)

It does save fuel, not a theory.
However, how much is interesting -
back in the 1980s, AMC experimented and found it was less than 1 mpg on the Eagle
I would expect less on a Jeep. You'd expect more saving on a car.

So, they literally left it off the final 2 or 3 years of the Eagle. It was costing them more to include it to save a fraction on fuel than it was worth for them. Cheaper to make front axles without it. It also allowed them to shift into 4x4 on the fly - no need to slow to allow the FAD to connect the axle halves.

You can feel when the FAD is working or not working on them - there's more "rumble", more noise from the drivetrain.
When you are spinning a ring gear, pinion and driveshaft, it's a parasitic load on the thing. Worse, you are actually loading the gears on the backsides. So I suspect it's sort of a 6 of one, half a dozen of the other as to if the owner actually realizes a benefit other than they don't have that 2 piece right axle tube any more.

 

[JmattNYC]

Yawn... Stellantis has the most capable pickup midsize truck on the entire market and at year 5 this is their bright idea to pick up their abysmal sales. If/when Gladiator production ends, it will go down as the biggest automotive fumble of any company in my opinion. Really is such a shame...

We will be ok but i do understand how you feel. I believe they need to increase our options right ASAP. They are trying things with trims and some of its working look at the nighthawk sales. I like the idea of dark skies hate the name thou lol

 

[JmattNYC]

It was/is possible to tune the 3.6L ECM for 2022 and prior model years. Were there any tunes that gave it more power or more torque, without adding a supercharger? I haven't heard anyone crowing about it. I hear the 2023+ have finally been cracked but not a peep about anyone getting a tuner. If it can make more power or torque with just a tune, I'd think someone would have been saying something.

They change the ECM ports and added some security code.GSPEC5 i believe its called.

 

[MikeNH]

Front Axle Disconnect - FAD
My 2022 had it. (not sure what it was removed from or when, but mine had the FAD)

It does save fuel, not a theory.
However, how much is interesting -
back in the 1980s, AMC experimented and found it was less than 1 mpg on the Eagle
I would expect less on a Jeep. You'd expect more saving on a car.

So, they literally left it off the final 2 or 3 years of the Eagle. It was costing them more to include it to save a fraction on fuel than it was worth for them. Cheaper to make front axles without it. It also allowed them to shift into 4x4 on the fly - no need to slow to allow the FAD to connect the axle halves.

You can feel when the FAD is working or not working on them - there's more "rumble", more noise from the drivetrain.
When you are spinning a ring gear, pinion and driveshaft, it's a parasitic load on the thing. Worse, you are actually loading the gears on the backsides. So I suspect it's sort of a 6 of one, half a dozen of the other as to if the owner actually realizes a benefit other than they don't have that 2 piece right axle tube any more.

The minuscule savings isn't worth the added complexity to me, especially from a company who is kinda bad at complex stuff. This is the same as stop/start in that regard and I know neither of us will change our thoughts on cumulative savings so I'll leave that alone.

However, any harm from gear loading can't really be much of an issue since between locking hubs going away and most models not having an axle disconnect, I can't say I've heard of axle issues really on any 4x4 brand. That is one thing most of the brands seem to do well actually.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The minuscule savings isn't worth the added complexity to me,

The problem with the Jeep is that is weakens that area on a vehicle that is intended to take a beating - axles and all. Not just complexity.
Some who have locked it out, FAD eliminator, etc., have reported no to almost no difference. No surprise if it just went away.
Besides, if you drive around much in 4HA.............

 

[OldButStillJeeping]

The problem with the Jeep is that is weakens that area on a vehicle that is intended to take a beating - axles and all. Not just complexity.
Some who have locked it out, FAD eliminator, etc., have reported no to almost no difference. No surprise if it just went away.
Besides, if you drive around much in 4HA.............

This ^^^ 100 percent.

Locking hubs is the MPG answer. Not FAD. But locking hubs went away with most trucks because people are mis-informed and lazy. They want automation. They want 'Shift on the fly, Baby"!

FAD still spins the outer axles and the spider gears, but in theory, it doesn't spin the driveshaft or ring gear. MPG saving is negligable.

I am fortunate that my 2017 F250 truck still has locking hubs, no shift on the fly and a manual transfer case shifter. But ya gotta buy the cheap work trucks to get that. The expensive rigs use dial transfer case shifter and auto hubs. Or no hubs, FAD.

Jeep is between a rock and a hard trail. Redesign the front hubs and install manual hubs. Or sell the easy peasy shift on the fly to the soccer moms and executives who lease a macho Jeep.

The soccer moms and Executives win because they bring more money than a hard core offroader that actually knows what he is doing.

Electronic locking hubs are coming...

Be well. Jeep if you know what you are doing. Or just jeep if you like the image. I'll pull you out.

Eric

 

[Gvsukids]

Might be time to give pedal commander on the Jeep a try and see what it can do.

I think it filled my EGR valve with soot quicker than normal. Might also have been precursor for the engine issues I've had over the 100000 miles.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

This ^^^ 100 percent.

Locking hubs is the MPG answer. Not FAD. But locking hubs went away with most trucks because people are mis-informed and lazy. They want automation. They want 'Shift on the fly, Baby"!

FAD still spins the outer axles and the spider gears, but in theory, it doesn't spin the driveshaft or ring gear. MPG saving is negligable.

I am fortunate that my 2017 F250 truck still has locking hubs, no shift on the fly and a manual transfer case shifter. But ya gotta buy the cheap work trucks to get that. The expensive rigs use dial transfer case shifter and auto hubs. Or no hubs, FAD.

Jeep is between a rock and a hard trail. Redesign the front hubs and install manual hubs. Or sell the easy peasy shift on the fly to the soccer moms and executives who lease a macho Jeep.

The soccer moms and Executives win because they bring more money than a hard core offroader that actually knows what he is doing.

Electronic locking hubs are coming...

Be well. Jeep if you know what you are doing. Or just jeep if you like the image. I'll pull you out.

Eric

I had a F250, HD version, found out the hard way it had the HD hubs and such.
I was in OR on business one winter. My wife needed to use the truck to get into town for an appointment. Our driveway was snowy and icy. I explained to her how to get it into 4 wheel drive. Well, the automatic hub on the right went to hell.
She was pissed as the truck was blocking access to our other vehicle.
I ended up putting manual WARN hubs on it (that's when I found out it had the heavier drive train). Then the issue was - if I was gone I had to make sure the hubs were locked in the winter.

 

[JmattNYC]

Of course leave it to you to bring up decent points.
Yes, compared to a 2011 LS. That's old-tech vs. today.



I suspect as this thing is tuned so tight that it's actually running stoich quite often, you'd gain performance but stall out in the CAFE rules area - thus, we aren't likely to see it. Jeep struggles to meet those rules as it is.
Rods won't matter - unless you get into some boost. Our rods will handle more than they put out. The bottom ends are almost bullet-proof. Pistons? I also doubt any gain there. As long as they are keeping quench tight, chamber burns fast, and so on.........
About all I could see is cam/valve timing/lift, which would require total PCM changes.
They have the reciprocating mass down pretty low - in part to aid with ESS, but also other reasons.

I hope they do something. I really enjoy the V6 and this is coming from someone who had two eco-diesels in a gladiator and ram.
I know the V6 in the ram is tuned different and has a slighly her HP 305ish. Cooling would be issue i guess and even with new the Mopar performance grill lol

I love the V6 thou and if you gave us some extra gearing options from factory many of us would be ok.

 

[OldButStillJeeping]

Yep, my manual hubs are locked all winter long.

 

[JmattNYC]

I think it filled my EGR valve with soot quicker than normal. Might also have been precursor for the engine issues I've had over the 100000 miles.

The commander caused that ?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I know the V6 in the ram is tuned different and has a slighly her HP 305ish. Cooling would be issue i guess and even with new the Mopar performance grill lol

You brought up something that has me really wondering.......... consider this:
Rubicon towing 7,000 pounds
Mojave towing 6,000 pounds
But - look up the specs for the 2025 (maybe 2025) for the Mojave - it's now 7,000 pounds.

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