Sponsored

Jeep Gladiator JT Pickup (3.0L Diesel) Underbody Shows Ram 1500 Inspired Suspension

JAY

Staff member
Joined
Jan 13, 2015
Threads
484
Messages
966
Reaction score
2,706
Location
Jeep Gladiator Forum
Vehicle(s)
JT
Build Thread
Link
Occupation
Admin
We just caught our most detailed look yet underneath the bed of the upcoming 2019 Jeep Gladiator (JT) pickup truck while the prototype was leaving a Detroit gas station. The DEF tank gives this away as the 3.0L Diesel model and we're pleased to report this truck mixes a bit of Wrangler and Ram 1500 DNA to make it a true and proper pick up truck!

Rear Suspension Heavily Ram 1500-Inspired
It’s immediately clear that the rear suspension setup revealed on this Jeep Gladiator prototype has nothing to do with the JL Wrangler, with a design heavily influenced by the Ram 1500 for handling proper pickup truck duty. The design and component placement looks to be nearly identical between the Ram 1500 and the JT Gladiator, which should calm any fears that Jeep’s upcoming pickup truck will just be a warmed over JL Wrangler with a pickup bed.

JT Gladiator Suspension (w/ Coil Springs) Analyzed
The Gladiator prototype’s rear design shows healthy control arms along with a panhard rod, and a rear stabilizer bar that leads into stab (or sway) bar end links, just as we see on the Ram 1500. We also see hints of the JT's coil springs (as on the Ram) with no sign of leaf springs. The JT's shock absorber placement also appears to mimic the Ram’s design.

A Mix of Wrangler & Ram 1500 DNA
It’s interesting to see the path Jeep engineers have taken in transitioning the Wrangler-flavored offering for pickup truck duty. While there’s still plenty of Wrangler DNA to be found in the JT, it’s now abundantly clear that the Gladiator will have a healthy dose of Ram DNA throughout its undercarriage. It likely streamlines the development of the new truck with cost benefits in sharing similar components and engineering solutions that have already been worked out on the coil-sprung Ram trucks.

The proven foundation of the Ram pickup, with the spirit and image of the Wrangler (and the promise of open-air truck motoring which we've confirmed) sounds like an ideal mix of attributes to us!



Jeep-Scrambler-JT-Pickup-underbody.g04.jpg



Jeep-Scrambler-JT-Pickup-underbody.g05.jpg



Jeep-Scrambler-JT-Pickup-underbody.g06.jpg
Jeep-Scrambler-JT-Pickup-underbody.g11.jpg



Jeep-Scrambler-JT-Pickup-underbody.g12.jpg
Jeep-Scrambler-JT-Pickup-underbody.g13.jpg



Jeep-Scrambler-Pickup-JT-vs-Ram1500-1.jpg


JeepScramblerPickup-JT-vs-JL-Wrangler1.jpg


JeepScramblerPickup-JT-vs-JL-Wrangler2.jpg





Jeep-Scrambler-JT-Pickup-underbody.g07.jpg
Jeep-Scrambler-JT-Pickup-underbody.g08.jpg
Jeep-Scrambler-JT-Pickup-underbody.g09.jpg
Jeep-Scrambler-JT-Pickup-underbody.g10.jpg
Sponsored

 
Last edited:

JTman

Rock Sponsor (Level 1)
Joined
May 8, 2016
Threads
9
Messages
92
Reaction score
33
Location
Denver
Vehicle(s)
Wrangler JT to come
Yess!! Music to my ears. Between this and the 6,500 lb tow capacity, this will be a properly capable pickup.
 

MLPP

Active Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2016
Threads
1
Messages
32
Reaction score
8
Location
Arizona
Vehicle(s)
2014 Willys JK 6M
Jeep's shooting to sell 100k of these a year right? Well this definitely helps that goal. If it was just a JL with a bed attached you'd probably lose the owners cross shopping it with the popular midsize pickups that actually have good tow and payload capabilities.
 

Sponsored

AWD

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 10, 2016
Threads
1
Messages
81
Reaction score
23
Location
Fort Lee, NJ
Vehicle(s)
Grand Cherokee
I was thinking FCA might cheap out and basically give us the Brute conversion but this is promising to hear. Now here's to hoping they design it to look distinct from the JL, preferably with some Crew Chief styling.
 

Billy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2016
Threads
34
Messages
1,292
Reaction score
1,132
Location
Bend, OR
Vehicle(s)
1997 TJ, 2017 JKU, 2022 JTRD ordered.
Now it makes sense. Thanks Jay!
 

Bill P

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 11, 2016
Threads
0
Messages
51
Reaction score
7
Location
Sonoma County
Vehicle(s)
Wrangler Unlimited
Interesting to see they went with the Ram 1500's suspension for the rear but didn't use the Ram's independent front suspension, instead keeping the JL's solid front axles. So definitely looks like they tried to blend the Wrangler with the Ram 1500 for the Gladiator's suspension. :like:
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Chadnutz

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
Threads
17
Messages
214
Reaction score
215
Location
Texas
Vehicle(s)
1996 F-350 4x4
I'm glad to see it doesn't have a leaking rubber fill hole plug like all the 2000s Dodges had.
 

Sponsored

Chadnutz

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
Threads
17
Messages
214
Reaction score
215
Location
Texas
Vehicle(s)
1996 F-350 4x4
As handy as a Rambox may be, I really hope the bed rails are not that thick. That really cuts into a compact size truck's bed.
 

JLUfan

Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2017
Threads
0
Messages
8
Reaction score
6
Location
USA
Vehicle(s)
2008 JKU Rubicon
Of the test trucks that have been seen, have any of them had manual transmissions? Is there any indication of whether or not a manual transmission will be available?
 
Last edited:

JeepGuy911

New Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2018
Threads
0
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Location
Az
Vehicle(s)
2005 LJ, 2002 WJ.
This as an evolution of the original Cherokee suspension adapted to Ram now returning to Jeep it is not "Ram inspired".
Sponsored

 
 



Top