Opinion on trading 2022 JTR for 21 JTRD

[RhinoJT]

I would say swap it and be done….. but I have a 21 JTRD 40s, fusion kingpin 60s full skids bumper tire carrier etc. still go 20.4 mpg from San Diego to Bay Area and back. Granted that’s if you keep it below 75mph. We shouldn’t even be talking that kind of mileage with 40s in the sentence, but the diesel will do it. The HPFP is pretty much sorted, don’t think I have heard of a failure on a replacement yet. ( could be wrong let me know). For me, with the banks tuner, I can break them free relatively easily. Actually it’s pretty much way to much torque when you put it in 4 low and leave it turned up, pushes right though the breaks, and I have beefed up 4 piston calipers with 15.5 inch rotors on the 60s. Diesel sounds good, but the Hemi, not beating that, it’s all what you want, I mean, no one really needs this stuff, but I will find a way to justify it in my head till I die.

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[Idlethunder]

That is where my head is at right now too, trade and start again. Yesterday my local dealer wrote down the options I'm looking for and he called about closing time with one that isn't a Rubicon but all the features are there except for lockers. After having a Rubicon the past 4 years, I can honestly do without them, I'm just not sure yet if I want to. I'll go by and talk with them this afternoon and see what they offer. They want my Jeep as is and if they can get close enough on the numbers, I might be willing.

 

[nanook12]

I bought the last of the 23 JTRDs. The odometer is just over 10K. Fully deleted, EOC #2 Tow. Setup with a Smartcap / RTT
Replaced the front bumper and installed a 10s winch. So the Jeep is heavier than stock. The power and fuel economy is phenomenal. I did all the work myself and deleted it before the engine was gummed up by the egr. This engine is barely working on the highway 1500 - 1600 RPMs. Go for it…

 

[Stuntman Mike]

That is where my head is at right now too, trade and start again. Yesterday my local dealer wrote down the options I'm looking for and he called about closing time with one that isn't a Rubicon but all the features are there except for lockers. After having a Rubicon the past 4 years, I can honestly do without them, I'm just not sure yet if I want to. I'll go by and talk with them this afternoon and see what they offer. They want my Jeep as is and if they can get close enough on the numbers, I might be willing.

I can fully understand the desire of having the lockers.
But I would also state that they are not really required, my car is equipped with the rear LSD and I got (up to now) never stuck.

And if you feel later on that driving without lockers is not possible you can still retrofit.

 

[JTdiRtyD]

I have driven an ecodiesel and was amazed at the difference. The fuel pump problems was what kept me away when I bought this one but they seemed to have ironed those out

The HPFP is pretty much sorted, don’t think I have heard of a failure on a replacement yet. ( could be wrong let me know).

Failures after fuel pump replacement still happen. The replacement is the same CP4 pump, there is no revision that fixes the issue, you just get a new pump with no wear.

Fuel pump failures aren't really from a faulty pump, just poor design, and failures are typically the result of someone not knowing how to mitigate them. It mostly comes from lack of lubrication, run a quality fuel and additive and don't run the tank low and you'll most likely be ok.

The pump themselves rely on the presence of fuel in order to keep rotating parts in tolerance. Fuel also keeps these parts lubricated. If you run the tank too low and you get air pockets, these rotating parts move and start to score walls and get premature wear, eventually leading to those parts binding and the pump grenading.

Always run quality fuel, always run an additive, and never run your tank low.

Fuel mileage is another reason I’m thinking about trading. With 37s I average 12 to 14 over most tanks with mixed driving. An all highway drive will bump it up around, 16 give or take a little depending on the wind. When towing, it’s around 10 with most everything I've pulled. My last F150 EcoBoost got less than that, but I was driving 8 or 10 mph faster so that’s a wash. I didn’t buy the Gladiator for fuel economy but if I could get it up around 20 empty I’d be thrilled. My business pays for fuel, and I feel bad every time I fill up.

Fuel economy is kind of a toss up and really depends on what you're doing. Sure you get better mpgs, but you're often times paying more for the fuel. Sometimes it's cheaper to drive a diesel, sometimes it isn't. But like we always say, we don't drive these trucks for the fuel economy. Where the diesel shines when it comes to economy is when adding larger tires, weight and towing. I still get 20+ mpgs with 35's, my buddy just saw 19ish mpgs on 38's when coming back from Kansas. I still see 16+ when pulling my camper. A gasser simply won't do that. Can a gasser tow fine? Sure, but not as good as a diesel. Not only do I see decent mpgs, but I still have usable power. THATS why I bought a diesel. Power and good fuel economy around home doesn't really matter to me, but when on a 3,000+ mile trip weighted down with gear and a camper it makes a big difference.

IMO theres really only one true downside to the EcoD in the Gladi and thats heat management. They run hot, and when working the engine they run close to being too hot and sometimes DO run too hot and derate.

-The fuel pump is an issue across all modern diesels but can be mitigated.
-Emissions suck but can be mitigated depending on where you live and the risk you're willing to take.
-The added cost of maintenance and sometimes higher cost of fuel isn't enough to sway me from having the power and ability to use the truck as I need.



Plus it makes whirlyboi and woosh noises.

 

[nanook12]

I burn heating oil, mixed with 1oz of 2cyl oil per gal.
The ultra-low-sulphur, diesel fuel is too dry, to lube the pump. Heating oil is a dollar less a gallon

 

[Idlethunder]

After talking with my dealer yesterday, they made what I considered a reasonable offer for my Gladiator as is, and the money was about right for the Ecodiesel they found with the options I want. It wasn't until I got home last night and did a little math that the straight trade went sideways. I've done a lot of mods and between buying from forum members and waiting for sales, haven't paid close to full retail for anything but I've still got over 9k in the exterior mods. If I were to build back today with those exact items, it would cost over 15k. I not only learned the only reasonble way to get into a diesel is to pull everything of the gasser, I now see that it is not a good idea to tally up receipts from Jeep purchases unless you are prepared for a surprise

Other than mods, the other issue is that the JTOD my dealer found with the options I want is not a color I'm crazy about. I would be OK with it but it also has painted fender flares and hard top and those I dislike. Replacing them or finding someone to trade with are options but for me to go to the trouble of doing that, the color would have to be one I'm in love with. Because I now know pulling the mods off my current Gladiator is the only practical option, I've got plenty of time to search for one without a downside.

 

[Idlethunder]

I found a 2021 model diesel that has all the options I want and the price is right. The reason it's reasonable is because it was bought back by Stellantis in 2022. The manager of the Ford place that is selling it now says he didn't know it was a lemon lawed vehicle, not sure I beleive that, but he is now pulling the title to see if shows the buy back. I'm assuming it was a HPFP issue but I did call Jeep customer care and, to their credit, they were somewhat helpful. The girl said she didn't have access to records but she was able to give me the contact info of the dealership that did the repair and resale. Rather than just assume it was a fuel pump problem, I've got a call in to that dealership trying to find out exactly why it was lemoned and what was repaired. I had to leave a voicemail so no telling if they will even call back, but I am hopeful.

If the title is clear, and because the pumps were next to impossible to get for repairs, I'm not against buying it, if that was the problem. Without knowing for certain what the problem was, it is all a guess right now, but is there anything else specific I should ask about or look for?

 

[Free2roam]

If no one has said it yet. You'd also have to get rid of the Clayton springs, and opt for diesel springs. Or maybe sell the whole lift. If I could afford another Ecodiesel I'd buy one just to have another. Love mine.

 

[Idlethunder]

If no one has said it yet. You'd also have to get rid of the Clayton springs, and opt for diesel springs. Or maybe sell the whole lift. If I could afford another Ecodiesel I'd buy one just to have another. Love mine.

Yes I am figuring on springs and shocks, or possibly going with a Metalcloak. Not yet sure about changing though. The Clayton has been good and just replacing the springs would be save quite a bit. I never really thought about selling the Clayton, is there much of a market for used lifts?

I'm in the process of buying the JTRD I mentioned above. I talked with the manager where the repair was done and it was the pump. The original owner got tired of waiting and they bought it back. It is further than I wanted to travel but it is exactly what I'm looking for. The purchase is contingent on my inspection but if I don't find anything wrong when I get out there, I will be able to brag about owning two Gladiators until the parts are moved over. Having both here for a few weeks might also keep my wife from getting too upset about everything being drug out of storage again.

 

[LOL WUT]

Yes I am figuring on springs and shocks, or possibly going with a Metalcloak. Not yet sure about changing though. The Clayton has been good and just replacing the springs would be save quite a bit. I never really thought about selling the Clayton, is there much of a market for used lifts?

I'm in the process of buying the JTRD I mentioned above. I talked with the manager where the repair was done and it was the pump. The original owner got tired of waiting and they bought it back. It is further than I wanted to travel but it is exactly what I'm looking for. The purchase is contingent on my inspection but if I don't find anything wrong when I get out there, I will be able to brag about owning two Gladiators until the parts are moved over. Having both here for a few weeks might also keep my wife from getting too upset about everything being drug out of storage again.

Congrats!

 

[Idlethunder]

Congrats!

Thank you! Wish I could go get it this weekend but sadly it will be a few days

 

[Stuntman Mike]

The purchase is contingent on my inspection but if I don't find anything wrong when I get out there, I will be able to brag about owning two Gladiators until the parts are moved over. Having both here for a few weeks might also keep my wife from getting too upset about everything being drug out of storage again.

Congratulations.

And maybe you come to the conclusion that having the gasser together with the diesel is the best choice.

 

[Idlethunder]

A little hiccup on my end. I had planned to fly out to inspect and drive the ecodiesel on Tuesday but had to push it back until Friday. When I get there if nothing about it scares me off, I’ll drive it home after signing paperwork. The dealership that has it is almost 1,200 miles from here so having the weekend to drive home is actually better than hurrying during the week.

Assuming I end up buying it, Hot Shots fuel additive seems to be the easiest to find on a shelf but if anyone has other suggestions I’d appreciate it. I’ll have a 5 year old 3.0 with 40k on it that I don’t know the history of. With a long drive in front of me what would you run through it? Also, I do know they changed the oil a couple of weeks ago. Because I’ve always changed oil religiously and never had a related problem, I’ve never felt the need for an oil additive in any engine. Having said that, I’m now looking at a new situation with an unknown engine. Is there anything recommended I should add to the oil?

 

[MCGladJT]

No need to add anything to the oil, if they just changed it then you should be good. Personally I would change it again after the trip and then one more time after 3000 miles. Just to keep fresh oil running through it a bit, but I do tend to be very picky on engines I do not know the history.

One thing to ensure prior to leaving the dealer is DEF, dealers tend not to fill that so make sure they have it full before driving off. Bring a bottle of Rislone with you and dump it in the DEF tank. It will clean any crystalization that may have formed.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRSY78LR?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Lastly, I do use Hot Shots's Secret Everyday Diesel but only every other top off. I don't use it every fill up because it can end up with too much in a tank. Every other fill up seems to keep things clean and smooth. Or non at all, it is a personal choice.

Lastly, Congrats and good luck.

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