What did you do TO your Gladiator today? [ADMIN WARNING: NO POLITICS, NO GUN TALK]

[WILDHOBO]

Another thing I've been chasing... a damn air leak whistle somewhere.

I tried reseating the freedom panels, tried "reseating" the read slide window, and tried retightening the top bolts, but it's still there. I think it's in the rear of the cab, and if I crack any one of the windows it stops. Going to pull the panels and top this afternoon and clean all the seals and see if any need reconditioning.

Got a 3,000 mile trip starting next week and I DO NOT want to listen to this the entire time...

I’ve got one too. Have you checked under the hood cowls at the a pillars? I think mine is there. I’ve fixed it once with tape, but I think it wore off. Painters tape. I was lazy.

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[JTdiRtyD]

I’ve got one too. Have you checked under the hood cowls at the a pillars? I think mine is there. I’ve fixed it once with tape, but I think it wore off. Painters tape. I was lazy.

I do have to get into there to remove my GMRS ant cable and rerun it out the back, so maybe I'll do that sooner than later and see if the issue is there. It really sounds like it's coming from the rear of the cab though.

 

[Shibbyjeep]

Yeah, it seems counter intuitive at first glance. There is a prevailing theory mainly on the JL side but also pans on the JT side that in stock form whether you have for instances a base sport (for which I do) and across all models to include the Rubicon and Mojave with the taller springs and ride height, they all use the same factory length control arms.

That means the Rubicon and Mojave are at their max limits in terms of castor with the factory control arms. Putting on the MOPAR 2" lift kit control arms with the extra 1/4" of length on a factory Rubicon or Mojave without any other lift will give better handling with the increase of castor.

My base Sport while it started off with the factory suspension, I have installed the Spring Set out of a Diesel Rubicon JT with the steel bumper option into my base sport that has also given me close to 1.75" of lift from the factory Sport springs. Couple that with me recently installing a set of Mojave axles, I have a bit more going on and hence why I went with the MOPAR lift kit extended length arms.

Been a thread or two hear of others doing the same thing with their JT's for the same reason but is a more popular mod on the JL side.

Makes sense. Learn something new everyday!

 

[Mightytalldude]

Another thing I've been chasing... a damn air leak whistle somewhere.

I tried reseating the freedom panels, tried "reseating" the read slide window, and tried retightening the top bolts, but it's still there. I think it's in the rear of the cab, and if I crack any one of the windows it stops. Going to pull the panels and top this afternoon and clean all the seals and see if any need reconditioning.

Got a 3,000 mile trip starting next week and I DO NOT want to listen to this the entire time...

If you take the cowl covers off, there's a point below the windshield where there's a gap. Usually filled with sealant, but not always. It's a source of wind noise. I put duct seal tape there, noise went away. Something to look at.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Replaced my @Metalcloak rear swaybar reinforcement brackets. To be EXTREMELY CLEAR, the brackets did exactly what they were designed to do. I installed them in 2022 before the rubicon, and have pushed my swaybar up with rocks too many times to count. The passenger side now, just after Pritchett this year (2nd time) had a slight bend that was affecting link alignment it just wasn’t parallel with the frame anymore. Swapped them and tapped the frame bracket back to straight with a dead blow before reinstall. These brackets have ensured that I still have those brackets intact after so much abuse. By fixing the angle, and replacing the fasteners with new zinc flake m12x1.5x90mm, everything is straight and strong again. This should hold up to near anything I throw at them. I’d replaced bent links and hardware several times on the trail or in parts store parking lots several times. No idea when the bolts ended up different lengths.

 

[Stan H]

Well, it was overdue as I bent another rim ( very slightly) and the Mickey MT's just would not balance out right and the closer they reached the wore out stage they were abusivly loud and have always had a slight egg shape. Off road the MT's where Masters. On the road they left alot to be desired. Even not pushing water out on heavily soaked roads. I am keeping the 2 best ones for spare tires. And will carry one with me .

So today I got my Fittapaldi off road K101's mounted and some new shoes to go with it . Kenda Klever RT's.. to actually be so quiet I could hear the engine reving up was pretty awesome. All vibration went bye bye as well.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Well, it was overdue as I bent another rim ( very slightly) and the Mickey MT's just would not balance out right and the closer they reached the wore out stage they were abusivly loud and have always had a slight egg shape. Off road the MT's where Masters. On the road they left alot to be desired. Even not pushing water out on heavily soaked roads. I am keeping the 2 best ones for spare tires. And will carry one with me .

So today I got my Fittapaldi off road K101's mounted and some new shoes to go with it . Kenda Klever RT's.. to actually be so quiet I could hear the engine reving up was pretty awesome. All vibration went bye bye as well.

Glad you got that worked out. Mine do balance, but I agree that they aren’t as good on the road as the ATs were. But I guess I expected that. I’ll be watching to see if they get worse as they wear. 2,400 miles of towing in less than 2 weeks will be an indicator.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I changed my mind and added blue thread locker to my new diff cover bolts, front and rear. My paint marks alerted me that a few had loosened up in Moab a few weeks ago. I tightened them of course, but didn’t like that they loosened at all. So did all 24 and redid the paint marks.

 

[Stan H]

Glad you got that worked out. Mine do balance, but I agree that they aren’t as good on the road as the ATs were. But I guess I expected that. I’ll be watching to see if they get worse as they wear. 2,400 miles of towing in less than 2 weeks will be an indicator.

They did really good for about 20K .

 

[WILDHOBO]

They did really good for about 20K .

Interesting. Ok. I’ll watch them.

 

[MrSmile]

Not my gladiator but I finally swapped out my fuel tank skid on my JK

 

[Lost1wing]

I changed the oil and finally put the Bilsteins 5100's on. Rides much better now. Rotation was done earlier when I had the Fox shocks off, thinking I would just go to the store and pick them up. Ended up waiting for Summit to fulfill their backorder. I had the darned things for a month now. My timing is off.

 

[JTdiRtyD]

I changed the oil and finally put the Bilsteins 5100's on. Rides much better now. Rotation was done earlier when I had the Fox shocks off, thinking I would just go to the store and pick them up. Ended up waiting for Summit to fulfill their backorder. I had the darned things for a month now. My timing is off.

When you say better, how so? I've been told the 5100s will be a tad stiffer feeling compared to the Fox. I wasn't really able to compare becasue I went to AEV HD springs all at the same time.

 

[Lost1wing]

When you say better, how so? I've been told the 5100s will be a tad stiffer feeling compared to the Fox. I wasn't really able to compare becasue I went to AEV HD springs all at the same time.

My Fox shocks were shot. The Bilsteins work really well with the extra weight I carry around. I only drove it off road at the house and I no longer bounce around. Definitely a firmer ride, but with my weight, I don’t feel any pounding going over logs and rocks. I like them. My wife will drive it on the highway tomorrow . I can't wait for her report. The last time she drove it, she claimed it felt like an old baby buggy.

 

[RS3]

Installed the Grim winch plate and Badlands 12k# winch.

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