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

[ShadowsPapa]

I wouldn’t have gotten mine in even that far in the old garage. Glad you got it in. It’ll make it so much easier to do bits at a time. Sorry the tremors are jacking with you so much. I really am. When I start to fall apart more, I’m going to have a tough time with it emotionally. I like doing things myself.

I ended up moving some things around. So it's not as tight as I feared at first.
Luckily my plating bench is on casters - hasn't been moved in 10 years so it took a bit to get the casters to roll. In the end, made enough room up front so it will be fine.
I did have to roll things in the middle - like the lathe and oven, over close to the Javelin. This truck is big to compared to the cars I usually had in there.

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[WILDHOBO]

I ended up moving some things around. So it's not as tight as I feared at first.
Luckily my plating bench is on casters - hasn't been moved in 10 years so it took a bit to get the casters to roll. In the end, made enough room up front so it will be fine.
I did have to roll things in the middle - like the lathe and oven, over close to the Javelin. This truck is big to compared to the cars I usually had in there.

Wow. To be able to plate your own parts. So cool.

 

[Freems]

DIY JT Bed Storage Project…
This project started with my neighbor cleaning his garage…throwing away a truck bed Weather Guard box…didn’t fit his current truck, tired of stepping on it and gave it to me.
Quick tape measure and made a plan, simple, remove a 7/8” slice off each end of the box to make a perfect fit in between the JT wheel wells. The box sits a perfect height in the bed for my needs.
A couple of rust spots and metal repairs then a coat of Rustolium base primer.
Didn’t want to drill holes in the bed for mounting the box, so drilled two holes for 3/4” dia. Bolts on both newly recovered ends that were cut. Cut one 3/4” nut in half with the band saw for lock nuts for the bolts that will apply pressure against the wheel wells to secure the storage box from any movement.
To allow for top lid opening space behind the box I built two brackets to hold it the distance and height off the bed floor to safely hold and store my Koplin 4 gal fuel storage tank. Nutzerted the box to hold the brackets, making sure that the bottom of my trail rail holds the top of the fuel tank tight in place.
The inside was sanded and primed with the original white paint. Also a 3/4” close cell dense foam pad was added for heavier loads. Shot the outside Black. Had keys made for it and got the final install finished today.

 

[Mightytalldude]

Took a couple days off from working on the Gladiator to work on some other projects.

Finished buttoning up the new winter daily. Going to try to keep the salt of the Gladiator, unless it's a winter road trip of course. I do love snow wheeling.

Got the ram in, all lines run, intercooler pipes back in and started the bleeding process. It's slow going. The line from the rear of the steering box to the driver's side port on the ram was one of the most difficult single things I've had to do on a vehicle. Funny how the indisputably high-end parts providers don't really provide much in the way of instructions (looking at you PSC and Savvy) but when they do provide instructions they just gloss over the most difficult parts. It's like they know it's going to suck and they don't really have a great way to do it either so they just show in detail how to position the lines off the ram then just rush right through "(oh and then hook them up on the other end real quick.)"

If I were to do it again, I'd just hook those lines up first before dropping the box into place. It needs to get lowered in from the top anyway, just snake the lines through. Would have saved me 4 hours today and a partially cross-threaded fitting. And I'd probably still have skin on my fingers.

Aaaaaaand I'm just realizing now as I'm typing this that the ram is installed the wrong way around. Well, I guess not technically wrong, but it'd make more sense for the cylinder body to be fixed in place and not dragging the lines around. I'll have to flip that around in the morning.

Nice ride. Manual transmission on the Forester? If so, I would recommend the Tranquil input shaft sleeve kit from PDM USA when it's time for a new clutch. https://pdmusa.com/ I know the owner, Father-in-Law. Brother-in-law used to own Sumo parts, and had a wild built-up Forester he used to showcase his products before his wife passed away. My wife has owned many Subarus over the years but now with a JLU. I do appreciate a good looking Subaru when I see one.

 

[BlueScapegoat]

Nice ride. Manual transmission on the Forester? If so, I would recommend the Tranquil input shaft sleeve kit from PDM USA when it's time for a new clutch. https://pdmusa.com/ I know the owner, Father-in-Law. Brother-in-law used to own Sumo parts, and had a wild built-up Forester he used to showcase his products before his wife passed away. My wife has owned many Subarus over the years but now with a JLU. I do appreciate a good looking Subaru when I see one.

It's an 04 XT, 5 speed, about 95k miles. Turbo awd for the folks not familiar. Just did the valve cover gaskets, plugs, timing belt and pulleys, water pump/thermostat. I'm not sure if it's original clutch still or not, but I'll keep that sleeve in mind. The timing belt looked like it was possibly still original, so like 11 years past due

 

[Bluefalcon]

Installed the Mopar Aux Switch Kit. Didn't de-pin the connector but just spliced into the orange wire and continued on. I did try for a bit to get the pin out but was struggling with the de-pin kit ...

Half rack on the back

 

[WILDHOBO]

DIY JT Bed Storage Project…
This project started with my neighbor cleaning his garage…throwing away a truck bed Weather Guard box…didn’t fit his current truck, tired of stepping on it and gave it to me.
Quick tape measure and made a plan, simple, remove a 7/8” slice off each end of the box to make a perfect fit in between the JT wheel wells. The box sits a perfect height in the bed for my needs.
A couple of rust spots and metal repairs then a coat of Rustolium base primer.
Didn’t want to drill holes in the bed for mounting the box, so drilled two holes for 3/4” dia. Bolts on both newly recovered ends that were cut. Cut one 3/4” nut in half with the band saw for lock nuts for the bolts that will apply pressure against the wheel wells to secure the storage box from any movement.
To allow for top lid opening space behind the box I built two brackets to hold it the distance and height off the bed floor to safely hold and store my Koplin 4 gal fuel storage tank. Nutzerted the box to hold the brackets, making sure that the bottom of my trail rail holds the top of the fuel tank tight in place.
The inside was sanded and primed with the original white paint. Also a 3/4” close cell dense foam pad was added for heavier loads. Shot the outside Black. Had keys made for it and got the final install finished today.

Nicely done.

 

[MPMB]

I kind of just want the motor gone now. Might as well rip out the last original part.

<cough>https://www.copart.com/lot/67934925/2023-jeep-wrangler-rubicon-392-or-portland-north<cough>

 

[WILDHOBO]

<cough>https://www.copart.com/lot/67934925/2023-jeep-wrangler-rubicon-392-or-portland-north<cough>

That’s pretty much the idea at some point. But I think I’d rather a low miles salvage with a simple 5.7.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Wow. To be able to plate your own parts. So cool.

it got me in trouble a few times - wanted to do my own, and maybe for someone else just now and then............. found out I have trouble saying "no".

I told my wife of the troubles I had just mounting a couple of parts, dropping things, trouble getting screws and nuts started, dropping screwdrivers - she said - do what I can and forget the rest for now at least until after surgery.
I have a feeling I need to start looking for a shop that can finish this.

 

[WILDHOBO]

it got me in trouble a few times - wanted to do my own, and maybe for someone else just now and then............. found out I have trouble saying "no".

I told my wife of the troubles I had just mounting a couple of parts, dropping things, trouble getting screws and nuts started, dropping screwdrivers - she said - do what I can and forget the rest for now at least until after surgery.
I have a feeling I need to start looking for a shop that can finish this.

I’m sure with your connections someone would come over to give you a hand.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I’m sure with your connections someone would come over to give you a hand.

Jerry has offered.
I've taken advantage of his help so much I almost feel bad saying yes, please.

 

[drewcnit]

Went to Windrock this past weekend, had a little too much rowdy fun in the big rocks and ate my rear driveshaft, mind you it's a custom length, 2 pc Adam's that was installed in February and has had 7 trail days on it. I mean I get it, we got rowdy on some double black trails on Friday, but sheesh was expecting it to be a bit tougher.

Emailed Adam's and they are reviewing the close to a dozen photos I sent them.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Jerry has offered.
I've taken advantage of his help so much I almost feel bad saying yes, please.

If he’s anyone like me, he’d be more taken aback if you don’t accept. I really like helping with this stuff. I have a friend that felt bad and didn’t accept, and I think a shop took advantage. I really wanted to have helped.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

If he’s anyone like me, he’d be more taken aback if you don’t accept. I really like helping with this stuff. I have a friend that felt bad and didn’t accept, and I think a shop took advantage. I really wanted to have helped.

I said Thursday and Friday were target days......... so maybe we can get something done.

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