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

[Bandit’s Lair]

The difference between Rhino and LineX. Say Rhino is 36 grit and LineX is 600 grit. My bed lining is LineX. Wanted LineX, but the closest one was over 2.5 hrs away.

Can you or do you have someone close that can spray HVLP? Garage paint booth type stuff. If so check out MonstaLiner. It’s good stuff and sprays flat. It’s a roll on too but spray on it flattens. I’d love to do my whole Jeep in it. It is tintable.

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[Mud Pie]

I know it's a moot point at this stage, but how much weight did that stuff add to your bumper ? Instead of refinishing it again, would it be easier to take a belt sander to it to knock down some of the roughness ??

Mine came with the factory spray-in bedliner and when I was putting on my trail rails, the wrench slipped and I scuffed my knuckle on the liner. Slight abrasion that bled just a wee bit. If I did that to your bumper, there'd be a paramedic in my driveway yelling, "WE GOT A BLEEDER !!".

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

Knocking it down would be a super delicate process. It would probably look like mierde when it was done. Plus you’d be knocking out the material that makes the liner tougher. You could go over it with something like that black flex-seal or equivalent stuff from a big box if abrasion is a worry. Won’t last forever and won’t stand up to an impact but it could save you from bumper rash.

 

[Jeepmonster]

Installed weatherstrip to fill the gap in my rear fenders. Keep getting small gritty rocks stuck. Front ones were still okay with the foam rubber ones I've had for a couple years. The gap in the rears are more narrow since I replaced the plastic clips. The kerf makes it easier to apply in narrow gaps. Had to use a trim tool to push the kerf in. Link if anyone else is interested.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4GZ2WKC?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

 

[Mud Pie]

Jeepmonster -

I like your idea a lot !! I'm always picking leaves, stems, dead bugs out of that gap. I wondered why Jeep left such a wide gap to catch crap. Do you think slightly loosening the fender bolts, putting in the welt, then re-tightening the bolts would give longer lasting results ? My concern would be the piece working it's way loose or worse.

I've entertained the thought of cleaning out the gap then running a bead of clear or black urethane chalking along the joint. Finish it out by using one of those plastic scraper tools for countertops.

 

[Jeepmonster]

Jeepmonster -

I like your idea a lot !! I'm always picking leaves, stems, dead bugs out of that gap. I wondered why Jeep left such a wide gap to catch crap. Do you think slightly loosening the fender bolts, putting in the welt, then re-tightening the bolts would give longer lasting results ? My concern would be the piece working it's way loose or worse.

I've entertained the thought of cleaning out the gap then running a bead of clear or black urethane chalking along the joint. Finish it out by using one of those plastic scraper tools for countertops.

I can't remember if loosening the fender bolts opened the gap any. There were also plastic push clips. I walked out to my Jeep one afternoon and saw the fender barely hanging on. I was so mad. I thought someone had hit it and left, but there were no marks. Turns out that several clips were just "tired" and got stretched and loose over time. Both sides were like that, so I removed and replaced all of the clips. Now, the gap is much tighter, but little rocks keep collecting in there each time I've been out to the desert. The kerf has ridges (looks like barbs in the cross section) like wiper blades, so I'm hoping they stay wedged in. So far, I haven't had to make any adjustments since I put them in over the weekend. I looked for ones with deeper kerfs, but I couldn't find any (at least on Amazon).

 

[WILDHOBO]

I can't remember if loosening the fender bolts opened the gap any. There were also plastic push clips. I walked out to my Jeep one afternoon and saw the fender barely hanging on. I was so mad. I thought someone had hit it and left, but there were no marks. Turns out that several clips were just "tired" and got stretched and loose over time. Both sides were like that, so I removed and replaced all of the clips. Now, the gap is much tighter, but little rocks keep collecting in there each time I've been out to the desert. The kerf has ridges (looks like barbs in the cross section) like wiper blades, so I'm hoping they stay wedged in. So far, I haven't had to make any adjustments since I put them in over the weekend. I looked for ones with deeper kerfs, but I couldn't find any (at least on Amazon).

Yep. Unless the clips are pulled, loosening bolts won’t do anything to widen that gap. I think the only reason my clips are still good is that they’ve all been replaced 6 times. At least in the front. It’s my favorite way to easily access the fender areas.

 

[Stan H]

Yep. Unless the clips are pulled, loosening bolts won’t do anything to widen that gap. I think the only reason my clips are still good is that they’ve all been replaced 6 times. At least in the front. It’s my favorite way to easily access the fender areas.

Where do you even get those clips

 

[Mightytalldude]

Where do you even get those clips

Amazon are least expensive. Mopar, most expensive.
https://a.co/d/0dmWFCmC

 

[Mightytalldude]

I can't remember if loosening the fender bolts opened the gap any. There were also plastic push clips. I walked out to my Jeep one afternoon and saw the fender barely hanging on. I was so mad. I thought someone had hit it and left, but there were no marks. Turns out that several clips were just "tired" and got stretched and loose over time. Both sides were like that, so I removed and replaced all of the clips. Now, the gap is much tighter, but little rocks keep collecting in there each time I've been out to the desert. The kerf has ridges (looks like barbs in the cross section) like wiper blades, so I'm hoping they stay wedged in. So far, I haven't had to make any adjustments since I put them in over the weekend. I looked for ones with deeper kerfs, but I couldn't find any (at least on Amazon).

I've seen a post or two, think it was over on the JL forum a few years back for a filler that keeps rocks from getting lodged between the Rubicon flares and body.

Edit: Google'd it. https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...edging-in-gap-between-fender-and-body….47593/

 

[Stan H]

Amazon are least expensive. Mopar, most expensive.
https://a.co/d/0dmWFCmC

What an odd looking clip

 

[Mightytalldude]

What an odd looking clip

It's a Jeep thing.

 

[Stan H]

It's a Jeep thing.

Does this mean we are Odd

 

[Mightytalldude]

Does this mean we are Odd

Growing up I had bumper stickers, license plate surrounds, pins all upside down that said Why Be Normal. Hasn't changed in 50+ years.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Made myself totally sick for a few hours............ tried to run a wiring harness into the bed to supply power for my trailer winch and got so far and had to quit. Can't lay on a creeper working under things any more.
I did get the panel in and the wiring started, but this is as far as I got before I had to stop. At this rate working minutes at a time or when I don't care if I get a headache and dizzy - it will take days just to run the harness to the engine bay!

I also ran another wire in the bundle to hook an aux switch to the bumper mounted Oracle backup lights so I can run them any time I want for light at the rear. That's the reason the tail light is out..

This panel came from a forum member who prints them.

I'll likely run from here over to the left side and put a 12v outlet there to power things like a cooler and so on. I'll use the plastic panel they started putting on the left side of the bed in 24 model year for that.

Gotta run this up along the top of the frame and strap it to existing wiring, and up into the engine bay to connect to a breaker for the heavy wiring for the trailer winch, and the other to the terminal strip for the aux switches.

You can just see the diode in there - I'll connect the aux switch wire to the other terminal on that. The backup lights are already running through it to power the extra backup lights.

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