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

[Mud Pie]

I said previously how I was tempted to clean and wax my undercarriage, but I stopped myself.

Today I started to give in. Y'know what ? It looks good. Excessive, no doubt. I convinced myself that it wasn't Anal Retentive or OCD by saying this will protect the undercarriage and help prevent corrosion. I barely started before my Mother-in Law called needing help...

I fear I will continue tomorrow. And the next day, and the next......

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[Bandit’s Lair]

I said previously how I was tempted to clean and wax my undercarriage, but I stopped myself.

Today I started to give in. Y'know what ? It looks good. Excessive, no doubt. I convinced myself that it wasn't Anal Retentive or OCD by saying this will protect the undercarriage and help prevent corrosion. I barely started before my Mother-in Law called needing help...

I fear I will continue tomorrow. And the next day, and the next......

What are you using on this product wise?

 

[BlueScapegoat]

I couldn’t agree more. I’m familiar with all except iron rock. I’ll check them out. Thanks.

A local-to-me Minnesota business as well, but I was buying from them before I ever moved here.

Anyway, today:

Trimmed the coil bucket isolators for the C gussets.
Cleaned, installed, and sealed the FAD including the intermediate shaft and skid.
Disassembled, greased, and installed the JJ upper bushings.

I think I'm actually done with everything but putting the axles under the Jeep so that starts tomorrow

 

[JCappy]

Having a Super Duty with a V10, the blowby was bad enough that it would consume 1 quart+ of oil through the intake in less than 3000 miles. Early 2 valve V10's we're notorious for low oil levels. After adding the catch can to it, the intake stayed clean, still had to add oil to the engine regularly, but at least it wasn't coating the upper part of the engine. I got 175,000 miles out of the first engine, the second was still going strong when I sold it at 236,000 miles.

I added a catch can to my JT, get enough out of it during oil changes to raise an eyebrow, the blowby is minimal in comparison to the Super Duty, but enough that I'm good with the catch can keeping upper intake cleaner. For the question of reduced pressure, that's an mechanical engineer question. I like it for my own peace of mind.

I obviously knew you had one, and I’m not a mechanical engineer either. So I’m just discussing. Not trying to tell people they’re not doing the right thing. Does yours also look like chocolate milk, indicating for me that water is in the can?

I had one in my 2017 Tacoma for many miles and oil changes. The liquid was the same milky substance. Combination of water and oil. Never had any issues with the engine and pressure. Hose in and hose out of the can with no restriction of air flow to the PCV valve. Engine ran great and I was happy that gunk wasn't directed back into the engine. Have not installed one on the Gladiator yet but it has been on the back of my mind. Did a similar thing with my Harley but there is no catch can attached and no moisture going back in the engine.

 

[Mud Pie]

What are you using on this product wise?

Last week I pressure washed it while I waited for the kitty litter to absorb my massive driveway oil spill (posted elsewhere). This morning I rubbed the areas down with Simple Green on a rag to further clean it all up. Then, being I had no other wax, I used Griots Best of Show wax. Kinda pricey wax for this silly project, but it's what I had. Squirt a little wax on a rag, rubbed it on, let it sit for 15 minutes, rubbed it off with a clean rag. No hard scrubbing needed. Quite easy, actually. Totally unnecessary, also.

Caution: I don't recommend tackling this unless you got a whole lotta time. I do. When you clean one part up, the uncleaned parts looks even dirtier. Creates one helluva snowball effect. Plus, when your neighbor asks, "Whatcha working on ?" and you say what you're doing, you get, "Whadehell is wrong with you ??".

 

[Rusty PW]

A local-to-me Minnesota business as well, but I was buying from them before I ever moved here.

Anyway, today:

Trimmed the coil bucket isolators for the C gussets.
Cleaned, installed, and sealed the FAD including the intermediate shaft and skid.
Disassembled, greased, and installed the JJ upper bushings.

I think I'm actually done with everything but putting the axles under the Jeep so that starts tomorrow

How hard was those front upper JJ's to install? I have a set that's been sitting for 2 yrs on the shelf.

 

[BlueScapegoat]

How hard was those front upper JJ's to install? I have a set that's been sitting for 2 yrs on the shelf.

Assuming you have the tool, which I think they normally come with, they hammer out easy.

In regards to installing the new ones, I was hammering them in hard enough solo with a 5 lb hammer that the axle was about to fall off the jack stands so I used a ball joint press to push them in easy peasy. If the axle was installed it'd be easier.

They definitely need disassembled and greased first.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Last week I pressure washed it while I waited for the kitty litter to absorb my massive driveway oil spill (posted elsewhere). This morning I rubbed the areas down with Simple Green on a rag to further clean it all up. Then, being I had no other wax, I used Griots Best of Show wax. Kinda pricey wax for this silly project, but it's what I had. Squirt a little wax on a rag, rubbed it on, let it sit for 15 minutes, rubbed it off with a clean rag. No hard scrubbing needed. Quite easy, actually. Totally unnecessary, also.

Caution: I don't recommend tackling this unless you got a whole lotta time. I do. When you clean one part up, the uncleaned parts looks even dirtier. Creates one helluva snowball effect. Plus, when your neighbor asks, "Whatcha working on ?" and you say what you're doing, you get, "Whadehell is wrong with you ??".

The answer for that neighbor, “what the hell is wrong with YOU? Cuz I’m kick-ass.”

 

[WILDHOBO]

How hard was those front upper JJ's to install? I have a set that's been sitting for 2 yrs on the shelf.

I never thought to replace that factory joint.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Assuming you have the tool, which I think they normally come with,
they hammer out easy.

In regards to installing the new ones, I was hammering them in hard enough solo with a 5 lb hammer that the axle was about to fall of the jack stands so I used a ball joint press to push them in easy peasy. If the axle was installed it'd be easier.

They definitely need disassembled and greased first.

I have a Johnny joint press that would likely do it, but I can’t image it’s fun regardless.

if that joint in the axle flexes way more than the semi rigid Oem style, could the arm itself be damaged by contacting the casting? My impression of that over the tower design was that they only wanted that joint to “mostly” move up and down.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

Last week I pressure washed it while I waited for the kitty litter to absorb my massive driveway oil spill (posted elsewhere). This morning I rubbed the areas down with Simple Green on a rag to further clean it all up. Then, being I had no other wax, I used Griots Best of Show wax. Kinda pricey wax for this silly project, but it's what I had. Squirt a little wax on a rag, rubbed it on, let it sit for 15 minutes, rubbed it off with a clean rag. No hard scrubbing needed. Quite easy, actually. Totally unnecessary, also.

Caution: I don't recommend tackling this unless you got a whole lotta time. I do. When you clean one part up, the uncleaned parts looks even dirtier. Creates one helluva snowball effect. Plus, when your neighbor asks, "Whatcha working on ?" and you say what you're doing, you get, "Whadehell is wrong with you ??".

Ah ok. So just regular car wax works. I’ve got a tub of Turtle Wax. I should probably use it every now and again.

 

[Gatorized]

Im using the 3rd cam(rear cam) from my @WOLFBOX G900 Tripro. Currently soldering an extension to the extended harness lol.

I’m curious how you protect the connectors when you are not towing the trailer? Does Wolfbox not have an extension cable to make wiring to a trailer plug and play?

 

[Rusty PW]

Assuming you have the tool, which I think they normally come with,
they hammer out easy.

In regards to installing the new ones, I was hammering them in hard enough solo with a 5 lb hammer that the axle was about to fall of the jack stands so I used a ball joint press to push them in easy peasy. If the axle was installed it'd be easier.

They definitely need disassembled and greased first.

I was thinking on using a ball joint press to remove and install them. I have the tools that came with them.

 

[Mud Pie]

Installed 6 red rock lights from Nilights. What a PIA to crawl back and forth under the JT .
Hope it was worth it. it looks cool with the red lights though..

I'm considering ordering a four white light set, but using them other than rock lights. My thought is to wire them up to my interior lights (if possible) and mount one light behind each step on my rock rails. Hit the unlock button, the steps light up. That'll make it easier for my wife and Mother in Law to see the steps in the dark.

 

[BlueScapegoat]

I never thought to replace that factory joint.

If you're JJ on all the other arms, in my experience with my TJ, it really helps to tighten up the suspensions and get rid of that last little reverb. Yet to confirm on the Gladiator but so far the changes I've made translate just the same.

I have a Johnny joint press that would likely do it, but I can’t image it’s fun regardless.

if that joint in the axle flexes way more than the semi rigid Oem style, could the arm itself be damaged by contacting the casting? My impression of that over the tower design was that they only wanted that joint to “mostly” move up and down.

The JJ press service tool you buy from RockJock is for rebuilding the joints in a vise. It doesn't directly facilitate the removal/replacement of joints in the axle ears but some parts can assist. You need a ball joint press or a bfh. The new joints can be ordered with a two piece tool that assists in hammering the old joints out and new joints in but it's different than the JJ tools I posted earlier. And it's not a press in and of itself, just a driver.

::edit:: the more I think about it you might be able to use the JJ tool to press the new joint body in but I don't think the threaded rod is up to the task. It's designed to press a rubber bushing, not an interference fit metal/metal bushing. Use a bfh or ball joint press, don't break your handy JJ tool. The official tool of choice by RockJock and Currie is a BFH and their driver tool.

No, I don't think interference between the arm and the mount is an issue. Whether the joint is fixed in the axle or the arm the angle it sees is going to be the same. I don't actually know the reasoning for why they press the bushings into the front axle from the factory. The JJ ball through the joint provides plenty of offset and is offered in several different widths for different setups. It'll allow enough movement.

I was thinking on using a ball joint press to remove and install them. I have the tools that came with them.

Easy Peasy.

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