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

[Freems]

I’m regretting purchasing this MP concepts bumper. It’s been nothing but a PITA. The winch plate is junk and I couldn’t get it to line up after many hours of messing with it and even modifying it. For my sanity, I order a Warn winch plate. It’s stronger and a better design. Now, I’m really not happy with the finish. The flat powder coat scratches super easily. Since, I’m waiting on the new winch plate, today I pulled it all apart and repainted it. I’m on the fence if I’m going to clear it. I might let it cure for a week and clear it or I might leave it. Anyway, several hundred dollars later, I should have just bought a different bumper. $400 for the winch plate and $80 worth of paint and supplies. It’s a sunk cost now and I’m making the best of it. I’ll probably end up clearing it. I already bought the flat clear and that semi gloss is shinier than my rear bumper. Oh yeah, I painted the bolts too because the finish was poorly adhered and coming off.

I’ve been really pleased with the quality of my body armor rear bumper, but I cannot recommend this MP Concepts front bumper. I wish I’d read more reviews. I saw a lot of similar complaints when I was looking for some work arounds to the issues I encountered.

Sorry to hear your issues, did you have it powder coated? In my experience with powder coating it does Not scratch easily if applied correctly. If you went flat stay flat on your clear…mixing a semi gloss clear on top of a flat paint can turn out weird.

Sponsored

 

[Txrunner]

Since I didn’t get heated seats, I looked at other options without paying crazy prices. Wanted cooling seats too for Gulf Coast summers. Found this & took a chance. Was skeptical but this is definitely legit at just over $100.

Paffenery Comfortable Seat Cover,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN5J9QK8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


Also installed the Barricade Enhanced Rubi Rails

https://www.extremeterrain.com/barr...nhanced-rubi-rails-textured-black-jg2564.html

I know this is an old post but looking at the enhanced rubi rails & can‘t find how much the step rail measures out from the rock rail. Can you use it as a step easily? Do you know how much it extends out? Thanks

 

[NC_Overland]

Sorry to hear your issues, did you have it powder coated? In my experience with powder coating it does Not scratch easily if applied correctly. If you went flat stay flat on your clear…mixing a semi gloss clear on top of a flat paint can turn out weird.

It was powder coated from the factory. It didn’t scratch through the paint, but it easily got marks like this on it, which I understand is common on flat black powder coating.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It was powder coated from the factory. It didn’t scratch through the paint, but it easily got marks like this on it, which I understand is common on flat black powder coating.

I'm surprised they sell them in flat black as the factory bumpers aren't flat. It's a brighter, blacker black than that for sure. Not glossy, of course, but definitely not flat.

It's not always easy painting over powdercoating - it is a plastic and traditional means don't always work out well. It can, but not always.

 

[WILDHOBO]

this isn't so much of what i did today but the last 10 days. around memorial day 2024 i ordered from expedition one their bumper mounted tire carrier. they were correct when they said delivery in eight weeks. i painted it immediately with vht rollbar paint and then got involved in a multitude of projects with the house, yard and barn. part of the workshop build out included a 1500 lb electric winch from harbor freight. its primary use will be for mower maintenance but would come in handy for this project. the oem rubicon bumper removal was easy however exp 1 required cutting the harness to add new license plate lights. i opted to crimp on a pair of open spades on each new light, cut one leg of each and insert them into the oem plug. a little wire shrink wrap and black tape later, all was good. when working alone it is easy to develop a 3rd and 4th hand when installing heavy or bulky parts. at about this time the bride comes out and asks "what's in the tire?". so after a brief interruption i finished the spare tire project. i topped it off with a hitch mounted skid plate from body armor. it got a workout at morris mountain off road park in AL this past weekend. it is an excellent venue that the Georgia Jeep Alliance recommended. the 3rd brake light is two 4" exterior LED strips that i got at a parts store. i wired it into the oem 3rd brake light in the same manner as the l p lights. the oem camera is now in an unused sensor hole in the bumper. yes it is low, yes it is off centered, yes it does see the side off the hitch skid. from 1977-2021 i never owned a vehicle with a backup camera. i'm ok with what i have now.
a second delayed project was installing the noco genius 2d charger and AC port plug. i bought this last summer to stave off the inevitable battery death, primary or auxiliary. regrettably the primary gave up the ghost 3 months ago. my new 74 series is on charge every night while the aux was bypassed.
a project i started a year ago was installing an ecomoment gt801 camera system. i did everything then except hard mount the rear facing camera as i wanted to do it after the tire relocation. the unit was wired so it would turn on when the vehicle was turned off. the motion sensor will fire it up if the jeep is jarred. think motel parking lot at 3am.
now before the haters start hating i know about extra weight behind the rear axle. view it if you will as constantly pulling a trailer with a 250 lb tongue weight. additionally i do not engage in high speed whoopie-doos so i shouldn't fold the jeep in half. it is a nice piece of mind knowing that i now carry a full size spare. 40" spare.

Lots of work. Nice job. That think looks massive now.

 

[WILDHOBO]

A couple days ago I took the Baja boss AT 37x12.5 tires off the 17x9 Fuel wheels with -12 offset because I didn’t like that much poke and mounted them on a set of 17x7.5” 392 takeoffs. This morning I drove them over an hour to the closest Discount Tire and had them road force balanced. I had tried two local shops but was still getting some feedback thru the steering wheel at highway speeds.

DIscount tire did a great job and they drove fine on the ride home. Now it seems I may be looking to trade the 5 Fuels with -12 offset for a set with 0 to get my full range of steering back. The tires don’t rub now after I added a few washers to the steering stops but the loss is noticeable

For what it’s worth for next time, Mickey Thomson specifically recommends against road force balancing on that tire model. I have the same ones and have had no problems getting them balanced.

 

[WILDHOBO]

A couple days ago I took the Baja boss AT 37x12.5 tires off the 17x9 Fuel wheels with -12 offset because I didn’t like that much poke and mounted them on a set of 17x7.5” 392 takeoffs. This morning I drove them over an hour to the closest Discount Tire and had them road force balanced. I had tried two local shops but was still getting some feedback thru the steering wheel at highway speeds.

DIscount tire did a great job and they drove fine on the ride home. Now it seems I may be looking to trade the 5 Fuels with -12 offset for a set with 0 to get my full range of steering back. The tires don’t rub now after I added a few washers to the steering stops but the loss is noticeable

Without wheel spacers, they’re going to rub like mad offroad.

 

[JCappy]

What I did to her was put her to work. First time I needed to tow anything since purchase. Very pleased with how it handled the load.

 

[NC_Overland]

I'm surprised they sell them in flat black as the factory bumpers aren't flat. It's a brighter, blacker black than that for sure. Not glossy, of course, but definitely not flat.

It's not always easy painting over powdercoating - it is a plastic and traditional means don't always work out well. It can, but not always.

That’s after I scuffed it up with a scotchbrite. It’s also not supposed to be an exact copy. It’s made of forged aluminum.

That’s what it looked like when I took it out of the box.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

What I did to her was put her to work. First time I needed to tow anything since purchase. Very pleased with how it handled the load.

These really do a nice job for a multi-use small truck. They actually work like trucks. I've hauled some heavy stuff in the bed, and of course tow my car hauler -
I really like seeing pictures of these things working like TRUCKS.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

That’s after I scuffed it up with a scotchbrite. It’s also not supposed to be an exact copy. It’s made of forged aluminum.

That’s what it looked like when I took it out of the box.

That picture is a lot closer to the "proper Jeep finish".
Yeah, they are aluminum and that's why I ALMOST bought one for my Overland years back - but had the steel bumper already and decided to live with the weight of the steel.

 

[JCappy]

These really do a nice job for a multi-use small truck. They actually work like trucks. I've hauled some heavy stuff in the bed, and of course tow my car hauler -
I really like seeing pictures of these things working like TRUCKS.

I agree. I like using it as a truck. Have done it many times. I originally thought about using the bed BUT based on the weight rating I decided it best to use the trailer with the higher rating.

 

[Gizmo]

Installed Currie Rock Jock High Steer kit. I am sore as hell being almost 71 but it was worth it . Next to no steering correction required on roads that will rock ya left and right and did take a bigger steering wheel input before. It was never bad but I knew it could be better . Did exactly what I wanted .

 

[grandsrus]

this isn't so much of what i did today but the last 10 days. around memorial day 2024 i ordered from expedition one their bumper mounted tire carrier. they were correct when they said delivery in eight weeks. i painted it immediately with vht rollbar paint and then got involved in a multitude of projects with the house, yard and barn. part of the workshop build out included a 1500 lb electric winch from harbor freight. its primary use will be for mower maintenance but would come in handy for this project. the oem rubicon bumper removal was easy however exp 1 required cutting the harness to add new license plate lights. i opted to crimp on a pair of open spades on each new light, cut one leg of each and insert them into the oem plug. a little wire shrink wrap and black tape later, all was good. when working alone it is easy to develop a 3rd and 4th hand when installing heavy or bulky parts. at about this time the bride comes out and asks "what's in the tire?". so after a brief interruption i finished the spare tire project. i topped it off with a hitch mounted skid plate from body armor. it got a workout at morris mountain off road park in AL this past weekend. it is an excellent venue that the Georgia Jeep Alliance recommended. the 3rd brake light is two 4" exterior LED strips that i got at a parts store. i wired it into the oem 3rd brake light in the same manner as the l p lights. the oem camera is now in an unused sensor hole in the bumper. yes it is low, yes it is off centered, yes it does see the side off the hitch skid. from 1977-2021 i never owned a vehicle with a backup camera. i'm ok with what i have now.
a second delayed project was installing the noco genius 2d charger and AC port plug. i bought this last summer to stave off the inevitable battery death, primary or auxiliary. regrettably the primary gave up the ghost 3 months ago. my new 74 series is on charge every night while the aux was bypassed.
a project i started a year ago was installing an ecomoment gt801 camera system. i did everything then except hard mount the rear facing camera as i wanted to do it after the tire relocation. the unit was wired so it would turn on when the vehicle was turned off. the motion sensor will fire it up if the jeep is jarred. think motel parking lot at 3am.
now before the haters start hating i know about extra weight behind the rear axle. view it if you will as constantly pulling a trailer with a 250 lb tongue weight. additionally i do not engage in high speed whoopie-doos so i shouldn't fold the jeep in half. it is a nice piece of mind knowing that i now carry a full size spare. 40" spare.

Nice shop.

 

[agoldxj]

A pillar black outs done, another thanks to Greg @Underground Graphics for sending the replacement piece I screwed up.

Sponsored