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

[Shibbyjeep]

Surprisingly enough I've got too much bump stop for the 40s. Looks like I can take a solid 2" out of the front. Only place the tires rub is just the slightest kiss on the front control arms.

Ran it up the Mesabi Trail as well for my trail badge. I've run the TJ up it before but never expected to get the Gladiator up it. Some tight squeezes. Dropped on the factory rock rails a couple times and bent the left one up, dented the cab. Used every skid plate. Worked flawlessly otherwise. Surprisingly never smacked the hitch.

Oh, and the front coil rubs the steersmarts brace. Don't hear it, but it's making contact. I suppose could be a result of pushing the axle forward. Might address it. Might not.

I know you sit higher, but I was dragging my hitch skid all over Moab lol. Also shoveling sand. Screenshot from a video "too large to post"

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[BlueScapegoat]

I know you sit higher, but I was dragging my hitch skid all over Moab lol. Also shoveling sand. Screenshot from a video "too large to post"

I was on the fence about a rear bumper. I like the Artec more than any other and it can incorporate a hitch but at $2500+ all in it's a bit much. Kind of figured I'd just take an angle grinder with me (as I have today) and if it's hindering me too much I'll cut it off.

The truth is I don't know how much I'll be towing with 40s and a triangulated rear anymore anyway. But I'd prefer to retain that ability.

I don't really get the concept behind the hitch skids if I'm completely honest.

 

[Rusty PW]

Damn I'm surprised you were able to take that much material off of it. I'll take a look.

I removed metal down to the weld. Then rounded that corner with the belt sander.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Surprisingly enough I've got too much bump stop for the 40s. Looks like I can take a solid 2" out of the front. Only place the tires rub is just the slightest kiss on the front control arms.

Ran it up the Mesabi Trail as well for my trail badge. I've run the TJ up it before but never expected to get the Gladiator up it. Some tight squeezes. Dropped on the factory rock rails a couple times and bent the left one up, dented the cab. Used every skid plate. Worked flawlessly otherwise. Surprisingly never smacked the hitch.

Oh, and the front coil rubs the steersmarts brace. Don't hear it, but it's making contact. I suppose could be a result of pushing the axle forward. Might address it. Might not.

I have the same brace with a 4.5” lift and the coil isn’t as close to it.definitely no contact. But mine isn’t perfect up front either. Not by a long shot.

 

[Shibbyjeep]

I was on the fence about a rear bumper. I like the Artec more than any other and it can incorporate a hitch but at $2500+ all in it's a bit much. Kind of figured I'd just take an angle grinder with me (as I have today) and if it's hindering me too much I'll cut it off.

The truth is I don't know how much I'll be towing with 40s and a triangulated rear anymore anyway. But I'd prefer to retain that ability.

I don't really get the concept behind the hitch skids if I'm completely honest.

It wasn't shoveling sand everywhere. The hitch skid def kept my bumper off of many things, atleast in the center.

 

[Pliny]

Got into the rear diff and pulled the locker position sensor that had failed:

It's not supposed to have any gear oil in it, let alone be half full. I got the potted sensors installed front and rear. Sensor #1 in the repair kit worked for the rear, or at least made the "Service Axle Locker" warning go away and the trouble code stop being active. Used JScan to clear the faults and the fault didn't come back, so that is promising.

 

[WILDHOBO]

It wasn't shoveling sand everywhere. The hitch skid def kept my bumper off of many things, atleast in the center.

They absolutely work. I’d be on my 7th rear bumper instead of my second. And the first one was still fine to protect the body.

 

[BlueScapegoat]

It wasn't shoveling sand everywhere. The hitch skid def kept my bumper off of many things, atleast in the center.

Won't the hitch itself do that?

I'm not criticizing or doubting at all, just trying to understand the premise here. Seems like a reduction of clearance to prevent wear on something I can just rattle can later?

 

[professorkx]

I finally grew tired of phones laying on the console and always dropping on the floor, so went in search of a solution. I also wanted my Garmin Zumo XT2 GPS mounted somewhere since I use it and onX while overlanding.

unfortunately, systems that mount to the dash are crazy expensive, so I started thinking of a DIY solution. I had several Ram mounts, I’m a fabricator and I have plenty of scrap metal laying around.

I started by removing the rubber dash cups and made two plates from 1/4” aluminum to fit in the spot. Drilled and tapped holes to be able to mount ram mount balls and a DJI camera mount, and drilled holes to access the mounting screws under the rubber cups.

these are all in the center of the dash, and low enough to keep from obstructing view. Of course, the front trail camera helps as well.

 

[mclousing]

I built my v2 version of rear seat delete. Bought a CNC router to pull it off. Need to clean up corners and paint the aluminum, but so far so good, puppies are going to test it this weekend.

I will say it was fun contouring to the floor, that is why I needed CNC router

 

[WILDHOBO]

Won't the hitch itself do that?

I'm not criticizing or doubting at all, just trying to understand the premise here. Seems like a reduction of clearance to prevent wear on something I can just rattle can later?

The receiver would be completely destroyed. The chain rings bend on the first hit. Those of us that would prefer to keep our receivers, definitely need to protect them. As far as the ground clearance argument, that’s the whole point. You want to drag on the lowest point. That way your expensive bumper doesn’t take all the hits. The cheap skid can do that.

 

[BlueScapegoat]

The receiver would be completely destroyed. The chain rings bend on the first hit. Those of us that would prefer to keep our receivers, definitely need to protect them. As far as the ground clearance argument, that’s the whole point. You want to drag on the lowest point. That way your expensive bumper doesn’t take all the hits. The cheap skid can do that.

The actual receiver tube will deform? My chain tabs are already bent from Colorado. Does the addition of a skid into the receiver prevent deformation of the receiver itself?

Just trying to take all the input I can to decide from here. I'm opposed to reducing clearance in a place that is an issue for clearance. So my current thought would be welding a skid flush to the receiver or eliminating it entirely. Bolting on/inserting a skid seems counter-productive to me.

Truly appreciate the input

 

[Rusty PW]

The actual receiver tube will deform? My chain tabs are already bent from Colorado. Does the addition of a skid into the receiver prevent deformation of the receiver itself?

Just trying to take all the input I can to decide from here. I'm opposed to reducing clearance in a place that is an issue for clearance. So my current thought would be welding a skid flush to the receiver or eliminating it entirely. Bolting on/inserting a skid seems counter-productive to me.

Truly appreciate the input

With the Power Wagon. It says that the hitch is part of the skid plate package. To deform the tube. You have destroyed the truck. I beat the shit out of the hitch on my PW.

 

[WILDHOBO]

The actual receiver tube will deform? My chain tabs are already bent from Colorado. Does the addition of a skid into the receiver prevent deformation of the receiver itself?

Just trying to take all the input I can to decide from here. I'm opposed to reducing clearance in a place that is an issue for clearance. So my current thought would be welding a skid flush to the receiver or eliminating it entirely. Bolting on/inserting a skid seems counter-productive to me.

Truly appreciate the input

If you don’t tow, you can certainly eliminate it. If you wheel in places where your bumper will scrape, it becomes the skid. If you want to retain the receiver, even just for bike racks, I’d protect it. But to be honest, I’d have one even if I didn’t tow and didn’t care about the hitch. I’ve on at least six occasions slid down such a steep rock descent that the hitch skid was the only thing touching. Tires hanging. So it’s the skid or the bumper. I don’t know that the square tube would deform, but the scraping would distort the opening without a doubt.

 

[BlueScapegoat]

The receiver would be completely destroyed. The chain rings bend on the first hit. Those of us that would prefer to keep our receivers, definitely need to protect them. As far as the ground clearance argument, that’s the whole point. You want to drag on the lowest point. That way your expensive bumper doesn’t take all the hits. The cheap skid can do that.

With the Power Wagon. It says that the hitch is part of the skid plate package. To deform the tube. You have destroyed the truck. I beat the shit out of the hitch on my PW.

Appreciate you folks

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