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

[WILDHOBO]

Decent weather today and decided to rotate my tires and recheck the torques on all the suspension stuff from my axle swap a few weeks ago.

Axle swap? I clearly missed something.

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[WILDHOBO]

Bwahahaha just do like I do never let her drive it so she cant argue

No risk. She hates driving it. Too big.

 

[Stan H]

For the last 4 days give or take, been crawling around on the driveway installing a set of mint salvage Mojave axles from a 2024 model. Ever since I put 33" tires on my 2025 Base Sport JT, have been less than ideal for my like with the stock 3.73 gears. Even after adjust in JScan, got tired of the hunting and pecking between 7th and 8th gear on the highway and many times, it would hang in gear too long before shifting.

This axles set was sold by VIN as coming from a 2024 Rubicon X model but found out after delivery it was from a Mojave X and settled with the seller on a partial refund to accept them rather than deal with the hassle of a freight return. They were still minty regardless and losing out on a front locker was low on my priority list. Had the usual salvage pull shipping or removal damage of the front axle vent tube and steering bar drag link end being damage for which I repaired.

Came time for the install and found that having three floor jacks and set of modified moving dollies made this job a bit easier as it is unbalanced on the dive axle axis moving around. I was a one man band for this whole job and with the axles weighing in excess of 400+ pound each as shown, a lot of leverage use of the floor jacks and large pry bars to move stuff around was need. Also retained my FAD system and swapped the FAD delete plate on the replacement front axle for the FAD motor assembly.

Like anything, it is all nut and bolts but pulling the abs sensors to let hang with the brake caliper assembly made it easier. Floor jack under the pinion yoke area was also needed once the driveshaft was disconnect or the whole axle will violent shift again on the axis if not watching carefully. Rest of the install was just the reverse of removal.

Edit: Did have to drill out the front lower shock bushing to 9/16" that would accommodate the 12mm to 14mm mount bolt hole difference on the Mojave front axles.

I did have a couple of "While I am in here" things to accomplish. One was installing a Rusty's Offroad front trackbar reinforcement bracket. The second was installing the "Power Hop" damper on the rear axle.

Lastly, adjust the axle ratio settings in JScan for the new 4.10 gear ratio and took it for test drive. Did have some ABS issues that freaked me out but that was because the steering wheel was about 45 degrees out to the left but that was resolved once the steering position was adjusted in and straight. Have driven close to 75 miles today and everything seems fine and drives just like my two previous Rubicon JT's.

Amazing job. Quite the undertaking.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Amazing job. Quite the undertaking.

Seriously.

 

[Shibbyjeep]

How much lift, and how many pucks?

Metalcloak 2.5" gamechanger. Down to 1 puck in the rear.

 

[Supazuk]

I hope so. I expected the split to contract when tapped into the knuckle. But it goes in by hand into the specified 7/8” drill hole. So I’m hoping their plan is to have it expand in the hole, as the tapered spindle is tightened into it. I hope it expands enough to be tight. Otherwise I’ll need a different sleeve.

Seems to work in the same principal as the cones on Aisin Hub bolt/studs (found on Toyota, Suzuki, etc) they hold extremely well go on easily, off not so much hold amazing

 

[Supazuk]

Drag link is in and pretty close to adjusted. But it didn’t fix the problem. It fixed the play in the wheel, but not the squeak. So back to hunting…

did you check the adjustment of the end links in the Tera flex draglink (i have the same one) and i had to adjust one of them to get zero play.

 

[Gatorac]

Installed Red Rock bed side rails. Gotta love working under a truck that's been off-road several times...

 

[WILDHOBO]

Metalcloak 2.5" gamechanger. Down to 1 puck in the rear.

At 6.5” in the rear, I think I only have 3” of puck back there. No bottom out issues with a flex test. I’m sure you’re fine. If you have a bent rear track bar and have relocated your track bar up for a more level bar, check the “diff catcher” above it. I don’t know what else to call that stupid thing. It was the only thing that would have hit on mine. I may have “trimmed” it a little.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Seems to work in the same principal as the cones on Aisin Hub bolt/studs (found on Toyota, Suzuki, etc) they hold extremely well go on easily, off not so much hold amazing

I’m still not barely into my first cup of coffee. First three times I had to reread because I saw “Asian hot tub bolt studs”. I’m sure it’s the same thing.

 

[WILDHOBO]

did you check the adjustment of the end links in the Tera flex draglink (i have the same one) and i had to adjust one of them to get zero play.

That wasn’t the issue, but I still want to know what you mean if you don’t mind. I’m new to this drag link. I have a clocking problem on the pitman end actually. It wouldn’t install parallel to the pitman arm until I backed out the Allen indexing bolt. Then I clocked it correctly and tightened the 10mm clamp bolts. Then I gently tightened the indexing bolt until it stopped. It obviously didn’t seat completely since it’s not in the groove. But the steering is working great.

 

[YGBSM]

I’m still not barely into my first cup of coffee. First three times I had to reread because I saw “Asian hot tub bolt studs”. I’m sure it’s the same thing.

Sounds like the title of a movie that I never, ever want to see.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Sounds like the title of a movie that I never, ever want to see.

It’ll be fine. It’s obviously about rogue mechanics, boiling their fasteners to increase strength. A bold documentary about the first ever bolt hardening. It changed the world as we know it today. Brought to us by James Cameron.

 

[Gladiator832]

Changed the aux battery AGAIN!

 

[Stan H]

At 6.5” in the rear, I think I only have 3” of puck back there. No bottom out issues with a flex test. I’m sure you’re fine. If you have a bent rear track bar and have relocated your track bar up for a more level bar, check the “diff catcher” above it. I don’t know what else to call that stupid thing. It was the only thing that would have hit on mine. I may have “trimmed” it a little.

A little ,... Lol

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