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

[WILDHOBO]

Got the bedside molle panels, topper rails, and aux bed lights installed. I forgot how much of a pain it was to get these all lined up. But it’s done. I was going to do this yesterday, but the molle panels needed some paint. Lots of cosmetic damage from February. No bends, just scratches from the boulder I kissed, real hard.

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[Bandit’s Lair]

Oh, another thing I did....chalk test my tires.

On Friday I went to get chalk. We have no kids, no blackboards, so no need for chalk in our house. Go to Wal-Mart. Big ol' buckets of sidewalk chalk. I need ONE stick of white, like they used in school. I do NOT need a big bucket of many colors. Give it to my neighbors ? Nah, with my luck they'd coat my driveway as a "thanks".

Office Depot. I look everywhere, I'm a guy, can't ask for help. Can't find it. Finally I ask for help. She takes me over to it. Great. Smaller packages but still too much and too many colors. All forlorn on the top corner of the pegboard......white chalk !! Small box, maybe 12 pieces of old skool chalk !!

This morning I put a big white stripe across all four tires. Do a lap around the 'hood, pull into the drive. I glance. Damn the luck, I parked with the chalk stripes down. Back up a tad. Back up some more. Hmm. Then I notice some slight dust in the treads. I blew on it - gone. You mean to tell me I had perfect pressure and it wiped ALL the chalk off ? I check all the tires. Yep !!

36 psi seems to be the number for me.

Shoulda gone with a nice big pouch of PINK chalk line fill. You are right though you don’t see regular chalk in the store anymore. I have kids so we have a decent supply. Usually laying on the front porch or it’s blown off into the yard and I hit it with the mower.

 

[Mud Pie]

Got the bedside molle panels, topper rails, and aux bed lights installed. I forgot how much of a pain it was to get these all lined up. But it’s done. I was going to do this yesterday, but the molle panels needed some paint. Lots of cosmetic damage from February. No bends, just scratches from the boulder I kissed, real hard.

Every time I see that form-fitted carpet, I drool a little bit.

But I already have the factory spray in bedliner, a Rough Country rubber floor mat (that I hope will someday stop smelling like a new tire) and molle panels on three sides.

Yet, I drool. Just love it, but can't justify it.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Every time I see that form-fitted carpet, I drool a little bit.

But I already have the factory spray in bedliner, a Rough Country rubber floor mat (that I hope will someday stop smelling like a new tire) and molle panels on three sides.

Yet, I drool. Just love it, but can't justify it.

My first one was a second hand forum member buy. I fell in love with it instantly.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Almost finished the bed stuff, but it turns out I bent a rotopax mount in February. But two of the three are on, and the soft topper is back on. It’s feeling like it’s my jeep again.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Every time I see that form-fitted carpet, I drool a little bit.

But I already have the factory spray in bedliner, a Rough Country rubber floor mat (that I hope will someday stop smelling like a new tire) and molle panels on three sides.

Yet, I drool. Just love it, but can't justify it.

They’re very affordably priced in my opinion. Hit up @RealTruck on here. Great folks to work with.

 

[Mud Pie]

If I put everything back in after I put in the carpet, the only way you'd know I took the effort would be a carpeted tailgate and wheel wells.... All my stuff would hide the coolness of the carpet.

My mother-in-law gave me that rubber mat as a Christmas present, I didn't ask for it, she just ordered it as a surprise. I know her; every time I dropped the tailgate and she saw just carpeting, I'd hear "You know how much that cost, with me on a fixed income ?".

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

If I put everything back in after I put in the carpet, the only way you'd know I took the effort would be a carpeted tailgate and wheel wells.... All my stuff would hide the coolness of the carpet.

My mother-in-law gave me that rubber mat as a Christmas present, I didn't ask for it, she just ordered it as a surprise. I know her; every time I dropped the tailgate and she saw just carpeting, I'd hear "You know how much that cost, with me on a fixed income ?".

Just tell her it’s under the carpet providing the FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT layer of protection for you truck bed.

When all else fails, Baffle em with BS.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Clay barring really is one of those things that you show to people and they're like 'wow'.

It's one of the single most important things you can do when detailing a vehicle. If the paint isn't slick dirt is just gonna stick. When it sticks, its harder to wash. When its harder to wash, you're just damaging it more to get it clean. And so on.

I’ve never learned how, and have been nervous that I’d jack it up.

 

[ChrisNLA]

I’ve never learned how, and have been nervous that I’d jack it up.

Just gotta keep it wet.

Long as its wet, you won't hurt it.

If it gets dry the bar sticks and could scuff the paint worst case. I've never had it happen.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Just gotta keep it wet.

Long as its wet, you won't hurt it.

If it gets dry the bar sticks and could scuff the paint worst case. I've never had it happen.

With water, or some kind of spray designed for this project?

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

With water, or some kind of spray designed for this project?

I’ve just used a tupper of water in the past doing clay bars. They make fancy sprays and stuff that are supposed to do something but I just used water and it worked fine.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I’ve just used a tupper of water in the past doing clay bars. They make fancy sprays and stuff that are supposed to do something but I just used water and it worked fine.

Thanks.

 

[agoldxj]

I use a cheaper quick detailer as it seems to be slicker than water. It’s crazy how much better the paint looks and feels after a clay and wax. It’s a lot of work but worth the effort.

 

[ChrisNLA]

With water, or some kind of spray designed for this project?

I’ve just used a tupper of water in the past doing clay bars. They make fancy sprays and stuff that are supposed to do something but I just used water and it worked fine.

In the past I just used a cheap detail spray as 'lube'.

Now, I have some green product you mix with water and I have that in a spray bottle to use.

It just adds a touch more 'slickness' to the water.

But for the casual detailer I'm sure water is fine. You just want something to let the clay bar 'glide' on the surface.

Also - I still have bars I use but I have a clay 'mitt' somewhere. It can be washed if you drop it on the ground.

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