What Did You THINK Was Wrong w/ Your Gladiator, But Wasn’t?

[WILDHOBO]

Not so much my JT, but my older Wrangler ('05) I've gotten more paranoid about sounds and handling. I had a knock most times I would shift from park to reverse, especially when parked on hills, then wouldn't make a sound. I was convinced some rubber mount was rotted or I had drive-train play, even after inspecting my shafts and mounts I had a mechanic also do a once over with no luck either.

It was this rubber mallet behind my seat, it happened to be stored with the handle upright and would bang the seat mount or rollbar with the wooden handle if I backed up from a parked decline.

The mud in the wheels got me once too, I've mudded the wrangler a fair amount over the years, but apparently not in that pea-gravel+mud stucco or my newer wheels are more susceptible. Got the rims caked in the stuff and thought I had busted something when I got back on the highway.

Awesome.

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[WILDHOBO]

My husband has had Adaptive cruise on his cars for years. We both thought….OH, this is gonna be easy. Should be the same…. …and it is, kinda.

We’d used the Adaptive Cruise before, but apparently…didn’t have the exact situation pop up to take notice.

Traffic slowed down to a stop…... The Jeep came to a stop. We’re talking and the jeep started rolling forward. WTF? Put my foot on the brakes quick…… What was that??? This was only a few months after we bought it…. Now what??
We thought…Oh great, there’s something wrong with the AC.

Come to find out…. All those other cars we’ve owned had Electronic Parking Brakes. The Electronic Parking Brake is what holds the vehicles when stopped.
The JT still has a manual parking brake.

Ahhhhh………...

That one hasn’t gotten me, but our first adaptive cruise was on another mopar, grand Cherokee. I’m guessing it was the same. My wife’s comes to a complete stop and will resume when cars move. This one disables itself.

 

[DirkG]

This might be a weird pivot, but in 2020 during full-fledged COVID, my Acura ZDX was becoming too small for my coaching equipment. I was driving along Pacific Coast Highway when I saw this really cool orange Jeep truck. As a sports car guy, I never thought I would acquire a truck, let alone a Jeep.

I took the plunge and have never looked back (on my second Gladiator). So I initially thought the actual Gladiator itself was wrong for me and happily I was the one who was wrong.

 

[WILDHOBO]

This might be a weird pivot, but in 2020 during full-fledged COVID, my Acura ZDX was becoming too small for my coaching equipment. I was driving along Pacific Coast Highway when I saw this really cool orange Jeep truck. As a sports car guy, I never thought I would acquire a truck, let alone a Jeep.

I took the plunge and have never looked back (on my second Gladiator). So I initially thought the actual Gladiator itself was wrong for me and happily I was the one who was wrong.

I originally thought the same. Now I’m full in.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

This might be a weird pivot, but in 2020 during full-fledged COVID, my Acura ZDX was becoming too small for my coaching equipment. I was driving along Pacific Coast Highway when I saw this really cool orange Jeep truck. As a sports car guy, I never thought I would acquire a truck, let alone a Jeep.

I took the plunge and have never looked back (on my second Gladiator). So I initially thought the actual Gladiator itself was wrong for me and happily I was the one who was wrong.

I could relate in a small way - after ordering the 25 Mojave X - I sat back one nigh and thought what the hell have I just done - why did I do that? It's going to be ALL WRONG for what I want.
But the more I experience it, the more I realize maybe that beefy frame, the beefy front end/knuckles, and so on, are going to better handle my abuses......... maybe it's a good thing.
Judgement still out until next winter on the lack of LSD (the hardware, not the lysergic acid diethylamide) and its impact on plowing and driving around here with our roads, driveway and winters.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

POS cars driving near. Brakes squealing, oil burning, loud exhaust or backfiring. Sometimes they can really trick you!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

POS cars driving near. Brakes squealing, oil burning, loud exhaust or backfiring. Sometimes they can really trick you!

Like following some doofus riding the brakes and you wonder if your own parking brake is on.........
That burned oil smell - oh, crap, do I have an oil leak? Get home and check - not a drop out of place.

 

[RodRecket]

I heard a chirping noise at parking lot speeds while turning and i was convinced it was my steering box. I had adjusted the box because it was sloppy and i thought for sure that was the culprit. It was a loose track bar bolt. And i mean like 80ftlbs loose i stead of 100 (whatever the spec is), not noticeably loose, just barely. Took a tech 4 hours to find it which made me feel better.

I still decided to go with a PSC box and it is awesome. But very expensive.

 

[RodRecket]

POS cars driving near. Brakes squealing, oil burning, loud exhaust or backfiring. Sometimes they can really trick you!

I heard a supercharged jeep behind me on the trail and initially thought my recently converted mechanical steering pump was whining.

 

[Larry-D]

Had a sound like a ball or something rolling back and forth on the passenger's side up high. Looked randomly for over a year. Finally found the problem, a nut for a bolt in the rain gutter. I guess I dropped it working on roof rails.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

I heard a supercharged jeep behind me on the trail and initially thought my recently converted mechanical steering pump was whining.

Me and a girlfriend were out on a trail and we kept smelling weed. I figured there were some plants nearby. Nope, we came up behind a Jeep and the driver and passsenger were passing one back and forth.

 

[Janster]

That one hasn’t gotten me, but our first adaptive cruise was on another mopar, grand Cherokee. I’m guessing it was the same. My wife’s comes to a complete stop and will resume when cars move. This one disables itself.

Grand Cherokee has electronic parking brakes. Most high-end SUV's have it. The parking brake will be a 'button' on the dash (not a pull handle like the gladdy has).

So, when you're using the AC in the Gladdy..... make sure you put your foot on the brake after it comes to a complete stop.

 

[Mad Mac]

The first time I attempted to use 4 low and the front and rear lockers in my Rubicon, I missed the shift and ended up in neutral in the transfer case and proceeded to chug through deep sand in 2 high and traction control. Didn't need all that other stuff after all.

 

[bill61]

Yes, the random noise that turns out to be some other vehicle. WHEW!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Me and a girlfriend were out on a trail and we kept smelling weed. I figured there were some plants nearby. Nope, we came up behind a Jeep and the driver and passsenger were passing one back and forth.

At which point your girlfriend walked up to them and asked for a number.........

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