Saw one on the road today, looked small.

I have always owned some kind of Jeep Wrangler.  I wouldn't call them unreliable in terms of leaving you stranded and broken down.  However every version of the Wrangler has a “will go wrong” list.  And as long as you keep an eye on these things or do something to prevent it you are fine.

On the other side I also thinks its rather inherent in a vehicle built this way.  Its a solid axle, body on frame construction that can see occasional off roading.  Often times (a lot) the suspension is modified.  Suddenly there are "issues" people complain about.

I've had 6 Wranglers. Never once had an issue outside of me rolling them off mountain sides

It did and I was really impressed. Ive seen a side-by-side test on youtube of an auto jku/jlu and the jlu nosed out every time even when they switched drivers.I thought the front end was designed to make up for the jlu's new length and width, bringing it to a turn radius on par with the jku...... otherwise it would've been bigger??

No, the new front axle knuckle design was to reduce scrub radius, increase strength, allow for larger joints, stronger ball joints, and have greater turning radius.

You can see this design on Dynatrac's XD60 axle. They make direct bolt in of the JK and JL Jeeps.
They also make the ProRock 44 that bolts into the JK and used the JL's knuckles. Pretty cool stuff.

So I can get a tighter TR for my jku? How much so, worth the money?

They have been taking around journalist in Sacramento in them all week, finally caught up to a silver Rubicon model with mud terrains and got to check it out. It looks better in person, I want one.

You sure can. I think it can be done for around $3,500 if you use your parts. Complete axle will run $6k~ (ProRock 44)

To me it would be worth it because you get more than a handful of upgrades besides tighter TR. If you are wanting to do big tires and some high speed stuff in the mix then the XD60s are tough to beat. All the Dynatrac stuff bolts right in.

ETA: You will need to get the JL knuckles. Not too expensive.

Here is a better photo

I usually hate stuff like this but I'm really digging the tubular doors for some reason.

Hey at least you got 4 additional gallons of gas for free!

I think the Mopar half doors would look cook on it.
Like this Jeep here but on the JT

Congrats man. I was thinking of jumping on a launch edition but I really want to physically test one out before putting that kind of dough down (about $65k+ with TTL).

Damn, they sold out in 1 day...made 250 million

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/special-edition-jeep-gladiator-sold-out-in-1-day.amp

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/special-edition-jeep-gladiator-sold-out-in-1-day.amp

I can't wait to see one with a custom flat bed.

They are just basing it on the amount of people who "preordered" via the website.

Those people still have to actually go to a dealership and order it

J6 Concept 2-door

Yes please.

Now that doesn't look terrible.

Well I was wrong not just a stretched 2dr. But sadly it won’t ever get put into production

With a diesel and I am a buyer today.

I would stop everything I am doing to go pick this thing up

Attached File

Details please!

That looks really good! Too bad it will end up like every other Jeep concept.

@KingRollo

That the one you posted about on page 5?

Only thing I don't like about it is that the wheelbase makes it a bit iffy on breakover angle with the stock tires and suspension.

Even a stock JKU/JLU will go anywhere reasonable, but this is pushing it.   The wheelbase is longer than some conventional quad cab midsize trucks.

If you want to build it out, though, then that's not an issue.

That's EVO's build for Easter jeep safari. They took a sport and put over 30k into it. 40 inch tires, new axles, etc

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/evo-manufacturing-gladiator-build-for-moab-and-baja-1000.15206/

@Ryan_Ruck that's the one

The wheelbase is longer to keep approach and departure angles better.

IMO, the Gladiator needs to have 40s and 6" lift at minimal to make it "Wrangler" capable due to it's long wheelbase. The Evo build is a fine example of why it's better to save your money and skip the Rubicon so you can put the money into the aftermarket/Mopar stuff. In fact, I would not buy a Rubicon in the JL model and use the aftermarket to fill the gaps. The new auto transmission makes up for the crawl ratio with the transfer case that comes in the Sport model. Dynatrac's "Code 1" is another example of this.

To me, the JL needs 37s with 2.5" lift, JLU needs 40s with 4" lift, and the JT needs 40s with 6" lift or 42s with 4" lift.

Nice! The 40s and 6" lift suit it quite well. Definitely want to see some video of it in action!

Yup, pretty much the same thing as a Tacoma or Suburban as the experts here called it.

Sorry but math doesn't lie. It's not a short wheelbase vehicle and won't ever perform just like one even with solutions like lifts and bigger tires, ignoring that those come with tradeoffs of their own like a much higher center of gravity. SCORE's Class 3 "Production - Short Wheelbase 4x4" defines "short wheelbase" as a maximum allowed of just 108", a long way from the Gladiator's 137".

That's not to say it won't do well, or even very well, at overlanding, or in Baja, or similar open environments but it's just not going to excel at being a hard core rock crawler or navigating tight trails like its little brothers. It may have some design cues from a traditional Jeep but it isn't one and won't off road like one, nor should anyone expect it to.

The Gladiator being a long wheelbase vehicle doesn't make it inherently bad. Long wheelbase vehicles can be plenty fun off road too! Each vehicle is a tradeoff and has their place.

A Wrangler can't seat 8 and a full weekend's worth of gear just like this wouldn't do well in some place like the more challenging trails at Sand Hollow, UT.



It just is what it is.

That looks like a badass build! Cool to see the details on it.

WTF what?  What a random nothing connected post

No, it absolutely is.

He was talking like the Gladiator is not some long wheelbase platform on par with a Taco or Burb when the numbers certainly bear out that it is. All I added to that was that just because the Gladiator looks like a Wrangler doesn't mean it's going to perform like one matter how much one wants it to but, that that isn't necessarily a bad thing as it has its own positive attributes the shorter wheelbase Wranglers don't.

Thought that was pretty clear.

But it is a wrangler, just longer - which everyone with a brain understands. I’m pretty sure everyone here knows that the longer wheelbase leads to some compromises when your off-road but big deal it’s got a good tow rating, 5’ bed and is ready to put 35s on it stock with no mods whatsoever which makes up for the compromises off-road.

Sure mods compensate for it some but as I pointed out those also come with trade offs like height and higher center of gravity. Even in the video of the Evo truck they talk about how tall it is.

What I'm saying is there's nothing wrong with it being a long wheelbase truck and that it shouldn't be expected to do things short wheelbase trucks do well but, for some reason, there are Jeepers who seemingly cannot accept these facts or that there are going to be tradeoffs with the added length and features (i.e. the bed).

I'd also say the "Wrangler but longer" is a bit debatable. If you change a major aspect of a vehicle but keep most of the others, can it really still be considered the same vehicle? Wranglers have always been considered shorter wheelbase vehicles that are generally pretty nimble off road because of that. Hell, my 1982 Cherokee I had long ago was always considered a "full size" vehicle with it's 108" wheelbase, with Wrangler owners always talking about how big it was. Now, fast forward to today where some Wrangler owners try to say the Gladiator that is even bigger somehow isn't considered full size just because it looks like a Wrangler and uses some of the same chassis parts.

Like I said, I'm just not sure why some Jeepers are in denial about accepting that the Gladiator isn't a Wrangler and that there's nothing necessarily wrong because it isn't. It's a cool platform in its own right so embrace it for what it is.

As I mentioned before, I own a HMMWV and have no problem recognizing it has limitations of its own. It was engineered to be a full size, capable off roader that can haul a lot of cargo and as many troops as possible internally. To get a big truck capable of that to perform well off road they brought the drivetain up in line with the frame. Because of that, even though it is a full size truck, it can't haul as many people in the cab as a vehicle its size normally could fit. While working to keep it capable off road with a reasonable wheelbase, they had to make the bed short reducing what it can haul comparable to a dedicated pickup. And since it's a full size truck capable of carrying 1-1/4 tons internally, it's never going to be as capable on hard core stuff smaller Jeeps can handle well. There's nothing inherently wrong with any of this. I went with the platform because A) I've always thought it was cool and B) I needed something more of a workhorse than a Wrangler that was still fun to drive. I knew there were going to be tradeoffs of getting it over the JKU I had been considering but I was okay with it never being a hard core crawler or being able to navigate some of the tighter trails out there.

That is not what I said or implied at all.

We have people insinuating that since it has a similar wheelbase to a new Tacoma or Suburban that it’s offroad performance will forever be limited to that of those two as well. Assuming that everyone leaves their vehicles in stock form and completely ignorant, willfully or otherwise, of the fact that the Universal Jeeps (CJ, YJ, TJ, LJ, JK, JL, and now JT)  are likely the single most modified type of vehicle in the world and there is whole ready made aftermarket for these things, from mild to wild. I even alluded to that in an earlier reply. The standard buildouts for a JT are probably going to be 3” of lift with 37” tires and 6” of lift with 40” tires. When was the last time you saw a new Tacoma or Suburban on 35-37” tires, let alone the 40” tires on that Gladiator?

Yeah, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the Gladiator won’t ever fully match the sheer offroad performance of a comparably equipped JL/JLU or their predecessors. But it is going to be a pretty cool and capable vehicle in its own right, definitely moreso than the new Tacoma or Suburban that it has been compared to.

My apologies then because that was my takeaway from it since I was the one that compared it in size to a Suburban and the post above calling it a "Wrangler just longer" added to it.

A new Burb modified like that? Rarely because they're so expensive out of the gate but, I live out in the sticks so I see a lot of lifed and big tired 80s, 90s, and 00s Chevy C/Ks, Tahoes, and Suburbans. Plus a bunch of the newer diesel Chevy trucks as well as Ford counterparts. Tacos that modified are a lot less common. Most of the ones I see tend to be stock or very mild, overland style builds.

And on the last part I'm in total agreement! I'm excited to see what these modified Gladiators do when put through their paces! As the owner of a big truck, I like seeing them pushed to the edge of what they can do since they always are at a natural disadvantage to the smaller rigs.

Gonna be tight. I’m 6’4 285 and I had problems with how wide my shoulders are.

Attached File

The King of the Hammers 2019 event would suggest the Gladiator is not well suited for true hard core rock crawling. But lets be honest, that is not the intent of this truck.  Its not meant to be a true hard core rock crawler.  It was never meant for that niche market.  I dont know why people keep bashing it as if it was ever marketed for hard core rock crawling.

You can see the rear departure angle is (obviously) an issue.

Or, you could understand the class it raced in. 35" tires on that long wheelbase doesn't do it any favors.

EVO JT-

People pre-ordered the gladiator but it’s up to the dealer to set the final price. With the way they gouged people who wanted of the first demon I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the new gladiator launch additions go out the door with a $15,000 premium.

Thanks but I’ll wait and pay under sticker and build it the way I want.  I can still get 95% of what I paid for my 2017 Unlimited.

You think 2.5 inches would have prevented that kind of damage?