r/JeepGladiator

I hit 10k miles a few weeks ago on my ‘25 Gladiator and realized I haven’t yet rotated my tires.

My ‘87 YJ had the original spare — sitting out in the sun, only used twice for a couple of miles at a time — until I upgraded from the original 215s to 235s around 2012. That’s when I figured all the cracks in the spare made it less trustworthy, and having had a spare go flat (in a different vehicle) on me in the past, I figured I should replace it. I bought 5 new tires and started doing a 5-tire rotation.

So, when it came time to rotate the tires in my new Gladiator, why wouldn’t I incorporate the spare into the rotation?

Well, I did. That’s when I realized there are a few issues. One, the spare is on a different wheel, so now I’ve got an odd-man-out wheel. Also, it doesn’t have a tire-pressure sensor. Neither of these is really a big deal, except for the fact that every time I start my truck, it tells me I need to service that tire. And, when I was tightening that spare tire on, it stretched out the middle of the lug nut that requires the special key.

So, I figure I have 2 options:

1. put the spare back under the bed, and keep it there forever (except when I need it), and only do 4-tire rotations.
2. buy a $250-300 wheel to match the others, put a tire pressure sensor inside, and continue with 5-tire rotations.

What do you all think is the better solution? I know which way I’m leaning, but I’m looking for input as to what you would do, and why — as well as other options I may not have considered.

Our first time here and so far it’s been great! I have never seen so many Gladiators.

I am not 100% sure it was the antenna, but it looks like it could be.

Anyone ever had this happen? I heard a loud smack in the car wash and saw the crack when I pulled out. The car wash took an incident report and insurance is reviewing it. Anyone else ever have this happen or heard of it happening before?

Good day everyone. I recently had my doors and hood repaired under Jeeps corrosion warranty. The vehicle was picked up by a friend when it was completed and he didn't notice anything immediately wrong. I have an appointment with the body shop next week to discuss options.

Three things. 1. The color match is terrible as you can see in the photos. 2. There are light spots where the primer is showing through and complete voids where there is no paint behind the hinges ( the black is not shadow by the hinges). 3 they replaced the hood with a steel hood vice the OE aluminum hood. It is so heavy the spring won't pop it and it has noticeable gaps compared to the cowel.

What should my expectations be here. I am quite dissatisfied. The light paint will have to be addressed but what hope do I have of dealing with the color mismatch?

Thoughts?

At what point do we decide to truss the axles?

Is it something that we do ahead of time or is it something that we do in response to an event? It would make sense that it’s something that we do to prevent any damage from happening to begin with.

2022 Gladiator Rubicon on 37’s and beadlocks. Daily driver. Still on stock steering.

Have towed a lot with my Gladiator Overland but wondering how many have towed a 20ft fiberglass bass boat?

Pelican Catch Classic 100 fits nicely with tailgate down. I need little red flag I know 🚩

2024 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, AEV Built
I picked up this Gladiator brand new with just 38 miles on the odometer. The first modification I made wasn’t a lift, bigger tires, or anything flashy it was an auxiliary Long Range America fuel tank underneath. Looking back, that was probably one of the smartest modifications I’ve made.
I kept the AEV suspension exactly as it came and stayed with the 37” tires. For the kind of traveling I do, 37s have been the sweet spot: plenty capable off-road without sacrificing drivability, range, or the ability to keep the spare underneath.
Two months after buying it, I installed the Alu-Cab Canopy Camper, loaded it up and immediately put the entire setup to the test: roughly 8,000 miles through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Canada, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona and back home to Nevada.
Everything checked out.
So in 2025, I stopped worrying about the build and simply used it. Moab, Colorado and as many trails as I could find throughout the Southwest—from Arizona to California. Rocks, desert, mountains, snow, highways and plenty of nights sleeping in the camper.
Then came 2026.
I started the year taking it deep into Baja California Sur, almost all the way to Cabo.
In May came the biggest test yet: Las Vegas to the Arctic Ocean and back.
Just me, my Golden Retriever Maggie and the Gladiator. 73 days, 12,784 miles, through the western U.S., British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska, eventually taking the Dempster Highway all the way to Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean. We camped our way across the continent, crossed remote stretches of Canada and Alaska, and drove everything from pavement to hundreds of miles of gravel and dirt.
After all those miles, trails and nights living out of this Jeep, the problems have been surprisingly few. In Alaska, while having the fluids checked, we discovered loose differential-cover bolts on both diffs. They were tightened, the oil looked clean, and we kept going. That’s been the most significant mechanical issue I’ve dealt with on the road.
This Gladiator went from 38 miles on the odometer to being my home on wheels across North America.
And that’s probably the best compliment I can give it:
If I had to start over tomorrow, I’d build the same Jeep again. I wouldn’t change a thing.
The first picture is where it started.
The second is what happens when you actually use it. 😂

Good morning, I woke up with this issue. Has this ever happened to anyone? Idk if the key fob needs a new battery or the truck. Thank you

Rubicon X on 33” with level kit (all it did was offset the winch and winch plate weight so its at stock height technically), made it through with the only damage being a small scratch on the rear steel bumper! Butthole was puckered for sure.

I am setting up my Gladiator as my mobile communications station. HF: FT-891 with Atas-120a or hamsticks or the 10m fiberglass mast if I need my own tree! VHF/UHF and GMRS on the folding Diamond K9000 motorized mounts.

I have all radios running of the auxiliary switches or I can go off the 50aH LifePo4 battery box behind the passenger seat.

Love the Gladiator as a platform for playing radio, hunting and activating POTA, helping with my RACES groups and as part of my local SkyWarn storm spotter team.

It really is my perfect vehicle for what I want to do and support.

73

Materials:

2x 8' steel slotted angle (frame) + 1x 4' section (assorted top board bracket material)

1x sheet of MDF board

Paint on truck bed liner (several days drying required, fumes are killer)

8' 1"x1/4" steel flat bar (front supports)

6' Black piano hinge

Assorted 5/16" hardware

Stick on padding for top of hinged board support brackets

Tools:

Drill and bits for steel (cutting fluid recommended)

Impact driver with basic sockets + E torx bits for seat mount bolts

Basic wrenches (one set being ratcheting was invaluable)

Ratchet with extensions

Phillips head screwdriver (piano hinge)

Skill Saw or better (band or jig saw would've helped a lot)

Angle grinder with cutoff wheel and flap disc

Bench vise and hammer (front support strut shaping)

Tape measure, scale, yard stick, and speed square

{Insert whatever I'm forgetting here}

Measuring and design skills (if this gets enough traction I'll post measurements)

The goal of this project was to get away from the DIY wood frame builds easily found online, using a metal frame, while avoiding the expense of the premade kits

THIS DESIGN IS MEANT TO BE BUILT UPON AND IMPROVED.

The flip up driver side is design version 1.5 for me, 1.0 being the bolted down passenger side deck, which has the same frame construction as shown on driver side.

The front to back board length is intentionally shorter than some designs, this allows the seats to be set fully back and reclined, and some easy access behind seat floor storage.

Want to add a few more deck support brackets still.

Pic I didn't get is the front supports, the 1"x1/4” flat bar, front end is single hole drilled and goes between the floor and front seat rear mount bracket, using original bolts. I recommend getting the rest of the frame in and using some type of wire to model the bends the flat bar needs. Finished shape is roughly like a prybar.

If possible, assemble frame with decks before install, getting under the rear to attach the decks to their brackets with the frame installed was near impossible.

This can be a 1-1.5 day project, excluding drying time.

Both sides independently can hold my 225lbs with nearly no flex.

As it is, both sides have limited side and front access to the storage.

Converting passenger side to flip top is the next step.

Possible future upgrades:

Front and side walls to enclosed storage area.

Latches (possibly locking).

Deck material change if MDF doesn't hold up over time.

Further frame clean up and finishing, possibly paint it.

Some type of covering, carpeting... rubber... not sure yet.

Please excuse formatting and mistakes, on mobile.

Came out and found the factory navigation (not CarPlay) just had a picture of Earth complete with stars with the pointer on it when I started my Jeep and it fired up. Never had this happen before. You can touch the screen and move your finger around and spin the planet. I’m just out of warranty and they have already replaced the radio and various components 3 times under warranty for acting up. Usually for randomly shutting off and not restarting.