Looks like that hitch mount tire rack should work nicely. Hopefully it doesn't move/vibrate around much, especially rough terrain. It looks to have
a hinge/pivot system?
Are you going with some kind of truck mounted tent? Those seem a bit impractical for a few reasons, from what I've seen. A cot and/or tent are
pretty easy to set up as conditions allow (that's how I travel), and finding a small flat space a lot easier than leveling an entire vehicle. Not to
mention having to climb up and down at night, gravity can be dangerous at the wrong time. The cot is nice cause all you do is sit up and your feet
are on the ground.
What about your refrigerator, compressor, toolbox, fuel storage, etc? Any plans to mount that gear?
regardless of what la cabra says, whats wrong with up on the roof?
A 100 lb. tire + wheel on the roof, plus the rack, increases the center of gravity. Also increases the wind resistance, decreasing gas mileage. Not to
mention the effects upon the sheet metal from the stresses, which it was not designed for. And most people are not be able to lift a 100 lb. tire and
wheel over their head to put it on the roof of a lifted truck.
I do like the swing out tire holder you posted, size might be the issue? I might look at rear bumpers with a swing out option or I'll build one
myself. I did all of the tube work, roll cage and bumpers on my scrambler. It's a lot of work and I understand why these add on cost so much.
The other option is standing it up in the bed on one side or the other. With a second battery and fridge in the bed it would help balance the
weight. I don't really plan to use it like a truck very often, I already have a 3/4 ton for hauling.
regardless of what la cabra says, whats wrong with up on the roof?
A 100 lb. tire + wheel on the roof, plus the rack, increases the center of gravity. Also increases the wind resistance, decreasing gas mileage. Not to
mention the effects upon the sheet metal from the stresses, which it was not designed for. And most people are not be able to lift a 100 lb. tire and
wheel over their head to put it on the roof of a lifted truck.
If you cared about gas mileage you would not lift your truck or put heavy wheels/tires on your car.
Your lift and over-heavy wheels/tires Put way more stress on your car than an item on the roof. Those heavy wheels put a lot of stress on your drive
train, your axles/joints were not designed for the weight you are adding to gain a 1/2 inch of clearance.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
A low COG is better for several reasons. My fording depth will jump from 30" to 38" (oem electronics, not air box). Nomads are such novices! ½ an
inch?haha
The build takes place in just a few more days. Photos galore.
I can't wait to bolt on the fun parts and transform my truck.
If you cared about gas mileage you would not lift your truck or put heavy wheels/tires on your car.
Your lift and over-heavy wheels/tires Put way more stress on your car than an item on the roof. Those heavy wheels put a lot of stress on your drive
train, your axles/joints were not designed for the weight you are adding to gain a 1/2 inch of clearance.
Goat, let me break it down for you:
Clearance=good
Lack of clearance=bad
Small tires=less traction and clearance
Larger than stock tires=more traction and a great deal more clearance
If the red Unlimited TJ had larger than stock tires at around minute 2, his tires would not be spinning on such small rocks causing him to back down
El Jamau Summit road.
Tire on hood? Check your oil or air filter condition lately?
You don't sound experienced in this sort of travel. Your criticisms make you sound more the novice than anything else.
Looks like you could even mount two with that bed mount system. Takes up a lot of space in the bed, but that's the trade off. I wonder how durable
the hitch mount would be with a heavy 39" tire bouncing it around on rough terrain, seems the bed mount puts the weigh between suspension. Probably
less to worry about as well.
Never seen a single mount carrier that works on Baja dirt roads. to much weight - to far from the attach point. My Jeep carrier has 2 attach points,
but I have seen Jeep carriers with 3 and 4 point attachments. The upper attachment requires a penetration thru the body to find structure.
Normally, I loan out my spare tire to friends that need to have tires patched and/or repaired. My puncture happened in 2008 and my last tire failure
happened around 2005. I like to carry my spares to not worry about what might happen.
New trackbar installed on the Baja Gladiator - that is one big, thick, forged piece of steel! Rated at one and a quarter ton!
Thanks to Akula for recommending the Yeti XD trackbar for my Gladiator!
Drop bracket installation looked like this.
Bobby was OBSESSED with my Gladiator being able to park inside of the garage! It is indeed taller with the new suspension installed. With 38" tires,
it will just make it inside without rubbing the paint off of the freedom panels.
So, I thought that I must have forgotten to order the Adams 1350 Solid front driveshaft. Problem is, it never shipped! I have a driveshaft to track
down tomorrow over the phone.
That track bar is a massive, shouldn't be an issue with it! Why is the solid front drive shaft needed? I'm guessing the stock won't hold up to the big
tires? Looking good..
These tires should arrive within a few days of now. I can't wait!
What did you end up ordering?
Four Wheeler Magazine arrived today with a article on a 40" tire Gladiator.
]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTSHW528u_g&t=530s[/Flash]
I created the hot link to cut down on redundancy within the thread. Its a 38" Patagonia tire. Quiet with good traction. It is a relatively new
brand, inexpensive, but not proven in places like Baja with Creosote and rocky trails. If the tire holds up, I will continue to run it. If I
experience failures due to its' light weight, theres the Cooper SST Pro - that Ed Hall currently runs and the Nitto Trail Grappler (37"R17) as seen on
the YouTube page "The Story Till Now."
That track bar is a massive, shouldn't be an issue with it! Why is the solid front drive shaft needed? I'm guessing the stock won't hold up to the big
tires? Looking good..
Watch a few TOP TRUCK CHALLENGE videos and you will see how weak a link the driveshaft is in terms of your driveline. Also, watch a BleepinJeep
YouTube video that discusses pinion angle and single vs. double cardan constant velocity joints. Do your research to know what will work best for
your application. Also take a look at the OG40 Gladiator and the recipe used to get that Gladiator through the Baja 1000.
One concern with the stock driveshaft is the length doesn't suffice for the amount of down travel a set of KING shocks would have if not combined with
a set of limiting straps. While I plan on running FOX 2.0 Internal Floating Piston shocks, a few years from now, I will definitely entertain running
a $2K set of front/rear KING EVO-spec compression-adjustable reservoirs on my Gladiator.
Sorry for all of the questions, I thought this was intended as a discussion about your Gladiator and the Gladiator in general. I live in the mountains
with limited internet usage and I'm not able to watch youTube and other videos whenever I want for hours at a time.
Good luck with your build, I will quietly follow along and do my own research as you suggested. I've built many jeeps, cars and motorcycles,
fabricated bumpers, roll cages, rocker guards and narrowed one ton running gear to fit under a jeep before you could buy it, but I have always liked
to see why people choose the parts they do, you never know what you might learn from a different point of view.
Tow truck took Gladiator in for a professional front end alignment today. Because the rear suspension must be equidistant in terms of height from the
ground front to rear, Alignment/Jeep shop will install the rest of the suspension lift. Work should be finished on Friday (4 days @ $700). They will
install brake lines (front/rear), set pinion angle, install rear upper control arms, new Tie Rod, steering dampener, everything. Jeep will be ready
for everything very, very soon.
Sorry for all of the questions, I thought this was intended as a discussion about your Gladiator and the Gladiator in general. I live in the mountains
with limited internet usage and I'm not able to watch youTube and other videos whenever I want for hours at a time.
Good luck with your build, I will quietly follow along and do my own research as you suggested. I've built many jeeps, cars and motorcycles,
fabricated bumpers, roll cages, rocker guards and narrowed one ton running gear to fit under a jeep before you could buy it, but I have always liked
to see why people choose the parts they do, you never know what you might learn from a different point of view.
[Edited on 1-7-2020 by advrider]
In the spirit of streamlining content, just start a new Gladiator thread based on the new technology and capabilities this platform provides.
"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen.
The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back
if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
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