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Gladiator Shocks on MJ


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I measured these Fox OEM Gladiator shocks, and I think they should fit in the MJ rear, with a small lift

 

My question is, do shocks have a compression/pounds/payload rating? 

 

Possibly too stiff or too soft?

 

They are wayyy stronger than the original factory 1989 stocks with the metric ton version.. But they still work work pretty well for being 30 years old!!

 

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My gut tells me this is a bad idea, but there's no harm in trying it out if you really want to.  

 

You can pretty much guarantee that an OEM supplier like Fox partnered with Jeep to developed a shock tuned specifically for the Gladiator.   For context, a Comanche weighs about 3,000lbs.  A Gladiator Rubicon tips the scales at over 5,000lbs, with a GVRW over 6,000lbs. 

 

So, yes... you will likely find that the Gladiator shocks ride very stiff on a Comanche.   

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Gladiator suspension parts are already showing up regularly on FB Marketplace and Craigslist as many buyers are immediately putting aftermarket lifts, tires and even bumpers on. Fortunately most of the ones I've seen for sale are from Rubicons and not a stripped down base model, so there are some real goodies out there. Personally, I'm waiting to see the first person putting a Gladiator rear bumper on their MJ. I envision it could look pretty good.  

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30 minutes ago, WahooSteeler said:

Gladiator rear bumper on their MJ

I actually thought about this as soon as I was able to view the  JT in the parts catalog. Looked like it would require a good amount of fabbing to put it on. 

 

I thought about the JT shocks too. I think the problem I have with using them is the eyelets look a tad bit too small for the mounts and they wouldn't sit snug as you tightened down the nut and you would also have to remove the metal tubes in the bushings if you wanted them to fit on the bar and rear mounts. 

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24 minutes ago, eaglescout526 said:

I think the problem I have with using them is the eyelets look a tad bit too small for the mounts and they wouldn't sit snug as you tightened down the nut and you would also have to remove the metal tubes in the bushings if you wanted them to fit on the bar and rear mounts. 

 

The rear rear mounts are both good for eyelets, but you are right about the Fox ones being a little too small.. Can I drill out a millimeter or two to make them fit? Or would it be bad to have metal on metal contact?

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5 minutes ago, Park13 said:

 

The rear rear mounts are both good for eyelets, but you are right about the Fox ones being a little too small.. Can I drill out a millimeter or two to make them fit? Or would it be bad to have metal on metal contact?

When I did my JK shocks I pressed out all the metal sleeves in the shocks. The only thing I had to change was the bushing on were the tops of the rear shocks as they went on better but I applied some grease and used a big clamp to press the bottoms on. As far as metal on metal contact, I wouldn't do it but I also don't see any harm in doing it but it just makes installation easier on yourself than trying to fight with the metal and shaving it to fit right. 

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4 minutes ago, eaglescout526 said:

When I did my JK shocks I pressed out all the metal sleeves in the shocks. The only one I had to change the bushing on were the tops of the rear shocks as they went on better but I applied some grease and used a big clamp to press the bottoms on. As far as metal on metal contact, I wouldn't do it but I also don't see any harm in doing it but it just makes installation easier on yourself than trying to fight with the metal and shaving it to fit right. 

 

Do you happen to remember what bushings you put in?

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4 minutes ago, Park13 said:

 

Do you happen to remember what bushings you put in?

I had some skyjacker shocks on and swapped those out. I used the bushings from those. There is a write up on using JK shocks in the DIY section. Let me go find it real quick.

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