Who says a rock crawler can’t be a daily driver? Our 2019 Jeep Gladiator has done the commute, made the 13-hour drive to Moab, crawled some seriously tough trails, hauled gear on media trips, camped out, and still shows up at events. That range is exactly why we built it the way we did.
The goal was never to throw every possible part at the Gladiator. We wanted an attainable, purpose-built rig where each upgrade solved a real problem without taking away the everyday usability that got us into the truck in the first place. After plenty of miles both on pavement and on the rocks, here is what is currently underneath, on top of, and behind the wheels of the R1 Gladiator.
Start behind the wheels and you will find one of the most important upgrades on the truck: an R1 Concepts Big Brake Kit front and rear.
Up front, we are running a six-piston setup with 356mm two-piece rotors. That size still allows us to run a 17-inch wheel with the proper offset and backspacing, while the two-piece rotor design helps with heat dissipation. The six-piston calipers provide more clamping force than the factory setup, and this particular kit is finished in anodized red with a painted white R1 logo.
We also run extended stainless steel brake lines to accommodate the Gladiator’s added lift and suspension travel. That complete setup has made a noticeable difference on the trail, especially once you consider how much weight has been added through the topper, rooftop tent, armor, equipment, and everything else we carry. Rock crawling also demands a lot of low-speed brake control, and Rex notes that the front and rear BBK has given the truck plenty of braking capability and control for the way we use it.
The Gladiator sits roughly 4.5 inches higher on a Rock Krawler X-Factor Series suspension. We stayed with a mid-arm system that keeps everything in the factory locations while adding the strength and serviceability needed for harder terrain.
The setup includes Rock Krawler tie rods and track bar along with Progressive Suspension STR 47 Series shocks. Those shocks use FST technology to respond to the terrain internally rather than relying on constant external adjustment.
Running 40-inch tires also meant paying attention to suspension travel. After noticing the tires traveling far enough into the fenders to damage the liners, RockJock adjustable bump stops were added to help keep everything under control. The truck also runs RockJock components at the rear and PRP limit straps to manage suspension movement with the added weight.
Overlanding gear changes more than the way a truck looks. It changes the way the suspension behaves.
With the topper, rooftop tent, and permanent equipment, Rex estimates the Gladiator has gained around 800 pounds. Load another 200 to 300 pounds of equipment for a media trip and the original springs began struggling to support it. The rear started sagging and the suspension was bottoming out more often than it should.
Rather than adding airbags, we reached out to Coil Spring Specialties for a custom spring tailored to the actual weight and ride height of the truck. Progressive Suspension also provided stiffer shock valving to better control the extra weight and higher center of gravity. It is a good example of how this build has evolved: use the truck, find the weak point, and upgrade around what it actually needs.
The Gladiator rolls on 40-inch Nitto Trail Grapplers wrapped around KMC IMS wheels. We chose the non-beadlock version specifically because this truck still spends plenty of time on the road, avoiding the added maintenance of constantly checking beadlock bolt torque. The wheels still have rock rings to take some of the punishment when the trail gets tight.
Those 40s give the Gladiator a larger contact patch on the rocks and extra ground clearance, something that comes in handy on a vehicle Rex jokingly describes as a “land yacht.” The truck is still running its factory Dana 44 axles, so the philosophy is not to drive it like nothing can break. Careful line choice and knowing when not to go full cowboy have allowed the setup to work for the trails we run.
Turning 40-inch tires puts more demand on everything upstream, so the drivetrain received upgrades to help handle it.
The Gladiator runs Yukon chromoly axles front and rear, a FAD delete, 5.13 gears, and a Yukon Hardcore differential cover up front. After watching the factory differential cover take repeated hits against rocks, upgrading the protection became an easy decision. An aftermarket front driveshaft rounds out the drivetrain changes.
The 5.13 gearing has given us the balance we were looking for with the 40s, while the chromoly components add strength for the tougher situations the truck regularly encounters. The point is preventative: when the Gladiator is carrying the crew and equipment deep into a trail, avoiding a breakdown matters a lot more than adding a modification just for the spec sheet.
This is not a Gladiator where the armor is installed just for looks. A lot of it has the trail scars to prove otherwise.
GenRight handles much of the exterior protection with a high-clearance front bumper, high-clearance front and rear fenders, sliders, and rear bumper. Most of the setup is aluminum, aside from the sliders, helping protect the truck without piling on unnecessary weight.
Underneath, R-Tech full skids protect the engine, transmission, transfer case, and fuel tank. On a long-wheelbase Gladiator that regularly sees rocks, those skid plates have taken some of the hardest abuse on the entire truck.
A Warn Zeon 10-S winch paired with a Factor 55 UltraHook provides another layer of insurance. A long, heavy Gladiator is eventually going to get hung up somewhere, and the winch has already come in handy more than once.
Lighting is another area where the setup comes directly from real-world use. Since Rex spends a lot of time driving the Gladiator, he wanted a wide field of visibility at night.
The truck uses Baja Designs LP4s, S2 DOT lights, and a 10-inch S8 light bar. Yellow lighting at the front helps cut through dust and also works well when the Gladiator is being used as a chase vehicle in the desert. The S2 DOT setup has also proven useful during foggy mountain drives.
The factory LED headlights were replaced with AlphaRex Nova Series units, which Rex says have performed at the factory level or better.
The rear of the Gladiator is where its overland and media-trip duties really start to show. An OBS topper keeps equipment protected and secure, while an OBS two-person rooftop tent gives the crew a place to sleep when the trip turns into an overnight run. Up top, a Sherpa Series quick-disconnect roof rack adds more flexibility for carrying gear.
There is even a side-exit exhaust to gain some additional clearance while adding a little character to the truck. It is another small example of the overall philosophy behind the build: function comes first, but that does not mean the Gladiator has to be boring.
The R1 Gladiator is a company vehicle, but it was never meant to be an untouchable showpiece. It gets daily driven. It spends hours on the highway. It crawls rocks, carries camera gear, camps, and shows up at events. You can see the scratches and trail damage on parts of the build because we actually use it.
That is ultimately what Rex wanted to demonstrate with this setup. You do not need every bell and whistle to build a capable Gladiator. Start with what you actually want the truck to do, upgrade the parts that support that goal, and let the build evolve as you use it.
Watch the full video for Rex’s complete walkaround of the R1 Concepts Gladiator, and if you are looking to upgrade the braking setup on your own Jeep, head to r1concepts.com to find the R1 Concepts brake setup that fits your build.