GrayBeard is our 2021 Jeep Gladiator JT Sport S (Customer Preferred Package 24S, Sting-Gray Clear Coat), purpose-built to conquer the extreme heat, rocky canyons, and loose sand washes of the Mojave Desert. Engineered for remote placer gold prospecting, multi-day overland expeditions, and heavy utility hauling, this page serves as the living technical blueprint and review directory for every modification installed on the truck.
Vehicle Base & Factory Foundation
| Base Vehicle | 2021 Jeep Gladiator Sport S (Sting-Gray Clear Coat, 24S Package) |
| Powertrain | 3.6L Pentastar V6 | 8-Speed Automatic Transmission (850RE) |
| Axles & Differentials | Dana M210 Front | Dana M220 Rear (Standard-Width ~66.5″ WMS) | 3.73 Gear Ratio | Trac-Lok Anti-Spin Rear LSD |
| Factory Packages | Trailer Tow Package (240A Alternator, Heavy-Duty Engine Cooling, Class IV Hitch, 7/4-Pin Wiring), ParkSense Rear Park Assist, Blind Spot & Cross Path Detection, 400W / 115V AC Bed & Cabin Outlets |
Suspension, Steering & Geometry
Dialed in specifically to eliminate washboard bounce, maintain proper caster, and handle constant overland bed rack loads and trailer tongue weights without rear-end sag.
- Front Coil Springs: Clayton Off Road 1.5″ Triple-Rate Front Coils (
COR-1508250) - Rear Lift Springs: Clayton Off Road 1.5″ Triple-Rate Rear Lift Coils (
COR-1510151) - Shock Absorbers: Fox 2.0 Performance Series IFP Shocks (0–1.5″ Lift Rated; Front
985-24-171, Rear985-24-219) - Rear Load Assist: Air Lift 1000 In-Coil Air Spring Helper Bags (manually adjustable for trailer towing and heavy prospecting gear payloads)
- Steering Stabilizer: Fox 2.0 TS (Through-Shaft) Steering Stabilizer
- Stabilizer Relocation: Synergy High-Clearance Axle Relocation Kit (Part #
8807-03) - Front Track Bar: Clayton Off Road Adjustable Front Track Bar (
COR-4509100) with differential clearance bend - Rear Track Bar: Clayton Off Road Adjustable Rear Track Bar (
COR-4510120) with spare tire clearance bend - Front Upper Control Arms: Clayton Off Road Adjustable Front Upper Control Arms (
COR-1709101) set to 5.5° caster - Sway Bar & Links: MetalCloak Front Sway Bar Quick Disconnect Kit (#
7614, bolt-on, includes MetalCloak bushings) | Clayton Off Road Adjustable Rear Sway Bar Links (COR-5110110) - Bump Stops & Ball Joints: Clayton 1.25″ Front Bump Stop Extensions (
COR-1408100), TeraFlex Falcon Progressive Bump Stops (#1969200), and TeraFlex Heavy-Duty Ball Joints
Wheels & Tires
- Wheels: 2025 OEM Jeep Gladiator Mojave Takeoff Aluminum Rims (17×7.5, Tech Silver finish)
- Tires: Falken Wildpeak A/T3W LT285/70R17 (33″ nominal diameter, Load Range C)
- Stance Upgrades: 1.5″ Billet Wheel Spacers planned (required for standard-width axles when stepping up to 35″ tires)
Armor, Recovery & Exterior
- Front Bumper: Hooke Road BXG3031 Rock Crawler Stubby Steel Bumper (92 lbs, integrated 21.3″ 100W light bar, dual 18W cube pods, integrated front skid plate, hardware upgraded to M12x30)
- Rear Bumper: Hooke Road BXG7003 HR Guardian High-Clearance Bumper with Bedside Slider Steps (107 lbs, integrated 18W LED floods, D-ring isolators, ParkSense sensor bezels, Dorman 85017 harness)
👉 Read the Full Technical Review & Sport S Frame Bracket Fix Here - Rock Sliders: OEM Jeep Gladiator Mojave Takeoff Rock Sliders
- Inner Fender Liners: Hooke Road Aluminum Front (
B7024S) and Rear (B7025S) Wheel Well Liners - Recovery Winch: Badland Apex 12,000 lb Synthetic Rope Winch with wireless remote control and aluminum fairlead
Auxiliary Lighting & Electrical Management
- Circuit Control System: Nilight 12-Gang RGB Switch Panel (Bluetooth App control, 12V/24V, 4 programmable modes: Constant, Momentary, Strobe, Pulse)
- Ditch Lights: ROADSHOCK 3″ LED Flood Lights with side-firing perimeter fill
- Chase / Camp Light: ROADSHOCK 22″ Spot/Flood Combo LED Light Bar (rack-mounted)
- Rock Lights: ROADSHOCK 12V Utility/Rock White LED Lights (wheel wells and undercarriage)
- Bumper Lighting: Integrated Hooke Road 21.3″ 100W center bar, front 18W spot pods, and rear 18W flood pods
- Charging & Starting: Factory dual-battery ESS setup (Main AGM + Aux battery under PDC) paired with factory 240A high-output alternator
Comms & Overlanding Gear
- Mobile Radio: AnyTone AT-778UVII Dual-Band 25W Mobile Transceiver (VOX enabled)
- Antenna: Nagoya TB-320A Fold-Over 39″ Tri-Band (2m / 1.25m / 70cm | 144/220/440 MHz) with heavy-duty PL-259 mount
- Cabin Storage: Overhead interior MOLLE panel system managing radio mic routing and emergency cab storage
- Bed Rack: Attica 4×4 Frontier Series Bed Rack (heavy-duty 8-gauge steel, 350 lb dynamic / 800 lb static rating)
- Shelter: Cab-height hard-shell/fold-out Rooftop Tent mounted securely to Attica crossbars
- Field Prospecting Cargo: Engineered cargo tie-down grid securing Keene 161 & Royal dry washers, gutter sluices, Gold Magic 12-10 spiral recovery wheel, and bucket classification systems
Engine Reliability & Mechanical Upgrades
- Oil Cooler Housing: Upgraded Dorman Aluminum Engine Oil Filter Housing (
926-959) eliminating plastic housing leaks - Intake Seals & Valvetrain: Fel-Pro Intake Manifold Gasket Set (
MS97204) with fluoropolymer/Viton seals; replaced passenger-side exhaust rocker arms and hydraulic lash adjusters - Lubrication: Valvoline Restore & Protect Full Synthetic 0W-20 (Chrysler MS-6395 compliant) paired with a high-flow K&N Performance Oil Filter
Follow the live build progression, field testing, and forum discussion on our JeepGladiatorForum.com build thread or stay connected via our Facebook Page and Instagram (@sjadventures.us).