Rugged Ridge Builds an Even More Capable Wrangler Gladiator

A Gladiator dream build

Rugged Ridge is a Georgian aftermarket off-road outfitter and for the 2019 SEMA show, they have built their best interpretation of the new Jeep Gladiator. The deep-woods color scheme Rugged Ridge Gladiator is a fantasy build, essentially the caliber of Jeep pick-up truck you would create if budget was no issue.  

Big rubber for this Rugged Ridge project Jeep

This Rugged Ridge Gladiator rolls on some pretty enormous tires. Sourced from BF Goodrich, the tires are KM3s sized at a whopping 29-inches. They are set on 17-inch Jesse Spade rims and are sure to give an excellent ride in even the most testing of off-road terrain. With a huge air volume, you also have the option of enacting deflation, to increase traction in sand or improve ride quality on corrugated dirt roads. Ensuring the doors stay in shape, there are a set of RRC rocker guards stretching between the arches. 

>>Join the conversation about Rugged Ridge's Gladiator Rubicon right here in JK-Forum.

Lighting up the night

The Rugged Ridge Gladiator ensures enough lighting for any off-road exploration endeavor. Mounted just behind the hood shut line, is an LED bar, which is sure to create enough light in even the darkest off-road conditions. There is a snorkel kit too, which has two benefits: firstly, it allows this Rugged Ridge Gladiator to roll through deep water and secondly, purifies the air it uses to feed the engine. This second trait comes in handy when you are riding along in a convoy or on a particularly dusty trail. 

>>Join the conversation about Rugged Ridge's Gladiator Rubicon right here in JK-Forum.

A touch of gold labeling on this Gladiator

The hood features a classic Jeep design theme in terms of color and graphics. Preparing any SEMA Jeep is challenging as you want to respect tradition but also wow the crowds with something new. With its deep-wood inspired Gladiator, Rugged Ridge has managed to find the aptest blend between incorporating traditional Jeep styling and design colors, whilst also creating a show vehicle that is very contemporary. 

>>Join the conversation about Rugged Ridge's Gladiator Rubicon right here in JK-Forum.

A very shapely off-road bumper design

The front view shows a lot of the exploration rated detail on this build. Pride of place goes to the Overrider Trekker S12.5 winch, which is mounted on a Venator front bumper. Those headlamps feature special covers, which don’t reduce their illumination power but do protect them from trail debris damage. A custom front bumper increases the Gladiator’s approach angle and also acts as a housing for additional LED lights.

>>Join the conversation about Rugged Ridge's Gladiator Rubicon right here in JK-Forum.

More lift than the stock Gladiator

In our opinion, Rugged Ridge’s creation looks best when viewed from the rear. The Jeep pick-up gains a new rear bumper, which features no less than three recovery shackle points. It also has a full-length accessory rack. To ensure this Gladiator has a touch more off-road ability, RR added a Fox suspension kit with stouter shocks and gives the pickup a four-inch lift.   

>>Join the conversation about Rugged Ridge's Gladiator Rubicon right here in JK-Forum.

Creating a rugged new legend

For decades the Wrangler has been a standard in an off-road exploration, but with Gladiator, that legend has now become even better, with the convenience of a huge load box to take all the gear you want, along. And Rugged Ridge has interpreted the concept perfectly, with its deep-Woods SEMA show car.

>>Join the conversation about Rugged Ridge's Gladiator Rubicon right here in JK-Forum.

For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section right here in the forum.