Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion, Pigeon Forge Tennessee; GSMJI 2023 Next Stop Overland Expo East!

#GSMJI2023 #jeep #Hemi
We took the Jeep Gladiator Rubicon Overlanding Build up to the Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion. Similar to Jeep Beach, lots of cool custom jeeps, however I didn't get a chance to talk to as many vendors as we did down at Daytona Jeep Beach 2023!
We camped out our first night at Cades Cove, and drove down to the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge. We had planned to meet up with other overlanders such as ‪@CoddiwompleOverland‬ however due to the crowds and the heat, we cut our trip short.
For a first time Jeep buyer, there were lots of inspirational Jeep builds, from stock to full Rock Crawler.
This event was the same time as Overland Expo Mountain West, so some of my overland friends headed out there. However, we'll see you at Overland EXPO East !
There were no shortage of high horsepower Hemi conversions and one ton axles for JLs, JTs, JKs, and others. We got some insider info and got to see one of the few ‪@AMW4x4‬ Manual Hemi Builds. I didn't get a chance to crawl around the vehicle, but if the opportunity ever arises that's the route I want to go! Talking with the experts the entire stock Gladiator Drivetrain has to go. They've opted for a heavier duty manual. Having done some of my own research. You can get a 6.4L Manual G56 in a HD Ram truck, however they're only sold in Mexico. The American market really doesn't have the demand for the Manual transmissions like it used to. Additionally in high horsepower applications, the torque converter really takes the brunt of the forces. In fact the Jeep Gladiator is the Only Solid Axle purpose built offroad truck you can get with a Manual transmission. If you want Solid Axles, your options are Jeep, Ram, or Superduty. Even the 2024 Land Cruiser is IFS, same with the Ford Bronco. But I digress...
Almost Every Major Manufacturer and retailer of aftermarket Jeep assessors was at the GSMJI. Some of the top names include 4 Wheel Parts, Toyo, General Tire, Nitto, Summit Racing, Dana, Currie Enterprises, Rock Jock, Terra-Flex, Magnaflow, Rancho, Bilstein, Asheville Overland Outfitters, Synergy Suspension, Artec Industries, Rhino USA, and many more!
My Build:
Suspension: It took me a little over a year to select the right kit for my Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, and it really controls the ride even when fully loaded!
For my personal setup, I chose to go with the ‪@ClaytonOffRoad‬ 3.5" Overland Plus Kit. They have a great reputation. James was super helpful when deciding between the HD Springs or the Normal Springs. I'm extremely happy going with the HD springs and know that I'll be able to fully load the Gladiator out in the future with the load carrying capacity to grow! I also went with the ‪@GoRanchoSuspension‬ RS9000XL Shocks.
I've driven the Jeep now for about 5,000 miles, and the Rancho Clayton Combo is really spot on. I'm cruising around city and gravel roads on as little as setting 3 front and rear currently, although you can jump back up to level 4 or 5. The Great thing about the Rancho Shocks is you have 9 different levels to play around with to find the best ride for you at a budget price! I'd love to install a full set of the Rancho RockGear in the future.
*** As of production of this video, I'm not partnered, affiliated, or sponsored by any of these companies or brands mentioned. These are all items bought and paid for by me.
Like most of you, I don't have a lift, and did this in my driveway with the help of my ‪@harborfreight‬ Badland Offroad Jack, and the full line of ‪@MilwaukeeTool‬ M12 Fuel Tools including the M12 Ratchet, M12 Fuel Ratchet, M12 Fuel Stubby Impact, M12 Fuel Hackzall (sawzall), M12 Fuel right angle impact, some Craftsman wrenches, ‪@GEARWRENCHTools‬ Flexible gear wrenches, dead blow hammer, and several other Metric and SAE tools from Husky, Dewalt, Icon, and others.
My tools and off road jack travel with me on my trips as added insurance.
My 2021 Jeep Gladiator is outfitted with the following so check out my other installation and modification videos.
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