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CHRIS HAMILTON

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Bolt-On Upgrades That Transform Your Jeep Gladiator

The Battle of the Bolt-ons

If you’ve got a Jeep Gladiator, congrats! You’ve got one of the most versatile rigs on the road. But let’s be honest, straight off the lot, it still needs a little help in the style and function department. The last issue of TREAD focused on setting the perfect stance and adding a killer set of wheels and tires. In this tech article, we’re diving into a couple of key bolt-ons to get this 2020 Gladiator looking sharper and working harder. First up, we’re tossing on a set of Dominator D6 running boards from Go Rhino. These steps don’t just look tough; they’re wide, flat, and ready to take a beating, perfect for helping you climb in and out without scuffing up your rockers or busting a shin on the way out.

When we started, our Jeep was at stock height, but after installing a new lift and bigger tires in the last issue, we will definitely need some steps to get in and out easily

Out back, we’re locking things down with a TruXedo Sentry CT tonneau cover. This bed cover has a low-profile look that sits flush and sleek, but don’t let the clean lines fool you. It has a tough aluminum core wrapped in industrial-grade fabric, ready to keep gear secure and dry. Whether you’re hauling tools or camping gear, this cover’s got you covered, literally.

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Now, we’re not stopping here. In an upcoming issue of TREAD, we’ll be throwing on a new set of bumpers on this Gladiator as well as some lighting upgrades, but that’s a whole other write-up. For now, let’s tackle the task at hand. All parts in this article are available at RealTruck.com. Call them at (877) 216-5446 for more info or to place an order.

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The first thing we are installing is TruXedo’s Sentry CT cover, which offers sleek, low-profile protection with industrial-grade strength—perfect for locking down your gear without sacrificing style.
Our Jeep Gladiator came with a nice drop-in bedliner, but our stuff still gets wet in the rain, so a new rolling bed cover from RealTruck was a must-have.
Bolt-On Upgrades That Transform Your Jeep Gladiator
These brackets come with the bed cover, and the instructions make it look easy to install. We will see!
We need to trim our plastic bedliner in order to access the predrilled holes in the bed.
Bolt-On Upgrades That Transform Your Jeep Gladiator
Now we slip in the rubber plugs provided with this kit before mounting the bracket.
The brackets are powdercoated and ready to install right out of the box.
Next, we repeat the process on the passenger side.
Bolt-On Upgrades That Transform Your Jeep Gladiator
After they are bolted in, you can see how they sit flush with the bed rails.
Bolt-On Upgrades That Transform Your Jeep Gladiator
Moving to the rear, we again need to trim the bedliner for the rear brackets.
Bolt-On Upgrades That Transform Your Jeep Gladiator
Bolting up the rear brackets is easy thanks to the templates and hardware provided by RealTruck.
Bolt-On Upgrades That Transform Your Jeep Gladiator
Here’s a great look at the rear brackets installed.
Bolt-On Upgrades That Transform Your Jeep Gladiator
The bed cover rails are installed next using an Allen head bolt and the nuts provided.
Bolt-On Upgrades That Transform Your Jeep Gladiator
With the top of the bed rails connected, we can attach them to the rear brackets.
Now the fun part! The roll-up bedliner can be set into place.
This pic is from the manufacturer, and it shows just how nice this cover looks when closed.
Go Rhino’s Dominator D6 running boards add rugged side protection and a wide, flat stepping surface—perfect for climbing in and out of your Gladiator with ease and attitude
Bolt-On Upgrades That Transform Your Jeep Gladiator
The first step is to insert these bolts and plastic washers, which help secure the bolts while adding the step brackets.
Bolt-On Upgrades That Transform Your Jeep Gladiator
The first bracket can be installed over both bolts.
Then we can secure the frame-mounted brackets with the nuts that came in the kit from RealTruck.
With all the brackets installed, we can now move on to mounting the steps. Keep everything loose until all the bolts are installed, and then you can fully tighten them all.
The driver and passenger side have all the same steps, so there’s no reason to get too detailed here. We had both steps installed in under an hour and a half.
In the next issue we will focus on updating these plastic OEM bumpers and adding some upgraded lights! Stay tuned…

 

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