Fox Performance Elite Shocks For The Jeep Gladiator
Photos: John Cappa and courtesy of the manufacturer
Very few vehicles are as versatile as the Jeep Gladiator JT pickup truck. That versatility results in a variety of cargo loads and driving conditions that challenge the factory shock absorbers and require more damping. The good news is that the Fox Performance Elite 2.5-inch adjustable reservoir shocks help meet those suspension control demands.
The massive 2.5-inch diameter shock body of the Fox Performance Elite Series (right) dwarfs the factory Gladiator Sport S (left) and Rubicon (center) shock bodies. Larger diameter shocks are able to dissipate more heat and are less likely to fade. If you look close you’ll notice we got the original Sport S shocks so hot that the stickers melted. We needed more shock for our application.
The Fox high-performance large diameter monotube shock bodies and reservoirs dissipate heat better than the stock shocks, making them less likely to fade when attacking trails at speed, while the Fox Dual Speed Compression (DSC) knobs on each shock reservoir give you the ability to tune the ride of your Jeep Gladiator on both high- and low-speed bumps.
Fox Performance Elite 2.5 Series shocks are available in three lengths that are a bolt-in fit for the front of the Jeep Gladiator with 0-1.5, 2-3 and 4.5-6 inches of lift. Each shock kit comes with two fully assembled Fox Performance Elite 2.5 Series reservoir shocks, reservoir mounting brackets, reservoir clamps and mounting hardware.
With just a few clicks you can match the shock tuning to the weight of your cargo and driving conditions on- or off-road. The Fox Performance Elite 2.5 Series shocks feature massive 2.5-inch impact extruded and CNC machined 6061-T6 hard anodized aluminum bodies, giant 7/8-inch hard chrome plated heat-treated alloy steel shock shafts and a redundant sealing pack system main seal, wiper seal and scraper seal to provide years of trouble free service. The shocks are also fully rebuildable so they’ll be the last shocks you’ll ever need.
The remote reservoirs on the front and rear Fox Performance Elite 2.5 Series shocks feature DSC adjustment knobs. These two knobs are used to tune the high- and low-speed compression of the shock. The low-speed adjuster (small orange knob) features 10 settings, which is used to tune slow shock shaft compression, such as when cornering or other slow swoopy suspension motion. The high-speed adjuster (large silver knob) features 12 settings. It’s used to tune high-speed shock shaft compression, which would include attacking highway expansion joints, potholes, speed bumps, whoops and rocks in the trail.
On-Road Performance
Our factory Gladiator Sport S Max Tow shocks rode relatively smooth on the highway, but our Gladiator never rode as smooth as a comparable JL Wrangler. Prior to installing the Fox Performance Elite 2.5 Series shocks we tried running the Fox-built OE Gladiator Rubicon shocks. They were really soft, but didn’t provide enough shock damping at any kind of speed.
Fox Performance Elite 2.5 Series Reservoir shocks for the Jeep Gladiator bolt into the factory shock mounts using the original mounting hardware. We opted for the 0-1.5-inch lift application for our stock-height Gladiator.
The remote reservoirs on the front shocks are attached to the frame using the included brackets, reservoir clamps and hardware. Each front reservoir bracket requires two small holes be drilled into the frame. Leave enough room to access the knobs when locating the reservoirs in the clamps.
With the Fox Performance Elite 2.5 Series shocks installed, we started with the recommended DSC adjustments of three clicks on both the low- and high-speed knobs on all four corners. We immediately noticed that our Gladiator rolled smoother over highway expansion joints and rough patches of road.
Before solidly clamping the reservoirs in place, you’ll need to rotate each front reservoir inward so that the hose clears the tires when turning. The hoses should be very close to the inner fender and frame before tightening the reservoir clamps.
The Performance Elite shocks also smoothed the overall ride, closing the on-road ride gap between a stock Wrangler and Gladiator. With an empty bed, we adjusted the rear high-speed adjusters down another click to close that gap further. The low-speed Fox DSC adjusters seem fine to us at three clicks. If your Jeep is top heavy with a rooftop tent or you feel it leans too much in corners you can add a couple clicks to each low-speed DSC adjuster.
Like the front shocks, the rear Fox Performance Elite 2.5 Series reservoir shocks also dwarf the factory Gladiator Sport S shocks (left) and Rubicon shocks (center). Fox was able to utilize piggy back style reservoirs on the rear. This simplifies installation quite a bit. The piggy back reservoirs still have the DSC knobs, which are especially helpful for tuning the rear suspension with an empty bed, when carrying cargo or towing a trailer.
Off-Road Performance
We often travel very long distances at speed off-road. Our factory Gladiator Sport S Max Tow shocks would regularly heat up and fade within minutes, which was completely unacceptable on our 50-mile-plus high-speed off-road travels. Adding camping gear and firewood to the bed of the truck degraded factory shock performance even quicker. Our original Sport S front and rear shocks had gotten so hot that the stickers on them melted.
Both the front and rear shocks are marked for right and left sides. This is done to ensure that the large shocks, reservoirs and reservoir hoses are properly clocked for tire, frame and body clearance. The rear shocks bolt in place using the factory hardware the same as up front.
The new Fox Performance Elite 2.5 Series shocks barely got warm after a spirited desert two-track romp. The same trip would have caused our original shocks to fade and heat up too hot to touch. Our new Fox Performance Elite 2.5 Series reservoir shocks give us the ability to comfortably travel long distances off-road when overland camping and adventuring. We use the high-speed DSC knobs to adjust for expected off-road bumps and the weight of our camp gear, and then click them back when we hit the street or empty the load.
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