CadGaragePro 3D scans of trucks and 4x4s · 1:1 · mm

Jeep Wrangler JK vs JL vs Gladiator JT: Picking the Right 3D Scan

Updated · CadGaragePro

The Wrangler JK was built from August 2006 to April 2018 as a 2-door and the first 4-door Wrangler Unlimited. The JL replaced it from December 2017, again in both bodies, on a redesigned frame with aluminum doors, hinges, hood, fenders and windshield frame. The Gladiator JT, shipping from April 2019, is a 4-door pickup with most of the JL’s front end and cab on a frame 31 in (787 mm) longer. Treat all three as separate designs; check frame ends, mounts and panel material on your Jeep.

Which years and bodies did the JK, JL and Gladiator JT come in?

In a 2021 release, Jeep’s parts business called the previous-generation Wrangler the JK, the then-latest Wrangler the JL and the Gladiator the JT (Jeep).

Jeep revealed the first 4-door Wrangler, the 2007 Wrangler Unlimited, in New York in April 2006. Its 116 in (2,947 mm) wheelbase is 20.6 in (523 mm) longer than the new 2-door JK’s (Jeep), and production at Toledo started in August 2006 (Jeep). The last JK left the line on 27 April 2018, after 2,165,678 had been built (Jeep).

That makes 2018 a model year with two Wranglers. Jeep published one 2018 spec sheet for the Wrangler JK (Jeep) and another for the all-new 2018 Wrangler (Jeep). The new one was shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2017 (Repairer Driven News, 2017) in 2-door and 4-door versions (Jeep), and production began in December 2017 at Toledo’s North plant (Jeep).

The 2020 Gladiator was revealed in Los Angeles in November 2018 (The Drive). It began shipping to dealers on 12 April 2019 from Toledo’s South plant, the old JK plant (Jeep), and comes only as a 4-door crew cab with a 5 ft steel bed (Jeep, Cars.com).

Dimensions below are from Jeep’s spec sheets for the 2018 JK (spec), the 2018 JL (spec) and the 2020 Gladiator (spec).

Wrangler JKWrangler JLGladiator JT
BuiltAug 2006 to Apr 2018From Dec 2017Shipping from Apr 2019
Bodies2-door, 4-door Unlimited2-door, 4-door4-door crew cab pickup
Wheelbase, 2-door95.4 in (2,423 mm)96.8 in (2,460 mm)Not offered
Wheelbase, 4-door116 in (2,947 mm)118.4 in (3,008 mm)137.3 in (3,487 mm)
Length, 4-door184.9 in (4,696.5 mm) with spare188.4 in (4,785 mm) with spare218.0 in (5,539 mm)
Track61.9 in (1,572 mm)62.9 in (1,598 mm)62.9 to 65.0 in (1,598 to 1,650 mm) by model
Body, as Jeep lists itOpen steel bodyOpen steel and aluminum bodyOpen steel and aluminum body

From JK to JL the wheelbase grew 1.4 in (37 mm) on the 2-door and 2.4 in (61 mm) on the 4-door, and the track grew 1.0 in (26 mm). The numbers are small, but a slider or fender part built to one set may not sit where it should on the other.

From the cab forward it is close to a 4-door JL, apart from wider grille slots (see below). Cars.com said the front end and cab are nearly the same as a 4-door JL’s, and that the whole front of the cabin is Wrangler (Cars.com). Jeep’s replacement windshields agree: the same part numbers cover the 2018 to 2021 JL and the JT, while the JK takes a different one (Jeep).

Behind the cab the truck is its own design. Jeep calls the frame all-new and 31 in (787 mm) longer than a Wrangler 4-door’s, and puts the wheelbase 19.4 in longer (Jeep). The spec sheets give 137.3 in (3,487 mm) against 118.4 in (3,008 mm), a gap of 18.9 in (479 mm) (JT spec, JL spec), so measure rather than trust either figure. The same Gladiator release says:

  • the rear five-link suspension is exclusive to the Gladiator, with the control arms under the frame rails and forward-facing rear shocks;
  • Jeep made the prop shaft, the brake and fuel lines and the exhaust longer;
  • the bed is steel with four steel crossmembers, and the tailgate is aluminum;
  • the grille keeps its seven slots, but they are wider to let in more air.

What changed from JK to JL that matters for bumpers, armor and mounts?

The frame

Jeep describes the JL frame as fully boxed and says it uses high-strength steel wherever loads are critical, with hydroformed front rail sections, five boxed crossmembers and galvanized parts. The body sits on eight mounts on the 2-door and ten on the 4-door (Jeep). Repairer Driven News reported the frame is 100 lb lighter than the one it replaced (Repairer Driven News, 2017), and an FCA engineer later put it at nearly 80 percent high-strength or advanced high-strength steel, with a 6061-T6 aluminum crossmember (Repairer Driven News, 2019).

So do not reuse JK frame bracket drawings on a JL. Before welding anything to a JL or JT frame, read FCA’s repair information: the JL frame mixes steel grades and includes an aluminum crossmember, and the JT frame is a different, all-new design (Jeep).

Aluminum and magnesium panels

The JK is listed with an open steel body (Jeep). On the JL, Jeep lists aluminum doors, door hinges, hood, fenders and windshield frame, plus a magnesium swing gate (Jeep). Jeep’s Gladiator release lists aluminum doors, door hinges, hood, fender flares, windshield frame and tailgate (Jeep). According to FCA, the B-pillars, quarter panels and sport bar stay steel (Repairer Driven News, 2017).

That changes how you attach things:

  • Do not weld steel brackets to these panels. TWI explains that fusion welding the two forms hard, brittle intermetallic compounds. It notes that many commercial aluminum-to-steel joints use mechanical fasteners, with the aluminum insulated from the steel (a coating or paint) to prevent galvanic corrosion (TWI). Design hood, fender and A-pillar light mounts to bolt on with an insulating layer.
  • Treat the swing gate with care. Repairer Driven News warned that improvised work on the JL’s magnesium swing gate could set a shop on fire (Repairer Driven News, 2017). Do not cut or grind it.

Windshield, grille and the 2024 update

The JL and JT windshield folds after removing four bolts at the top of its frame, and a header bar between the A-pillars stays put when the glass is folded (Jeep, Jeep). Check any windshield-frame light mount against that header.

For the 2024 model year both vehicles got a slimmer grille, a stealth antenna in the windshield in place of the steel mast, and standard side-curtain airbags (Jeep, 2024 Wrangler, Jeep, 2024 Gladiator). On the Wrangler the new grille makes room for a factory Warn winch on Rubicon models (Jeep). Check grille and winch clearance for the year of Jeep you are building for.

Why does a part designed for one not fit the others?

Because what it bolts to moved or changed material:

  • JK to JL: a lighter frame of higher-strength steel (Repairer Driven News, 2017), a longer wheelbase and a wider track (JK spec, JL spec), aluminum instead of steel panels (Jeep) and a different windshield (Jeep).
  • JL to JT: nearly the same cab and front end (the JT’s grille slots are wider), but an all-new, longer frame, its own rear suspension, a bed and a tailgate (Jeep, Cars.com).
  • 2-door to 4-door: the 4-door wheelbase is 20.6 in (523 mm) longer on the JK (Jeep) and 21.6 in (548 mm) longer on the JL (Jeep), so sliders and underbody armor do not carry over.

Aftermarket fitment lists show how close and how different they are. DV8 Offroad sells one front bumper for the JK, JL and JT, but the JK needs its plastic trim cover trimmed or removed (DV8 Offroad). Its front inner fenders are listed only for the JL and JT (DV8 Offroad).

Which CadGaragePro files fit which Jeep?

FileVehicle in the fileFormatListed yearsDetails
Wrangler JKU full scanJK 4-door UnlimitedSTL2007-2018$80, 27,921,242 triangles, 1,396 MB, extent 4,708 × 1,969 × 1,904 mm (185.3 × 77.5 × 75.0 in)
Wrangler JK 2-door STEPJK 2-doorSTEP2007-2018$95, full vehicle, 665 MB
Gladiator JT full scan2020 Gladiator RubiconSTLNot listed$90, 21,880,619 triangles, 1,094 MB, extent 5,529 × 2,033 × 2,039 mm (217.7 × 80.0 × 80.3 in)
Wrangler JL front and interior scansJL 4-door UnlimitedSTLComingNot on sale yet

The JKU scan has the hardtop, doors, wheels and tailgate-mounted spare, the full cabin, and the underbody with frame, axles, driveshafts, transfer case, exhaust and skid plates. The Gladiator scan has the hardtop, doors, cabin, bed and tailgate, and the underbody with frame, axles, driveshafts, exhaust and the spare under the bed; its width was measured with the mirrors folded. Both were scanned with the hood closed, so the engine bay is only partly visible through the grille.

How to pick:

  • JK 4-door: the JKU full scan. Its length, 4,708 mm (185.3 in), is about 11 mm (0.4 in) more than the 4,696.5 mm (184.9 in) Jeep gives for a 2018 JK 4-door with spare (Jeep).
  • JK 2-door: the 2-door STEP model. Do not take side or underbody dimensions from the 4-door scan. Both JK files are on the JK page.
  • JL, either body: front and interior scans of a JL Unlimited are coming to the JL page. Do not design JL parts from the JK files: the frame, panels and windshield differ.
  • Gladiator JT: the Gladiator scan. Its length, 5,529 mm (217.7 in), is about 10 mm (0.4 in) short of Jeep’s 5,539 mm (218.0 in), but its height, 2,039 mm (80.3 in), is above Jeep’s 1,882 mm (74.1 in) for a hardtop Rubicon (Jeep), so take ride height from your own truck. The Mojave’s track is 65.0 in (1,650 mm) against 64.4 in (1,636 mm) on the Rubicon (Jeep), and 2024-on trucks have the new grille (Jeep), so check fenders and the grille area on those.
  • JL front parts from the Gladiator scan: we do not list it for the JL. If you use it as a reference, check the grille, bumper mounts and frame ends on your own JL, because the Gladiator’s grille slots are wider (Jeep).

If you are unsure which vehicle a file came from, message the shop on Etsy before you buy.

What should I check on my own Jeep before designing?

Read the build date on the vehicle label, not just the model year: Jeep sold both a JK and a JL as 2018 models (JK spec, JL spec). Then compare three things with the file: the frame rail ends and bumper bolt holes, the body mount positions, and the wheelbase. Know which panels are aluminum before you plan a bracket on them. Check your local road rules and any certification your country requires before fitting a bumper.

For working with the mesh, see how to use a 3D scan in CAD. For the bumper itself, see designing a DIY bumper from a 3D scan. Every file we sell is under vehicles.

Sources

Scans mentioned in this guide