The Ultimate Jeep Beach Gladiator
Some vehicles you can’t rationalize. You simply have to just accept that they exist and enjoy them for what they are. The Jeep Gladiator you see here isn’t practical or cheap. However, it is something that grabs your attention from afar and excites the imagination as to just what you could do with something like this.
It’s built by South Florida Jeeps and it’s called the Apocalypse Hellfire 6x6. With its over-the-top styling and massive 40-inch-tall Nitto Trail Grapplers, it just might be the ultimate Jeep Beach machine. We spotted this converted JT at the 2024 Jeep Beach event in Daytona Beach, Florida. While we’ve shown you some incredible 6x6 Jeep builds in the past, this one was definitely worth a closer look.
Diesel Power
While you can have your pick of a GM or HEMI V8, this particular build has the factory 3.0L EcoDiesel engine. While the soon-to-be discontinued V6 diesel won’t give you that classic rumble, we’re told it does have plenty of power and nearly double the fuel economy of the V8 conversions.
Functional 6x6
To make this a functional 6x6, a fabricated axle housing was built in house. This uses a pass-through gear to feed the original Dana 44 rear axle. The suspension setup for both axles retains a five-link, coil sprung design, just as it was fit from the factory.
Got 40’s?
Nitto tire remains one of the company’s go-to tire choices as performance and ride quality at this level is paramount. This JT is running a 40x15.50R22 Nitto Trail Grappler. As one of the few mud-terrain radials on the market offered for everything from 15 to 26-inch wheel diameters, the Trail Grappler’s excellent on-road manners and legendary off-highway performance make it the easy choice for these high-end builds.
Lift
Thanks to the custom body work, the Gladiator easily clears the 40-inch-treads with only 4 inches of lift. Also, if you are curious as to why the rear tires appear so close, this was done to optimize the handling of the Jeep.
Fastback
A signature look on this build is the Cybertruck-inspired roll-n-lock fastback enclosure. This, along with the rest of the body components, is comprised of steel and all body work is done by South Florida Jeeps.
Mini Version
With the exception of the rear half of the truck, much of what you see on the outside could easily be replicated with an assortment of readily available aftermarket items from FabFours. However, if you want the full turnkey 6x6, you’ll need to visit their inventory selection to check out what they have in stock.
More From Driving Line
- Want to see more over-the-top Jeep builds? Check out our coverage of the 2024 Jeep Beach event.
