In the video I drive a 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon up an RTI (Ramp Travel Index) ramp to measure how much its suspension will articulate or flex in a simulated off-road frame-twist situation. Because it's a Rubicon, it will earn two scores: one with its front stabilizer bar in the connected position meant for street driving, and the other with its stabilizer bar (aka sway bar) disconnected to maximize articulation in low-speed rock crawling situations. All Jeep Rubicons come with such a pushbutton stabilizer bar disconnect device, and from the driver's seat it certainly is very effective. But how much does it really help? How much suspension flex is to be gained when you push the button? We find out in this video.

Traction is critically important when driving off-road, and the best defense against getting stuck is having all four wheels on the ground at all time. Sure, a hiked up wheel makes a great social media photo, but it's a sign that there isn't enough suspension flex for the terrain. It usually means someone's about to get stuck. Locking differentials and tricky electronic aids can sometimes get you through, but having all four wheels on the ground will still give you maximum traction and control.

Why am I doing this? I love this stuff. I'm a former suspension development engineer that spent most of my career developing off-road focused trucks and SUVs. Later, I somehow found my way into auto journalism, and for several years I created a popular photo feature called a Suspension Walkaround for Inside Line, a now-defunct offshoot of Edmunds.com (no relation). Today I have resumed writing these features under the name Suspension Deep Dive for Autoblog. I'm also doing video versions here on this channel.

But I'm also known for a series of RTI blog posts and Instagram shots featuring numerous off-road vehicles posing on this very RTI ramp. I didn't know where to buy such a ramp when I first got interested in doing this, so I designed one myself, bought all the metal, cut it to size, and had a friend of a friend weld it together. My previous employer was tired of it being in the way, so it's now with me at home, where I'm starting to re-build my database with new vehicles. I'll be keeping track of everything I measure and will be calling my database the Flex Index.

I never seemed to have the time, the equipment, or the confidence to get in front of the camera, but I got over that by hosting at least 80 professionally-produced videos over the last three years on the Edmunds.com You Tube channel. If you like it, tell your friends, click subscribe, share links, give it a like and check out the other videos on my channel, which is simply called Dan Edmunds. And I take requests. I can't promise that I can get my hands on every new off-road oriented truck or SUV, but the odds are good. And the more views I get, the more horsepower I'll have when requesting off-road vehicles to examine.