A modified EcoDiesel Wrangler can feel lazy once you add 37-inch tires, bumpers, and lift. The engine still has torque, but the extra rotating mass and weight make the pedal feel dead and the vehicle slower to respond. Our fix here is a matched system. The Banks Derringer Tuner adds adjustable power and torque when throttle demand is high, so the extra output shows up where it matters for merging, passing, and pulling. The Banks PedalMonster handles the other half of the problem by reshaping torque response, so the pedal reacts sooner and more naturally instead of waiting on a big dead zone. Through iDash, both can be adjusted on the fly and monitored from one screen. What matters is how the system behaves. PedalMonster communicates through OBD, so it knows vehicle data like gear position and keeps reverse stock instead of giving you the jumpy backing behavior common with simple throttle boosters. The result is a Wrangler that feels responsive again with the added weight and tire size, without reflashing the ECM.
Sandy from OEM Audio introduces a 2021 Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel used as a show vehicle. The truck is running 37-inch tires, and that larger tire package has made the throttle response feel lazy. Under hard acceleration, the engine seems to take too long to spool up, creating a pronounced dead spot in pedal response. The goal of the visit is to address that lag and recover the responsiveness that feels missing after the tire upgrade.
Under the hood, the Gladiator has been fitted with a Banks Derringer. The module is described as adding up to 57 horsepower and more than 70 lb-ft of torque. The added power is not intended to make the truck overly aggressive during light around-town driving. Instead, the tuning is meant to come in at a little over 30 percent throttle, so the extra output is available when the driver actually asks for it.
That makes the Derringer particularly relevant for passing, freeway on-ramps, and towing, where the EcoDiesel can benefit from stronger roll-on power. The presentation emphasizes that the added performance is delivered when needed rather than constantly changing the truck's low-demand behavior.
The second upgrade is a hidden Banks PedalMonster throttle booster mounted out of sight beneath the dash. Its purpose is to reshape pedal sensitivity and remove the dead spot Sandy has been feeling. The explanation compares it to adjusting an equalizer: if there is a weak or dull area in the response, the device lets the driver amplify that portion and tailor how quickly the vehicle reacts to pedal input.
PedalMonster offers three operating modes-City, Sport, and Track-with ten levels in each mode. That gives the driver a wide range of adjustment, from mild improvement in everyday drivability to much sharper response for more aggressive driving. In this application, the device is being used to restore immediacy that was lost after the move to 37-inch tires.
Control and monitoring for both the Derringer and PedalMonster are handled through a Banks iDash DataMonster. A dedicated screen shows PedalMonster status on the left and Derringer status on the right. Pedal sensitivity can be changed directly from the display by stepping through City, Sport, and Track modes, and those changes can be made on the fly as long as the driver lifts off the pedal.
The Derringer's power level can also be adjusted through the iDash. Using the right-side controls, the driver can move through levels two through six, with level six being the maximum power setting. During driving, the display shows a vertical bar graph indicating power being added in real time.
The center of the screen contains three configurable gauges. In the demonstration, those gauges are set to boost, EGT, and transmission temperature. Transmission temperature is highlighted as especially useful when towing. The iDash supports roughly 150 parameters, and it can display five separate pages of user-configurable gauges. If a displayed value is redundant, such as RPM when the factory cluster already shows it, that gauge can be reassigned through the menu system.
The iDash menu structure allows the user to browse categories such as air density, Derringer diagnostics, emissions, engine performance, pressure, speed and velocities, temperature, and transmission data. One example shown is diesel particulate filter information. By selecting emissions data, the display can be configured to show DPF regeneration status.
That feature is presented as particularly valuable for EcoDiesel owners, many of whom may not know when the truck is actively in a regen cycle. With the iDash, the driver can see whether regeneration is occurring instead of guessing based on vehicle behavior. The broader point is that the Banks system is not limited to adding power or changing pedal feel; it also gives the driver access to operating data that is normally hidden.
Before driving, Sandy explains that the engine seems like it should have more available power than the current accelerator feel suggests. The sluggishness has been easy to blame on the 37-inch tires, but the expectation is that the drivetrain still has more capability than the stock pedal response is delivering.
The first road test is done with the Derringer activated and set straight to level six. On acceleration, the improvement is immediate and dramatic. Sandy reacts to the stronger pull, noting how seamless the added power feels. The display simultaneously shows power being added in real time, and the truck's front end is described as lifting under acceleration despite the large 37-inch tires. At this stage, only the Derringer has been changed; the pedal mapping remains essentially untouched.
Next, PedalMonster is brought into the test, starting in the middle of the City range. Even at that moderate setting, Sandy notices the difference almost immediately. The truck responds with much less pedal input, and the accelerator feels far more alive. The combination of the Derringer's added output and the PedalMonster's revised sensitivity transforms the vehicle from something that felt delayed into something that reacts promptly and confidently.
The display shows a red bar indicating the throttle adjustment being applied. The result is not just more power, but easier access to the power already available. That distinction matters because the complaint was not only about peak output; it was about the delay between pedal input and vehicle response. With both devices working together, the Gladiator feels substantially more direct.
A key technical distinction is that both PedalMonster and Derringer connect through the OBD port. That means they can read the ECM data stream without rewriting or altering the ECM itself. According to the explanation, the devices are not changing the factory computer's programming; they are using the data the ECM already provides in order to behave more intelligently.
This is contrasted with other throttle boosters that do not read vehicle speed or gear position. Because the Banks system knows what gear the vehicle is in, it can behave appropriately in situations where an aggressive throttle map would be undesirable. The demonstration puts the Jeep in reverse, and the display indicates reverse mode. In that condition, the throttle behavior returns to stock-like response. The practical reason is safety and control: the system avoids giving the driver a jumpy or overly sensitive throttle in reverse, which could be problematic when backing up, maneuvering precisely, or handling a trailer.
After confirming the safer reverse behavior, the test moves to Track mode. Under stronger acceleration, Sandy remarks that the truck now feels as though it has regained the performance lost to the 37-inch tires. More than that, it feels stronger than stock. The impression is that the Gladiator accelerates like it did with the factory 33-inch tires, but with an added level of responsiveness and urgency that was not present before.
The conclusion is that the Banks package does more than merely compensate for the weight and gearing effect of larger tires, lift components, bumpers, and other added accessories. It restores drivability and then pushes beyond the original baseline. Sandy describes the truck as feeling like a completely different vehicle.
Another practical advantage noted at the end is that the system is bolt-on and plug-and-play. It can be removed in about five minutes, and once removed there is no sign that it was installed. For owners concerned about dealer visits or routine service, that reversibility is part of the appeal. Overall, the recap frames the Derringer, PedalMonster, and iDash combination as a way to recover lost responsiveness in a modified EcoDiesel Gladiator while also adding monitoring capability and adjustable performance.