Mojave Folks or anyone else that wants to chime in... How fast is too fast?!

[Whittlesey01]

I just got a Mojave, I love the idea that its built for hauling around on dunes and Whoops. I don't have a lot of experience in off-roading at high speeds, so the question is how fast can we go without damaging our rides? I know that can vary depending on how big the whoops are and rather you feel you can control the vehicle and so fourth. I guess I am just curious on parameters that seem ok. I know we can go 50 mph in 4-low, and I saw a video where someone took whoops in a Mojave at 40 mph. Also the stock Mojave (outside of being lifted and maybe different shocks?) won the stock class at the Baja1000. They said he averaged 35 mph. This question might not have an answer, but I thought I would see if anyone could chime in with their experience.

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[StingGrayJT24]

Don’t you want to drive at lower speeds in 4L? Do you mean 4H at 50 MPH?

 

[Gvsukids]

I'll bet it all depends on your driving and how fast you can handle it.

 

[Whittlesey01]

Don’t you want to drive at lower speeds in 4L? Do you mean 4H at 50 MPH?

The upshot is that the Mojave can operate in 4-Lowat up to 50 mph, whereas the Rubicon tops out at 30. But even with the less aggressive gear, the Mojave'scrawl ratio (52.6:1 or 57.3:1, depending on transmission choice) still tops that of its gasoline-powered competition from Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota.Apr 24, 2020

this is one reason I asked. Seems crazy that you would need to drive that fast in 4-low, but that in my head says you can drive pretty fast in some rough stuff

 

[RavensEyeOffroad]

I would say getting all 4 tires in the air (jumps) is where you will be pushing things on the truck.

 

[Whittlesey01]

I would say getting all 4 tires in the air (jumps) is where you will be pushing things on the truck.

I would agree. Although if you read about the Mojave they said they stiffened the frame for jumps. There is a video online of dudes launching one, but they don’t say if they bent anything or not. No damage was visible.

 

[RavensEyeOffroad]

I would agree. Although if you read about the Mojave they said they stiffened the frame for jumps. There is a video online of dudes launching one, but they don’t say if they bent anything or not. No damage was visible.

well i meant repeated, eventually you gonna bust something if you high enough. =D

 

[whiteglad]

If you drive it like you stole it, you may end up wishing someone would. . .

 

[LostWoods]

I don't have a lot of experience in off-roading at high speeds

I think you answered your own question here... if you want high speed you bought the wrong vehicle but high speed in a solid front axle truck can go bad really fast if you don't know how to feel the dirt under you - especially over whoops.

So the answer is that the truck is faster than you are. Get some experience and slowly add speed as you learn the vehicle.

 

[Whittlesey01]

I think you answered your own question here... if you want high speed you bought the wrong vehicle but high speed in a solid front axle truck can go bad really fast if you don't know how to feel the dirt under you - especially over whoops.

So the answer is that the truck is faster than you are. Get some experience and slowly add speed as you learn the vehicle.

I understand that. I am not going to go ripping through whoops at 100 mph. I was simply curious at the capabilities of the Mojave stock. Especially when you have a guy like Ivan Stewart driving.

 

[LostWoods]

I understand that. I am not going to go ripping through whoops at 100 mph. I was simply curious at the capabilities of the Mojave stock. Especially when you have a guy like Ivan Stewart driving.

"It depends"

Race trucks are capable of far more speed than drivers will run them at but it's a question of durability. You can drive a trophy truck with your right foot on the floor your entire race but I can guarantee your entire race won't include crossing the finish line. This truck will haul nine kinds of ass with a properly tuned suspension and capable driver but the question is how well it will hold up in 100k (or less) driving it like that. The Mojave has reinforcements in a lot of places but hard use will take its toll.

My general rule in my JT is that if it feels rough at high speed, it's probably is too fast and I need to adjust something whether that be speed, tire pressure, or something else. It should feel smooth (whoops especially) and just remember that every harsh impact you feel has already been dampened by the axle/suspension and chassis before reaching you.

 

[Mac]

Mojave knows no limits...

 

[Whittlesey01]

Mojave knows no limits...

Haha!

 

[Whittlesey01]

"It depends"

Race trucks are capable of far more speed than drivers will run them at but it's a question of durability. You can drive a trophy truck with your right foot on the floor your entire race but I can guarantee your entire race won't include crossing the finish line. This truck will haul nine kinds of ass with a properly tuned suspension and capable driver but the question is how well it will hold up in 100k (or less) driving it like that. The Mojave has reinforcements in a lot of places but hard use will take its toll.

My general rule in my JT is that if it feels rough at high speed, it's probably is too fast and I need to adjust something whether that be speed, tire pressure, or something else. It should feel smooth (whoops especially) and just remember that every harsh impact you feel has already been dampened by the axle/suspension and chassis before reaching you.

Thanks for the answer, it’s something I haven’t put a lot of thought into, but very curious about. I have watched trophy truck videos and always wondered their speed. How fast do you think this dude is going? Watching the suspension is memorizing. Also I understand that is a 100% different truck from the Mojave.

 

[MoparToYou]

I understand that. I am not going to go ripping through whoops at 100 mph. I was simply curious at the capabilities of the Mojave stock. Especially when you have a guy like Ivan Stewart driving.

The Mojave is going to feel very very limited with Ivan Stewart (or equivalent) behind the wheel. I am certainly no Ivan Stewart, but I have competed in desert racing off and on for 30 years, in a number of different vehicle classes. I think the small pickup platform is ideal for an off road exploration vehicle. And I know the importance of suspension in an off road vehicle, so that is why the Mojave intrigued me enough to buy one. I'm happy with my Mojave overall, and the suspension is clearly better than other Jeep vehicles I have owned. But the Mojave is no desert racer. The limiting factor is suspension travel. My Mojave has 3 1/2" of up travel in the front suspension before the bump stop makes contact. That is better than the 1 1/2" of up travel with a Rubicon diesel, but it is still very very limited for a go fast off road vehicle. A foot of up travel starts getting you in the realm of a true go fast machine. The Mojave has very good suspension that does a great job of absorbing small bumps and surface irregularities. But as soon as you hit a medium to large bump at speed the Mojave blows through its suspension travel instantly, and bottoms out hard. The Mojave is beefed up compared to other Jeeps, and can certainly tolerate the frequent pad slap from the hydraulic front bump stops, and can even tolerate fully bottoming out the bump stops numerous times. But I wouldn't go out there and push it hard right from the start. Get used to it with slower speeds and then build up speed as you feel comfortable with. If you are bottoming the suspension frequently you are pushing too hard.

Just by way of comparison, I drove a nearby desert course in my Mojave one Saturday at what I thought was a comfortable pace, and it took me 30 minutes to get to the first stopping point, which is a pretty overlook. I did the same course with my current desert machine, also at what I thought was a comfortable pace, and it took 10 minutes to get to the same point. So it depends on what you are comparing it to. Compared to another non-Mojave Gladiator the Mojave is good. Compared to a desert racer, not so impressive.

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