High Altitude Gladiator for highway use?

[Casique]

My HA rides great, not soft but very nice and controlled. The Mojaves and Rubis I test drove had a softer ride than the HA. However, my HA does have a slight wander that's more of an issue on the highway. But for me it was the best choice, needed a commuter that can handle snow, and some flooding. Will never go off-road, or tow anything. Its a personal choice!

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[DailyMoparGuy]

Its not just about shocks. Spring rates matter at least as much.

I think the OP really just needs to find a large dealer and drive every model.

There is one absolute truth though. Avoid mud tires. They are the worst option for highway use.

And yes, I'm going to anticipate someone saying "I've got a Willys and the mud tires are fine". No they aren't. They are fine for you. For someone looking for smoothness and quiet, they are about the worst option.

Re brakes. I guess I'm in the minority here. I've warped the rotors of every American vehicle I've ever owned within 10,000 miles.

I agree especially on the tire part. I’d look for some C rated tires with OP’s planned usage. D rated at max.

 

[Gvsukids]

Some more reading on highway ride of the Gladiator...

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/highway-driving.34163/

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/how-do-gladiators-handle-on-the-highway.19548/

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I agree especially on the tire part. I’d look for some C rated tires with OP’s planned usage. D rated at max.

That's heavier tires than what the JT Overland comes with stock. SL is standard load.
The A/Ts I bought are rated heavier than my truck can haul so no risk of over-loading the tires.

 

[Mr._Bill]

I have a fully loaded Overland that is two years old with 22k miles on it. The suspension and tires are completely stock. It rides like the '73 Buick I drove decades ago. It drives great with no steering issues. I did have the TSB done to replace the steering box, and it eliminated the dead spot that was there.

 

[eternus]

New to the Gladiator forum. Is the High Altitude the best Gladiator model for highway use? We currently have a 2015 Tundra Limited Crew Max and a 2016 Wrangler Unlimited. Thinking of trading the Tundra for a Gladiator. However, we have concerns with highway drivability as our Wrangler is horrible on the interstate compared to our Tundra. We use our Tundra for trips to our Georgia cabin driving from FL along the interstate. In GA its 90% paved road use in the NE GA mountains. Occasionally some dirt roads to go hiking or to waterfalls. Recommendations for which Gladiator would be appreciated.

The question of "Is the High Altitude the best..." the short answer is "No." Don't get this model, thinking that it is in some way superior to others. Fundamentally, they're all the same. Some have different gearing that makes it more fuel efficient or tow better. Some will have suspension that changes their behavior on bumpy roads. None have built in steering assist nor are any tuned to be highway trucks. You should definitely test drive (I suggest you rent one for a weekend and put some miles on it) to see how you like it when driving on the highway. Don't get it to replace a Tundra thinking it'll be better. You should really ONLY get a Wrangler or Gladiator if you love the platform and are willing to take it with the warts it has or are willing to spend time and money upgrading it. You can make it awesome on the highway, but none of them come out of the factory driving like a luxury automobile.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

....... but none of them come out of the factory driving like a luxury automobile.

I never understood why these keep getting compared to Lexus, Porsche, BMW, whatever - or ANY car for that matter. They are a TRUCK. They are a 4x4 truck. They have truck suspension and steering. They are not a car. They have tall side-walled tires. They don't have rack and pinion steering. They aren't suspension tuned for autocross.
Compare it to trucks - not cars.

On the other hand - my wife's Grand Cherokee is rated for 6200 pound trailer towing........and I've had several bags of garden/potting soil in the back (shhhhh!)

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Its not just about shocks. Spring rates matter at least as much.

I think the OP really just needs to find a large dealer and drive every model.

There is one absolute truth though. Avoid mud tires. They are the worst option for highway use.

And yes, I'm going to anticipate someone saying "I've got a Willys and the mud tires are fine". No they aren't. They are fine for you. For someone looking for smoothness and quiet, they are about the worst option.

Re brakes. I guess I'm in the minority here. I've warped the rotors of every American vehicle I've ever owned within 10,000 miles.

Springs don’t play into it nearly as much as shocks.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Springs don’t play into it nearly as much as shocks.

Welllll............ I have two examples at home where springs alone made for a harsher ride.

(three if you count the car I sold a while back when I swapped only the springs)
Shocks dampen oscillations........

 

[Smess]

Appreciate all the comments so far. Went and drove a new 2021 Mojave and a used 2020 Overland with 52k miles. Able to drive along at 70 mph with some side wind. The Mojave needed constant correction (eliminated that one). The used Overland actually drove smoother on the highway. I understand that a Gladiator will not perform as well as my Tundra on the highway but the Tundra will not do as well on some of those dirt mountain roads when we go hiking. So right now leaning towards the Overland. Will go drive a High Alt later this week but the difference is about $6,000 which I can't really see the cost/benefit.

If all the HA's you are driving have 20's then they are probably not going to drive as good on the highway as some of the others for the following reason:

the HA 20 is a 10.8 wide tire on an 8 inch wide wheel, a Rubicon is a 17 with a 11.2 inch wide tire on a 7.5 inch wide rim. The HA has chicken legs, not enough meat on the road to plant and drive, it wanders because it is higher up and is running a very skinny tire. Skinny tire is great for deep snow to cut but the worst for highway. If you get too wide then the tire can find all the inperfections in the road, like the notorious 18 wheeler ruts. If the Jeep tire is wide enough to run in them then great, if it is wider than the ruts then it will be in and out of them and wander due to too wide vs too narrow.

I am not sure what tires the Overlands have that you are driving but another issue is alignment, two of my three Gladiators that I have bought arrived at the dealer with the toe not even within spec which will also cause the Jeep to wander, especially if toed out. They say that they tie the vehicles down on the railroad cars with straps so tight that they actually start to stress the rubber components of the front end which can knock the alignment out by fatiguing the parts which are never under that kind of load for that long and are not designed to be.

You mentioned that you didnt like the Mojave, that is another high vehicle.

My Second Gladiator had stock 7.5 wheels with 35x12.5x17 tires and the 12.5 vs the 11.2 that came stock made a huge difference on the highway, went from a constant 10-12 oclock hand movement to barely an 11-12 oclock movement due to all the extra meat on the ground so now the truck is planted. I would get the 18 wheeler effect when I passed one, the truck would head away from the 18 wheeler and then get sucked back towards it, you better have two hands on the wheel at 80-90 when that happens.

I changed the wheels to after market that were 8.5 wide but same 12.5 wide tire but now the tire is naturally wider and making more contact with the road because of the wider wheel. The 18 wheeler pass became less scary with the wider wheel believe it or not. When I went to my third Gladiator it had the same 8.5 wide wheel but now it had 40's that were 13.5 wide and a dana 60 axle which is 2 inches wider than the stock dana 44. So now we have widened the axle and the wheel/tire footprint putting even more of a footprint on the road. The steering on the final Gladiator is not only much tighter to steer but the 18 wheeler pass can now be done with one hand on the wheel.

Jeeps are very simple vehicles but people sometimes overlook the little simple things that have been the same for decades.

BTW I had three fourrunners over the years and loved them all and they too got a slightly taller but much wider tire than stock shortly after I purchased them and same thing, the highway driveability was much improved with the wider footprint.

If you are anywhere near Fort Lauderdale stop by my hobby shop/warehouse and drive a couple of my Jeeps and tell me how they drive compared to the ones you have driven. pIck the Gladiator you like and swing it by and I will make it drive pefect. I have enough test wheels and tires and wheel spaces in various sizes we have used when the JL/JT was introduced as we had to become familiar with what worked due to the various changes that were made that were significant. And now the parts are no longer needed so they will be sold eventually.

And a little bit of info that Jeep doesnt want you to know, the Launch Gladiators and Newest JL's that had the TSB about the steering wandering problem, the steering was changed to electronic assist which is a different feel and seeing that Jeeps are such raw vehicle to begin with the new steering could feel so different it might make you feel like there was something wring with it. In addition many of the vehicles software was botched and 2 doors got 4 door software parameters and vice versa, Jeep kept it quiet in fear of product liability lawsuits in the event that someone got hurt and blamed it on the steering so yes there were some issues with that and I am sure a couple had air pressures a few lbs too low and a LOT of them had the old OMG I read it on an internet forum so it must be gospel and they were experiencing steering issues that were not even there like the guy that told you to read the TSB and the other guy quickly advised him that the TSB was for a different model year and the new models dont even use the same product.

Dont be so quick to write off any of the Gladiators as they really are mostly the same but definitely a 20 tall by 10.1 wide tire is a very skinny tire and will cause wander and with the 20 the higher up and skinnier you are is defnitely going to cause an issue at highway speeds for obvious reasons and the added wind effect under the vehicle from being higher up..

 

[DobaMark]

Appreciate all the comments so far. Went and drove a new 2021 Mojave and a used 2020 Overland with 52k miles. Able to drive along at 70 mph with some side wind. The Mojave needed constant correction (eliminated that one). The used Overland actually drove smoother on the highway. I understand that a Gladiator will not perform as well as my Tundra on the highway but the Tundra will not do as well on some of those dirt mountain roads when we go hiking. So right now leaning towards the Overland. Will go drive a High Alt later this week but the difference is about $6,000 which I can't really see the cost/benefit.

You might find some handle poorly because the tires are over inflated (dealer hasn't adjusted from shipping). Next one you test drive, scroll through the screen and look at the tire pressure.

 

[DobaMark]

New to the Gladiator forum. Is the High Altitude the best Gladiator model for highway use? We currently have a 2015 Tundra Limited Crew Max and a 2016 Wrangler Unlimited. Thinking of trading the Tundra for a Gladiator. However, we have concerns with highway drivability as our Wrangler is horrible on the interstate compared to our Tundra. We use our Tundra for trips to our Georgia cabin driving from FL along the interstate. In GA its 90% paved road use in the NE GA mountains. Occasionally some dirt roads to go hiking or to waterfalls. Recommendations for which Gladiator would be appreciated.

Gladiators are very popular in the Georgia mountain community where I live.
My Sport S is fine on the highway - though ny next set of tires won't be BF Goodrich KM2s if I spend much time on the highway.

 

[Aa001206]

New to the Gladiator forum. Is the High Altitude the best Gladiator model for highway use? We currently have a 2015 Tundra Limited Crew Max and a 2016 Wrangler Unlimited. Thinking of trading the Tundra for a Gladiator. However, we have concerns with highway drivability as our Wrangler is horrible on the interstate compared to our Tundra. We use our Tundra for trips to our Georgia cabin driving from FL along the interstate. In GA its 90% paved road use in the NE GA mountains. Occasionally some dirt roads to go hiking or to waterfalls. Recommendations for which Gladiator would be appreciated.

I have a High Altitude diesel, and am pleasantly surprised what a great highway vehicle it is. There is none of the steering wander that you can experience in some models, and I get about 30mpg! Perhaps it is the extra weight of the diesel, or the less aggressive Bridgestone tires, but I can highly endorse this setup for your use.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

If all the HA's you are driving have 20's then they are probably not going to drive as good on the highway as some of the others for the following reason:

the HA 20 is a 10.8 wide tire on an 8 inch wide wheel, a Rubicon is a 17 with a 11.2 inch wide tire on a 7.5 inch wide rim. The HA has chicken legs, not enough meat on the road to plant and drive, it wanders because it is higher up and is running a very skinny tire. Skinny tire is great for deep snow to cut but the worst for highway. If you get too wide then the tire can find all the inperfections in the road, like the notorious 18 wheeler ruts. If the Jeep tire is wide enough to run in them then great, if it is wider than the ruts then it will be in and out of them and wander due to too wide vs too narrow.

You are describing tramlining. That's the tendency to follow longitudinal ruts in the road.

The Overland has 10.2" wide tires and it's GREAT on the highway with those tires. That's more than 1/2" more narrow than the HA tires. I never experienced "tramlining" with it. Rural state, poor road maintenance in many areas, highways worn from decades of truck traffic - semis, farm trucks, tractors and so on. It's so bad that water is channeled by the worn tire track areas. We get a hell of a lot of truck traffic here being the cross-roads of two major border-to-border interstates, plus the farm to market trucks that are over-loaded (ignored by enforcement when it's harvest time)

The HA has WIDER tires than the Overland and only slightly more narrow than the Rubicon.

Stock/factory tire width - Overland: 10.2 HA: 10:8 Rubicon: 11.2

My Overland stock was fine on the highway, never an issue with tires other than those H/T tires were worthless on our snow and ice here.
So I put A/T tires on it, A/TX 275/65R18 They are roughly 32.2" diameter, 10.8" wide - love 'em. Handling is great, ride very nice, great traction, I take corners fast - and these allow that just fine.
IMO - those are a perfect balance of traction and ride and performance/handling. Been all over with those tires on it.
I could see issues with the short sidewalls of the HA on 20" wheels - it would act more like my wife's Grand Cherokee then -

I notice that my wife's WK2 tends to want to follow those stupid grinding marks they put in our highways to disperse water or whatever the reason it - hundreds of grooves going out longitudinally out ahead of you. I noticed the other day when she was driving that the Jeep tended to want to follow every little waver in those things. I hate them - but they serve a purpose.
The Grand Cherokee has 20" wheels, short sidewall tires and since there's less "room" for them to flex, the vehicle follows those grooves. Everything is transmitted to the vehicle.

My thinking is that with the lower profile sidewall of the HA, it could lead it to do what my wife's Jeep does because anything that increases the tire's responsiveness also increases its likelihood to tramline.

High performance tires with short sidewalls that develop lots of cornering power at lower slip angles will be more susceptible to tramlining than standard or normal all season tires that develop less cornering force until their slip angle increases.

A tire with large tread blocks that transmits the driver's input to the road with great precision will also transmit the road's imperfections back to the vehicle's suspension.

Tires will become more likely to tramline as they wear. (which is why new tires are shaved for competition and track use)

 

[staying_tuned]

I enjoy my Willys on the highway because I’m forced to engage. I love driving in general but get bored with all the nannies and correction. I appreciate the raw squirrelly-ness of it. The flip side of that though is this is no platform to be keeping up on DM/email/text/chat on.

The truck is constantly tracking (exacerbated with wider tires) and the wind will blow you about far more than anything I’ve driven but it keeps you awake, alert and engaged. I love it. Wife, who doesn’t actually enjoy driving, absolutely hates it.

I believe that Jeep offers the overland & high altitude purely because people will buy it. Unlike purpose oriented trims, the road oriented trims aren’t great at anything other than looking like a gladiator. A leg up over competitors off-road surely, but just a leg and even that gap is starting to diminish in that price point with the defender, or heck even the JGC trail edition.

All that said, if the versatility they offer is a priority over speciality, get after it!

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