How do Gladiators handle on the highway?

[eternus]

The nitrogen thing is a myth. Google Boyle's Ideal Gas law. Pressure goes up with temperature. The pressure change with Nitrogen vs with air is because bottled nitrogen is dry. 0% humidity, which does increase the pressure change marginally. So rather than getting a 6 psi rise, you get a 5.8 psi rise.

Tire temps are meant to be taken cold. That's just how it is. You don't need to compensate for anything. Tires don't get firmer on a long drive. If anything they get more compliant. The carcas of the tire is very stiff at ambient temps and becomes much more supple when its warmed up.

Again, this system is all engineered to be optimized at running temp, not ambient.

Thanks, that's good information... though unfortunate that there isn't a magic bullet to mitigate PSI change when driving.

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[dcmdon]

Thanks, that's good information... though unfortunate that there isn't a magic bullet to mitigate PSI change when driving.

Its a non-issue. Unless you are road racing on a closed course, the change in pressure is irrelevant. If it does worry you, it indicates that you have a pretty good life without much real stuff to worry about. Ha. So count your blessings and feel free to obsess.

 

[Davekayc]

I bought a corvette and it is terrible on the trails. When will chevy learn ?

 

[MPMB]

Its a non-issue. Unless you are road racing on a closed course, the change in pressure is irrelevant. If it does worry you, it indicates that you have a pretty good life without much real stuff to worry about. Ha. So count your blessings and feel free to obsess.

It's amazing how we've gone 100+ years or so of living with an automobile and now tire pressure and gas used to fill tires is a serious issue that must be controlled!

I bought a corvette and it is terrible on the trails. When will chevy learn ?

On another message board I used to frequent, someone made a similar comparison... saying the corvette handles no different than his silverado. From that point on, we referred to chevy p/us as 'vettes.

 

[ElJeffe77]

30k miles later I still love it! I’d buy another without hesitation.

I think the one I test drove must have had the steering box issue. The one I purchased handled much better. I haven’t needed to replace the steering box as mine doesn’t wander like what others talk about here on the forum.

Awesome, really glad to hear that - thanks for the reply!

 

[dcmdon]

It's amazing how we've gone 100+ years or so of living with an automobile and now tire pressure and gas used to fill tires is a serious issue that must be controlled!

On another message board I used to frequent, someone made a similar comparison... saying the corvette handles no different than his silverado. From that point on, we referred to chevy p/us as 'vettes.

The person who made that statement just revealed their own ignorance and/or lack of driving skill. Ha.

I'm in a similar situation but I'm at least self aware. My off road needs could be met with a Subaru wagon. But I don't want one of those. And that's the honest truth.

 

[XJADDICTION]

Mine is stock Sport S with the Max Tow package (4:10 gear ratio and wider axles).

I have 45,000 miles on my JT and trips of up to 1000 miles in a day. I am 6’1 and weigh 170lbs. I have no trouble and am very comfortable on long trips. I’ve owned many open top Jeeps since 16y/o (oh... I am 56 y/o now) and right before the JT I owned a JKU Hard Rock Rubicon (all the upgrades) with 35” BFG AT KO’s. The JT drives 100% better than the 2016 Rubicon.

 

[Jocww]

Mine wandered a little bit at 75mph. It's done better now that I dropped them down to 37. Not perfect, but noticeably better.

did dropping the pressure effect mpg any? does it bounce a bit more now that it can flex?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

did dropping the pressure effect mpg any? does it bounce a bit more now that it can flex?

Tires tend to bounce more with more air - it's like a spring, if that's what you mean. Drop a fully inflated tire on the floor, then let half the air out and drop it again. Which time does it bounce back the highest..............

I'm surprised he said "dropped it down to 37" - what was it before? If over 38 - they were over-inflated to begin with most likely.

Asking the general population - does any Jeep Gladiator have a door sticker where it tells of the proper tire inflation pressure have a pressure listed that's higher than 38 (Overland) or are all fo the others listed as a lower inflation? I don't know what the Sport or Sport S recommended tire inflation is (STOCK tires, as on the sticker) so am sort of guessing, but the Rubicon with the larger, wider tires would definitely be lower than Overland inflation numbers. I suspect same for Mojave.

 

[Rvalas]

Tires tend to bounce more with more air - it's like a spring, if that's what you mean. Drop a fully inflated tire on the floor, then let half the air out and drop it again. Which time does it bounce back the highest..............

I'm surprised he said "dropped it down to 37" - what was it before? If over 38 - they were over-inflated to begin with most likely.

Asking the general population - does any Jeep Gladiator have a door sticker where it tells of the proper tire inflation pressure have a pressure listed that's higher than 38 (Overland) or are all fo the others listed as a lower inflation? I don't know what the Sport or Sport S recommended tire inflation is (STOCK tires, as on the sticker) so am sort of guessing, but the Rubicon with the larger, wider tires would definitely be lower than Overland inflation numbers. I suspect same for Mojave.

Without pictures but mine says 36 in the front and 37 in the rear for the stock wildpeaks. I chalked them and mine are happy at 32-34 hot which made the ride 10 times better then when I took it from the dealers overinflated PSI of 41 at all 4 corners.

 

[Jocww]

Tires tend to bounce more with more air - it's like a spring, if that's what you mean. Drop a fully inflated tire on the floor, then let half the air out and drop it again. Which time does it bounce back the highest..............

I'm surprised he said "dropped it down to 37" - what was it before? If over 38 - they were over-inflated to begin with most likely.

Asking the general population - does any Jeep Gladiator have a door sticker where it tells of the proper tire inflation pressure have a pressure listed that's higher than 38 (Overland) or are all fo the others listed as a lower inflation? I don't know what the Sport or Sport S recommended tire inflation is (STOCK tires, as on the sticker) so am sort of guessing, but the Rubicon with the larger, wider tires would definitely be lower than Overland inflation numbers. I suspect same for Mojave.

On my fj if i air down my jeep seems to bounce/jounce more ie follow the grooves and go up and down slightly more than when i am at regular pressure.

 

[XraytecH]

Handles just fine on the highway before and after modifications. 2 finger steering @ 65-75mph

2021 Sport S
MOPAR 2" Lift
Front & Rear Adjustable Track Bars
35" rubber on aftermarket wheels aired up to 30psi

 

[JCHGlad]

Just finished up a 1000 miles trip, we were all comfortable, mpg/range is lacking (rubicon on 35’s) speeds were often 70-80mph (see MPG/range lacking). I’ve owned almost a dozen wranglers and also have a JLUR currently, our JTR is by far the most comfortable “wrangler” vehicle out of all of them on the highway…that said if this was a common occurrence for me I’d opt for a new Grand L Summit V8 for a highway bomber.

 

[dcmdon]

Its common practice to air-up the tires to ridiculous levels to maximize ride height to minimize damage coming onto and going off of the car carrier.

When I worked at the car dealer we would get cars off the trailer with well over 40 psi in the tires. If a salesman complained that a new car rode like a dump truck we would often find that the tech in his rush to maximize his pay in a flat rate system had not bothered to air down the tires to the recommended pressure during the post delivery prep servicing.

Other than that, I can't imagine why they would ship the cars with so much air in the tires.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Its common practice to air-up the tires to ridiculous levels to maximize ride height to minimize damage coming onto and going off of the car carrier.

When I worked at the car dealer we would get cars off the trailer with well over 40 psi in the tires. If a salesman complained that a new car rode like a dump truck we would often find that the tech in his rush to maximize his pay in a flat rate system had not bothered to air down the tires to the recommended pressure during the post delivery prep servicing.

Other than that, I can't imagine why they would ship the cars with so much air in the tires.

Here is something I was told, and observed, YEARS (make that decades) ago when I was working in places that sold and serviced tires - over-inflate by xx pounds when mounting a tire. Leave it with that a while to seat the bead on the rim, then lower the pressure to normal.
It sort of made sense at the time........... and it seemed everyone I knew in the tire shops did that.
But then tires were also different back then.
And when I had a shop install my TPMS sensors in the Rubicon take-off tires and wheels I had bought - they were a reputable well-known tire shop in the Des Moines area - and guess what they inflated those 33" tires to - 41 psi. I think the Rubicon door frame sticker says something like 36? Is that right? So why inflate these big tires to 41 psi - they are a tire shop, not a car dealership.
My truck CAME with over 40 in the Duellers. Granted the sticker says 38 for the stock tires............ but still - why is it always over 40. You'll find dozens of forum members talk about getting their new Gladiator and they find the tires are inflated to over 41 psi or so. That's Overland, Rubicon, you name it - is that the shipping pressure and the dealerships just never touch that?
The dealership inflated my NEW General tires to........... you guessed it. I let them down from there as the sides of the tread weren't even touching the garage floor it was so bad! I could slip a business card under the edge of the tire about half an inch or so. Wow. Just LOOKING at it they looked over-inflated.

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