LSD Equipped Gladiators Better Than Rubicon in Snow ?

[Jack D.]

Hi, so far not real impressed with the Rubi in snow conditions. I deal with ice and hardpack and deep snow daily, all on road. I don't really need the locker as I'm a good enough driver in snow not to get into a position where it's needed.

Just not a confident feel driving this rig in snow. I've added weight to the bed and run Blizzaks but I am wondering if the models with an LSD would be better for the type of snow driving I do?

I'm sure the Rubi is great Off-Road but that's not me so feeling like I picked the wrong version here.

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[Mac]

IMO LSD > open diff in all slippery conditions.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My Overland with limited slip and General A/Tx tires is wonderful in snow.
IMO, tires are the biggest thing for stability on slippery roads or snow/snow pack.
I love limited slip, can't say I'd ever use lockers on a public road because if you did need to turn, the fact the two rear wheels were literally locked together could conceivably cause a problem. That's my theory, anyway.

I don't regret the choice I made with the limited slip one bit, especially with the better tires now. I found myself forgetting it wasn't in 4 wheel drive more than once. In fact a couple of months ago after 15-20 minutes in a slippery snow packed highway we ran to some better road with occasional bare spots and I went to push the lever ahead back into 2H and realized - I had made the trip IN 2H the whole way.

 

[Glad_he_ate]

Love my lsd! Had lockers on my zr2 and never really needed or used them

 

[JD101]

On road , tires will make more of a difference than lockers or lsd. Off-road a locker is going to work better than an lsd .
Unless you use a work around , the rubi can't be locked in 2wd, 4wdh, only 4wdl. It's not like the zr2 unfortunately. Now I'm not saying an lsd isn't helping , and it is better than a fully locked or open diff on the snow covered roadway , but a good tire will get you down the road fine with an unlocked diff. What would be awesome is a helical lsd that is e lockable 100%

 

[cotnballs2000]

I have driven LSD JK and my Rubicon JT in the snow. There is no different when in 4H in the snow in Colorado.

 

[Gvsukids]

Unless you use a work around , the rubi can't be locked in 2wd, 4wdh, only 4wdl. It's not like the zr2 unfortunately.

And the work around is the Tazer.

 

[ecidiego]

On road , tires will make more of a difference than lockers or lsd. Off-road a locker is going to work better than an lsd .
Unless you use a work around , the rubi can't be locked in 2wd, 4wdh, only 4wdl. It's not like the zr2 unfortunately. Now I'm not saying an lsd isn't helping , and it is better than a fully locked or open diff on the snow covered roadway , but a good tire will get you down the road fine with an unlocked diff. What would be awesome is a helical lsd that is e lockable 100%

I believe you can lock the rear in 4H in the Rubicon now. Came out first for Mojave then a software update or something for Rubicon.


Obviously with a Tazer can do whatever you want but 4H Rear lock is a factory feature now.

 

[ecidiego]

Copied from another forum:

"The steps must be followed in the exact order for it to work:

1 put transfer case to 4H part time, let vehicle roll a short distance for it to truly engage
2 press OFFROAD + button to enable offroad+ mode, (Track control became OFF)
3 press and HOLD the ESP button for 10 seconds (a message on dash saying the ESC is completely OFF )
4 press the rear axle lock, it should engage. once enable, the locker remains engaged "

If it doesn't work, go get a software update.

 

[ToJTornottoJT]

On road , tires will make more of a difference than lockers or lsd. Off-road a locker is going to work better than an lsd .
Unless you use a work around , the rubi can't be locked in 2wd, 4wdh, only 4wdl. It's not like the zr2 unfortunately. Now I'm not saying an lsd isn't helping , and it is better than a fully locked or open diff on the snow covered roadway , but a good tire will get you down the road fine with an unlocked diff. What would be awesome is a helical lsd that is e lockable 100%

No... it can now be locked in 4WD High... there was a software patch and there is now a procedure for doing so.

 

[Trailman]

I drive on snow regularly in 4HI, even with the Falken MTs. I never have any problems, unless I forget to put it in 4HI and the rear slides around. I do plan on putting 3 peak tires on next.

Certainly if you're driving in powder on jeep trails, I would think the lockers are better than limited slip.

Now in terms of second guessing choices, I wish I had the 4 Auto. But, that wasn't around on the 2020 model.

 

[Jack D.]

There’s some areas that are almost straight ice and some pretty bad hardpack. I have Blizzaks installed but can’t use studded due to restrictions when I need drive into the city.

what’s the best option for adding an lsd ? Would be cheaper than trading in the Rubi likely.

 

[MPMB]

I think the JTR works great in snow.

I came back from Jackson, WY on Sunday and we left in a predicted snow storm (2"-5" <6200', 5"-9" 6200'+ over 4-6 hours). I made it up Teton Pass (8400') in 2WD. Slipped a few times, but nothing bad. The traction control system is amazing.

 

[saintpauljeff]

I've got the next best thing in my Rubi, the Rock-Trac Full Time 4WD System, specifically targeted this feature when I traded my 2020 Sport S for a 2021 Rubicon.

 

[Jack D.]

I don't really need people to tell me how great their Rubi is on snow. I don't feel stable. I have driven my brothers Sahara JLU with the factory LSD and it's a much more secure feeling.. Just to be sure it wasn't just the JLU vs Gladiator making a difference, I was able to trade my Gladiator with a buddy from work for 2 weeks who has a Rubi JLU and it felt mostly similar to my Gladiator. Granted there are now tire differences thrown into the mix but I would assume the same principle will apply on the Gladiators as did on the JLU's

Yes I could get there in the Rubis but I felt the LSD made the drive more secure and I felt more comfortable at higher speeds on the JLU.

Assuming the lingo for JL 4dr is JLU

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