4H Issue? Mojave Owners

[Jetsnation_7]

Hello All,

Had my Mojave for about a month before snow came.

When engaging into 4H I can only do so after putting it in Neutral. It won’t let me go into 4H while doing 2mph in drive.

Once I’m into 4H vehicle acts like all the tires want to lock up when I turn. And turns harsh. Going in a straight line vehicle acts properly but when I turn into a parking spot or onto a roadway it’s embarrassing how my vehicle locks up and the tires fighting my steering wheel during the turn.

I never had this issue in my previous gladiator Rubicon. 4H would Drive and turn as smooth as 2wd.

Any thoughts?

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[plumber802]

I can and have easily shifted "on the fly" in and out of 4H at speeds up to 60 mph. Yes, I do get a little torque steer in sharp turns at low speeds while in 4hi. Normal.

 

[jac04]

I don't know why you wouldn't be able to get into 4H part-time while moving in D (up to 45mph per the manual). Sounds like you may need to bring it in under warranty for that.

Otherwise, the "tires fighting my steering wheel during the turn" is going to happen in 4H part-time when there is some traction. Because 4H forces the front & rear driveshafts to turn at the same speed, and they need to turn at different speeds during a turn, the result will be binding & tire slipping in turns. The tighter the turn, the more "fighting the steering wheel" you will get.

The only mode other than 2H that will take turns smoothly is 4H AUTO, but you would need to have the Selec-Trac option to have that mode.

 

[ZoMojave]

Being that you have been a forum member for well over a year, maybe you have seen other posts asking this same question?

As far as the struggle to shift into 4H, this may or may not need to be addressed at the dealer.

Otherwise, you are experiencing normal operation while driving and turning in 4H on non-snowy/icy or dry surfaces if your JT is not equipped with the Selec-Trac option (part time 4WD).

 

[PuddleJumper]

this might be because your rubicon had the selec-trac T case option w/ 4hi auto. basically AWD as far as i can tell. What you got now is only the true 4hi lock. It will bind if all the tires have good traction. As far as difficulty shifting at speed, two notes here. Mine was stiff and got better shift feel wise as i used it over time. As far as won't shift at speed, sounds like an issue with the axle disconnect module. I'd have the dealer look at it under warranty

 

[BearFootSam]

Hello All,

Had my Mojave for about a month before snow came.

When engaging into 4H I can only do so after putting it in Neutral. It won’t let me go into 4H while doing 2mph in drive.

Once I’m into 4H vehicle acts like all the tires want to lock up when I turn. And turns harsh. Going in a straight line vehicle acts properly but when I turn into a parking spot or onto a roadway it’s embarrassing how my vehicle locks up and the tires fighting my steering wheel during the turn.

I never had this issue in my previous gladiator Rubicon. 4H would Drive and turn as smooth as 2wd.

Any thoughts?

My first is that my JTR has never been as “smooth” in 4hi as 2wd unless the surface is deep snow. I’d suggest that if it’s fighting you, that’s the truck letting you know you shouldn’t be in 4wd.

For example, when I drive up the mountain this time of year, guaranteed, some point between 2,000’ ASL and 5,000’ ASL the road will transition to snow and ice. I keep going in 2hi until I start feeling consistent oversteer then switch to 4hi. If I switch too early before the tarmac is consistently slick it’ll fight a bit. If I wait then 4hi is essentially transparent except for the fact that she continues to track as if I were in 2hi on a dry road.

The proper point to engage the transfer case is something you develop a ‘feel’ for. The other advantage of holding off engaging 4hi is that it gives you a more realistic assessment of the traction level. 4hi will mask a very poor road which is awesome going up, but can convey a false sense of security because 4wd will do nothing to improve braking and cornering. For this reason I like to conduct a heavy brake test when the road is straight and wide before dropping into the switchbacks. Knowing your worst case traction and driving within that limit is vital.

As an anecdote, my wife chides me for “playing” when I test traction but it’s actually very important. A mock panic stop and an attempt to induce oversteer tell me a great deal about what I’m working with and whether 4hi is appropriate. A few donuts in an empty parking lot likewise is good training for understanding the vehicle dynamics during loss of traction. If you familiarize yourself with this in a controlled environment it pays dividends when it happens unexpectedly.

Im guessing you have better traction that you think and shouldn’t be in 4hi. With weight in the bed and good tires snow alone usually doesn’t call for 4wd. When the rear axle starts sliding out on you, go hi. Shutting off ESC also helps by allowing the wheels to slip a bit without the truck pulling throttle.

The myriad drive configurations in these trucks is such that it takes some experimenting to understand how to setup the systems for a given condition. It’s far less set it and forget it than our old manual Subaru but in exchange we get one of the most capable vehicles to ever be sold to the public.

 

[Gvsukids]

Hello All,

Had my Mojave for about a month before snow came.

When engaging into 4H I can only do so after putting it in Neutral. It won’t let me go into 4H while doing 2mph in drive.

Once I’m into 4H vehicle acts like all the tires want to lock up when I turn. And turns harsh. Going in a straight line vehicle acts properly but when I turn into a parking spot or onto a roadway it’s embarrassing how my vehicle locks up and the tires fighting my steering wheel during the turn.

I never had this issue in my previous gladiator Rubicon. 4H would Drive and turn as smooth as 2wd.

Any thoughts?

Ask https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...mojave-thread-lets-talk-mojaves.32680/page-50

 

[Rahkmalla]

you're breaking your truck. please read your owners manual for proper usage of 4hi.

Your previous truck either had the 5 position (4A) transfer case, or was busted and you were driving around in 2wd without knowing it.

 

[307Mojave]

Interesting, I have never had an issue with 4H in the Mojave. As others have cited; the truck (TC) should allow you to move into 4H at speeds under 50mph. I have used mine often in loose traction situations including gradient, snow/ice, dirt throughout CO/WY/UT. I honestly feel the TC allows smoother transition into 4H than my 2019 4Runner did.

 

[Badunit]

Mine's the same. I think it will get easier to shift over time. I'm going to wait it out vs messing with it (or taking it to the dealer). Mine also jumped and clunked way more than I expected when turning sharply in 4wd in the snow. I've driven a lot of 4wd vehicles over the years (including Jeeps) and the jerking and clunking surprised me in the first real snow we had here. Maybe the traction was better with this snow than the wet icy slick crap snow that we usually get. I didn't notice it driving around in 4wd in my fields last summer and fall, just in the recent snow.

 

[kevman65]

The transfer cases need a breaking in, they can be difficult to shift when new. Just follow the procedure in the manual. Shift in and out often to get things loosened up.

As for the jerky turning, that's 4WD in solid axle form.

 

[Rahkmalla]

As for the jerky turning, that's 4WD in solid axle form.

I've owned a few and driven many more 4x4s. For example: the new Bronco (that is famously not SFA) also gets herky jerky when turning tightly with too much traction at the wheels in 4hi.

 

[kevman65]

I've owned a few and driven many more 4x4s. For example: the new Bronco (that is famously not SFA) also gets herky jerky when turning tightly with too much traction at the wheels in 4hi.

My Explorer Sport didn't exhibit any of the typical 4x4 habits. Just really hated the thought of turning a knob for 4WD.

 

[BourbonRunner]

I've owned a few and driven many more 4x4s. For example: the new Bronco (that is famously not SFA) also gets herky jerky when turning tightly with too much traction at the wheels in 4hi.

It's a fundamental function of 4x4, has nothing to do with the axles or CV's, but has everything to do with the differential.

 

[Reddog]

Hello All,

Had my Mojave for about a month before snow came.

When engaging into 4H I can only do so after putting it in Neutral. It won’t let me go into 4H while doing 2mph in drive.

Once I’m into 4H vehicle acts like all the tires want to lock up when I turn. And turns harsh. Going in a straight line vehicle acts properly but when I turn into a parking spot or onto a roadway it’s embarrassing how my vehicle locks up and the tires fighting my steering wheel during the turn.

I never had this issue in my previous gladiator Rubicon. 4H would Drive and turn as smooth as 2wd.

Any thoughts?

My JTR 4x4 shift lever is VERY stiff and does not want to move smoothly. Very annoying especially from a company who has been making off road vehicles since three days after water was invented. I went out to a gravel road and spent a half hour shifting the lever in and out of 4x4 and it helped quite a lot. Not sure on yours but give it a try. I guess Jeep has decided we aren't getting enough exercise with our right arms so they made the 4x4 shifter caveman style. Good luck to you.

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