A tale of 2 test drives

[jonsheritahe04]

My Mojave defiantly wanted to wander around until I backed the TP down. From the factory each tire was set different and all were above 42 PSI. Drives great now

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[FLGladiator]

Without even reading the rest of this it's likely because the TSB was done. Any of the loose steering issues was corrected with the TSB including mine.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Tires were probably set to 40 psi. Drop them down to 32 and it will be much better.

- not that low on an Overland! Overland should be 38 on stock tires. 32 is waay too low for those.

And no, that is not the fix-all. (shades of 2019 discussions)
Granted 40 is too high, and yes, they should be dropped to the number on the door sticker, but hundreds and hundreds of posts in these forums show that most of the time, tire pressure doesn't resolve issues when there's a real steering gear issue.



These should drive and steer like any other similar sized truck. There's no "it's a jeep thing" and the "solid axle" thing is pure unadulterated BS as has been talked about many times.

Mine steers and handles like a champ - like any other truck I've had. Yes, it took two steering gear replacements under the TSB, but it's fine now. No play, no wandering, no problems.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My Mojave defiantly wanted to wander around until I backed the TP down. From the factory each tire was set different and all were above 42 PSI. Drives great now

I've never figured out why dealers turn these loose on customers with 40-42 psi in the tires. Even the tire store I had swap on Rubicon take-offs for me had those tires, the Falken A/T tires, set to over 40 - that's nuts!

 

[JT4X4]

TL;DR, I test drove a new 2021 Rubicon at one dealership, steering was atrocious. Test drove a 2021 Overland and used 2020 Rubicon the next day at a other dealer, steering was fine. Huh??

hi all, long time lurker, 1st time poster. In 2019 I was looking to replace my 2016 GMC Canyon Duramax with a Gladiator around this time in 2021, then the Bronco got revealed and caught the fever. It seemed like it had a ton of stuff that was lacking from the Jeep that I wish it had, and I reserved and ordered one. Unfortunately due to publicized delays, and my late reservation time, I am probably not getting one until at least a year from now.

Which has rekindled my interest in the Gladiator. I’ve been in these forums a ton, all over YouTube watching TFL, JK Gear and Gadgets, and others with JT builds, and am pretty familiar with the JT and what people have done with it. I have never owned or driven any Jeep product before and my biggest apprehension is the SFA limitations, as this would be my DD as well as trail toy. I’ve seen and read what a lot of people have done, between steering stabilizers, the Synergy sector shaft brace, and upgraded Fox steering stabilizers, all of which I would consider doing. I also am mostly interested in the Mojave, partly because it will do 90% of rock crawling the Rubi will with a set of manual discos, but with so much of a better ride and higher speed capability. The reinforced frame and steering knuckles don’t hurt either. I’m also considering a Rubi too and adding mild lift and upgraded shocks to it, to make it similar to the Mojave.

So, went to a dealer in my town and test drove a brand new 21 JTR. Holy hell, was the drive awful. There was 3-4 inches of play in the steering wheel before there was any direction change, wouldn’t track in a straight line, bump steer going over train tracks and bumps, and it wandered aggressively. Going through 90 degree turns at stop lights in the city, I felt like I couldn’t even keep it in a straight and predictable arc, and it was a guess to try and keep it in the lane I was turning into. I walked away extremely disappointed.

Fast forward to today, I went to a different dealer and testdrove first a new 21 overland, then a used 5000 mile 20 Rubicon. The overland’s driving difference was hugely noticeable. I understood the “it’s a jeep thing” with how the SFA drives differently, and this felt like an appropriate description. Dead spot in the center was much much less, less feedback from bumps, tracked fine on the highway. Definitely different from my IFS Canyon, but absolutely livable. I got it up to 75 on the freeway and it was fine, I wouldn’t have wanted to do that with the first Rubicon I drove. After that at the same dealer, I drive the only Rubicon they had in the lot, the used one. Honestly it drove pretty much identical to the Overland I just drove, every comment above I’d apply to that. I did check the steering box too, and from what I could tell, it was the pre-TSB box that isn’t the all black steel. I came away super confused with the completely different experiences from the two trucks.

Is there really this much variation when it comes to trucks as they come out of the factory? Should I keep test driving and see how the Mojave feels? There’s nine close by otherwise I would have tried to test one. Any thoughts?

High Tire pressure was most likely the issue.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

High Tire pressure was most likely the issue.

Maybe - maybe not. It is in a few, otherwise it's other issues.
Tire pressure only resolves a few. High tire pressure on mine made zero difference at all.

 

[WXman]

I've been reading for 3 solid years now that tire pressure is responsible for this. It is not. Tire pressure has absolutely positively nothing to do with it.

Just for fun, and to screw with the people on the JL side who thought tire pressure mattered, I ran my pressures up and down from 25 to 50 PSI back and forth and drove the Jeep recording video all the while to prove that it has absolutely nothing to do with it.

A steering issue is a steering issue. What I've seen on my current truck that I picked up June 5th is that the steering was HORRIBLE on my drive back home from TN to KY. The steering was atrocious for about 500-1000 miles. But each week it gets better which to me says either 1. the steering joints, stabiliizer, etc. are wearing in naturally or 2. the caster is off from the factory and 2" lift in the front corrects the issue.

 

[Terry]

TL;DR, I test drove a new 2021 Rubicon at one dealership, steering was atrocious. Test drove a 2021 Overland and used 2020 Rubicon the next day at a other dealer, steering was fine. Huh??

hi all, long time lurker, 1st time poster. In 2019 I was looking to replace my 2016 GMC Canyon Duramax with a Gladiator around this time in 2021, then the Bronco got revealed and caught the fever. It seemed like it had a ton of stuff that was lacking from the Jeep that I wish it had, and I reserved and ordered one. Unfortunately due to publicized delays, and my late reservation time, I am probably not getting one until at least a year from now.

Which has rekindled my interest in the Gladiator. I’ve been in these forums a ton, all over YouTube watching TFL, JK Gear and Gadgets, and others with JT builds, and am pretty familiar with the JT and what people have done with it. I have never owned or driven any Jeep product before and my biggest apprehension is the SFA limitations, as this would be my DD as well as trail toy. I’ve seen and read what a lot of people have done, between steering stabilizers, the Synergy sector shaft brace, and upgraded Fox steering stabilizers, all of which I would consider doing. I also am mostly interested in the Mojave, partly because it will do 90% of rock crawling the Rubi will with a set of manual discos, but with so much of a better ride and higher speed capability. The reinforced frame and steering knuckles don’t hurt either. I’m also considering a Rubi too and adding mild lift and upgraded shocks to it, to make it similar to the Mojave.

So, went to a dealer in my town and test drove a brand new 21 JTR. Holy hell, was the drive awful. There was 3-4 inches of play in the steering wheel before there was any direction change, wouldn’t track in a straight line, bump steer going over train tracks and bumps, and it wandered aggressively. Going through 90 degree turns at stop lights in the city, I felt like I couldn’t even keep it in a straight and predictable arc, and it was a guess to try and keep it in the lane I was turning into. I walked away extremely disappointed.

Fast forward to today, I went to a different dealer and testdrove first a new 21 overland, then a used 5000 mile 20 Rubicon. The overland’s driving difference was hugely noticeable. I understood the “it’s a jeep thing” with how the SFA drives differently, and this felt like an appropriate description. Dead spot in the center was much much less, less feedback from bumps, tracked fine on the highway. Definitely different from my IFS Canyon, but absolutely livable. I got it up to 75 on the freeway and it was fine, I wouldn’t have wanted to do that with the first Rubicon I drove. After that at the same dealer, I drive the only Rubicon they had in the lot, the used one. Honestly it drove pretty much identical to the Overland I just drove, every comment above I’d apply to that. I did check the steering box too, and from what I could tell, it was the pre-TSB box that isn’t the all black steel. I came away super confused with the completely different experiences from the two trucks.

Is there really this much variation when it comes to trucks as they come out of the factory? Should I keep test driving and see how the Mojave feels? There’s nine close by otherwise I would have tried to test one. Any thoughts?

I have a 2020 Rubicon and never after the first 20 miles have I noticed any difficulty with steering. Yes it was at first a different feel than my Volvo, but then its a Jeep.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I have a 2020 Rubicon and never after the first 20 miles have I noticed any difficulty with steering. Yes it was at first a different feel than my Volvo, but then its a Jeep.

Not the "it's a Jeep" thing please..........
These should and usually do handle and steer as well as most other similar sized trucks on the road.

It's not a solid axle thing,
it's not a Jeep thing.

Too many today, especially people who can afford these trucks, have sports cars or modern cars with rack and pinion steering or performance suspension and steering. Just look at the other vehicles listed on the left in their profile area of their posts.
These should only ever be compared to other trucks - IFS or otherwise.
Never to anything with rack and pinion, not to a small sports car. It's a truck.
Even my dealer shop says these handle better than any prior Jeeps. They fixed mine twice without even suggesting there wasn't anything wrong. They told ME they had to replace the steering gear - twice. Now it's great.

My own JT has had the tire pressure up over 40 3 different times - when I first got it, when I had the Falken A/T tires put on, and when I had the General A/T tires put on - 41-42 was how I generally got it. It was a harder ride on our heat buckled pavements but it had no real impact on STEERING. Only ride.

 

[Slojo]

Did you replace your Colorado with the Gladiator? I think I take for granted how great and car-like the GM twins handle. I have 33” Cooper STTs, Peak Suspension 2.0 coil overs and Eibachs in the rear and it handles fantastically over bumps at high speed and steers super precise.

I did. My 4wd 2016 Z 71 was a great truck. 24 mpg highway all day long. But I am a long time jeep nut and there were things on the Gladiator I wanted that you cannot get on a twin.

 

[BAT]

I didn’t realize PSI made that much of a difference. On my truck I barely notice the difference between 30 and >40, all it does is stiffen bumps a little and make it rougher on the road. On Jeeps, does high PSI really contribute that much to road wander and loose steering?

When I test drove and bought mine they had the tires so pumped you would think they might explode. First thing I did after I bought it and got it home was dropped the PSI to 36 in all the tires. Made a world of difference

 

[Slojo]

In the test drives the most solid steering 'planted' versions I drove were two diesels. I believe the extra weight made a difference.

 

[johnparjr]

When I bought my Mojave it drove straight no wander at all but the tires where at 40. Fixed that and even did the steering box recall and it still drives great no issues at all for me

 

[foo.c]

Honestly, mine drives like an old truck that needs all the bushings, ball joints, and rod ends replaced. It's not play in the steering box though.

I test drove a JLU when they came out and the salesman was really pushing me to buy it but the steering was 10 times worse than my JT is. I finally told him if he could drive it straight without sawing at the wheel I would buy it, he couldn't.

 

[NoDoorsNoProblem]

Rubicons and Mojaves can come with either mud terrain tires or all terrain tires. If one was AT equipped and the other was MT equipped, that could make a big difference too.

All the ones I drove were Falken AT3s. I had those on my F150 and they ran as perfect as the OEMs. I run Cooper STT Pros on my Canyon, so I’ve got a bit of an idea how a MT would ride, as they STTs are an aggressive hybrid MT/AT. Still not much of a noticeable difference in handling from the OEM tires I replaced them with, and the gladiators I drive didn’t have the MTs ??‍

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