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Finally got my Jeep! Day 2 / 250 miles - Is All this Normal?

JokerDroid

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Most MT tires are a huge compromise in regular driving and wet and snow driving, surprised Jeep still puts them on, I think they are the only car company putting them on oem.
So I haven't had a chance to drive my new Mojave in pouring rain yet (just got it 1/9) however we just had a big snow storm up here. I have the MT tires because this is my first truck/Jeep and didn't realize MT tires are bad in the snow. However after driving it this past storm I am impressed by the whole setup. I had no issues driving them in the snow and I was worried. I know tires are just one part of it but I was even trying to slide a little and didn't. I am pleasantly surprised at how the MT tires handle in this storm.
As far as handling goes, it takes a little more attention but I am definitely not all over the place and I think it handles fine. (And I did check the tire pressure as soon as I got it).
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Sazabi19

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You'll have several things going against you. Like others have said, look at your tire pressure and make sure you aren't over inflated. It's winter so make sure you adjust accordingly as it warms up too. With the winter bit being said you'll also see a decrease in your mileage, couple that with the fact that it's a brand new truck and the engine isn't worn in at all, you're gonna get some crappy mileage. You also have MTs and 35s? Those are fairly large and will take mileage away from you also.

It sounds like your drive home was probably windy, so that may contribute to your wandering on the road but if it persists you can always take it to the dealer and have them look at it. You'll see several very large threads in here that talk about steering and a recall. Look through those a bit and look to see how to look at your steering box and check yours out. It should be a new box and you should be fine but you can always have it looked it.

As for the sound your hearing, that's somewhat normal. These aren't exactly quiet, especially if you don't have headliners. If you don't have them then don't get the shitty ones Mopar has, get the HotHeads headliners, they're a sponsor here and theirs are way better quality. I suggest those as the first upgrade to your truck. As for the weird thrumming from your tires... *shrugs*.
 

Sazabi19

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So I haven't had a chance to drive my new Mojave in pouring rain yet (just got it 1/9) however we just had a big snow storm up here. I have the MT tires because this is my first truck/Jeep and didn't realize MT tires are bad in the snow. However after driving it this past storm I am impressed by the whole setup. I had no issues driving them in the snow and I was worried. I know tires are just one part of it but I was even trying to slide a little and didn't. I am pleasantly surprised at how the MT tires handle in this storm.
As far as handling goes, it takes a little more attention but I am definitely not all over the place and I think it handles fine. (And I did check the tire pressure as soon as I got it).
With today's tire tech, as long as you're not an idiot, even most car HTs or AS are just fine for driving in the snow. As long as you don't run slicks or summer performance tires you should be just fine. MTs aren't the greatest for it no but you should be reasonably sure footed. I will also say, coming from a car, that my ATs were fantastic in snow the other day, though only maybe an inch or so. I was able to kick it out when I wanted to but didn't really slide a lot, traction control kicked in and kept eveything good. The whole truck worked well to keep itself planted.
 

Sazabi19

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When I switched to 35x12.5 tires that get run at much lower pressures, like 27-28, it really helped on the highway tracking, the tires seemed to be able to handle some of the contours themselves and not transmit to the suspension.

But if I leave my house and it's 50* in the morning on a proper psi and I go someplace thats 95+ (sometimes 105) I need to drop the pressure because the heat and hot roads really increase their psi dramatically. When these tires get over inflated they really turn into ice skates. Every little groove is tracked and it feels like the road is slippery.

My guess is his tires are too firm and need to come down significantly.
Ever think about filling with N? I know a lot of people don't like or think it's a "fake" enhancement, but it's just more stable. For someone like you who seems to go to temp extremes often it may be worth it for the winter. Hell my old Saturn dealer (connected to a Cadillac dealer) used to give me free nitrogen fills every time I came through. I didn't have to futz with tire pressure at all.
 

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My tires change 4 or 5 psi in winter months from cold to driving after a little while on the highway. I assume nitrogen would prevent that from happening.
 

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j.o.y.ride

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Ever think about filling with N? I know a lot of people don't like or think it's a "fake" enhancement, but it's just more stable. For someone like you who seems to go to temp extremes often it may be worth it for the winter. Hell my old Saturn dealer (connected to a Cadillac dealer) used to give me free nitrogen fills every time I came through. I didn't have to futz with tire pressure at all.
Nitrogen expands and contracts pretty much the same as regular air.

What I need is this to make it easy, which I have been meaning to get, so just ordered

https://updownair.com/product/4-tire-inflation-system-jeep-gladiator-jt-engine-bay-passenger-side/
 

ShadowsPapa

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Ever think about filling with N? I know a lot of people don't like or think it's a "fake" enhancement, but it's just more stable. For someone like you who seems to go to temp extremes often it may be worth it for the winter. Hell my old Saturn dealer (connected to a Cadillac dealer) used to give me free nitrogen fills every time I came through. I didn't have to futz with tire pressure at all.
I had nitrogen filled tires on my Silverado. They were a lot more stable PSI-wise in our Iowa temperature swings. BTW - it's upper 30s here today, just shy of 40, tomorrow dropping to single digits and that's a mild swing for us in 24 hours.
I've considered the N fill for my JT tires.

The expense may not be worth it because there is still some fluctuation and if you keep upping and downing the pressure, well........... if you are OCD about the pressure anyway, it won't pay.
But there's this I found -
Fact: Tires filled with nitrogen maintain inflation pressure longer than compressed air-filled tires in fluctuating temperatures. This is why nitrogen is used to fill airplane tires, as temperatures can change dramatically between takeoff and landing.

On the other hand............
https://www.consumerreports.org/tire-buying-maintenance/should-you-use-nitrogen-in-car-tires/
 
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Sazabi19

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I had nitrogen filled tires on my Silverado. They were a lot more stable PSI-wise in our Iowa temperature swings. BTW - it's upper 30s here today, just shy of 40, tomorrow dropping to single digits and that's a mild swing for us in 24 hours.
I've considered the N fill for my JT tires.

The expense may not be worth it because there is still some fluctuation and if you keep upping and downing the pressure, well........... if you are OCD about the pressure anyway, it won't pay.
But there's this I found -
Fact: Tires filled with nitrogen maintain inflation pressure longer than compressed air-filled tires in fluctuating temperatures. This is why nitrogen is used to fill airplane tires, as temperatures can change dramatically between takeoff and landing.

On the other hand............
https://www.consumerreports.org/tire-buying-maintenance/should-you-use-nitrogen-in-car-tires/
Yes this is exactly why I was asking. It's much more stable but does change a bit. It's not going to hold the exact same PSI especially in large swings. The other thing most people don't realize/forget is that while you can let some N out, putting almost any amount of air into the tires defeats it almost entirely. While it's not a cure-all it does help.

And again, I got mine for free, I think I saw that it was maybe a $5 option outside of that. Mind you this was over a decade ago. Not sure what a N tire fill is going for now adays.
 

JeepCares

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Hi All!! I picked up my new JT on Saturday morning and overall I love it! The Sting-Gray color with the black trim of the Willys package is badass. Already kicked in the 4WD for some heavy snow. Heated seats and steering wheel are wonderful. And all the tech on board is everything I wanted. But I purchased it about 150miles from my house and was a bit surprised when I hit the express way. (This is my first every JL/JT Jeep)

I have noticed the first time I drove it that it likes to wander on the road quite a bit, more than I ever noticed with the rubi I test drove. Does the looseness in the steering just vary from truck to truck? Between that and the wind on the express-way there were times I felt like I was having trouble staying in my lane. I was pretty uncomfortable with the experience.

Then next thing that bothered me was the vibrations from the road. I could feel it all the way into my steering-wheel. It almost felt like I had a nice subwoofer and it was vibrating everything in the vehicle. Sometimes it was just a constant thrummmmm thrummmmm thrummmmm. Maybe the Mud-Tires that come with the Willys are the culprit?

Third was the road noise. It was loud but more than I would have expected. And it sounded like air was leaking in somewhere, like it was being blown in through a straw. Maybe the roof/door isn't sealing right??

Last was the MPG. I know it's a box on wheels but 13.6?

sticker: https://www.chrysler.com/hostd/windowsticker/getWindowStickerPdf.do?vin=1C6HJTAGXML553215
Hey, mbush91. Have you had your steering concerns resolved with the dealer yet? If not, send us a private message so we can assist you further.

Kate
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Sazabi19

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Hey, mbush91. Have you had your steering concerns resolved with the dealer yet? If not, send us a private message so we can assist you further.

Kate
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GJ being proactive with a new guy Kate.
 

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Maddaw

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The overinflated tires is a thing. I read somewhere the dealers keep them overinflated to prevent flat spots from sitting on the lot. Makes sense since a test drive would be terrible with flat spotted tires.

However, in my experience the tire pressure did nothing for the wandering. The factory JT Sport S 31s wandered at 45psi and all the way down to 30psi. All it did was soften the ride and kill the MPGs. I now have 35" MTs running about 28psi and it still wanders a bit. It is better but still noticeable. Used to it now after 9 months of ownership. From what I have read on the subject, the best fix for the wander has been the steel steering box install from the dealer after multiple complaints. It is not a recall but there is a TSB(08-074-20) for it. And a discussion on the tsb. https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...sue-tsb-08-074-20-for-improved-steering-feel/

As for the MPGs, mine was great (22-23) until I installed the 35s, lift, steel bumper, and winch. Now I am around 14mpg (expected) with mostly highway driving. BUT, this thing seems to do better at lower speeds. At 80+mph it will get about 11mpg, at 45mph it will get around 18mpg. I recently took it on a 3 week 7000 mile round trip from OH to UT/AZ. Heading west on I-70 I got 13.5mpg, coming back east it averaged 18mpg. I noticed it really does not like driving into headwinds or driving 80+mph. I really noticed a drop in mileage when I hit Kansas with the speed limit being 80mph and mostly flat. The MPGs actually improved in the mountains of CO, but I was not on the highway and only driving 45-55mph. On the offroad trails I was consistently getting 20mpg, once again slower driving. Hoping when I upgrade gearing to 4.88s from the 3.73s some of this will be resolved.

I have had wind/road noise from day one. I just chalked it up to driving a Jeep now. I have checked the panel and windshield alignment, removed and reinstalled the roof panels, and checked the seals. Nothing has helped. I came from an F150 Platinum that was dead silent and the plushest ride you could imagine. It was also no fun to drive and could not go a quarter of the places that I have taken my JT. I will deal with minor downsides to enjoy what I am driving.
 

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Running stock 255-70-18's on my overland. 11k miles. Average 22 mpg. Drive 42 miles 5 days per week and average 70 on the highway. Happy
 

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I had pretty much the EXACT same experience and test drives (and later take-home drives) difference between the Mojave I test drove and the Willy's I drove home. The road noise was worse in the Willys which I thought seemed to be coming from "down" and not up and it wandered a lot worse on the freeway. The cool thing is it was the exact same stretch of freeway i did the original Mojave test drive on as the dealership I bought the Willy's at was a short jog south and I live north of there. The weather and wind really didn't change between test drives and there was quite a downpour during the Mojave test drive and a misty rain on the way home with the Willy's, wind was pretty bad on both drives. I'll know if it's truly the tires once my new AT/3 Falkens go on next week, just waiting on them to come in.
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