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HELP ME DECIDE! Gladiator Mojave VS 2023 Ranger Raptor

Rico

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I am in the market for a midsize truck. I have narrowed it down to the new ford ranger raptor and the Gladiator Mojave.
This will be my daily and only car and will be off roading in the weekends (Sand dunes) I live in Saudi Arabia and most of the off roading we do is in the sand/sand dunes.

I want something reliable. I red online that Fordā€™s 10 speed transmission is pretty bad which made me look into the Gladiator Mojave which is suitable for sand more than the Rubicon. But I also red online that the gladiator has issues with steering and death wobbles as well as few have mention that they had transmission issues with the 8 speed automatic. Not sure how true and common these issues are. prefer the look of the Gladiator way more than the ranger raptor.

I used to own a 2013 Wrangler that I liked until the hood came off while I was driving in the highway. Which made me hate the car and sold it after fixing the hood and the windshield.

I need your advise if the Gladiator Mojave will be the right choice for my needs. The only mod Iā€™m planning to do is get 35 inch tires with 17 inch wheels.

PS: This is my first time here in this forum so if I submitted this in the wrong place I apologize.
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Rahkmalla

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transmission problems are rare on these. ZF designs a great transmission. They are used in rolls royces and bentleys and i think almost the entire BMW lineup. But manufacturing has tolerances, and nothing is perfect, there's always going to be reports of failures if you look hard enough on anything mass produced.

steering issues shouldn't exist on new models. they had a TSB that fixed the issue, all manufactured from that point forward were manufactured with the fix (switch from aluminum to steel).

Death wobbles are an issue, but it's not a gladiator issue, just an issue with any solid front axle vehicle. And it's not a widespread issue at this time (gladiators are still new and time is the true test). It would not be something you should go in expecting to come across if your goals are minimal modification. Yes, it's a possibility, but not a likely one.

Ranger Raptor is cool, don't get me wrong, but until you can take off the doors and top it's just not comparable.
 

Chief_jeep

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You're on a gladiator forum so you're going to get very biased answers here. With that said, if you want to run 35's it will be much easier/cheaper with the Mojave. The roof and doors easily come off which is a huge plus.

There is generally a dead spot in the steering. When I test drove the Mojave it wasn't nearly as bad as other models. My steering has a slight dead spot but that could be because I'm on 39s. I no longer notice it but other people do when they first drive it. Death Wobble is a thing if you do not maintain your vehicle but it is fixable. Any solid front axle vehicle can experience this issue if it's not properly maintained. I haven't heard of any major issues with the 8 speed auto. I think it's a fantastic transmission.

Completely different vehicle but I'd be looking at the Bronco Raptor if I only drove in the dunes.
 

legacy_etu

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The ZF8 in the gladiator is the best torque converted transmission on the market today. Will they still have the occasional issue, sure. Iā€™ve read of a lot more issues with Fords 10 speed. Hopefully they can get it worked out better as most issues sound like programming issues. That being said itā€™s been like what 4 years or so with that tranny in the market and theyā€™re still having issues, meh.
The steering in a Jeep is typical recirculating ball feel, not precise and thatā€™s by design. if youā€™ve drive a Jeep before you know what that driving feel is like. The death wobble can be a real thing but it does seem to be a pretty rare occurrence these days.

Iā€˜d stick with the Jeep since it is sporting a reliable trans and engine (amongst other things). Ford reliability has been been a dumpster fire on most of their new model rollouts. Whatā€™s the dealer support like there?
 
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Rico

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You're on a gladiator forum so you're going to get very biased answers here. With that said, if you want to run 35's it will be much easier/cheaper with the Mojave. The roof and doors easily come off which is a huge plus.

There is generally a dead spot in the steering. When I test drove the Mojave it wasn't nearly as bad as other models. My steering has a slight dead spot but that could be because I'm on 39s. I no longer notice it but other people do when they first drive it. Death Wobble is a thing if you do not maintain your vehicle but it is fixable. Any solid front axle vehicle can experience this issue if it's not properly maintained. I haven't heard of any major issues with the 8 speed auto. I think it's a fantastic transmission.

Completely different vehicle but I'd be looking at the Bronco Raptor if I only drove in the dunes.
I totally understand that most people will be biased but I think this is the best place to know all about the issues with the Gladiator.

Iā€™m glad to hear that the Mojave doesnā€™t have as bad as other models when it comes to the steering. And regarding the death wobbles I usually take very good care of my cars. What should I take care of to avoid this issue?

The problem with the Branco Raptor it cost $128,000 for some reason here in Saudi Arabia . While the Ranger raptor cost $71,000 and the Gladiator Mojave cost $77,000
 

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Rico

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transmission problems are rare on these. ZF designs a great transmission. They are used in rolls royces and bentleys and i think almost the entire BMW lineup. But manufacturing has tolerances, and nothing is perfect, there's always going to be reports of failures if you look hard enough on anything mass produced.

steering issues shouldn't exist on new models. they had a TSB that fixed the issue, all manufactured from that point forward were manufactured with the fix (switch from aluminum to steel).

Death wobbles are an issue, but it's not a gladiator issue, just an issue with any solid front axle vehicle. And it's not a widespread issue at this time (gladiators are still new and time is the true test). It would not be something you should go in expecting to come across if your goals are minimal modification. Yes, it's a possibility, but not a likely one.

Ranger Raptor is cool, don't get me wrong, but until you can take off the doors and top it's just not comparable.
Iā€™m glad to hear that. I was hoping that these issues are not as common as everyone online make them to be.

and I agree taking the roof and doors off are a big plus for me.
 
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Rico

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The ZF8 in the gladiator is the best torque converted transmission on the market today. Will they still have the occasional issue, sure. Iā€™ve read of a lot more issues with Fords 10 speed. Hopefully they can get it worked out better as most issues sound like programming issues. That being said itā€™s been like what 4 years or so with that tranny in the market and theyā€™re still having issues, meh.
The steering in a Jeep is typical recirculating ball feel, not precise and thatā€™s by design. if youā€™ve drive a Jeep before you know what that driving feel is like. The death wobble can be a real thing but it does seem to be a pretty rare occurrence these days.

Iā€˜d stick with the Jeep since it is sporting a reliable trans and engine (amongst other things). Ford reliability has been been a dumpster fire on most of their new model rollouts. Whatā€™s the dealer support like there?
Ya I have a friend who got a brand new Bronco and his transmission is acting weird specially when down shifting. He went to the dealer and they told him that nothing wrong with the transmission and thatā€™s how the transmission is. That should tell you how dealer support are like in here. Thatā€™s why Iā€™m looking for something with the least problems/issues coz I canā€™t be bothered with dealing with these dealers.

I donā€™t think Ford will do anything about the 10 speed coz as you said itā€™s been more than 4 years and the transmission is still having issues. Iā€™m leaning more toward the Gladiator Mojave tbh.
 

Chief_jeep

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I totally understand that most people will be biased but I think this is the best place to know all about the issues with the Gladiator.

Iā€™m glad to hear that the Mojave doesnā€™t have as bad as other models when it comes to the steering. And regarding the death wobbles I usually take very good care of my cars. What should I take care of to avoid this issue?

The problem with the Branco Raptor it cost $128,000 for some reason here in Saudi Arabia . While the Ranger raptor cost $71,000 and the Gladiator Mojave cost $77,000

Take care of your ball joints and bushings. When one starts to wear it sends more stress into the others. Basically a domino effect. Eventually they get so worn that it causes the death wobble. That's my basic understanding at least. I'm sure someone on here can explain it in more detail.

That is a ridiculous price for the Bronco Raptor. For that price you can have a fully built Jeep.
 

legacy_etu

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Ya I have a friend who got a brand new Bronco and his transmission is acting weird specially when down shifting. He went to the dealer and they told him that nothing wrong with the transmission and thatā€™s how the transmission is. That should tell you how dealer support are like in here. Thatā€™s why Iā€™m looking for something with the least problems/issues coz I canā€™t be bothered with dealing with these dealers.

I donā€™t think Ford will do anything about the 10 speed coz as you said itā€™s been more than 4 years and the transmission is still having issues. Iā€™m leaning more toward the Gladiator Mojave tbh.
Do you have any Jeep clubs there? It would be useful if you could get a ride along in one in the dunes. One thing I am wondering about is the power needed in big dunes. Gladiator is heavy and not the most powerful.
 
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Rico

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Take care of your ball joints and bushings. When one starts to wear it sends more stress into the others. Basically a domino effect. Eventually they get so worn that it causes the death wobble. That's my basic understanding at least. I'm sure someone on here can explain it in more detail.

That is a ridiculous price for the Bronco Raptor. For that price you can have a fully built Jeep.
That should be easy to take care of.

Ya prices in here are pretty crazy not gonna lie.

I appreciate your help.
 

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I think youā€™re on the right track with the Mojave, given the conditions you intend to run.

To me...it comes down to whether or not you want the ā€œJeep thing.ā€ I.e. Increased interior noise vs. other mid-size trucks. Iā€™m coming up on one year with my Rubicon. I enjoy mine more as time passes.
 
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Rico

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Do you have any Jeep clubs there? It would be useful if you could get a ride along in one in the dunes. One thing I am wondering about is the power needed in big dunes. Gladiator is heavy and not the most powerful.
Not sure about Jeep clubs in here tbh. But I watched few reviews about the car here in Saudi Arabia and everyone is saying that it has enough power to handle the dunes. My 2013 wrangler that I had used to handle the dunes with no issues but that was a way lighter car than the Gladiator.
 
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Rico

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I think youā€™re on the right track with the Mojave, given the conditions you intend to run.

To me...it comes down to whether or not you want the ā€œJeep thing.ā€ I.e. Increased interior noise vs. other mid-size trucks. Iā€™m coming up on one year with my Rubicon. I enjoy mine more as time passes.
The interior noise is not an issue to me. I just want to make sure that the truck doesnā€™t have as much issues as people online are mentioning. Thatā€™s why I thought why not ask in a Gladiator forum where people actually own them and use them on a daily basis.
 

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I am a huge Ranger fan and have owned 4 of them. I was very excited for the Ranger Raptor but the huge infotainment system is a huge turn off for me and is what made me decide on a Gladiator. I am sure the Ranger will excel in many areas but just too much electronics for it to be viable for me.
 

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I would buy the ranger over the Mojave but Good luck getting a ranger raptor any time soon and plan on paying a huge dealer markup if you find one.
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