How do Gladiators handle on the highway?

[anavrinIV]

I've had at least one of every Grand Cherokee platform made - including 3 of the WJ series. I never thought they wandered. We bought two of the WJs new - those steered tight, just fine. So if yours wandered, it had a problem. My wife loved all of the Grand Cherokees we've had and was normally the primary driver. She liked how they handled and rode.

"handling" to me is more than how they do on the highway or streets. It's bumps, turns, rough roads, etc. So yes, if you aren't considering how they do on the highway (and they should all do the same on the highway and city streets) there are inherent differences.

There may have been something wrong with this one, my grandpa is not known for his vehicular maintenance, but it wandered like nothing else.

We are in complete agreement on handling. I am not typically a fan of driving trucks because they just don't handle as well as the cars I'm used to. Grip, roll, turn in speeds, mid corner transitions....I have to adjust from what I'm used to. Wranglers and now the Gladiator handle very differently but in a fun, almost comical way. My TJ would rip around corners on 33s thanks to the hilariously short wheelbase, the JT will not but it is a much smoother ride. I notice bumps more in this than in a full size truck or regular compact car (one that is designed and set up well like my wife's Mazda3) but it doesn't bother me coming from a hot hatch on stiffer springs and tighter sway bars. The difference being my hot hatch is point and shoot through the moutains where the JT is much more leisurely, as it should be.

Sponsored

 

[Bucephalus]

When I first drove it home I thought I made a mistake when got on the highway at 75+. It wondered and I was like "Well it's a jeep thing." Someone here suggested to check the air pressure. Sure enough..they were each 10lbs over. Dropped the air to the manufactures suggested pressure and she handles like a dream. 80mph+ highway driving with 2 fingers.

 

[KHam]

I've owned a lot of Jeeps, and this one is my 3rd Rubicon trim model. I can say it handles and rides by far the best of any past Jeep I've owned. I did replace the stock suspension with the RK Pro-X which eliminated the rear track bar (triangulated 4-link) and that pretty much removed the cross-talk steering that happens over bumps and whoops. Triple and quad rate springs with matching tuned shocks. A Fox race series steering stabilizer set a little on the stiff side makes the steering wheel feel more "heavy", and a custom alignment with +6.5 castor. I'm very pleased with the ride and don't have any wander.

 

[anavrinIV]

I've owned a lot of Jeeps, and this one is my 3rd Rubicon trim model. I can say it handles and rides by far the best of any past Jeep I've owned. I did replace the stock suspension with the RK Pro-X which eliminated the rear track bar (triangulated 4-link) and that pretty much removed the cross-talk steering that happens over bumps and whoops. Triple and quad rate springs with matching tuned shocks. A Fox race series steering stabilizer set a little on the stiff side makes the steering wheel feel more "heavy", and a custom alignment with +6.5 castor. I'm very pleased with the ride and don't have any wander.

So you're saying if you change everything in the suspension it will handle differently?

The steering wander in mine was fixed with the replacement box per TSB. Clearly there was a flaw in the earlier runs. My JT is stock and drives great

 

[KHam]

So you're saying if you change everything in the suspension it will handle differently?

The steering wander in mine was fixed with the replacement box per TSB. Clearly there was a flaw in the earlier runs. My JT is stock and drives great

Yes. I was able to improve on it substantially over stock. However in stock form it still rode better than any previous Wrangler Jeep I've owned.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

When I first drove it home I thought I made a mistake when got on the highway at 75+. It wondered and I was like "Well it's a jeep thing." Someone here suggested to check the air pressure. Sure enough..they were each 10lbs over. Dropped the air to the manufactures suggested pressure and she handles like a dream. 80mph+ highway driving with 2 fingers.

That's because sometimes it's a different cause - from overinflated tires. But every new vehicle buyer should always check the tires of their new car or truck when they leave the dealership. They are almost always over-inflated. Mine were 3 over - not horrible but still much. 41-42 is stupid when the sticker clearly shows 38. Then I had Rubicon Falken A/T tires and wheels rotated on at the dealer - got in the truck to see THOSE were at 41 psi - WOW, that's stupid for that size a tire. And when I bought new General A/T tires and had those installed - yup - 41-42 psi. Those according to the General engineer I talked to should be 33. (I run 34-35 because my truck just makes them squat too much, will check with chalk soon to verify but so far, so good)
So the dealer had those over-inflated by 7 to 8 pounds. That's crazy.
But that's not what causes most of the JT steering wandering or pulling issues or loose steering. Over-inflated tires aren't causing that play in the steering. Wander, yeah - not play.

 

[Knightindullarmor]

My Comanche handled like a dream as well - it was solid axle, 4x4 and we used it as a family vehicle as well as a farm truck for a while. It was my only vehicle for a while - luckily there was room for two growing boys in the cab with me. That Comanche was a smooth handling, smooth riding, nice truck - I wish I still had it. Anyway, it was a truck, it handled nicely, and it was a solid front axle, not IFS.
It was a hybrid frame setup. Yes, the box could be unbolted and removed from the frame.

Not sure why an independent frame or lack of is considered in steering or handling.......

Body mounts are rubber or polyurathane bushings. They add another level of complexity when trying to engineer a vehicle to be stable at highway speeds and limit vibrations. Unibody will have smoother highway ride, but flex more and have less strength than a fully boxed (all removable-top jeeps since 1977) ladder frame. MJ Comanche was a hybrid with XJ unibody up front and something akin to a ladder frame under the bed. This is why XJ owners who do serious offroading add frame support braces - when you run 35+ inch tires and lockers, you tend to tackle obstacles where unibody just isn't strong enough.

 

[Shifu]

Had an overland and traded it in for a Mojave. The Mojave drives so much straighter with less correction input needed to the steering wheel. Totally different driving feel.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Had an overland and traded it in for a Mojave. The Mojave drives so much straighter with less correction input needed to the steering wheel. Totally different driving feel.

It's not Overland vs. Mojave - your Overland had problems. I'd pit my Overland against the best of them right now. Yes, it took two steering gear to get there, but it's totally stable and I don't need to keep correcting it. We drove it almost 11 hours straight (except for gas stops) and my wife never got tired for the hours she drove it. I drove it into CO and when I got there I was totally relaxed, no fatigue, never any issues. On the mountain roads, Pike's Peak, it was as true as anything I've driven. Never once had a concern about steering on those roads where your outside wheel was right up against the sky.
Yes, the RIDE will be different, but steering - you had a bad one, a proper Overland will drive on the highway like the best of them. That's why we take my truck almost everywhere we go now - because it drives, handles and rides so damned nice!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Body mounts are rubber or polyurathane bushings. They add another level of complexity when trying to engineer a vehicle to be stable at highway speeds and limit vibrations. Unibody will have smoother highway ride, but flex more and have less strength than a fully boxed (all removable-top jeeps since 1977) ladder frame. MJ Comanche was a hybrid with XJ unibody up front and something akin to a ladder frame under the bed. This is why XJ owners who do serious offroading add frame support braces - when you run 35+ inch tires and lockers, you tend to tackle obstacles where unibody just isn't strong enough.

I dunno about that - subframe connectors and unibody cars are taking 600, 700, 800 hp and wheelies and the torque of high output V8s. Check youtube for the Eagles crawling rocks and climbing ravines with the Wranglers and other Jeeps. In one video an Eagle is pulling a Jeep out of trouble. Yes, they've put solid axles up front in some cases and often subframe connectors, but it's amazing what they'll handle.
I know about Comanche - was a big fan back in the 80s and 90s and wish I had kept mine. Several guys removed the box and made them into a flatbed truck for work. I used mine on the farm - hauling things out THROUGH the field and so on. I know where there's a well-reserved one but the lady won't sell because it belonged to her late husband and was his pride and joy.

 

[Zrikz]

First time Jeep owner as of this Monday, (2021 - JTR) and after reading so many comments I was a little concerned. But, I've now driven about 140 miles on the interstate going 75-80 the whole way and another 160 miles of various in town / back roads.

I can only compare it to my 2018 Silverado I had and most recently the 2020 Tellirude I traded in. It's looser / has a more play on the steering compared to the Telluride, but seems very familiar to me compared to the Silverado.

I don't know that I would feel super comfortable going over 80 at the moment compared to the Telluride, but it's new, and I kind of felt the same way with the Silverado at first. Going straight on the interstate I can mostly keep 1-2 fingers on the wheel and it'll stay straight.

Oddly enough I think due to the various premature automated driving features of the Telluride, I feel better/safer in the JT, I don't have to fight the wheel to take control from the computer.

Hadn't thought to test the PSI of the tires from the dealer, will do that later today just to see if it can get any better, but I've no complaints so far.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

First time Jeep owner as of this Monday, (2021 - JTR) and after reading so many comments I was a little concerned. But, I've now driven about 140 miles on the interstate going 75-80 the whole way and another 160 miles of various in town / back roads.

I can only compare it to my 2018 Silverado I had and most recently the 2020 Tellirude I traded in. It's looser / has a more play on the steering compared to the Telluride, but seems very familiar to me compared to the Silverado.

I don't know that I would feel super comfortable going over 80 at the moment compared to the Telluride, but it's new, and I kind of felt the same way with the Silverado at first. Going straight on the interstate I can mostly keep 1-2 fingers on the wheel and it'll stay straight.

Oddly enough I think due to the various premature automated driving features of the Telluride, I feel better/safer in the JT, I don't have to fight the wheel to take control from the computer.

Hadn't thought to test the PSI of the tires from the dealer, will do that later today just to see if it can get any better, but I've no complaints so far.

I've had mine to 90 so far, and while trying to outrun the derecho of last summer here in Iowa, my wife kept yelling FASTER FASTER so I was passing everything in sight and was well over 80, likely 85 at her coaxing, and it was stable, fine, not scary. The huge wall cloud and road signs and parts of trees flying around worried me more.

 

[Lateralus]

Mine handled like a big boat with sport suspension and feels good now with rubi shocks and springs.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Mine handled like a big boat with sport suspension and feels good now with rubi shocks and springs.

I've never owned anything larger than a 14' fishing boat so I guess I can't relate to how that felt.

My Rubicon take-off fox shocks are now almost as bouncy as my original Overland shocks were when I removed them. Not a real upgrade, IMO. Maybe for a while, but not any longer.

 

[dcmdon]

I am not yet a Gladiator owner so I don't have an axe to grind.

In fact, highway performance is the one thing holding me back from pulling the trigger.

The first Gladiator I drove was a Willys with mud tires. It was terrible. The tires were loud and the ride was marginal with generally bad body control over bumps. (suspension was over-sprung and under-damped)

Then I drove a Mojave with AT tires. It was worlds better. The AT tires were quieter than MT tires on the Willys and its suspension was much better. More compliant but with better motion control.

If I buy a Gladiator it will definitely be a Mojave. I'm waiting to drive a Bronco. I don't need a bed but would prefer one. So its really going to be whether I'd rather have the bed or the better highway performance of the Bronco.

Sponsored