How do Gladiators handle on the highway?

[dfwxjer]

I run 35s at 36psi on my Mojave and it's wonderful on the highway. Absolutely stable and no wandering after I dropped the tire pressure down. I bought it new and the dealer had the tires at like 45psi, but lowering the factory 33s to 35-36 made a big difference. It was a tad floaty on the highway with 45psi in the tires.

Discount Tire installed the 35s with the correct air pressure and I've never had an issue with them. I'm at 12k miles in 4 months and drive on the highway quite a bit while comparing it directly to my Navigator L so I'm kind of sensitive to highway issues.

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[dcmdon]

I'm 90% or so ready to make my purchase on the Mohave...I have no issue if it rides like a truck (optimized for off road) on the highway. I'm not looking to buy another street car. I don't want a Ridgeline or Santa Cruz for example.

But I do have one concern about highway driving, given that the "theroetic" power specks (HP/torque) are a little light vs some of its "competetors" in the class.

So I'm wondering how the Mohave will perform passing at highway speed? Obviously, not buying this vehicle for its highway performance per say, but I do want a vehicle that performs in a manner which is safe.

Lets say passing at 60-70 mph on the highway (without a tow). Do you current Gladiator owners with the gas 6 cylinder engine feel at least comfortable (as far as saftey) when doing so with your Gladiators?

I appreciate your opinions and put way more value on them then those of the various Auto editorals out there (which are mixed to somewhat negative on this issue).

Thanks,
-Joe

I don't own a Gladiator, but am coming from a faster vehicle. I've driven the gladiator several times as well as the new Bronco.

The Gladiator does "fine" as long as you are not afraid to put your foot into it. The normally aspirated engine needs revs to make any kind of power. So if you hesitate or back off if the thing downshifts 3 gears and screams from 4500 to 5000 rpm to pass, then you won't feel like its performing adequately.

If you are ok with the engine spinning at 5000 rpm then it will be fine.

Modern engines can run for WEEKS at 5000 rpm, so you certainly aren't hurting anything.

One other thing is that if you put the transmission in a lower gear using the manual selector before standing on the gas the whole process is much smoother.

My wife has a Volvo wagon with the turbo 6 and its fast. But if you stand on the gas to pass at highway speeds it jerks hard when it downshifts. Usually alerting my wife that I'm about to do something aggressive. Ha.

If I drop it down a gear and hold it in 5th, then stand on the gas, she doesn't even notice.

Overall thought the Gladiator is adequate. You just can't be afraid to put your foot in it.

I'm 95% sure I'm buying a Gladiator after considering a Bronco for several months. I've actually got a Bronco on order, but am not worried about that.

I'm waiting to see if the 2022 can be had with the 4xe hybrid powertrain simply because it will be MUCH faster. 370 hp and 475 ft-lbs of torque vs approximately 285 hp and 260 ft-lbs of torque.

My concern about the reliability of a first gen Chrysler hybrid is tempered by the 10 yr 100kmile warranty on the electric powertrain

 

[dcmdon]

I bought my JT lightly used with 20" fuel rims and 275/60 R20 Ridge Grapplers. They were aired up to 42psi. It does not drive poorly on the highway. Regardless, would it still be a good idea to air them down to 38 or so?

If the truck drives well, it comes down to managing wear across the tread. Too much air and the center of the tire wears faster than the edges. Too little and the edges wear faster.

I'd chalk the tire and see where you stand. Though my gut tells me that 42 psi it high.

 

[dcmdon]

This needs to be shouted from the rooftops.

I've seen numerous trucks (not just Jeeps) loaded with gear, and with so much extra steel mounted to them that they're probably close to their payload limits before even adding tongue weight to the equation. I often see these trucks with 6,000+ lb trailers attached to them. I hate to spoil all the fun, but a Max Tow JT that's loaded up with big tires and extra steel parts is probably overweight with a 6,000 lb trailer.

Edit: Sorry - I didn't mean to digress the thread from hwy handling into towing. That just touched a nerve and couldn't resist pointing it out.
On topic:
My truck handles the highway as well or better than most suv's trucks I've driven. It has developed a bit of a loose steering on the highway, but that's not normal and about to be fixed.

It also needs to be said that there is a huge difference between being overweight for a trip across town to grab some gravel for the driveway and a highway trip in the summer, uphill.

I had a friend who used to tow his 30 ft Formula go-fast boat with his Chevy 1500 van. It was rated for 3500 lbs. The boat and trailer weighed 11,000.

I'm not saying this was smart. But he never crashed or broke anything. And he only pulled it from his house to the marina and back every year.

I probably wouldn't hesitate to pull a 9000 lb trailer across town. But also probably wouldn't want to pull more than 5000 if it was a long trip. Pulling 5000 lb on a long trip will impact the truck far more than a quick trip across town way overweight.

 

[sass JT]

So to answer the op, my 20 rubi is awesome at highway speeds on 37’s air between 28 to 32 psi… I also have a 3.5” lift, resi’s and upgraded the crappy steering components. Drives like a dream at 75+. Just got an Idrive/evc throttle controller and love the instant pedal feel. I can hit bumps and not wander at all.

honestly it’s what you do with your vehicle that makes it “driveable” for yourself.
PS, I drive from Colorado to north Dakota and passing through 4 states. Every state takes care of their roads differently FYI

 

[mike921921]

I traded my WK2 for a JT and really don't notice much handling difference on the highway

 

[joeym7]

Mojave towing threads...
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/search/1140359/?q=Mojave+towing&c[title_only]=1&o=date

Thank you Sir!

 

[joeym7]

I daily drove a Miata for 7 years before buying my JT. The JT handles fine. The only real adjustments for me were needing to compensate a little more when the road is bumpy (the Jeep-wander is real), and needing to be a little more active with my shifter on the highway (the JT 6-speed is completely gutless in 5th and 6th gears).

Wind noise isn't a problem (but then, as I said, I daily drove a miata for 7 years and for 9 months out of the year it was "if the sun's out the top's down" sorta deal so maybe I'm not the best judge), if you have the hardtop I highly recommend some kind of headliner -- I have the hothead headliners w/ their "sound assassin" strips and it cuts down the noise quite a bit. If you have a soft top it's gonna be loud no matter what you do.

I haven't towed anything but I've carried a lot of stuff (probably well over payload a couple times on ~3-4hr trips) and haven't had any issues.

Great info, thanks...I'm eagerly waiting the 2022 build tool, but on the 2021 I did add the headliner to the mix with the 3 piece car-colored hardtop. Don't remmeber if it was a factory headliner or "hotheads", but if not the latter, I'll look into that one too.

 

[zxd9]

I did 3000 miles in two trips on stock 33" MT tires. Coming from a V8 Mustang I immediately noticed the loss of power. I could pass in 6th without an issue. The Mojave downshifts a couple gears. I'm slowly adjusting to the differences and accepting that it is a truck and has way different characteristics and abilities. It had no issues going up TN/KY mountains. It actually handled many pavement irregularities better than my Mustang. I'm satisfied. I didn't buy it to be a Mustang. I have just put on 35`s. Adjusted ECU for tires size too. I think it does downshift more on slight inclines. The tranny is good though and unless you're looking for the shift it is barely noticeable. Pretty sure I've dropped 1-2mpg as well. Not complaining. I now have the look and capabilities I want. I don't have any complaints with handling either. A good side wind is noticeable but otherwise it drives great.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I daily drove a Miata for 7 years before buying my JT. The JT handles fine. The only real adjustments for me were needing to compensate a little more when the road is bumpy (the Jeep-wander is real)

Then you have either modified things or yours needs to be worked on.
The "Jeep wander" died with Gladiator.
Mine is just fine on even crappy roads. It doesn't wander. It's not rack and pinion but it's no worse than other trucks I have owned.

 

[joeym7]

I'll say that at 60-70mph around here, you aren't passing anybody. I feel totally comfortable passing someone at 70-80+ on our highways, though it does make me cringe knowing I'm burning a gallon of gas to do it.

I know what you mean, I drove across country once in the 90's and once in the early 2000's, folks air it out "out there". No one was passing me in the my STS, but I was going 90-100 regularly...

In both trips I was very lucky, only got one speeding ticket coming bac east through Texas. I was nice to the Cop and he was "nice" to me. He told me if I send the ticket fee to this special address, the "points" which jack-up ones insurance are "waived". Of course I took him up on that. Memories .

If the JT can pass at 70-80 mph with aplomb, I'm in! That is all I would ever need on the highway.

 

[solfrost]

Then you have either modified things or yours needs to be worked on.
The "Jeep wander" died with Gladiator.
Mine is just fine on even crappy roads. It doesn't wander. It's not rack and pinion but it's no worse than other trucks I have owned.

I haven't touched the wheels or suspension etc -- it's a pretty minor issue, like I said it's something I only noticed enough to care on bad roads. That said, mine was at the dealer yesterday -- I mentioned it to them as an aside in case they had time to take a look. They called me in the evening and said they want to swap out the steering gear with the new one, so as you say it may have just needed to be worked on lol. Haven't gotten it back yet, but here's to hoping it's fixed!

 

[Gvsukids]

Great info, thanks...I'm eagerly waiting the 2022 build tool, but on the 2021 I did add the headliner to the mix with the 3 piece car-colored hardtop. Don't remmeber if it was a factory headliner or "hotheads", but if not the latter, I'll look into that one too.

Hotheads are aftermarket. The factory headliners for me have been excellent.

 

[dfwxjer]

I know what you mean, I drove across country once in the 90's and once in the early 2000's, folks air it out "out there". No one was passing me in the my STS, but I was going 90-100 regularly...

In both trips I was very lucky, only got one speeding ticket coming bac east through Texas. I was nice to the Cop and he was "nice" to me. He told me if I send the ticket fee to this special address, the "points" which jack-up ones insurance are "waived". Of course I took him up on that. Memories .

If the JT can pass at 70-80 mph with aplomb, I'm in! That is all I would ever need on the highway.

As a Texan I can say the Mojave keeps up just fine on the freeways. Our speed limits are typically 75 meaning most people are doing 80-90. The Jeep will keep up although fuel economy suffers big time above 70mph from my experience.

Like others have said, just don't be afraid to wind the engine up. When I first got it I wasn't used to hammering the throttle to pass coming from a Lexus GS. In the Lexus I could barely lean in the pedal and be at 100mph with ease, but the Jeep needs more throttle input to do the same. That said it cruises at 80mph with no issues.

 

[joeym7]

I don't own a Gladiator, but am coming from a faster vehicle. I've driven the gladiator several times as well as the new Bronco.

The Gladiator does "fine" as long as you are not afraid to put your foot into it. The normally aspirated engine needs revs to make any kind of power. So if you hesitate or back off if the thing downshifts 3 gears and screams from 4500 to 5000 rpm to pass, then you won't feel like its performing adequately.

If you are ok with the engine spinning at 5000 rpm then it will be fine.

Modern engines can run for WEEKS at 5000 rpm, so you certainly aren't hurting anything.

One other thing is that if you put the transmission in a lower gear using the manual selector before standing on the gas the whole process is much smoother.

My wife has a Volvo wagon with the turbo 6 and its fast. But if you stand on the gas to pass at highway speeds it jerks hard when it downshifts. Usually alerting my wife that I'm about to do something aggressive. Ha.

If I drop it down a gear and hold it in 5th, then stand on the gas, she doesn't even notice.

Overall thought the Gladiator is adequate. You just can't be afraid to put your foot in it.

I'm 95% sure I'm buying a Gladiator after considering a Bronco for several months. I've actually got a Bronco on order, but am not worried about that.

I'm waiting to see if the 2022 can be had with the 4xe hybrid powertrain simply because it will be MUCH faster. 370 hp and 475 ft-lbs of torque vs approximately 285 hp and 260 ft-lbs of torque.

My concern about the reliability of a first gen Chrysler hybrid is tempered by the 10 yr 100kmile warranty on the electric powertrain

Interesting...I am eagerly waiting the 2022 build sheet too, but I hadn't considered the Hybrid (if it does indeed get offered). I would definatly consider it for the extra power as long as it dosn't come with unintended consequences.

On the manipulation of the gears to optimize performmance you mention, I was thinking about that on the way to the doctor this morning driving my V8 STS atomatic. Even in this 8 cylinder, knowing how to get the most out of the car for speed and passing is part of the "enthusists" game. And I'd also say, with a little practice, most driving enthusists can drive most cars well.

It is like sports pistol shooting. Being able to shoot many types of pistols well rather than just ons or two seperates the good shots from the great shots.

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