Issue with ride quality on 24x14 wheels paired with 6" lift

[K9whitley]

Hello Gladiator community. I am hoping some (or many) of you can offer some insight into the ride quality of my Gladiator.

I recently purchased a used 2021 Gladiator Rubicon. The previous owner installed 24x14 wheels wrapped in 37x14.5R24 rubber and a rough country 6" lift. I am not sure what else has been done, but I do not see any other modifications visually.

My dilemma is that this Gladiator is ALL over the road while driving above 45 mph and it feels very unsafe at 60mph. I have to constantly steer and correct while driving in a straight line and just don't feel like this is normal. I have watched dozens of videos and spoke to several people and am told the following:

A) Don't worry about it, all Jeeps drive like this.
B) Having wheels/tires that size will always cause those driving issues.
C) A 6" rough country lift will cause those issues.
D) The stock aluminum steering box is the culprit.

I took it in to the dealer to have the stock aluminum steering box replace with the all steel unit, however they refused to do the work citing that they cannot properly align it after the box replacement due to the size/offset of the wheels/tires. That said, I purchased the steer smart sector shaft brace in the hopes it would suffice. Although the issue has improved, it still feels awkward and dangerous at highway speeds.

My question is, has anyone else encountered this and can provide a list of things to check and/or fix? Do Jeep's naturally wander? Do I need to downsize the wheels and offset? Is there possibly and underlying issue not related to tires and lift? Any help is greatly appreciated.

I come from a long line of sports cars, but I do not have any experience with lifted trucks of any sort, so I welcome the communities feedback!

Thank you.

my glad sits on 6” lift and 35x12.5x20 tires. When I put the lift on I had a lot of drift and road roll. Recently I have found out through the forum that my tire pressure was to high. Lowered that to the correct pressure and it took a lot out of it. Then I also discovered that we did not have the sway bar adjusted correctly. Adjusted that and it’s like driving a diff truck. Check out those two things and see if it helps you out. That’s all I got for now. Still learning a lot myself.

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[salvino]

As stated, I purchased this Gladiator as is, only thing I have done is add a hitch step and the Steer Smarts sector shaft brace. I am not and never was a fan of the Gladiator as it sits OEM on the lots. The OEM wheels/tires are too anemic for its boxy look, so I never considered it as a potential purchase. However, when I saw this one on the lot, it changed my mind as it looked good from all angles. (Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I get it, everyone has different tastes). A quick search of Google and Youtube will show plenty of Gladiators on 24x14 wheels, so I had no reason to believe it would be an issue. After driving it around for a few months, I have come to learn that this Gladiator has sacrificed useability for looks, which brought me here to see how much I would need to correct to have a useable Gladiator for my needs. It seems like a fix is possible by reducing the amount of negative offset, the width and height of the wheels, and a few changes to the suspension.

Time and money will tell me if this is possible. If not, I will sell the Gladiator and move on because I have no interest in driving a vehicle too close in looks as all the other ones on the road. Go big or go home right?

I saw that you got it that way and completely agree the stock tires, even the 33s, are too small and look it. My JTR got 37s, a 2.5" lift and new wider 17" wheels before it had 100 miles on it. But someone went way overboard on yours. It'll cost you but it can certainly be made functional again with the suggestions folks have made here. Good luck with it.

 

[Wattsimages]

Hello Gladiator community. I am hoping some (or many) of you can offer some insight into the ride quality of my Gladiator.

I recently purchased a used 2021 Gladiator Rubicon. The previous owner installed 24x14 wheels wrapped in 37x14.5R24 rubber and a rough country 6" lift. I am not sure what else has been done, but I do not see any other modifications visually.

My dilemma is that this Gladiator is ALL over the road while driving above 45 mph and it feels very unsafe at 60mph. I have to constantly steer and correct while driving in a straight line and just don't feel like this is normal. I have watched dozens of videos and spoke to several people and am told the following:

A) Don't worry about it, all Jeeps drive like this.
B) Having wheels/tires that size will always cause those driving issues.
C) A 6" rough country lift will cause those issues.
D) The stock aluminum steering box is the culprit.

I took it in to the dealer to have the stock aluminum steering box replace with the all steel unit, however they refused to do the work citing that they cannot properly align it after the box replacement due to the size/offset of the wheels/tires. That said, I purchased the steer smart sector shaft brace in the hopes it would suffice. Although the issue has improved, it still feels awkward and dangerous at highway speeds.

My question is, has anyone else encountered this and can provide a list of things to check and/or fix? Do Jeep's naturally wander? Do I need to downsize the wheels and offset? Is there possibly and underlying issue not related to tires and lift? Any help is greatly appreciated.

I come from a long line of sports cars, but I do not have any experience with lifted trucks of any sort, so I welcome the communities feedback!

Thank you.

It seems you have some good advice from experienced members.
The questions are, do you love the look that you have? And what kind of off-roading will you be doing?

If it were me I would go with a really good quality 3" lift to resolve the ride quality and lower the center of gravity. Then a narrower wheel and tire to resolve the steering, like 37x12.50R17.

For you, I would recommend choosing a really good quality 4" lift, and the wheel size v sidewall based on the number of times to will see dirt.

Option 1, if you will be on rough dirt trails or situations where you need high levels of traction (air down) go with a 17-18" wheel with a tire at least twice as tall as the wheel, like an 18" rim with 36" or larger tire.

Option 2 If you are coming to be on a dirt road 1-2 times a month, you might want an 18-20"

Option 3 If you like this look, and you are 99% on pavement, then go with a narrower 22" wheel/tire with the right offset. Wide tires "hunt" more than narrower, and the right offset will make the steering much better.

 

[SIG551-A1]

Sounds like you don't have near enough caster.

 

[mx5red]

There is a guy on wrangler forum who has 37x15.5” on 20x12 wheels, claims ride is great. Haven’t read back too much but think he is on stock XR lift.
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...-go-down-in-tire-diameter.109130/post-2268189
Have you swapped normal tires to see how it rides?
I’d really try to test different variables to see what may be biggest culprit. I assumed the Uber wide wheels/tires might be making as much of an impact as your Uber tall lift, but maybe not..
Btw plenty of people rocking 37x12.5 on 20” rims so if you like less sidewall, don’t listen to everybody telling you need rock-crawling tires.

 

[Maximusdafarmer]

I would be curious as to how much that tire and wheel combo actually weighs. Plenty of guys around here with well over 100lbs per corner and 13.5 widths, not to mention the sidewalls on that tire are actually pretty close in height to what you have on a stock overland or sahara. No idea how stiff they are in comparison which can affect the tramlining. I think the form factor on the wheels and tires are making it seem like a more extreme setup than it actually is.

If the vehicle is not even drivable at 45 mph, I would look at the suspension before I looked at swapping out the wheels and tires. I am pretty sure OP has reasonable expectations and doesn't expect perfection out of solid axles and oversize wheels and tires, it must be pretty severe for him to say it feels unsafe at 45 mph.

After I sorted the suspension, whether you follow the advice here (of which there has been some good advice given) or take it to a reputable shop, if you still don't like it then I would just try a milder version of what you have, maybe 22's with not quite as deep a lip.

Just my .02

 

[theCATALYST]

I would be curious as to how much that tire and wheel combo actually weighs. Plenty of guys around here with well over 100lbs per corner and 13.5 widths, not to mention the sidewalls on that tire are actually pretty close in height to what you have on a stock overland or sahara. No idea how stiff they are in comparison which can affect the tramlining. I think the form factor on the wheels and tires are making it seem like a more extreme setup than it actually is.

If the vehicle is not even drivable at 45 mph, I would look at the suspension before I looked at swapping out the wheels and tires. I am pretty sure OP has reasonable expectations and doesn't expect perfection out of solid axles and oversize wheels and tires, it must be pretty severe for him to say it feels unsafe at 45 mph.

After I sorted the suspension, whether you follow the advice here (of which there has been some good advice given) or take it to a reputable shop, if you still don't like it then I would just try a milder version of what you have, maybe 22's with not quite as deep a lip.

Just my .02

Thank you.
There has been some good info here. As soon as I can get back in country from work I am going to get to the bottom of this for sure.

 

[theCATALYST]

Updating this thread on the chance that someone now or in the future may need this information for their Gladiator.

So.....for those members that suggested checking the castor, ding ding ding, you are the winner. I recently installed Core4x4's front and rear upper/lower adjustable control arms, front and rear track bars, 2.5 ton steering kit, and end links Camp Complete Kit Control Arms, Track Bars, 2.5 Ton Steering Kit, and End Links – Jeep, Gladiator JT, 2020, 2023 – CORE 4×4 (core4x4.com) along with a new Falcon steering stabilizer. After completing the full front/rear alignment, this thing tracks as it should and I no longer have the issues reported in my first post. Appears the wheels/tires had very little to do with the ride quality other than making the ride a little more harsh and minimizing the vehicles offroad ability.

That said, I will be downsizing the wheels and upsizing the tires in a few months. Thanks to all involved with their suggestions.

 

[TARHEELKIDD]

Updating this thread on the chance that someone now or in the future may need this information for their Gladiator.

So.....for those members that suggested checking the castor, ding ding ding, you are the winner. I recently installed Core4x4's front and rear upper/lower adjustable control arms, front and rear track bars, 2.5 ton steering kit, and end links Camp Complete Kit Control Arms, Track Bars, 2.5 Ton Steering Kit, and End Links – Jeep, Gladiator JT, 2020, 2023 – CORE 4×4 (core4x4.com) along with a new Falcon steering stabilizer. After completing the full front/rear alignment, this thing tracks as it should and I no longer have the issues reported in my first post. Appears the wheels/tires had very little to do with the ride quality other than making the ride a little more harsh and minimizing the vehicles offroad ability.

That said, I will be downsizing the wheels and upsizing the tires in a few months. Thanks to all involved with their suggestions.

Great news! Happy to see it getting there for you. Sweet Rig!

 

[theCATALYST]

Great news! Happy to see it getting there for you. Sweet Rig!

Thank you. I still have a lot planned, but one thing at a time.

 

[MudderNuker]

Updating this thread on the chance that someone now or in the future may need this information for their Gladiator.

So.....for those members that suggested checking the castor, ding ding ding, you are the winner. I recently installed Core4x4's front and rear upper/lower adjustable control arms, front and rear track bars, 2.5 ton steering kit, and end links Camp Complete Kit Control Arms, Track Bars, 2.5 Ton Steering Kit, and End Links – Jeep, Gladiator JT, 2020, 2023 – CORE 4×4 (core4x4.com) along with a new Falcon steering stabilizer. After completing the full front/rear alignment, this thing tracks as it should and I no longer have the issues reported in my first post. Appears the wheels/tires had very little to do with the ride quality other than making the ride a little more harsh and minimizing the vehicles offroad ability.

That said, I will be downsizing the wheels and upsizing the tires in a few months. Thanks to all involved with their suggestions.

High dollar! Nicely done.

 

[Lynn_F]

Updating this thread on the chance that someone now or in the future may need this information for their Gladiator.

So.....for those members that suggested checking the castor, ding ding ding, you are the winner. I recently installed Core4x4's front and rear upper/lower adjustable control arms, front and rear track bars, 2.5 ton steering kit, and end links Camp Complete Kit Control Arms, Track Bars, 2.5 Ton Steering Kit, and End Links – Jeep, Gladiator JT, 2020, 2023 – CORE 4×4 (core4x4.com) along with a new Falcon steering stabilizer. After completing the full front/rear alignment, this thing tracks as it should and I no longer have the issues reported in my first post. Appears the wheels/tires had very little to do with the ride quality other than making the ride a little more harsh and minimizing the vehicles offroad ability.

That said, I will be downsizing the wheels and upsizing the tires in a few months. Thanks to all involved with their suggestions.

Glad you got it straightened out! Amazing that it can be road worthy with those wheels/tires...

 

[theCATALYST]

Glad you got it straightened out! Amazing that it can be road worthy with those wheels/tires...

Amazing isn't it?
Thank you so much for your help and direction.

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