JT vs JL ride quality

[JmattNYC]

When I test drove my Nighthawk the first time I was amazed at the ride quality. I was fully expecting a "Jeepy" ride but it was smooth. And the road handling with the wide axles and General Tire Grabber AT's rivals any sports car.

Night hawk was one of the most underrated trims ever on JT platform and if you had the right options like tow package, black grill as a base it already has the good bones to work off.. That trim you can do so much with as far as mods. I personally would get HD springs and upgrade the shocks lift combo like the AEV Dual sport 2,5 or 3 inch and regear to 4:56. That combo alone would take the nighthawk to new level. If it did not come with tow package then i would have gotten a real upgraded alternator,aux swithes,upgraded radiator, 850 watt fan and either a draw tite class 4 or mopar class 4 hicth receiver. Nighthawk was a beautiful platform i think that many people misunderstood

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[JmattNYC]

My opinion is the OP is flat wrong if comparing a stock unmodified JLU and a stock unmodified JT.........My stock 2025 JT Mojave X rides much better than my stock 2026 JLU Rubicon. My JT Mojave X actually seems plush compared to my JLUR probably due to the specific Mojave suspension combined with a longer wheelbase.

As you know being the owner of both Mojava and Rubicon JL, The Mojava is on a different level then all of the gladiators and wranglers when it comes to ride and suspension. Mojava should of been first with V8 5.7 ,392 and Hurricane engine options.

 

[Zachanadandy]

There's a lot of useless responses in here. The reality is the rear suspension is a copy of the Rams, which works great with a stiff suspension with limited travel. The stock uppers are half the length of the lowers resulting in pinion dive when the suspension droops and pinion rise when it compresses. Wild pinion angle changes with suspension movement are not a good thing. The triangulated upper 4 link kit fixes that issue and the side to side head toss caused by the cross talk between the front and rear track bars. With no rear track bar the rear suspension travels straight up and down. With the uppers being as long as the lowers there's very little pinion angle change. This results in a buttery smooth ride over rough terrain.

 

[JTGuy]

I have the triangulated 4 link in the rear . 2.5 fox adjustable remote res shocks. Probably just needs some weight in the rear.

 

[biodiesel]

Everyone and their dogs rave about the Mojave ride. How good is the Mojave ride? Well, if you put a Mojave and Rubicon side by side, every dog that's ridden in a Mojave would go to the Mojave.

The EcoDiesel wasn't offered in the Mojave, so I ended up with the Rubicon. I'm a little boring (stock 2023 Rubicon EcoDiesel), but I think it rides pretty good considering it's built for utilitarian purposes. It came factory with the red colored shocks. According to @ATL_Rubi, the red shocks are made by Tenneco. Tenneco owns and manufactures Rancho shocks. Eventually, I would like to upgrade to a little better shock, but overall, I'm happy with how it rides.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

Everyone and their dogs rave about the Mojave ride. How good is the Mojave ride? Well, if you put a Mojave and Rubicon side by side, every dog that's ridden in a Mojave would go to the Mojave.

The EcoDiesel wasn't offered in the Mojave, so I ended up with the Rubicon. I'm a little boring (stock 2023 Rubicon EcoDiesel), but I think it rides pretty good considering it's built for utilitarian purposes. It came factory with the red colored shocks. According to @ATL_Rubi, the red shocks are made by Tenneco. Tenneco owns and manufactures Rancho shocks. Eventually, I would like to upgrade to a little better shock, but overall, I'm happy with how it rides.

It’ll ride much better on 40”s.

 

[MeanGreen]

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

I looked at the Mojave when I was searching for my Gladiator. Most of them ran between $56-65k. I found my Sport S at $31k. I figured a good suspension that is on par or better will run me around $15-18k with the frame reinforcement. That and I get exactly what I want under there and know the exact specs. Just takes a bit longer to get done, but that’s how I looked at it.

 

[Dilly’S Willy]

My '21 Willys is fine for everything I need it to for a stock truck, would I change a few things yeah but those are for MY uses and not every day. My dog also approves.

Yep, as many others have said...

Ride Quality / High-speed Stability
Long wheelbase > short wheelbase

Maneuverability / Off-road Capability
Long wheelbase < short wheelbase

Fixed it so you can actually see it. At least with dark backgrounds.

 

[BourbonRunner]

I'm in this picture and I'm okay with it.

Peasants.

 

[MeanGreen]

I have the triangulated 4 link in the rear . 2.5 fox adjustable remote res shocks. Probably just needs some weight in the rear.

That is a good point. I've noticed when I have any kind of significant weight int he bed the ride feels better, but that is my experience with other trucks I've had.

 

[jmdusza01]

I have a 2023 Mojave, the best Jeep I have ever been in for ride comfort and handling. (and I have driven or been a passenger in many Jeeps over the years).

I have also had many jeeps. 76 CJ5, 1997 YJ. 15 HK, 18 JL and my 2025 Mojave has best and most comfortable ride.

 

[biodiesel]

It’ll ride much better on 40”s.

We'll keep the diesel Gladiator stock, at least for the next 15 years. Our property is located next to a national forest, so we do a lot of driving on forest roads, BLM roads, BIA roads, etc. For the most part, a stock Rubicon does everything we want it to do, which is to get us to and from our mountain property in inclement weather.

Fuel economy is also a factor since we're remote. For example, It's 55 miles from our property to the nearest town with groceries and fuel. In stock form, I can easily get 28 - 29 mpg in the Rubicon Gladiator.

Last but not least is towing potential. The brake controller has been on backorder since January, so I haven't been able to tow with it yet. It's possible that we'll do some towing with it. If so, then I want to maintain as much towing performance as I can by keeping it stock.

 

[MeanGreen]

I'm in this picture and I'm okay with it.

Peasants.

Look at us! We have something over the diesel guys! It's usually them on their high horse. They may have more power and better fuel economy, but we a cushier ride!

 

[ATL_Rubi]

Everyone and their dogs rave about the Mojave ride. How good is the Mojave ride? Well, if you put a Mojave and Rubicon side by side, every dog that's ridden in a Mojave would go to the Mojave.

The EcoDiesel wasn't offered in the Mojave, so I ended up with the Rubicon. I'm a little boring (stock 2023 Rubicon EcoDiesel), but I think it rides pretty good considering it's built for utilitarian purposes. It came factory with the red colored shocks. According to @ATL_Rubi, the red shocks are made by Tenneco. Tenneco owns and manufactures Rancho shocks. Eventually, I would like to upgrade to a little better shock, but overall, I'm happy with how it rides.

My only gripe on the red bodies is mine were leaking at 50kish miles. Not bad, but enough to get a drip or two on the lower mount. Good news is they are cheap to replace. I’m in a Ranger raptor now and slightly crying at how much the fox shock rebuilds are

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