Lift and/or 37" for Mojave: cons and pros

[MartinIT]

I am trying to get any recommendations regarding lift/tire upgrade.

The Mojave I will be shortly purchasing will be used in the following terrain:

• 4 months per year in steep mountain terrain with twisty and narrow paved roads often covered with snow (mostly moderate snow coverage but plowing not always immediate)
• 1 months per year on hundreds of miles of unpaved tracks and gravel\dirt roads (Mojave will support gravel cyclists riding in Morocco, Turkey and southern old Russian republics)
• 4 months per year on same steep roads as in winter but dry
• often times on steeper fire roads with no snow (carrying MTB riders up the hill)
• some 8K miles per year will be done on highways (speed limit as high as 88 mph)
• no rock crawling is planned

I plan on upgrading the Mojave with front and rear steel bumpers, winch, rock rails, supercharger (have not decided on the brand yet), exhaust (model not selected yet), 35" AT tires and new wheels. On top of this a cargo system. I'll have another set of wheels with snow tires.

Mojave specific lift (like the one from TeraFlex or Fabtech) and 37" tires are being considered (as IMO they enhance the look of Gladiator even more) and here comes the question: considering the above vehicle use what would be the cons and pros of the lift and/or 37" tires. Factors to be considered are:

• paved road ride comfort and performance
• unpaved road ride comfort and performance
• gas mileage
• reliability of the Gladiator as stock versus with lift and/or 37"
• improvements of driving\maneuvering through rougher terrain
• any others

Thanks for any comments

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[S&S]

I am trying to get any recommendations regarding lift/tire upgrade.

The Mojave I will be shortly purchasing will be used in the following terrain:

• 4 months per year in steep mountain terrain with twisty and narrow paved roads often covered with snow (mostly moderate snow coverage but plowing not always immediate)
• 1 months per year on hundreds of miles of unpaved tracks and gravel\dirt roads (Mojave will support gravel cyclists riding in Morocco, Turkey and southern old Russian republics)
• 4 months per year on same steep roads as in winter but dry
• often times on steeper fire roads with no snow (carrying MTB riders up the hill)
• some 8K miles per year will be done on highways (speed limit as high as 88 mph)
• no rock crawling is planned

I plan on upgrading the Mojave with front and rear steel bumpers, winch, rock rails, supercharger (have not decided on the brand yet), exhaust (model not selected yet), 35" AT tires and new wheels. On top of this a cargo system. I'll have another set of wheels with snow tires.

Mojave specific lift (like the one from TeraFlex or Fabtech) and 37" tires are being considered (as IMO they enhance the look of Gladiator even more) and here comes the question: considering the above vehicle use what would be the cons and pros of the lift and/or 37" tires. Factors to be considered are:

• paved road ride comfort and performance
• unpaved road ride comfort and performance
• gas mileage
• reliability of the Gladiator as stock versus with lift and/or 37"
• improvements of driving\maneuvering through rougher terrain
• any others

Thanks for any comments

stock height and 35's for me...i love the look of the 37's. i feel you will have to go with 488's to get back the performance. with my 35's mileage has dropped to around 14...if your not rock crawling
i say 35's but either way will be great.

 

[Mac]

Based on what you described why do you need bigger tires? Just leave it stock no need for power adder either, keep it simple especially where you will be using it in areas with limited support and repair capacity

 

[DeezJT]

Comfort and performance will ultimately depend on lift/ components. Adding dedicated dynamic load weight will also significantly alter comfort and performance. Have a drive by yourself, then have a drive with an additional 4 adults and add weight to the bed. Lifts are usually higher than advertised as companies take into consideration a loaded jeep. To me, all the jeeps I’ve had ride better with weight on it.

gas mileage will also suffer but a regear as stated will help.

Reliability with 37’s is the same as a stock jeep. Wear and tear items will have life shortened.

 

[MartinIT]

Based on what you described why do you need bigger tires? Just leave it stock no need for power adder either, keep it simple especially where you will be using it in areas with limited support and repair capacity

Bigger tires for look primarily unless anyone thinks they will add value in described applications
More power for being able to pass comfortably on Euro roads.
I also plan on driving this vehicle relatively heavily loaded (lots of gear and accessories on the bed and in the rack system). But I understand the added complexity with the supercharger.

 

[Artsifrtsi]

You'll also be losing the awesome Mojave suspension, that you may need/want for the gravel road bits.

 

[TroutFishingInAmerica]

Sounds like the stock suspension/tire is perfect for your needs. Maybe some air bags if you occasionally max your payload. Not what you wanted to hear, just my humble opinion.

 

[EXTORTION]

Stock suspension with 35s for me too. Had 37s on my JLUR, was nice but had to re-gear. So far very happy with the 35s and stock suspension, and not very eager to loose that expensive stock suspension on the Mojave, which rides fantastic. I've had numerous Jeeps over the last 40+ years and have to say, this is the first Jeep I've had that I'm completely happy with the stock suspension.

 

[aldo98229]

My armchair comments:

• From everything I’ve read, sounds like Jeep got the Mojave suspension tuned just right. I’d hate to spend all that money and toss out Mojave’s best feature.
• Jeepers hardly ever discuss the tradeoffs of getting bigger tires, perhaps from our excitement to add off-road capability and, yes, that big, macho rig look. But everything in life is a tradeoff. When it comes to tires, the biggest tradeoffs are increased weight and contact patch, which in turn impact handling and ride comfort. I would imagine that mounting 100+ lb tires onto a Mojave would kill its ability to do what it is designed to do best - fly through open trails.

I don’t really know your ultimate use for this truck. If you like the looks of Gladiator on 37-inch tires, my recommendation would be to get a Sport or an Overland, do a quality lift and mount those 37-inch tires.

If you intend to drive your Gladiator out on the desert and gravel roads with confidence, you will be hard pressed to find a better truck than a stock Mojave.

Just my two cents.

PS - I am scared to even test drive a Mojave because I may want to buy it...!

 

[MoparToYou]

I am trying to get any recommendations regarding lift/tire upgrade.


I plan on upgrading the Mojave with front and rear steel bumpers, winch, rock rails, supercharger (have not decided on the brand yet), exhaust (model not selected yet), 35" AT tires and new wheels. On top of this a cargo system. I'll have another set of wheels with snow tires.

Mojave specific lift (like the one from TeraFlex or Fabtech) and 37" tires are being considered (as IMO they enhance the look of Gladiator even more) and here comes the question: considering the above vehicle use what would be the cons and pros of the lift and/or 37" tires. Factors to be considered are:

• paved road ride comfort and performance
• unpaved road ride comfort and performance
• gas mileage
• reliability of the Gladiator as stock versus with lift and/or 37"
• improvements of driving\maneuvering through rougher terrain
• any others

Thanks for any comments

The Mojave suspension is fairly sensitive to weight, so don't go too overboard with steel front and rear bumpers. If you plan on carrying near the max cargo capacity most of the time then a different model may be a better choice.

And for you specific questions, ... I have a Mojave with a 2 1/2" lift and 37s, so I'll do my best to answer them, instead of speculate like everyone else has done.

1. On road ride is slightly stiffer, because my 37" Toyo MTs are a slightly stiffer tire than the stock 33" tires were. That is the only difference though. The Teraflex lift I am using is just a 2 1/2" spring spacer, bump stop spacer, longer sway bar end links, and shock extension brackets. I also added the forged adjustable front track bar and Teraflex Sport lower front control arms to correct caster. So the suspension is exactly the same, it is just moved 2 1/2" farther down from the frame in front and 1 1/2" farther down from the frame in back. Performance is modestly decreased, due to the 37s being a little heavier. The difference is negligible, and I do not think it needs re-geared at all.

2. Again, slightly stiffer over small chop due to the stiffer tire sidewalls. Lowering air pressure may help here. I run mine at 32 psi cold. Unpaved road performance is far better. The tires grip better, and roll over the larger bumps better. Just this morning I did some exploring 30 miles from where I live. I was on narrow two track roads through pinion pine. I live in the Rocky Mountains, so no surprise, there were lots and lots of really big rocks that were just loose and lying on the ground, ranging from 6" to 15" in diameter. The 37s are absolutely fantastic in this terrain, and just roll over the rocks with no fuss. I never did drag an axle, skid plate, or bumper all day. The improvement from 37s cannot be over stated here.

3. Plan on a 3 mpg hit in gas mileage.

4. I really don't think there will be any difference in reliability. Jeep already took care of potential short comings with the Mojave. The frame is strengthened in key areas, the axle tubes are thicker, and the knuckles are cast steel instead of aluminum. The addition of the forged front track bar and Teraflex lower front control arms also improve strength. If you use your head instead of your right foot when the going gets tough, I don't think you will have any problems with 37s.

5. See #2 above. The difference with going to 37s is huge. I'm very happy with the upgrade. Stock I always worried about dragging bottom, and frequently did. Now the Gladiator just crawls through the tougher terrain like a Jeep is supposed to. A gladiator is too big of a vehicle to work well off road with just 33" tires. A two door Wrangler will work well with 33s. A four door Wrangler needs 35s to be able to function equally off road. A Gladiator needs 37s to feel like it is on the same level.

 

[Godfadr]

I went back and forth and just settled on the 35". For me, at this time, it didn't seem worth the expense, and the 35s" gave me enough of a better look vs stock.

 

[Mac]

Bigger tires for look primarily unless anyone thinks they will add value in described applications
More power for being able to pass comfortably on Euro roads.
I also plan on driving this vehicle relatively heavily loaded (lots of gear and accessories on the bed and in the rack system). But I understand the added complexity with the supercharger.

I would not go any bigger than 35s, and all terrain type tread especially where you mentioned traveling up to 88mph, that is really fast in a Jeep on any size tire.

 

[MartinIT]

Excellent info including great details from @MoparToYou . Exactly what I was looking for considering I have been thinking about the lift which preserves the superb Mojave stock suspension. Thanks much guys.

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