Mojave LCA Question

[Grump Fish]

To start with, we recently bought a 2023 Sport Max Tow for my wife and I started driving her 2019 4Runner. Yesterday we went to the dealership in the 4Runner to pick up her license plate and ended up leaving in a 2023 Mojave. They made us a trade deal I couldn't turn down. Now we have two Gladiators!

So, on to my question: I noticed that the Mojave seems to wander a bit compared to the Sport. They do have different tires but I am curious whether the Mojave comes with the longer Mopar lower control arms. If not, would it benefit from installing a set to improve caster? It's not a big issue to me, but this would be a good, inexpensive upgrade if it improves handling.

Thanks!

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[GladLad]

Not exactly an answer, but what is the tire pressure at? I recently picked up a Mojave and they had them at 42, and it was easy to wander after a bump. Took them down to 38 (hot, as I was already on a trip home), and it was better.

Now I'm trying 34 cold, before going up or down from there.

 

[leesiff]

To start with, we recently bought a 2023 Sport Max Tow for my wife and I started driving her 2019 4Runner. Yesterday we went to the dealership in the 4Runner to pick up her license plate and ended up leaving in a 2023 Mojave. They made us a trade deal I couldn't turn down. Now we have two Gladiators!

So, on to my question: I noticed that the Mojave seems to wander a bit compared to the Sport. They do have different tires but I am curious whether the Mojave comes with the longer Mopar lower control arms. If not, would it benefit from installing a set to improve caster? It's not a big issue to me, but this would be a good, inexpensive upgrade if it improves handling.

Thanks!

Great question Grump Fish, and congrats on new Mojave. I myself picked up my new Mojave yesterday and on the drive home, which was 95 miles of freeway driving at 65-75MPH, I noticed the wandering as well. I was thinking it was because of the large mud tires and the grooved cement roads we have here in California. It will be interesting to follow this forum and see what others are saying and experienced. (Tire pressure was set at 41 psi)
Cheers!

 

[Grump Fish]

Not exactly an answer, but what is the tire pressure at? I recently picked up a Mojave and they had them at 42, and it was easy to wander after a bump. Took them down to 38 (hot, as I was already on a trip home), and it was better.

Now I'm trying 34 cold, before going up or down from there.

Great point! I just got back from town and checked them 43.0 on 3 of them and 43.5 on the front passenger. Id guess they would be close to the 37psi it shows on the door frame when cold. I wonder if the Falken 285 70 17 tires need 37 psi with the wider contact?
Let us know how your pressure experimenting goes.

 

[Grump Fish]

Great question Grump Fish, and congrats on new Mojave. I myself picked up my new Mojave yesterday and on the drive home, which was 95 miles of freeway driving at 65-75MPH, I noticed the wandering as well. I was thinking it was because of the large mud tires and the grooved cement roads we have here in California. It will be interesting to follow this forum and see what others are saying and experienced. (Tire pressure was set at 41 psi)
Cheers!

Thanks! It may be the tires, they are definitely a lot wider than the one on the wife's Sport. Im going to fix that for her soon though.

 

[NERokToy]

I plan on getting Rusty's off-road adjustable lower control arms to my wife's Rubicon. Our willys wandered a bit, but the Rubicon is more noticeable for sure. The Mopar ones would likely work, but If I'm going to be replacing parts I want a true upgrade and adjustability.

 

[bleda2002]

Lower the pressure and get the Mopar lca or other adjustable lcas. All gladiators use the same lcas so the rubi and mojaves come low on caster.

 

[MojaveLawyer]

Had the same issue when I purchased my Mojave. Lowered the pressure and did something different by adding the Sector Shaft Brace for starters. Definitely helped with the handling, eventually installed the 3.5 MC GC lift with adjustables.

 

[Dickster]

There is a adjustment screw on the steering box itself. This adjustment will be different from jeep to jeep because they have a min and maximum setting from factory.

 

[Grump Fish]

I plan on getting Rusty's off-road adjustable lower control arms to my wife's Rubicon. Our willys wandered a bit, but the Rubicon is more noticeable for sure. The Mopar ones would likely work, but If I'm going to be replacing parts I want a true upgrade and adjustability.

Thanks, I was thinking of going with the Mopar ones mainly to keep everything OEM and since I do not plan to lift the Mojave. For less than $100, seems like a good experiment.

 

[Grump Fish]

There is a adjustment screw on the steering box itself. This adjustment will be different from jeep to jeep because they have a min and maximum setting from factory.

Good info! I will check my steering to see if it seems to have play in it like on the video.

 

[Grump Fish]

I ordered a pair of the Mopar LCAs this evening. They were less than $100 with shipping. $100 is definitely not something I want to throw away, but seems like its worth holding them side by side with the ones on the Mojave and the Sport.
i did check out the steering wheel play as the video @Dickster posted. If anything, Im questioning if its too tight. Definitely no free play.
i appreciate all of you guys engaging on this and hopefully we’ll have some useful info for others on the Mopar LCA question.

 

[CJ5w4wdSmokyOnMyTail]

I ordered a pair of the Mopar LCAs this evening. They were less than $100 with shipping. $100 is definitely not something I want to throw away, but seems like its worth holding them side by side with the ones on the Mojave and the Sport.
i did check out the steering wheel play as the video @Dickster posted. If anything, Im questioning if its too tight. Definitely no free play.
i appreciate all of you guys engaging on this and hopefully we’ll have some useful info for others on the Mopar LCA question.

Looking forward to your report on how it worked out.

 

[Lunentucker]

Mojave seems to be caster handicapped from the factory.
The arms should help with that. I'd recommend any new Mojave owner who plans to stay otherwise stock go ahead and swap in the longer Mopar arms. It's a cheap and effective way to gain a little bit of caster angle.
If you're adding a lift, geometry correction brackets are worth their weight in gold, well... maybe copper.


Check the bolts holding the steering gearbox to the frame.
Check the Pitman arm nut for proper torque as well.
Check the ball joints for proper torque.
Check swaybar end links for proper torque, because one of my rear ones fell the hell out somewhere.

Check and set torque on the control arms with the vehicle on the ground at ride stance.

Consider upgrading the steering stabilizer to a quality pass-thru design with adjustable settings.
Consider adding the Metalcloak Sector Shaft Brace to further stabilize and protect the sector shaft on the lower end.

A slight toe OUT may also help.

All torque specs can be found here.
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/?-2020-2023-jt-gladiator-torque-values-all-of-them-in-one-place.67915/

Yes, you can adjust the free play in the steering gearbox. Carefully, gradually, and you need to heat it up pretty good to break the red loctite loose.
The proper allen key size is 4mm.

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...ng-wander-fix-cost-me-0-updated-1-7-23.57677/

 

[Badunit]

Thanks, I was thinking of going with the Mopar ones mainly to keep everything OEM and since I do not plan to lift the Mojave. For less than $100, seems like a good experiment.

I'm doing the same with my Rubicon. It was squirrelly/wandering at 42psi, acceptable at 38psi, better yet at 34psi, but still seems a little twitchy like it needs more caster. I have a set of LCAs on order. If ordering from a Mopar site, don't put in your VIN or your order might get canceled for not being the correct parts for your vehicle. In their minds, the arms don't fit any VIN because they are not the OEM parts for the VIN. On my first try, they emailed for my VIN and I gave it then they canceled my order. On my second try I replied with "these are the parts I want". I hope I get them this time.

I don't know what the correct tire pressure will end up being in the end.

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