Should I go Rubicon or Mojave?

[NachoRuby]

So I purchased a Mojave(never a jeep or truck owner). Everyone talks about how smooth the ride is in the Mojave. I just can’t seem to agree and wonder if there is something wrong with my truck. It’s a stock Mojave and I feel every little imperfection in the road. We have some concrete highways here is New Mexico and the whole cabin will just bounce on those stretches. I test drove a second Mojave and it felt the same, could feel every little imperfection in the road transfer to the cabin. Am I expecting too much? Is it that I prefer a softer shock and the Mojave is too stiff for me?

Check tire pressure. They dealers like to fill them way over spec. And the Mojave is smooth...for a jeep.

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[Westie]

Check tire pressure. They dealers like to fill them way over spec.

Factory sticker says 37 psi. I have the falcon wildpeak A/T. They are filled at 37 cold and usually reach 38/39 when it warms up. What pressure should I be running?

 

[u-joint]

So I purchased a Mojave(never a jeep or truck owner). Everyone talks about how smooth the ride is in the Mojave.

This is coming from the perspective of people who drive Jeeps.

And the Mojave is smooth...for a jeep.

This.

FWIW, the Rubicon (and I suspect all trim levels) are amazing to drive compared to any other Jeep I've ever owned. The longer wheel base does wonders.

But, at the end of the day, it's still a Jeep, with a solid axle. It's going to drive horrible compared to most other vehicles. It's more of an acquired taste.

 

[NachoRuby]

Factory sticker says 37 psi. I have the falcon wildpeak A/T. They are filled at 37 cold and usually reach 38/39 when it warms up. What pressure should I be running?

You're going to have to play with it some. But I liked 35 on my Rubicon when I was on the stock tires. By the time it got up to temperature it would hit 37, and ride like a dream (for a jeep). But in the end, it's still a truck, and a jeep. A jeep truck. So it's not ever going to ride like a car. You'll get used to it (hopefully).

 

[Westie]

You're going to have to play with it some. But I liked 35 on my Rubicon when I was on the stock tires. But in the end, it's still a truck, and a jeep. A jeep truck. So it's not ever going to ride like a car. You'll get used to it (hopefully).

Fair enough. I need to reel in my expectations. I do love the ability the jeep has. I’ll lower my tires a bit, see how that goes. If it still bothers me I’ll probably swap some adjustable shocks on there, once they offer them for the Mojave (without reaming the shock mount).

 

[Shahzeb719]

I had a diesel JLRU. Loved it! The instant push off a line with 37s effortlessly was the reason I loved a jeep. Since I sold it last year, picked up a Mojave and honestly love the ride for day to day transport. The seats feel much more softer and the big steering wheel also feels nice in the hand. Although I miss the Diesel engine since they don’t offer it in the Mojave, I still love the Mojave now.

P.S. - she’s a thirsty one

 

[joeym7]

I am new to trucks also and also got a Mojave recently...I love the ride. It is smooth for a truck...Very smooth (yes, I have drove in trucks that have harsh rides even though I never owned one before).

The Mojave eats up the bumbs with aplomb and it seems the faster you drive it the nicer it feels...

I explain it this way to Friends and Family, yes I feel the bump but it is a fun feeling not harsh, the truck sucks them up and tracks so well over a rough road, no hopping, tracking straight and true, it just sucks them up and provides a lot of fun to the driver.

 

[dcmdon]

I came from a Volvo sedan and the ride is definitely stiffer. But its well controlled. Its not bouncy or wallowy. The rear has enough compliance so if you are going around a corner like on an exit ramp and hit an expansion joint the back end doesn't step out. Which both the Willys and Rubicons I test drove did do.

One other thing. when you hit a bump with 1 side of the vehicle, in a low vehicle you will just the up down motion. In a taller vehicle you will also feel a side to side jostling because up high that upward movement translates into lateral movement that you don't feel in a lower vehicle. There is no way around that other than lowering the Jeep. Which kind of defeats the purpose of the vehicle.

One other thing. I'm now running the tires at 35 psi. I like it at that pressure. Especially on the 0 deg winter mornings when the rubber in the tire carcass is stiff and the shock oil is thick.

 

[wjcook68]

Test drove both and liked both a lot. I wound up going with the Rubicon. Main reasons, it was $700 cheaper and had the tow package and the spray in bed-liner which the Mojave did not. I couldn't lose either way but that is what made it a tough decision for me.

 

[Bananaman]

This is coming from the perspective of people who drive Jeeps.



This.

FWIW, the Rubicon (and I suspect all trim levels) are amazing to drive compared to any other Jeep I've ever owned. The longer wheel base does wonders.

But, at the end of the day, it's still a Jeep, with a solid axle. It's going to drive horrible compared to most other vehicles. It's more of an acquired taste.

Try driving a solid axle Ford 3/4 ton truck, and your Jeep will feel like a Lexus!

 

[Gvsukids]

Try driving a solid axle Ford 3/4 ton truck, and your Jeep will feel like a Lexus!

Yes, a 550 is very stiff.

 

[Willpower1]

This is coming from the perspective of people who drive Jeeps.



This.

FWIW, the Rubicon (and I suspect all trim levels) are amazing to drive compared to any other Jeep I've ever owned. The longer wheel base does wonders.

But, at the end of the day, it's still a Jeep, with a solid axle. It's going to drive horrible compared to most other vehicles. It's more of an acquired taste.

Respectfully gotta disagree with this statement. Strongly. I’ve driven and owned A LOT of cars and trucks. The Mojave doesn’t drive “horribly” compared to ANYTHING. They have really done wonders with the JL and JT. I can comfortably cruise at 75 on the highway with it, it’s extremely comfortable, can then go off-road and do whatever I need. It steers, handles, and rides SIGNIFICANTLY better than the FJ Cruiser I’ve had since new, and the work 2017 Ford F-350 that I traded for a second Mojave for our business, just to name a couple.

 

[u-joint]

Respectfully gotta disagree with this statement. Strongly. I’ve driven and owned A LOT of cars and trucks. The Mojave doesn’t drive “horribly” compared to ANYTHING. They have really done wonders with the JL and JT. I can comfortably cruise at 75 on the highway with it, it’s extremely comfortable, can then go off-road and do whatever I need. It steers, handles, and rides SIGNIFICANTLY better than the FJ Cruiser I’ve had since new, and the work 2017 Ford F-350 that I traded for a second Mojave for our business, just to name a couple.

I don't know.

I don't think it takes much to drive better than an F-350. Also, the 350 IIRC is solid front axles - just like the Jeep, so you're not really making a comparison.

For comparison, my wife's 2021 Honda Pilot just glides over bumps in the road. These are bumps you barely feel in the pilot, but are obviously present in the Jeep. I'm not talking "harsh" or anything, but literally the difference between not noticing a bump and noticing it.

At the end of the day, no matter how great the shocks on a vehicle with a solid front axle are, it's still going to have poorer road manners than just about any other same year/same mileage vehicle with an IFS.

This isn't a bad thing necessarily - and that's why I said that driving a Jeep is more of an acquired taste. You get use to it, and forget that there are actually vehicles with better road manners.

 

[dcmdon]

Something like an F350 has to ride horribly when empty because its engineered to drive safely when it has a relatively large amount of weight in it.

Look at it this way. The Gladiator weighs about 5000 lbs and has about a 1100 lb payload capacity.

The Ford F350 weighs roughly 7000 lbs and has between a 4500 and 7700 lb payload capacity.

So it weighs 40% more than a Gladiator but can carry between 4 and 7 TIMES as much as a gladiator.

That requires stiff springs and shocks that will ride terribly when its empty.

Even the F150 has a fraction of the capacity of the 350. Most common trims of the F150 have about a 2000 lb capacity. (All the ones with significantly more have either no second row of seats or RWD or some combination of similar stuff)

 

[Willpower1]

Ok boys, ignore the FJ there. Last time I looked under it there wasn’t a solid front axle there
My point was simply to say that calling these trucks “horrible” with respect to road manners is an exaggeration, and, to the uninitiated, could put them off from even giving one a chance. And with all due respect, I’d rather drive any trim JT than the sterile appliance that is the Honda Pilot, as well as 90% of all other “SUVs” on the market today.

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