What can a Mojave on 35s NOT do?

[AstroZombie]

U-turns without using reverse!!

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[Rburns1776]

I have the AEV Mojave specific 2" puck lift and am still on my factory 33" falcons. I've done nearly every trail system in VA with the exception of Potts Mountain with my Mojave and i've yet to be limited by my tire size. For mild / moderate trail riding 35's will be plenty imho.

Im going to re-gear when I do get bigger tires and will probably have a front locker installed then. That being said, between BLD and the rear locker, not having it hasnt been an issue for me yet.

I dont overland / have a RTT, but between my diamondback bed cover and all the gear I keep in my truck I have a pretty decent amount of added weight in my bed (hundreds of pounds) and I also tow with mine. The Mojave suspension does well with the load.

As far as not having an electronically disconnecting front sway bar like the Rubicons, that doesnt affect me at all. I just take the bolts out of the end links and zip tie them up. Easy peasy and they dont try to reconnect themselves if I go more than 18mph

I use a redarc towpro elite brake controller, trailer gets up to 5k ilbs sometimes and the Mojave does well with it

I circled my sway bar in this pic, you can see the end link disconnected and zip tied out of the way:

This is my 22' Mojave next to my buddies 22' stock heigh Rubicon for reference

Also, have had plenty of days below 0 this winter so far and I've never had the suspension start to creak on me

 

[GladLad]

A Mohave on stock wheels will do incredible things.

I have been on and lead many 4 wheeler rides. There are always a couple of guys in stock vehicles. They have always gotten through. When I say stock, I mean a base wrangler, or an FJ. Once there was a 2004 Ford Explorer. The driver of the Explorer had to make a couple of banzai runs, but he got through.

I think the Red Rock club in Moab has the best rating system. They make specific suggestions about lift kits and tires sizes by trail. When reading the trail ratings, I believe that with a Mohave or a Rubicon, you can consider that you vehicle came with a 2" lift. I have been on trails rated as high as 5 with my Gladiator. We got through without much drama. Well, except for the steep sidehill/downhill section that made me squeal.

Red Rock 4-Wheelers, Inc. - (rr4w.com)

Nice link. I knew there had to be something like that at trail heads. Ground clearance numbers estimates would be nice, since some are already higher without lifts. But it's all general and a risk.

Are you in a stock Mojave?

 

[GladLad]

Anything requiring a front locker, so basically loose climbing situations or low traction moments. Here in Florida there is no way I'd give up my front locker as it's saved me at least a dozen times from pulling line in sand/mud. This climb for example would be a no chance:

The Mojave ranks somewhere between a lifted Tacoma TRD pro and a Rubicon gladiator for capability, in all but high speed dessert situations where it is only behind a raptor/braptor. That said, vehicles are much more capable than people realize and you can flog a lot of cars up trails you'd think there wouldn't be a chance if you don't mind a chance of damage.

If I can get offroad that deep and much I'll consider myself lucky to regret not getting a front locker. Or just add it, or make sure a winched Rubicon is around. I know I'm under appreciating any Gladiator's capability really, so I'd be good with all even if upgrades are needed.

 

[GladLad]

Third week after purchase, I was in 4 hi locked rear and the ice was pretty thick but Nothing has stopped mine and I only have BFG 35s. Front locker would help in rocks but I wouldn’t take a truck to play In The rocks hence why I went with a Mojave.

Wow! I thought that first pic was you stuck on 35s in frozen mud. Faired better than the Titanic with those big ice chunks.

No plans to go higher or bigger?

 

[GladLad]

Or monthly pass at the car wash, as I have in West Michigan.

Yep.

Possibly. Jeep brings them back every now and then.
Follow-up, https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/official-mojave-thread-lets-talk-mojaves.32680/

Or monthly pass at the car wash, as I have in West Michigan.

Yep.

Possibly. Jeep brings them back every now and then.
Follow-up, https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/official-mojave-thread-lets-talk-mojaves.32680/

Good to hear, easy to keep it stock that way.

You were supposed to say no to that last question unless there were solid details. I can't be sitting around waiting even more. ?

 

[HooliganActual]

Do you ride with full gear at all times, or when de-weighted you have extra stiff shocks daily driving? If it is a DD.

Yes, I am fully geared all the time but I have other DD's:

Based on your question, I think you are misunderstanding suspensions (at least on Jeeps). Your suspension has shocks and springs. The main job of the springs is to hold up the weight of the vehicle's body and cargo. The shocks dampen the movement of the spring.

So your question is a little "wrong". I have stiff springs (not shocks) and the particular shocks I have are adjustable. When I am just driving around town or on the pavement, I can set them for a smoother ride and when I get to a trailhead I can dial them up while I'm airing down.

If you are concerned about the springs being too stiff for DD use, you could always look for dual rate springs which will give you a more comfortable ride when unloaded but then when loaded can handle the weight of your cargo.

Honestly though, the few times I have driven it around unloaded it still was more comfortable than most similar vehicles I've driven that only had stock suspensions, but YMMV.

EDIT: You are really at a point of compromise here. If you want a suspension that performs on the trail and isn't bottoming out or feeling "swishy", then you are probably going to have to accept some stiffness for your DD use. It's worth noting that its probably not going to be as bad as you are imagining, if you get a good suspension and don't Frankenstein it.

 

[GladLad]

I have the AEV Mojave specific 2" puck lift and am still on my factory 33" falcons. I've done nearly every trail system in VA with the exception of Potts Mountain with my Mojave and i've yet to be limited by my tire size. For mild / moderate trail riding 35's will be plenty imho.

Im going to re-gear when I do get bigger tires and will probably have a front locker installed then. That being said, between BLD and the rear locker, not having it hasnt been an issue for me yet.

I dont overland / have a RTT, but between my diamondback bed cover and all the gear I keep in my truck I have a pretty decent amount of added weight in my bed (hundreds of pounds) and I also tow with mine. The Mojave suspension does well with the load.

As far as not having an electronically disconnecting front sway bar like the Rubicons, that doesnt affect me at all. I just take the bolts out of the end links and zip tie them up. Easy peasy and they dont try to reconnect themselves if I go more than 18mph

I use a redarc towpro elite brake controller, trailer gets up to 5k ilbs sometimes and the Mojave does well with it

I circled my sway bar in this pic, you can see the end link disconnected and zip tied out of the way:

This is my 22' Mojave next to my buddies 22' stock heigh Rubicon for reference

Also, have had plenty of days below 0 this winter so far and I've never had the suspension start to creak on me

Nice truck. Any reason you chose lift before tires? BLD, forgot about that.

I didn't know rubi discos tried to reconnect at speed. I see no immediate need so will be going manual route if ever needed for now.

Thanks for the info on weighted ride and no creaking.

 

[GladLad]

Yes, I am fully geared all the time but I have other DD's:

Based on your question, I think you are misunderstanding suspensions (at least on Jeeps). Your suspension has shocks and springs. The main job of the springs is to hold up the weight of the vehicle's body and cargo. The shocks dampen the movement of the spring.

So your question is a little "wrong". I have stiff springs (not shocks) and the particular shocks I have are adjustable. When I am just driving around town or on the pavement, I can set them for a smoother ride and when I get to a trailhead I can dial them up while I'm airing down.

If you are concerned about the springs being too stiff for DD use, you could always look for dual rate springs which will give you a more comfortable ride when unloaded but then when loaded can handle the weight of your cargo.

Honestly though, the few times I have driven it around unloaded it still was more comfortable than most similar vehicles I've driven that only had stock suspensions, but YMMV.

EDIT: You are really at a point of compromise here. If you want a suspension that performs on the trail and isn't bottoming out or feeling "swishy", then you are probably going to have to accept some stiffness for your DD use. It's worth noting that its probably not going to be as bad as you are imagining, if you get a good suspension and don't Frankenstein it.

You're right, I misspoke. Not often I talk about suspension, and so used "shocks" as if it were the generic encompassing term. Thanks for the quick lesson.

Compromise is sort of why I started the thread, see if any glaring issues get brought up that I hadn't seen yet. I'm looking to have the right compromise as much as possible from the start, so I don't have to redo later. Don't have the tools or skills.

And yeah, not enough experience so it's all imagination or reading some comment here or there. DD is majority of time, and ready for occasional weekend fun or vacay the rest. So I can deal with imperfect in either case, but learning where to start. Don't want to buy a mojave to tear apart the suspension. As I like the way it rides, and if I did I might as well have started in another trim.

 

[HooliganActual]

You're right, I misspoke. Not often I talk about suspension, and so used "shocks" as if it were the generic encompassing term. Thanks for the quick lesson.

Compromise is sort of why I started the thread, see if any glaring issues get brought up that I hadn't seen yet. I'm looking to have the right compromise as much as possible from the start, so I don't have to redo later. Don't have the tools or skills.

And yeah, not enough experience so it's all imagination or reading some comment here or there. DD is majority of time, and ready for occasional weekend fun or vacay the rest. So I can deal with imperfect in either case, but learning where to start. Don't want to buy a mojave to tear apart the suspension. As I like the way it rides, and if I did I might as well have started in another trim.

Here's my opinion FWIW:

Do nothing​

I have been driving Jeeps since 1983, when I got my first CJ7 (first car too, BTW) and one of the biggest mistakes I see people do (and you've alluded to it) is buy a Jeep, with no experience of what to do with it or how they want to use it, and then start throwing mods at it before they've seen what it can do, how it handles, etc.

I have a little philosophy when I buy my Jeeps; I do very minimal mods until I've worn the first set of tires off. That's partly because I am too lazy to try to sell take off parts but mostly because I want to get the feel of the vehicle, learn how it drives, see where it is lacking before I spend money on the wrong modifications or, at worst, modifications that don't get me what I expected.

In the "before" picture I shared previously, the Gladiator is 8 or 9 months old and still stock. We did many overlanding journeys in that several months to figure out what would make it the rig we enjoyed using. In that picture, we were on the Tabeguache Trail outside of Grand Junction, CO and were really struggling with the suspension, where we hadn't on previous trips with less aggressive trails. By no means was this trail a crawler, it just had a lot of cross axle obstacles that made it very evident that the suspension was not right for the load (BTW, I am currently scaled at just over 200# above GVWR)

IF you do wind up buying a Gladiator, do yourself a favor: hoard your upgrade money like a miser and hold off modding it for six months. Get it out on the trail, load it down (haul a pallet of something for somebody), fill it with all your camping gear and go to the trails even if its just to be on the trails with your typical load. Just avoid the temptation of driving it straight from the dealer's lot to the off-road shop for mods. Figure it out and then build it the way you need it rather than the way you think you need it before knowing you need it that way (<- was that circuitous logic there?).

One other thing you should do: forget you ever heard about this forum. It's dangerous. We will spend your money for you without let or hindrance!!!!

 

[AstroZombie]

I have the AEV Mojave specific 2" puck lift and am still on my factory 33" falcons. I've done nearly every trail system in VA with the exception of Potts Mountain with my Mojave and i've yet to be limited by my tire size. For mild / moderate trail riding 35's will be plenty imho.

Im going to re-gear when I do get bigger tires and will probably have a front locker installed then. That being said, between BLD and the rear locker, not having it hasnt been an issue for me yet.

I dont overland / have a RTT, but between my diamondback bed cover and all the gear I keep in my truck I have a pretty decent amount of added weight in my bed (hundreds of pounds) and I also tow with mine. The Mojave suspension does well with the load.

As far as not having an electronically disconnecting front sway bar like the Rubicons, that doesnt affect me at all. I just take the bolts out of the end links and zip tie them up. Easy peasy and they dont try to reconnect themselves if I go more than 18mph

I use a redarc towpro elite brake controller, trailer gets up to 5k ilbs sometimes and the Mojave does well with it

I circled my sway bar in this pic, you can see the end link disconnected and zip tied out of the way:

This is my 22' Mojave next to my buddies 22' stock heigh Rubicon for reference

Also, have had plenty of days below 0 this winter so far and I've never had the suspension start to creak on me

i dig that red accent piece in the grill. How do you like that front bumper? What brand is it and does it mess with any of the sensors in the front?

 

[AstroZombie]

I've been spending weeks reading to decide on a Gladiator purchase, but sometimes you just want to converse. Leaning towards a Mojave left stock or put on 35s to slightly raise and fill it out a bit more. Other options are to lift/re-wheel/35s a max tow or Overland, but this is mostly a Mojave thread.

I live in suburban SE Michigan, so don't have need for 37s on my daily driver. I would like to take it off-road and overlanding with some local regularity, and use it as an excuse to take longer trips out west too. More likely to hit pot holes, trails and dunes than rocks locally, but certainly want to be ready for courses/trips within reason. Won't have the locale to develop skill for the really hard stuff.

I also don't have a garage, driveway, many tools, etc. so I won't be able to wrench all my own upgrades and will keep things mostly stock mechanically. Changing gears, adding front locker, etc. not currently interested in. I'll be getting tow package, and 6k tow capacity is plenty.

Not all Qs are important, just some thoughts that have popped in my head or fun to discuss.

1. Open question, what can a non-lifted Mojave on 35s NOT do for non-hardcore wheeling?
2. Do '23 Mojaves still creak in the cold, or not all users have this problem?
3. Shock service would probably be fine well beyond 50k miles, but is there any other special maintenance for Mojave?
4. I'd like to Fluid Film (or equivalent) the entire undercarriage for long term rust protection from salty Michigan roads. It's pretty much sprayed wildly all over, gets on everything. Would this cause any problems with Mojave's suspension or seals?
5. How does its suspension/ride change under an overlanding load compared to a non-Mojave suspension with a lift? It's got less payload than a max tow, but I imagine a lift changes that for the max tow as well, even if not on the sticker. Unfortunately, I have no way to test drive a lifted max tow.
6. Can't fully choose based on hypothetical vacations, but I assume it's well capable for trips to Moab, White Rim Road, etc. Even I have to avoid certain routes based on skill or lack of lift.
7. Can sway bars be disconnected on 35s and still have no rubbing without a lift?
8. Important, will it make me look cool?
9. If not, when will the Mojito or other fun colors be available again so it will make me look cool.

A Gladiator will always make you look COOL! Better question is will you make the gladiator look cool
adding sway disconnects should not affect too much, it may run at full flex.
Will be fine to tackle any trail you choose
I would add max tow regardless. As is and hauling camping gear and what not will help.
The stock fox shocks do not seem to have the best reputation. My rubi shocks needs to have one replaced already and i do not wheel at all (wish i did, someday i will make more time.)
non-lifted rubi should run 35's just fine. Maybe a different offset (but that's for any model) the wider tire may rub at full turn.
My Rubicon creaked and dealer did something. I have never had a car that didnt creek with axle sway bushings. Easy enough to combat.

Anyways valid concerns and questions. I hope my opinion helps. I think they are a solid rig. A vehicle i have been hoping for for along time. I think they came out in a good style period for the brand too. The 07-16 look like Kleenex boxes to me. Would not have made a good truck. The Jl/JT body lines are really nice and all the people i've read about having a Mojave love the ride quality. My Rubi is nice too. IMO

 

[AstroZombie]

Here's my opinion FWIW:

Do nothing​

I have been driving Jeeps since 1983, when I got my first CJ7 (first car too, BTW) and one of the biggest mistakes I see people do (and you've alluded to it) is buy a Jeep, with no experience of what to do with it or how they want to use it, and then start throwing mods at it before they've seen what it can do, how it handles, etc.

I have a little philosophy when I buy my Jeeps; I do very minimal mods until I've worn the first set of tires off. That's partly because I am too lazy to try to sell take off parts but mostly because I want to get the feel of the vehicle, learn how it drives, see where it is lacking before I spend money on the wrong modifications or, at worst, modifications that don't get me what I expected.

In the "before" picture I shared previously, the Gladiator is 8 or 9 months old and still stock. We did many overlanding journeys in that several months to figure out what would make it the rig we enjoyed using. In that picture, we were on the Tabeguache Trail outside of Grand Junction, CO and were really struggling with the suspension, where we hadn't on previous trips with less aggressive trails. By no means was this trail a crawler, it just had a lot of cross axle obstacles that made it very evident that the suspension was not right for the load (BTW, I am currently scaled at just over 200# above GVWR)

IF you do wind up buying a Gladiator, do yourself a favor: hoard your upgrade money like a miser and hold off modding it for six months. Get it out on the trail, load it down (haul a pallet of something for somebody), fill it with all your camping gear and go to the trails even if its just to be on the trails with your typical load. Just avoid the temptation of driving it straight from the dealer's lot to the off-road shop for mods. Figure it out and then build it the way you need it rather than the way you think you need it before knowing you need it that way (<- was that circuitous logic there?).

One other thing you should do: forget you ever heard about this forum. It's dangerous. We will spend your money for you without let or hindrance!!!!

well said. I have not added any mods to mine and its been over a year in service for me. I added trail lights on my cowl and some creature comfort adds. I think the way it sits and comes off the lot is more than i will ever need. My next set of tires will be 35's though and maybe a tazer to adjust teh speedo.

 

[AstroZombie]

 

[PW45]

Third week after purchase, I was in 4 hi locked rear and the ice was pretty thick but Nothing has stopped mine and I only have BFG 35s. Front locker would help in rocks but I wouldn’t take a truck to play In The rocks hence why I went with a Mojave.

This guy gets it... Mojave is a more appropriate trim on the Gladiator. Rubicon trim package belongs on the Wrangler

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