Why Mojave?

[ecidiego]

Rubicon to me is a Willys with slightly upgraded shock, electric sway bar and diff lockers

Mojave you can get manual disconnecting sway bars from lynx and have a way better off roader with all the better components standard, IMO

Das it

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[bleda2002]

Rubicon to me is a Willys with slightly upgraded shock, electric sway bar and diff lockers

Mojave you can get manual disconnecting sway bars from lynx and have a way better off roader with all the better components standard, IMO

Better soft roader perhaps, but definitely not better off roader. The Rubicon will leave the Mojave well behind it on the actual challenging technical stuff, and no I don't just mean rocks.

Some spot welds on the frame and cast iron knuckles combined with short travel bypass shocks do not make up for the lack of front locker and worse transfer case.

 

[Brojave22]

Better soft roader perhaps, but definitely not better off roader. The Rubicon will leave the Mojave well behind it on the actual challenging technical stuff, and no I don't just mean rocks.

Some spot welds on the frame and cast iron knuckles combined with short travel bypass shocks do not make up for the lack of front locker and worse transfer case.

I hit 60mph on the beach and wash board fire roads, you can crawl at 5mph all you want, it’s not fun at all. going 60 in the woods is something a rubicon could never do and I’ll keep smiling as you go over a rock lol

 

[Volt0]

What about the cost of maintaining those fancy shocks? I hear the stories about people needing them rebuilt at 25k.... I don't want to be spending 2k on shocks every other year. If maintenance cost were the same I'd choose Mojave but with the shocks being a big question mark I'm leaning toward Rubicon... or Tacoma.

I’m at 39k and no issues with the shocks. If I do need them rebuilt, then I might take the opportunity to convert the fronts to be adjustable.

 

[bleda2002]

I hit 60mph on the beach and wash board fire roads, you can crawl at 5mph all you want, it’s not fun at all. going 60 in the woods is something a rubicon could never do and I’ll keep smiling as you go over a rock lol

I do 60 in the gravel and dirt and sand as well just fine lol. I also have a wallet and can upgrade shocks and springs but didn't lose my lockers or swaybar disconnects and have significantly more travel and better ride for the 5mph stuff too.

If you're going to keep them stock then sure the Mojave will do 60 and the Rubicon will do 45 over the same sections. Start upgrading and you end up spending the same on suspension between the 2 models and then also adding swaybar disconnects and front locker on the Mojave.

I bought my gladiator with full intention of lifting, upgrading, bigger tires, so the Mojave made 0 sense as the starting platform as I was going to upgrade what made it special anyways.

 

[Rahkmalla]

If you're going to keep them stock then sure the Mojave will do 60 and the Rubicon will do 45 over the same sections.

if you're comparing stock to stock, i wouldn't want to do the speeds i do or close to it offroad in any trim other than a mojave. Not saying the rubicon couldn't do it, just saying hydraulic bumpstops are a noticeable improvement in not shaking my teeth out of my head when compared to my old willys. and while i haven't blasted the same speeds in a rubicon, because i never owned one, there is nothing in the rubicon suspension system that leads me to believe it eats hard bumps the way the mojave does.

Start upgrading and you end up spending the same on suspension between the 2 models and then also adding swaybar disconnects and front locker on the Mojave.

I bought my gladiator with full intention of lifting, upgrading, bigger tires, so the Mojave made 0 sense as the starting platform as I was going to upgrade what made it special anyways.

Now you're getting into the real crux of your argument. Buying a mojave only to replace the suspension is pretty wasteful and leaves you with less truck for even money. But i think it's a generally well-regarded principle around these parts that anyone buying a mojave with any plans for a lift other than say an AEV 2" spacer is making a mistake.

Mojave dreams should max out at 37s on a 2 inch spacer lift, otherwise you should have gotten a rubicon. That being said, i've seen Mojaves on 40s, and all i can say is i guess certain people really like non-functional hood scoops more than lockers. Not for my money, but live and let live i guess.

 

[graywolf.overland]

If you are going to use all stock suspension components of Mojave and run 35s or 37s with aev spacer then it's just a matter of
- $500 Apex auto lynx sway bar disconnect
- $2000 front lockers installed (ARB or Eaton)

Then you'd get best of both worlds

 

[jac04]

...
Mojave needs a bit more clearance for the 2.5" shocks.
...

The Mojave comes with a different offset than the Rubicon. So, if you want to go with bigger tires, compared to a rubi, I would think you would need at least a 1/2” more clearance for those Fox shocks.

The Mojave does not need any extra clearance for the shocks. I can only assume that the different offset was to increase track width.

I run JL Rubicon wheels & tires on my Mojave in the winter, and there is still plenty of clearance to the shocks.

 

[Rahkmalla]

The Mojave does not need any extra clearance for the shocks. I can only assume that the different offset was to increase track width.

I run JL Rubicon wheels & tires on my Mojave in the winter, and there is still plenty of clearance to the shocks.

Good to have first hand reports. People always say the shocks need more clearance but i've never seen or heard definitive evidence either way.

 

[Gvsukids]

If you are going to use all stock suspension components of Mojave and run 35s or 37s with aev spacer then it's just a matter of
- $500 Apex auto lynx sway bar disconnect
- $2000 front lockers installed (ARB or Eaton)

Then you'd get best of both worlds

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...adding-lockers-and-swaybar-to-a-mojave.29421/

 

[Sandevino]

I hit 60mph on the beach and wash board fire roads, you can crawl at 5mph all you want, it’s not fun at all. going 60 in the woods is something a rubicon could never do and I’ll keep smiling as you go over a rock lol

Not sure which woods or beach you’re running 60mph on. A video of you hitting 60mph on the beach or in the woods is now has my interest.

 

[JarHeadLV]

I currently own a 21 Rubicon and I love it but am considering buying a new one when the interior refresh comes out. I really don’t want to buy the same exact truck so considering a Mojave but am not seeing the benefits over a Rubicon for the same price. I’m hoping someone can convince me. I see it as giving up the sway bar disconnect, front locker, steel rear bumper, rear bed rock rails and 1,000 lbs in towing for better shocks, steel steering knuckles, more bolsters in the seats / steering wheel, being able to drive faster in 4WD and 1” higher in the front. Just seems like not a fair trade off to me which is the conclusion I came to when buying my current truck but would like to try something new. I have also never seen a desert or a beach I could drive on in my life but I don’t go rock climbing either.

It ALL DEPENDS on what you want the truck for. Personally, I do like getting opinions from people as well. Here's mine- if you want to rock crawl - buy a Wrangler. If you wanna do some rock crawling, maybe the Rubicon Gladiator. If you want a medium sized truck for truck reasons, the coolness of the Gladiator AND being able to run offroad ALOT better than the Gladiator Rubicon, I'd buy a Mojave, as I have one. Drive offroad in the Rubicon and Mojave and its NIGHT and DAY better in the Mojave. The Mojave drives better on pavement also. Check out this youtube video from Terraflex on the difference offroad between the Rubicon vs the Mojave Gladiators offroad. - (1) JT Extended Travel Systems | TeraFlex - YouTube

people (like you mentioned) the "loss" of benefits you lose when buying a Mojave over the Rubicon, but what your forgetting is the Mojave was intended to do a different job - having upgrades like stronger frame, bigger, stronger parts like knuckles, suspension, etc... to do exactly what it was designed to do.

So, you really have the same Jeep Gladiator and 2 different models to choose what FITS YOU BETTER, now decide soon because the deals on these trucks are excellent! To me, I think it comes down to what do you NEED and what will you USE the truck for. I enjoy the Mojave upgrades every day I drive it!

 

[Sandevino]

It ALL DEPENDS on what you want the truck for. Personally, I do like getting opinions from people as well. Here's mine- if you want to rock crawl - buy a Wrangler. If you wanna do some rock crawling, maybe the Rubicon Gladiator. If you want a medium sized truck for truck reasons, the coolness of the Gladiator AND being able to run offroad ALOT better than the Gladiator Rubicon, I'd buy a Mojave, as I have one. Drive offroad in the Rubicon and Mojave and its NIGHT and DAY better in the Mojave. The Mojave drives better on pavement also. Check out this youtube video from Terraflex on the difference offroad between the Rubicon vs the Mojave Gladiators offroad. - (1) JT Extended Travel Systems | TeraFlex - YouTube

people (like you mentioned) the "loss" of benefits you lose when buying a Mojave over the Rubicon, but what your forgetting is the Mojave also have better things like stronger frame, bigger, stronger parts like knuckles, suspension, etc... to do exactly what it was designed to do.

So, you really have the same Jeep Gladiator and 2 different models to choose what FITS YOU BETTER, now decide soon because the deals on these trucks are excellent!

It's not a one-size-fits all truck and never will be.

However, the chippy back and forth makes for some interesting reading.

 

[Viper501]

I wanted a Mojave over the others for multiple reasons.

1) I do not intend to any rock crawling because I am not going to take my ‘new’ $60k truck and risk bashing in the sides unless there is an apocalypse and then I won’t really care. Therefore, the Rubi’s admirable crawl ratio is inconsequential to me for my use case.. 2) I like the frame reinforcement and *cast iron* knuckles from a durability perspective. 3) The interior has multiple subtle upgrades / changes from the standard such as the steering wheel thickness, door card changes, and the seat bolsters. 4) It rides / drives far more pleasantly than one would expect thanks to the suspension. 5) It was there. The dealer had one on the lot that turned into a great deal from a financial perspective. It had almost all of the upgrades / additions I was planning other than a set of 35’s. (I found a used set from a great member here and cured that issue).

I did consider the Rubi and may have gotten one if the Mojave hadn’t worked out so you aren’t going to go ‘wrong’.

One of the prior comments about “does not fit Mojave” is true but I’ve seen that mostly in add on exterior bits that deal with the hood / cowl area. The suspension is slightly different but also as noted the 2” AEV spacer lift and shock brackets did more than enough for me since the Mojave / Rubi are already slightly higher than the other models and have a different fender position. I also think insofar as you want to disconnect your sways the Autolinx seems to be a better system, though you don’t have the In-cab fancy push button disconnect.

Just my experience / thought process.

 

[JarHeadLV]

It's not a one-size-fits all truck and never will be.

However, the chippy back and forth makes for some interesting reading.

Mojave has 2 different trucks, you choose from what they offer to fit whatever your needs are.

I sort of disagree with your statement - Jeeps are like AR15's, you can do so many changes to them to fit practically whatever you want to do with them. I think you pick the one that best fits your needs and build from there.

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