2020 Jeep Gladiator Mojave Suspension Flex Test | AutoBlog

Published 5/7/2020 on AutoBlog by Dan Edmunds

What’s lost and gained with Mojave vs Rubicon? Dan Edmunds and his RTI ramp explains.

I’ve been eager to get my hands on a new 2020 Jeep Gladiator Mojave ever since it was first announced. The specs are right up my alley: A 1-inch front lift to level the truck and give it more front compression travel, softer rear springs to allow the rear to be better synchronized with the front and more freely conform to terrain, beefier 2.5-inch Fox remote reservoir internal bypass shocks tuned to handle the inevitable pounding that comes with tackling desert terrain at speed, and hydraulic front bump stops to take the edge off the hardest hits.

But the trade-off for these high-dollar suspension bits is the elimination of some Gladiator Rubicon features. The Mojave only has a rear locker, and its low-range transfer case ratio is 2.72-to-1 instead of 4-to-1. I don’t think I’d miss either of those. I’m frankly more concerned about the absent steel rub rails behind the rear tire that protect the rear corner of the Gladiator’s bed because the desert has ditches, too. The last big missing piece is the electronically disconnectable front stabilizer bar. The Mojave’s is always connected.