Wrangler JL Unlimited Rubicon vs Power Wagon Ride Quality

[cbrenthus]

Has anyone owned both a JL Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon and a current gen Power Wagon, and if so, how was the ride quality between both? The suspension on my Rubicon is very stiff and annoying on western PA roads with all of the bumps, and I'm wondering how the Power Wagon's soft (for an HD pickup) suspension compares. FRom reading as much as I can, I've heard the PW has more of a 1500 feel, and if that compares to my '15 Silverado suspension, that would be a great comparison.

I have to admit, I've already ordered my PW and will really just have to test drive it when it comes in and see how I think it feels, but I'm just curious to see what others thought?

Also, how does the steering compare? My JLUR had terrible steering, but I just had the steering box and dampener replaced and it drives much better, and will get even better once I install my new LCAs and get a bit more caster.

 

[jkbrereton]

I cant see where there could be any comparison; the Power Wagon has over a ton of weight over the JL. I know when I went up from. Ram 1500 to a PW, the PW had a MUCH heavier feel maneuvering. I imagine the JL would be the same X 10

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[@JC]

I have a Rubicon 392 on order for my wife, I'll let you know when it comes in...

 

[jwindstein]

I traded in my 2019 JLUR with the mopar lift and 37s for my 21 PW. I too live in South western PA and the PW (with 35 toyo mt's) in my opinion is a much more comfortable ride in almost every way. The increase in wheelbase doesn't give you that feeling of the back wanting to catch the front in turns or in the winter. The PW takes the bigger bumps much better, you don't get that harsh impact like the Rubicon. Steering is so much more solid and stable at speed than the Rubicon. I had synergy LCA's and Fox ATS stabilizer on the Rubi and she still wandered like a small child at the Zoo. I had the unfortunate event of the pitman arm nut falling off the jeep after the dealer did the steering box swap. Luckily I felt the steering dead spot and pulled over when i lost steering completely. Took me a few hours to get the wheel clocked right so the roll over mitigation warning would stop blinking. Its so nice driving the wagon vs the jeep. I've had just about every jeep made and this is my second power wagon (other was a 2012) and this generation PW is just hands down better as a daily driver than the Rubicon for me. If only I could take the doors off the power wagon! Hope this helps your cause!

One note that I will say is adjust your tire pressures right off the lot if your keep your stock duratracs. I ran 50/45 with the duratracs and 45/40 on the toyos. Much better ride, the stock 65 psi pressure makes it feel bouncy at times.

 

[Greenhills]

It should feel alot better.... that you're driving a mans vehicle and not a womans summer cruiser.

 

[Crusty old shellback]

Stock air pressure on the door label is for a fully loaded truck at max weight.
I'm running BFG 35s at 45/37 hot and she rides great.

 

[cbrenthus]

I traded in my 2019 JLUR with the mopar lift and 37s for my 21 PW. I too live in South western PA and the PW (with 35 toyo mt's) in my opinion is a much more comfortable ride in almost every way. The increase in wheelbase doesn't give you that feeling of the back wanting to catch the front in turns or in the winter. The PW takes the bigger bumps much better, you don't get that harsh impact like the Rubicon. Steering is so much more solid and stable at speed than the Rubicon. I had synergy LCA's and Fox ATS stabilizer on the Rubi and she still wandered like a small child at the Zoo. I had the unfortunate event of the pitman arm nut falling off the jeep after the dealer did the steering box swap. Luckily I felt the steering dead spot and pulled over when i lost steering completely. Took me a few hours to get the wheel clocked right so the roll over mitigation warning would stop blinking. Its so nice driving the wagon vs the jeep. I've had just about every jeep made and this is my second power wagon (other was a 2012) and this generation PW is just hands down better as a daily driver than the Rubicon for me. If only I could take the doors off the power wagon! Hope this helps your cause!

One note that I will say is adjust your tire pressures right off the lot if your keep your stock duratracs. I ran 50/45 with the duratracs and 45/40 on the toyos. Much better ride, the stock 65 psi pressure makes it feel bouncy at times.

Thank you, this is EXACTLY the kind of feedback I'm looking for. I'll miss the removable top and doors on the jeep, but it's technically illegal to remove the doors in PA, and I rarely remove the top because I'm so busy. Also, when I bought the jeep, it was supposed to be my only cage so I wanted something that could do everything (4x4 convertible) and traded my '98 trans am in on it. However, I really missed the T/A and bought an '02, so I have a cage with t=tops for that open feel in the summer and don't really need a Jeep anymore. And the storage in the PW with ramboxes is very tempting - knowing I can keep all of my straps, hitches, etc in the Ram box and out of the garage is huge. Oh well, we'll see when it comes in!

 

[Firebird]

I've owned 2 JKU's, and a Power Wagon has an excellent ride

 

[Crusty old shellback]

And the storage in the PW with ramboxes is very tempting - knowing I can keep all of my straps, hitches, etc in the Ram box and out of the garage is huge. Oh well, we'll see when it comes in!

I did the back seat mod on mine and now keep my straps behind the back seat. Some of the shackles and controller are kept in the floor bins. There is also a storage area under the back drivers side seat, but I use that for my remote head VHF race radio and speaker.

 

[DooganDazs]

My wife and I recently upgraded our vehicles to both a 2022 JLU Rubicon and a 2022 PowerWagon. Like the post from jkbrereton said, they are much different. The steering is much tighter on the Wrangler than the Ram. We do prefer the Ram for longer trips, it's much more comfortable. When it's really windy outside, it's very noticeable on the Jeep, but the PW doesn't care because of the higher weight. The Jeep is much more fun to drive around town, the 2.0 Turbo feels really spunky with the lower weight. You can feel that the PW ripples with power, but it's not going to win any dragraces. The suspension on both of them are very good, most bumps and potholes are insignificant. Good luck to you!

 

[jetrinka]

For a 7500 pound truck, with proper air pressure, I think my PW rides freaking amazing. Not jarring at all. Air down more offroad and the smiles continue

 

[cbrenthus]

My wife and I recently upgraded our vehicles to both a 2022 JLU Rubicon and a 2022 PowerWagon. Like the post from jkbrereton said, they are much different. The steering is much tighter on the Wrangler than the Ram. We do prefer the Ram for longer trips, it's much more comfortable. When it's really windy outside, it's very noticeable on the Jeep, but the PW doesn't care because of the higher weight. The Jeep is much more fun to drive around town, the 2.0 Turbo feels really spunky with the lower weight. You can feel that the PW ripples with power, but it's not going to win any dragraces. The suspension on both of them are very good, most bumps and potholes are insignificant. Good luck to you!

Do you have adaptive steering on the Ram? I like tight steering, which is a major reason I started looking at new vehicles - the steering on my Wrangler was loose and sloppy, but after the new steering box and damper it is tight and great!

 

[DooganDazs]

Do you have adaptive steering on the Ram? I like tight steering, which is a major reason I started looking at new vehicles - the steering on my Wrangler was loose and sloppy, but after the new steering box and damper it is tight and great!

I do have adaptive steering on the Ram, which I like. I wouldn't say that the RAM's steering is loose, I think it drives exactly like a 7000 pound truck should. They are apples and oranges to drive though, I'd recommend test driving both to decide.

 

[thkbaron]

Oddly enough my 22 feels like a tank compared to my 18 pw. Can’t explain why.

 

[cbrenthus]

I do have adaptive steering on the Ram, which I like. I wouldn't say that the RAM's steering is loose, I think it drives exactly like a 7000 pound truck should. They are apples and oranges to drive though, I'd recommend test driving both to decide.

I already have the Rubicon so I know very well how it drives, and I plan on giving the Ram a thorough test drive when it comes in before signing papers. I did drive a '20 2500 non PW, and I liked it, but we'll see. I also have a Bronco on order, but I'm liking the functionality and interior space of the Ram.

 

[jetrinka]

I already have the Rubicon so I know very well how it drives, and I plan on giving the Ram a thorough test drive when it comes in before signing papers. I did drive a '20 2500 non PW, and I liked it, but we'll see. I also have a Bronco on order, but I'm liking the functionality and interior space of the Ram.

Functionality is what the PW is all about. Are there vehicles that do individual things the PW does better? Sure. Is there another vehicle that can do as many things as the PW and do them as well? Not likely.

IMO it’s the ultimate utilitarian vehicle.

 

[Chris85xlt]

i feel the PW handles and rides much better over my 2009 JKUR on 37's on and off the road. The PW rides firm but smooths the bumps really well and stable at speeds.
The PW seems better then my brothers 2019 JLUR too esepcially on road. The JL felt sloppy and more jarring on road even after getting the recalled steering box changed and installing all of Synergys steering stuff. Both jeeps running Fox shocks

I have both the JLUR and JKUR my garage but I find myself enjoying the PW way more. Neither Jeeps has moved since December

 

[cbrenthus]

Thanks again for the replies, this is all very helpful!

 

[RIDEaCANYON]

We have a 2018 JKU with 2.5" TF coil lift, Fox 2.0's, adjustable front and rear track bars, extended front LCA's/rear UCA's and running 33's on it and kept everything "mild" lift wise but tried to do it right so we could take it from our place in Pittsburgh to OBX instead of taking my heavy previous truck (2015 Ram 2500 Big Horn with full Thuren suspension and Fox 2.0s) to the beach anymore. JKU does great on the beach obviously with onboard ARB air and canopy quickly deployed from roofrack but my word does that 10 hr drive suck in a JKU. I didnt notice it last year compared to the old truck, but now with my new 22 PW even my wife says it's the best riding vehicle we've had, and she has a Grand Cherokee Summit! It got even better when I put the 35's on the PW, seriously the thing rides amazing. So quiet (even with sunroof), perfect tight steering, new 8-speed transmission is smooth and a huge upgrade over old 6-speed, and just a joy to drive on highway. I hate putting a heavy truck on the sand but it will be what goes to OBX next year.

I now have an awkward relationship with my JKU as I love the thing, just hate driving it further than around "tahn" here or at most up to our camp in Elk county taking the back roads all the way as driving a "brick" on the highway is less than fun anymore, underpowered feeling, wind blows you everywhere, and just small inside. Just like Brad from Trail Recon outlines, the Jeep is good for trails and going anywhere, but the PW is definitely a whole different level of comfort and ride quality for longer trips.

 

[UglyViking]

I bought a 2018 JLU Sahara for my wife, and have a 2019 Ram 2500 CCSB with Cummins and Full Thuren suspension, King shocks, and 37" Falkens.

My understanding is that the Thuren springs are as soft, if not softer, then the factory PW springs. So it's probably similar but not an exact 1:1.

Anyway. I like both, and find neither "harsh" to drive. The jeep is far more nimble, but it's a double edged sword. The jeep is way more fun to drive around town because it's smaller, accelerates faster, easier to fit into parking spaces, and I find the steering much more responsive. That said, the Ram is way more comfortable to drive, tracks straighter (requiring less steering input, and thus less driver fatigue) and is more planted due to the longer wheelbase.

The correct tire pressure is probably going to be the single best thing you can do to make the ride more comfortable. Beyond that, I find the two similar but different, as noted above.

That said, if you're looking for "comfort" then I think any solid axle vehicle isn't going to be your jam, nor any body on frame vehicle really.