I bought a 99 4door 4.0 ax-15 np231 with 117k miles. it has a very clunky rear end. i have been told my my shop guy that i have a loose pinion gear(i can tell because there is a large clunk from the back end when i hit a gear hard)

But anyways.... I am wondering if the ax-15 is supposed to feel very clunky switching between 1st,2nd, and 3rd gear. I have driven an 89 Toyota pickup truck and an Mazda rx-8 with manual transmissions. and my jeep feels a lot more clunky. i am thinking that it is the syncros. what do you all think?

And how much does it normally coast to get a transmission shop to fix this? thanks!!

 

its not syncros

could be clutch splines worn, or engine thrust bearings. Sounds to me like the way you are operating the clutch and how you are timing the shift, slow and not enough gas/releasing too early (I catch myself doing this early in the mornings sometimes.)

I would say the shop may be right, only way to check is for the shop to check the gear lash in the rear end.

Ax-15 is easy to take apart, if you have the right tools.

my 2 cents

 

I had a 97 tj ax15 transmission went out I pulled the tranny and took it to the shop It cost me $1000.00 dollars. If I were you I would drain the tranny fluid and put some redline mtl gear oil in it. www.myoilshop.com my trans was clunky and hard to shift before it finnally broke. If you use regular 80w90 gear oil it has sulphur in it and it attacks the bronze syncros in these trannys and destorys them.

 

i know how to drive a manual. ive been driving it for a while and have been trying to get it right but every once and a while it will have a hard time getting into the first three gears. thanks guys. ill look into trying to take it apart some time.

 

Ok in that case the first 3 gears. could be the blocker rings are worn, not necessarily the syncros themselves, when you do take it apart, inspect the "Dog teeth" of the syncro rings, and the sleeve itself for any rounding of the teeth. Excessive clearenece between the speed gear cone and blocker ring will cause hard shifting. This would not explain the clunking in the rear end when making a shift. Check the u-joints, and the output shaft splines where the drives haft mates too as well. Also sources of "clunking"

 

Mine was a bad slave. It was real clunky and hard in the first couple gears but it was super smooth after I changed the slave. Dont worry its external on a 99.

 

The syncos will wear before the dog teeth

x2 on slave or master issue. Check your fluid levels. At a 117K miles it shouldnt be the trans