Hey every one im new to the whole Jeep thing and looking to buy a cherokee here soon and every vehicle is different when climbing. so with a jeep what would be better for some good ol rock crawlin an automatic or manual. im going to go with a 6" lift on 33s and i live in NV less than an hr from the Rubicon trails and some other good trails near by so also will be lookin for some people to go with

 

I would have to guess a manual just because you don't have the torque converter that can slip (and under heavy load like rock crawling, burn up)
Also, if you manage to overheat a manual, you are doing something wrong, automatics are easy to overheat.

 

I vote auto.

You can rebuild torque converters, and make them much stronger.

If you have a manual you'll burn up your clutch just as fast as your torque converter, not to mention the chance of constantly stalling the truck.

Autos are a bit smoother for those reasons, so for rock crawling I feel they are better.

Mud, though, a bit different. You can't do neutral drops very often in autos like you can with manuals without exploding your trans.

 

i have a manual tj and auto xj. the xj is nicer in the rocks and climbing for sure. but the tj is nicer when going down steep hills.

 

ya i thought auto would be smoother for crawling its just said that auto takes away a lot of HP and torq from an engine so wasnt sure and i have a s10 with a 6" lift and is manual and that was an issue burning the clutch and stalling to much

 

if your going to be doing a lot of rock crawling i would suggest 4.5" on 33's. Lower center of gravity is the cool thing nowadays

 

really a 4.5 how well does it tuck when its flexed out over some rugged trails pry wont be much difference being 2" and is cheaper

 

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For rock crawling lower is better, 45% side hills suck in a tall narrow rig. I'm planning on 35s on 3 or 4 inches of lift.

The auto is the best for rock crawling, the torque converter doesn't take away torque it multiplies torque, it is like a 2 to 1 advantage. For crawl ratios an auto needs to be about 40 to 1 or better, a manual needs to be at least 50 to 1 and should be 75 to 1 or better for serious rock crawling.

 

some good infor to know thanks ill have to look into some 4.5 lifts and keep an eye out for an auto when i buy an XJ

 

im no expert mechanic or anything so im not goin to get into that but in our group we have 5 xjs, 2 manuals and 3 autos. in my observation the autos slip on rocks and when climbing alot more than the manuals do... just what i have seen

 

x2

I was looking at Rubicon RE6200 on 33" but now i might have to consider a 4.5" instead.

forgive me for the hijack.

 

low is the new high

 

It is all preference, the end result is the same (vehicle moves) but do/can you handle being stopped on an obstacle in a manual and going without rolling out of your line?

torque converter/clutch. both can go bad. but a clutch is a wearing part, a torque converter is not.

auto's stop and go with less driver effort, however if you start to go nose high or are in a position to where you need to be in neutral in order not to roll a manual is better(faster). it really depends on YOU.

but i think auto's are better for me. i like the ease. Ive wheeled both. love both. but i feel like a manual is more work, and i do more then enough of that already.... just my thoughts.

 

I have a few buddies that swear by there manual's, If you gear them low enough, you NEVER touch the clutch. If you do a 5spd with an Atlas t-case, you would be good to go.

I personally love my Automatic though, it's so much easier to control.

 

ya it seems it would be user preference and i think i would feel the same way its more work trying to keep control of a manual and alot easier and smoother for an auto and lets you concentrate on the terrain and not have to worry about stalling in a critical moment cuz when it come down to it you really need to control your braking and throttle. yet i do agree if you are geared low enough in a manual its not much of a problem cuz i remember in my toyota it was geared low dual t case and at an idle it would climb and didnt have to use the clutch but hey thats a toy....

so not to get to off topic with this tread if i went with a 4.5 lift as suggested with 33's and auto whats a good gear ratio just keep it the way it is or switch it out. and in thought i will pry be driving no more than 65 70 mph hwy