whats the worst thing that can go wrong with a clutch on a trail and how can I prevent it?
are there any upgrades I can do to make a clutch last longer? or do I just have to replace it when the time comes

 

could burn it up by slipping it due to large tires and stock gear ratio. always trying to jocky the pedal to crawl or approach obsticles will wear it down. i would suggest at least 456gearss w 35 in tires. thats what i run and it seems ok it could honestly be a lil lower for offroad. but on road with those it is okay and has decent hp still

 

i also melted the slave to master line . not much to protect there just make sure it is secured away from exhaust or can start a fire out there and that is never good . but i love the 5 speed over the auto. cuts the heat down inside the jeep too. sounds crazy but the auto tranny creates a good amount of heat when wheeling and not much air movement just lets that extra heat come straight up thru the floor.

 

I'll be doing 4:10's on 33's. should have almost the same wear and tear on the clutch as your setup right?

 

yeah thats whats goin on in my picture with my xj on fire.
I will never own an auto cherokee. 5 speed just feels right
alright well if theres nothing I can do I'll just wheel responsibly. thanks

 

can get a highr performance clutch

 

Just get a high performance clutch, they are easy to find on google. Expect to pay about 400 for one tho

 

high performance clutch when the stock one drops. sounds good

 

Autos are boring but very handy to have on a trail no clutch to deal with but i do prefer a manual over auto but a nice built aw4 even stock can take alot abuse

 

I agree. 2 feet and 2 pedals beats 2 feet and 3 pedals.

Besides, I drive a big truck 5 days a week so I get enough of shifting.

 

stock clutch is fine with 3.07 gears and 33's for wheeling. wifes been doing it for years. the stock clutch had almost 300,000km when the release bearing went. so even tho the clutch was still ok, but worn, i swapped in a centerforce in both my tj's. my other one has 3.73 gears and 33's tho.

just don't engage the clutch when in deep water, your clutch will explode.
you need to do the bypass on the clutch safety switch. so you can start the jeep in gear.
sometimes it's just a fuse, others you have to pull the harness and clip it to a void pin under the dash.

 

A worn clutch disk and pressure plate Will put added stress on your transmissions Syncronizers, which can shorten their life and make for Hard shifting, and eventually popping out of gear.

 

Ive been told so many different things about gearing
but for my setup I got a lot of advice saying 4.10's with the 33's
to keep power and some fuel economy

but more interestingly, I didnt know you couldnt drive stick through water
can I just get it in second then trudge through at a steady speed and NOT stop or shift?
or will I have to winch it through water on the rubicon trail? or any water

 

damn 4.56.... really? What sort of revs are you spinning on the hwy; or this a dedicated trail truck? Technically a 4.56 would spin a 40" tire at a stock ratio

That's what you have your heal and toe for. Come on, it's not that hard.

Elaborate further on this please...

I think that's probably a good call but it will most definitely be lower than stock. A 3.73 is almost a perfect change for 33's

3.07 x 33" = 101.31
101.31/27" = ~3.75

3.55 from an auto truck work well with 31/32's in a 5 speed truck.

3.07 X 31" = 95.71
95.71/27" = ~3.53


I wheel 3.07's on 32's currently and my only grip is highway driving. I don't typically use 5th unless its down hill. I also don't often use 4wd high unless its fairly smooth; I guess that's bit too fast.

 

yeah but who doesnt want a little extra power with the 4:10
as long as I'm still getting about 15mpg when I baby it