Automatic Or Manual

[88whitemanche]

What's up guys

 

I know this may be off topic because I am asking about an xj

 

I got a buddy trying to buy a first jeep which he is set on an xj....but comptemplating on wether to get an automatic or manual....he wants an manual.

But he wants to know what are the benefits between an automatic and manual?

For a dd/ trail rig

 

Thanks

[mnkyboy]

Its mostly preference. I prefer a manual

[relyt120]

All I know is if you rig up some cup holders not having to shift gears really makes an automatic a real contender, sip sip drive all day -Everyday.  :yes:

[GirsMJ86]

As mnkyboy said, it's mostly preference and I prefer an automatic. I like the "not having to worry about it" feature. Right now I have a 5spd and I can't wait to yank that puppy out when I do my drive train swap.

Nothing anyone here says can really decide which he wants. Does he want to have complete control over when his vehicle shifts or does he prefer to "just push play" as I like to say? Either way so long as he picks his year right, the ax15 manual and aw4 auto are just as bulletproof as the 4.0l driving it.

To me the better question is which 4wd system does he want, now there is something not at such extreme differences that asking opinions on could actually help a decision get reached. I like full-time selec-trac.

[87Warrior]

I like them both and regularly drive both.

 

However, when wheeling the Rockies the 5 speed wins hands down. Better engine brake control and more efficient since you can lug around in 3rd with the 5 speed vs running around 2k rpm in 1st with the auto.

[Eagle]

Strictly preference. I have always preferred manual transmission. However, after trying some of the higher rated trails at Paragon (like the boulder field), I have reluctantly had to acknowledge that automatic is far better for serious rock crawling.

[onlyinajeep726]

Yep, it all depends on what you want to do.  The only thing I can say about the manual is that it yields slightly better gas mileage over the automatic.  The automatic also sucks down more power from the engine since it's needed in part to shift the transmission automatically.  But, it's strictly preferential.  My trail rig XJ is an auto, and my MJ (which will be my street rig) is a 5-speed.

[Oddmodman]

Manual transmissions are physically smaller, no belly pan to worry about, no external cooling, flushing fluid doesn't potentially kill it, cheaper and easier to rebuild and they almost always go much further than an auto till a rebuild, full control of the vehicle, simply more fun, clutches are easy and fairly cheap to replace, depending on how you drive you can potentially get a few mpgs better than an auto, you can do a couple of exclusive mods that autos can't, like doubling transmissions, you can use a gear's full range as opposed to an auto simply shifting down for more power. Hands down Manual transmission, no question, no deviation. As for auto's having a "not having to worry about it" feature, to me it's exactly opposite. Just the fact that it is an auto makes me worry about it. Did I mention manual transmissions are simply more cool than an auto vehicle? Just the fact that I drive a standard and can say so is a reason for standard over auto.

[Oddmodman]

You don't have to do any dumb calculations and mods for torque lockup or whatever; a standard transfers direct power.

[Oddmodman]

I know that driving a standard has quite literally saved my life about 4 times. Coming down a mountain in the winter once my brakes gave out and the way I survived was dropping a couple gears and slowly letting the clutch out. Some auto supporters would say that they can drop a couple gears in an auto too. True, but you only have 3 options usually, and 1 of them is too high to be an option, plus you don't have the clutch for additional control. Two times in the same winter it had rained and frozen and my rear end started swinging forward and I saved myself by dropping a gear with a bit of clutch play and I straightened right out. Can't do that with an auto, at least not to the extend I can. Alright, I'm done.

[ParadiseMJ]

I swapped in an AW4 for a BA-10.  In retrospect I shoulda don an AX-15 (with an EXTERNAL slave).

 

More power, easier to gear down on a steep slope, less problems

[onlyinajeep726]

You went to a BA-10?  Ouch lol.

[rmoore1031]

I like automatic. But I haven't figured out stick so I'm kinda biased. The AW4 is a great transmission. AX5 and AX15 are highly regarded manuals. The others, not so much. 

[ParadiseMJ]

You went to a BA-10?  Ouch lol.

No, I HAD a BA-10...I put in an AW4....but all the swapping of wiring...88 to 94 has been a little problematic.  Brackets, cables etc. It would have been a lot easier just finding an AX-15 and done it properly.  If I ever get another MJ (or XJ) with the same configuration that's exactly what I'll do.

[Geonovast]

I'm driving an auto right now, and I freaking hate it.  If I cannot find a 5 speed MJ soon, I'm going to make the XJ a 5 speed, one way or another.

[onlyinajeep726]

 

You went to a BA-10?  Ouch lol.

No, I HAD a BA-10...I put in an AW4....but all the swapping of wiring...88 to 94 has been a little problematic.  Brackets, cables etc. It would have been a lot easier just finding an AX-15 and done it properly.  If I ever get another MJ (or XJ) with the same configuration that's exactly what I'll do.

 

So... I misread your previous post... :doh:

 

But I could imagine the wiring could get a little hairy, especially since you are using a later model AW4 and TCM.

[Stacks]

My personal preference for a DD/Trail rig is a stick shift.  When it comes to rock crawling, especially a climbing route, a well built automatic is the way to go I think.  The pluses to me for a stick are: better fuel mileage, excellent compression braking, better feel of the road surface under slippery conditions ( muddy terrain and ice and snow) and decidedly longer brake life.  I typically get 100,000 miles out of a clutch and 120,000 plus out of  brake pads and shoes on both my TJ and MJ..  On my old D50 diesel 4x4's I got over 200,000 miles on the clutch and around 175,000 out of the brake pads up from and a little more than that out of the rear shoes.  With a stick you have a choice of gears and a huge compression pump under the hood... makes for a great source to slow down with!!  I may be a grandpa's age but I've never driven like one!  Well except way back when and I had Mom or Pop with me.  :P

[COFFMAN]

D for DRIVE all the way :thumbsup:

[Bounty Hunter]

I love my manual for tight trails, being able to clutch and roll back for tight 2 and 3+point turns is far easier than brake, shift, brake, shift, brake, shift, of an auto.

 

Auto's are much more prone to water contamination, and go against the KISS method of keeping things simple.

[Oddmodman]

Geonovast has the right idea!

[johnj92131]

What does the transmission have to do with recovering from a skid when the rear end breaks loose???

 

When I learned to drive a long time ago, I was told to turn my wheels in the same direction my rear end was moving.  It worked with my 53 Studebaker with automatic.  It worked for the 15 years I had my 69 Corvair with a 4 spd both on the slalom track and on the road.  It worked with my Mustagn GT.  It worked a couple of years ago in Wyoming when I hit black ice in a rental car.  The transmission had nothing to do with recovering from a slide!

 

I know that driving a standard has quite literally saved my life about 4 times....<snip... Two times in the same winter it had rained and frozen and my rear end started swinging forward and I saved myself by dropping a gear with a bit of clutch play and I straightened right out. Can't do that with an auto, at least not to the extend I can. Alright, I'm done.

[Geonovast]

What does the transmission have to do with recovering from a skid when the rear end breaks loose???

 

Clutch pedal in = instant removal of power to the wheels.  Getting that pedal in is much easier to react with, and much, much quicker than putting an auto into neutral.  Remember, even with your foot off the gas in an auto, there's still a tiny amount of push, not a lot, but it's there.

 

Now, if there was a pedal to kill power to the rear while still giving a little to the front, that would be nice.

[64 Cheyenne]

Clutch = 50% probability that you won't have to let your GF or whatever drive

or probability that you WILL have to teach her to drive a stick :wall:

[dakal]

i like the idea of going 10 mph in 4th gear on ice. can't do that with an auto.

[HOrnbrod]

The best advantage of a stick shift to me is that there is a whole lot less drivetrain power loss than that of an automatic transmission. Especially the AW4 auto that typically has a 30% or more drivetrain loss. A 5-speed stick has about 1/2 that. That's the biggest reason a stick shift normally gets better gas mileage that the auto.

What I've been wanting to do for a long time is adapt a more efficient 5 or 6 speed auto into my MJ like the one we had on our Malibu SS. It had the GM 4T65-E five-speed automatic with Tap-Up/Tap-Down shifting and you had the best of both worlds.