Comanche bed lengths and transmissions

[Dammerung]

Just a general question for the forum-goers. Which do you prefer on a Comanche; long or short beds? Stick or autos? 4x4 or 2wd?

 

I’m still looking for one myself and just want to see some opinions on some choices.

 

 

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[Ωhm]

Short bed, w/stick, w/4x4.

[Pete M]

what you will want depends entirely on what you plan to do with it.   

[Dzimm]

I've got 2 short beds, a 97+ swap 4x4 auto and a 92 2wd 5-speed.  

 

I like the size of the short bed and proportionally looks better, the long beds just don't look right to me.  That being said, long beds would be nice for hauling.  I have hauled some 10' fence posts with my trucks and it worked fine but the long bed would have been better for that.  All other objects seem to fit well, I have more issue with width than length.  Everything tends to be about 1" wider than the space between the wheel wells.

 

As to trans, I love both the auto and stick.  The auto is nice because I can just drive and not worry about it, especially off-road.  The stick is nice to have some fun, especially since I'm building a street (race) truck.  For lots of hauling you'd want an auto but it's really your preference.

 

Idk how anybody can live without a 4x4 vehicle, let alone without a 4x4 truck.  I use it for nearly all of my hauling, especially yard waste and garbage the city won't take out to the farm to burn, getting firewood or dirt, ECT.  All of which requires me driving offroad out there into areas I wouldn't even try to take a 2wd.   

 

The 2wd is nice for daily driving, especially with the 5-speed, because I average 20-21mpg all highway driving.  My 4x4 auto gets about 17mpg.

 

It all ultimately comes down to your preference and what you will use it for.  Just list out your wants and needs in the truck and that should help you decide what to get.  Either way you'll be happy and probably want another one. 

[Jeep Driver]

33 minutes ago, Ωhm said:

Short bed, w/stick, w/4x4.

For sure, what else is there? 

[amsuco]

20 hours ago, Dzimm said:

Either way you'll be happy and probably want another one. 

 

Truth.

[gogmorgo]

I prefer the long bed. The extra foot is noticeable, especially if you're trying to sleep back there. I also like the proportions better. But I get that it doesn't turn as tight a circle, and it's got more rear overhang, which makes it a little less offroadable than a shortbed. 

I also get the appeal of the automatic. In normal driving situations, sometimes it's obnoxious having to use the clutch, especially in stop and go traffic. But whenever I'm doing something that isn't a monotonous commute around the city, it never behaves how I'd like it. The AW4 is better than some, but it still won't let me roll out of a stop sign into a gap in traffic without hitting second gear during the roll, and then having to pause to downshift when I mat the throttle. Or a steep road with tight switchbacks, it'll upshift as soon as I hit the switchback, then pause to downshift, sometimes twice, to keep going up, killing my momentum and forcing the engine to work harder to regain it. Or if you're climbing a slippery hill, and you're able to push just a little more throttle into it, but it decides that means you want to accelerate and kicks down a gear, and you spin out and loose your speed. It's also great to have a manual for bumping along slow trails, because it doesn't have an unlocked torque converter pulling away power every single tiny rock you need to roll over, so you're not in and out of the throttle as often. I get why people want an automatic, but every time I get back into one, I hate it. 

[buxmj]

I like the long bed because that is what I have, bought it to haul equipment so the long bed works better for me. I prefer the 5 speed even when it was my daily driver, it is not driven as much so I don't get as frustrated sitting in traffic.  

 

Buck.

[Eagle]

On 8/10/2019 at 8:32 PM, Ωhm said:

Short bed, w/stick, w/4x4.

 

Another vote for the above configuration.

[JMO413]

On 8/10/2019 at 7:32 PM, Ωhm said:

Short bed, w/stick, w/4x4.

Agreed

[omega_rugal]

Short bed / manual / 2WD

 

Short bed: i like how it looks, i replaced the rear gate with a wooden one that can be used to extend the cab IF i ever have to carry something that large, i made it like that to compensate for the space the lpg tank takes, also because the original was bent, ugly and heavy...

 

Manual: because manual is better but i won´t mind a aw4 for city driving

 

2WD: i like it´s simplicity and toughness, 4WD is not a must where i live but i will do the swap if i have the chance

[BeaterComanche86]

Vote for longbed/5 speed/4wd

 

I use the truck to haul whatever yard debris I have, I like being able to choose  my shift points, and it’s snows we’re i live occasionally.

[89 MJ]

On 8/10/2019 at 7:32 PM, Ωhm said:

Short bed, w/stick, w/4x4.

Yep

[thecodemonk]

Long bed - I like to haul stuff and I like the extra room and capacity.  I believe it's a little longer out the back and it does have a longer wheelbase, which means departure angle and breakover angle suffers, but I think it's worth it for what I like to do with the truck.  

 

Auto - I love driving a stick in town, where I'm really working through the gears and getting to choose what gear for what situation...but for offroading, the automatic works great and is one less thing to manage while crawling on obstacles.  

 

4x4 - Both for trails and for winter in the northwest...it's just nicer to have the availability, even if 90% of the time I'm not using it.

[Wallace Krempa]

In the end it all depends on what you are doing with it. But i do prefer the short bed 5-spd, 4x4. The minute you put a lift on it your traction is heavily lost, especially with the standard shift. one of my friends has a long bed auto, and doesn't have any traction issues, even with the same lift as me. Even as a mostly pavement driver, in the rain trying to go up a hill I find myself putting my 'Manche in 4x4, just so that i don't sit there and spin my tires not going anywhere. As read above i do find the tire indentation a pain in the behind, but you learn how to deal with it the more you haul. Another item that I "invested"(it was free on the side of the road) in was a box for the bed, the minute i picked it up, i knew there was a problem, the bed on the 'manche is narrower than a normal pickup, i had to cut off about 7" of material and re-weld it. But once i did that its been amazing, I use it for everything. Especially, because i took out the bench and put in two 5 point ready captains chairs. Hopefully this helped.

[gogmorgo]

If you're having traction problems on just wet pavement you probably should get some new tires...

1 hour ago, Wallace Krempa said:

In the end it all depends on what you are doing with it. But i do prefer the short bed 5-spd, 4x4. The minute you put a lift on it your traction is heavily lost, especially with the standard shift. one of my friends has a long bed auto, and doesn't have any traction issues, even with the same lift as me. Even as a mostly pavement driver, in the rain trying to go up a hill I find myself putting my 'Manche in 4x4, just so that i don't sit there and spin my tires not going anywhere.

My 2wd five-speed does not have that problem, and I live in a place that looks like this half the year:

Honestly I prefer the five-speed in this sort of weather. Climbing hills it's not likely to downshift when I don't want it to, which I find is more likely to cause me to lose traction than when I'm shifting on my own. An automatic won't downshift unless it's under power, which is what causes you to spin out. A manual trans on the other hand you can match road and engine speed and slip into the next gear down without needing to be on the throttle, and you control the reengagement of the clutch... if you even used it. 

[Eagle]

On 8/10/2019 at 8:32 PM, Ωhm said:

Short bed, w/stick, w/4x4.

 

Yeah, what he said.