6 Speed Manual Regrets?

[NachoRuby]

Had some questions for you fellow manual owners. I have noticed three things that I thought were odd at 4k miles on mine...
1. If I am on flat ground, i dont need to give any gas in first gear to take off if i take the clutch out very slow.
2. Any incline or I need to take off like i would in other manual vehicles (not fast but normally), I need to get up to about 1300-1700 rpm before releasing the clutch. 1k under these conditions is close to stalling out/i feep like im riding the clutch. My dad is a truck driver and car tester but didnt think that was odd.
3. Reverse gear feels way too fast

I owned a manual frontier before this, and I thought that the three above items were odd. Ive had zero codes, and i have the updated controlcode. I love it otherwise and dont regret it at all.

Sounds like you're just learning your new stick shift vehicle. Every one of them is different. Most every manual vehicle I've ever driven will do number 1, in my experience. That's completely normal. It's a jeep with a short first gear, and it's meant to easily do a slow crawl offroad, so #1 might be more pronounced than other vehicles though. Even moreso if you have the 4.1 final drive. But as far as I know, every manual will take off if you slowly reach the engagement point of the clutch.

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[Hamandcamo]

1. Much of that is to do with the very short first gear.

2. I don't experience that so much. What size tires and axle ratio are you running? Remember, too, mine is a JLUR and is a bit lighter than a similarly equipped JTR.

3. Yep, it is really too tall, IMO. I'd love for it to be quite a bit shorter. I'm getting ready to re-gear to 4.56 (35" tires) and I am sure even then I'll feel reverse is too tall.

One more thing....You really own a Pinto? If so, that's pretty cool! I haven't seen one in years!

33" Mud terrains with 3.73's. Edit: I made this account quick to ask a question on the forums, so I just put a vehicle in. I drove my dad's while growing up, which is rare that one lasted until the late 2000's lol.

 

[DanW]

33" Mud terrains with 3.73's. Edit: I made this account quick to ask a question on the forums, so I just put a vehicle in. I drove my dad's while growing up, which is rare that one lasted until the late 2000's lol.

Ok, that winds up with a bit taller gearing, but not terribly taller. It probably performs about like my JL with 35's and 4.10 gearing. But again, it is a heavier vehicle than the JL. I can see more slipping to get going but the 1st gear is still pretty short. I think @NachoRuby is right that you are still getting used to it. Drive it around a bit and see how it goes. Most of the vehicles I've had for 35 years were manuals and every one of them had unique quirky behaviors that took a bit to get used to.

 

[Bbannongmu]

Had some questions for you fellow manual owners. I have noticed three things that I thought were odd at 4k miles on mine...
1. If I am on flat ground, i dont need to give any gas in first gear to take off if i take the clutch out very slow.
2. Any incline or I need to take off like i would in other manual vehicles (not fast but normally), I need to get up to about 1300-1700 rpm before releasing the clutch. 1k under these conditions is close to stalling out/i feep like im riding the clutch. My dad is a truck driver and car tester but didnt think that was odd.
3. Reverse gear feels way too fast

I owned a manual frontier before this, and I thought that the three above items were odd. Ive had zero codes, and i have the updated control code. I love it otherwise and dont regret it at all.

1 - perfectly normal. Especially when you first start it up. Idle is a bit higher.
2 - depends a bit on axle gearing but sounds about right. The 3.6 has very small torque off idle. Needs a little gas / RPMs to get going.
3 - reverse is a bit hi/ fast. Also depends on axle gearing. 4.10 Rubi is a bit slower.

Good luck

 

[seven30]

yes to the manual. Right now it feels like this is how it should have come from the factory with my rubicon takeoff rims/tires (32.7 I think). I’m hesitant to go with a much bigger tire since then I’d feel the need to regear again lol.

If your goal is a 35”, id say go 4.88, 37 the 5.13. But if you’re in a mostly flatland area, you might have different results.

but I should point out, as much as I love my manual transmission (I custom ordered it exactly how I wanted it), when I’m on the highway with the cruise set, I don’t want to have to change gears to climb a hill. So my goal in regearing was to mitigate that, which it has helped tremendously.

I get that no shift cruise. In rolling hills Ill often just leave my 4:10/33s in 5th. its close to what 4.56-6TH would be. Using the gear-calculator you can simulate a hwy cruise by picking the gear closest to you calculated tire/axle combo and get some idea of what the hwy cruise will be like.

 

[Bbannongmu]

Sounds like you're just learning your new stick shift vehicle. Every one of them is different. Most every manual vehicle I've ever driven will do number 1, in my experience. That's completely normal. It's a jeep with a short first gear, and it's meant to easily do a slow crawl offroad, so #1 might be more pronounced than other vehicles though. Even moreso if you have the 4.1 final drive. But as far as I know, every manual will take off if you slowly reach the engagement point of the clutch.

Recommend turning off traction control and hill roll assist. They create a weird lag in taking off.

 

[Bbannongmu]

The Gladiator is under geared. So much more driveable with my new 5.13 gears to turn 37s. Should be at least 4.56 gears from the factory for manuals with 33s.

 

[redriderjf87]

Recommend turning off traction control and hill roll assist. They create a weird lag in taking off.

Good to know, I will make note to try. I was also curious if the manual had hill start assist in general.

 

[Munkey Boy]

Good to know, I will make note to try. I was also curious if the manual had hill start assist in general.

Yup. It's kinda weird at first but you get used to it fast. No more micro second panic as you look in the mirror to see some asshat stopped four inches off your bumper as you let off the brake trying to gas it fast.

 

[redriderjf87]

Yup. It's kinda weird at first but you get used to it fast. No more micro second panic as you look in the mirror to see some asshat stopped four inches off your bumper as you let off the brake trying to gas it fast.

Gotcha. I was impressed with it in my 4 cyl Colorado, should only be better with the jeep having more torque and a shorter 1st gear I figure.

I tend not to worry about spooking people who are that impatient, or pull up so close that they're worried about me rolling back an inch. But your point is well taken.

 

[Montana_Wildcat]

Drove 600 miles to buy a manual tranny. (There were none in Montana or surrounding states.) I wasn't going to buy an automatic under any circumstances, and I have no regrets whatsoever. It is what it is...a truck that shifts like a truck. I have read a lot of complaints about the friction point being so low, but it doesn't bother me at all. 6th gear is pretty much useless out here in Eastern Montana...I just keep it in 5th on the interstate.

 

[Bbannongmu]

I'm dealing with my only "regret". I just need a beefier clutch and flywheel for towing and off-roading.

 

[seven30]

Drove 600 miles to buy a manual tranny. (There were none in Montana or surrounding states.) I wasn't going to buy an automatic under any circumstances, and I have no regrets whatsoever. It is what it is...a truck that shifts like a truck. I have read a lot of complaints about the friction point being so low, but it doesn't bother me at all. 6th gear is pretty much useless out here in Eastern Montana...I just keep it in 5th on the interstate.

You will love it even more after breakin!
I found this clutch/manual somewhat challenging initially even with 4:10 axle. The clutch was mushy and off idle torque low and I found myself slipping it to avoid stalling! But after ~2k miles the clutch seemed to bed in. Now at 13k its both light and precise and easy to control. I went from wondering if I made a mistake to OMG this thing rocks!

 

[seven30]

I'm dealing with my only "regret". I just need a beefier clutch and flywheel for towing and off-roading.

That massive flywheel should help with that! Be great to have your back to back comparison between the two setups.

 

[Slojo]

LOL, I've seen these threads on so many Jeep sites. I still have a manual JK and bought an auto gladiator. Both have their advantages. Usually this boils down to: Work Traffic, towing, auto = Good... dirt trails, no millennials can drive it, stick = good.

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