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Clutch Recall (FCA W12 | 20V-124) on 2018-2020 JL Manuals [overheating clutch pressure plate]

Luxy60

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I appreciate the feedback. I've been looking for a std. 6 cyl. (e.g. no eTorque) Wrangler for a while but they're just not available, unless it's a man. trans.. The manual is fine with me but the auto keeps it simple for others in the family that would need to drive it occasionally - including my 17 yo son who just got his license less than a year ago. The other option is the turbo 4 cyl. but I'm hesitant to go that route (mainly for reliability and possibly re-sale).
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OldGuyNewJeep

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I appreciate the feedback. I've been looking for a std. 6 cyl. (e.g. no eTorque) Wrangler for a while but they're just not available, unless it's a man. trans.. The manual is fine with me but the auto keeps it simple for others in the family that would need to drive it occasionally - including my 17 yo son who just got his license less than a year ago. The other option is the turbo 4 cyl. but I'm hesitant to go that route (mainly for reliability and possibly re-sale).
Teaching opportunity! I taught both of my driving teens on my JL. It’s rewarding once they get it.
 

DanW

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Considering a new 21 with MT. Does anyone know what fixes FCA implemented to correct the issue?
The main things are better procedures and quality control with the slave cylinder bleed and a PCM program that will warn you if the clutch overheats and will go to a limp home mode until it cools sufficiently. There are other small bits/pieces but nothing else major of which I'm aware. You'll probably never see the overheat warning if you know how to drive it correctly and if you don't try backing a trailer up a steep hill. Lol, the reverse gear is a bit tall, so more slipping than normal is likely if doing anything like that in reverse.

I'm on a VERY early production manual transmission and just hit 46k miles of smiles and with no issues. I'm hoping to order an Unlimited Sport sometime in the Fall with a manual for my wife, as well.
 

cripton805

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I appreciate the feedback. I've been looking for a std. 6 cyl. (e.g. no eTorque) Wrangler for a while but they're just not available, unless it's a man. trans.. The manual is fine with me but the auto keeps it simple for others in the family that would need to drive it occasionally - including my 17 yo son who just got his license less than a year ago. The other option is the turbo 4 cyl. but I'm hesitant to go that route (mainly for reliability and possibly re-sale).
I got rid of mine for an auto Gladiator. I regret not getting it the first time. I like the Wranglers better. I just wanted to try something different.

The auto feels like it has more power. I had the Base Model gearing and it wasn't aggressive enough. Maybe Rubicons 4.10 gears are the sweet spot. Try both before you make a decision. I didn't even bother trying the auto because I buy all my cars in stick if it's possible. This is the first time I ever regretted it. I always had to downshift 2 gears to pass, go up the slightest grades, etc. Cruise control could never hold a steady speed unless it was completely flat or kept it in 4th gear with stock wheels / tires. It makes cruise control useless if you have to shift up and down. I don't live in a flat area. Which probably makes it more annoying to me than it might be for other people. They're not very steep by far, but I still had constant shifting on the highway. Which also killed my gas mileage for no reason over the auto that I have now.
 

BroncoHound

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I got rid of mine for an auto Gladiator. I regret not getting it the first time. I like the Wranglers better. I just wanted to try something different.

The auto feels like it has more power. I had the Base Model gearing and it wasn't aggressive enough. Maybe Rubicons 4.10 gears are the sweet spot. Try both before you make a decision. I didn't even bother trying the auto because I buy all my cars in stick if it's possible. This is the first time I ever regretted it. I always had to downshift 2 gears to pass, go up the slightest grades, etc. Cruise control could never hold a steady speed unless it was completely flat or kept it in 4th gear with stock wheels / tires. It makes cruise control useless if you have to shift up and down. I don't live in a flat area. Which probably makes it more annoying to me than it might be for other people. They're not very steep by far, but I still had constant shifting on the highway. Which also killed my gas mileage for no reason over the auto that I have now.
Every bit of this is true, even with the Rubicon 4.10 gearing. Every time I leave town in my Jeep, I go back and forth 1000x in my head about regearing to 4.88, a Livernois tune and gears, or just going full supercharger route. This engine isn't sufficiently powered (and the power is in all the wrong places) for the gearing of the manual transmission when you live at elevation or in anything but flat terrain. There is no "set it and forget it" highway experience with a manual JL unless you live on flat ground at sea level.

That said, every time the little thought of going to an automatic creeps into my head, it's quickly dispelled. I love my little handshaker.
 

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cnapierala

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Every bit of this is true, even with the Rubicon 4.10 gearing. Every time I leave town in my Jeep, I go back and forth 1000x in my head about regearing to 4.88, a Livernois tune and gears, or just going full supercharger route. This engine isn't sufficiently powered (and the power is in all the wrong places) for the gearing of the manual transmission when you live at elevation or in anything but flat terrain. There is no "set it and forget it" highway experience with a manual JL unless you live on flat ground at sea level.

That said, every time the little thought of going to an automatic creeps into my head, it's quickly dispelled. I love my little handshaker.
What size of tires do you have?

The Rubicon gearing with stock tires isnt bad but IMO it should be 4.30 or 4.56. This is one reason why I wont likely increase my tire size anytime soon.
 

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Every bit of this is true, even with the Rubicon 4.10 gearing. Every time I leave town in my Jeep, I go back and forth 1000x in my head about regearing to 4.88, a Livernois tune and gears, or just going full supercharger route. This engine isn't sufficiently powered (and the power is in all the wrong places) for the gearing of the manual transmission when you live at elevation or in anything but flat terrain. There is no "set it and forget it" highway experience with a manual JL unless you live on flat ground at sea level.

That said, every time the little thought of going to an automatic creeps into my head, it's quickly dispelled. I love my little handshaker.
And here I thought I was the only one experiencing this. I am re-geared to 4.88 but also running 37s and I see all the complaints you guys are saying.
 

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What size of tires do you have?

The Rubicon gearing with stock tires isnt bad but IMO it should be 4.30 or 4.56. This is one reason why I wont likely increase my tire size anytime soon.
Good point, I should've mentioned that I'm on heavier, true 35" tires (35x12.50R17E Duratracs). I still can't see the driving experience in the mountains being much different with a stock Rubicon though; they're still on 33" tires themselves. That said, I can't even consider the idea of going to a 37" tire unless I find about 150hp/100tq in the useable range between my couch cushions.
 

Toycrusher

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I'm on 37ish tires (KO2) and stock 4.10 gears, no real hills outside of highway overpasses. The CF clutch helped a lot with the feel especially at low speed, feels like diesel torque. However, you have to keep revs over 4500 to really get into the power band. I'm planning on regearing to 5.13 just to be able to use 5th and 6th.
 

cripton805

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Those of you guys with Rubicons are spoiled. Complaining about 4.10s and Sport owners are over here with 3.21s. If you guys only knew. haha

I think Jeep purposely did that knowing people would re-gear and need 6th gear. It's entirely completely useless. You actually get worse gas mileage trying to coast at 70 than in 4th or 5th. I would like to drive a manual Jeep with 4.88s or 5.13s to see if I would actually enjoy it.

On 3.21s... I went kayaking. After a little commute to the Bay and coasting in the water. I realize life is too short to be unhappy. From there I drove to a dealer 120 miles away and drove home with my auto JT. No Raaagrets. lol
 

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nomographer

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The recent trip over the Cascades, multiple mountain passes, then down into the desert, onto the dusty roads, through the streams, over the rocks, up along the rocky cliffs, introduced no issues and was mostly a pleasant experience. Clutch and pedals performed equally well before and after hours of off-road, mixed 2H/4H/4L abuse. Cruise control and adaptive worked well.

I'd recommend paying attention to the tachometer and fuel economy when you get your manual, because you'll find the efficiency is very flat and wide and you can run it at 4500rpm and get 20mpg, at which point you'll be ready for mixed/hilly situations. You simply need to train yourself to get beyond "everyone knows 1900rpm is best".
 

OldGuyNewJeep

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Those of you guys with Rubicons are spoiled. Complaining about 4.10s and Sport owners are over here with 3.21s. If you guys only knew. haha
Heh. I think you’re absolutely right! I am one of those spoiled Rubicon owners, and for three years on this forum I have been spewing that the manual is perfect. Only recently have I come to realize that it’s perfect for me because I have 4.10 gearing and 33” stock tires.

Too bad sales people will be clueless about this. It’d be a great way for them to upsell guys who want a manual…
 

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Have the stock 4.10s with the smallish BFG 315s and it works great for me. It took a while to learn that being in a lower gear doesn't really hurt mileage much. I think it took me an extra long time to learn because I was used to hypermiling a manual diesel.

Long grades, steep mountain roads, cruise control... no problem once I retrained my instincts to be 1 gear lower. You can work hard for maybe .5 mpg if you want to, but I'm doing that less and less.

I used to think the 5.13 with 37s would be too extreme for me, especially since I like to go 75+ through the desert, but I'm starting to see the wisdom.
 

DanW

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Have the stock 4.10s with the smallish BFG 315s and it works great for me. It took a while to learn that being in a lower gear doesn't really hurt mileage much. I think it took me an extra long time to learn because I was used to hypermiling a manual diesel.

Long grades, steep mountain roads, cruise control... no problem once I retrained my instincts to be 1 gear lower. You can work hard for maybe .5 mpg if you want to, but I'm doing that less and less.

I used to think the 5.13 with 37s would be too extreme for me, especially since I like to go 75+ through the desert, but I'm starting to see the wisdom.
Same here, but the 315 BFG's are 34.6" actual height, which is about the same or close to most 35x12.5x17's. But they are also lighter than most, some by a wide margin. I think that helps, too.

I'm pretty happy with the gears except for 6th and reverse, and 6th isn't really that bad, especially after the engine was fully broken-in.

As for mountains, I've had no trouble there. Everyone acts like the auto doesn't downshift. It does. Plenty. You just don't have to do it yourself. I chuckle when someone with a manual complains about down shifting because I thought shifting yourself whas the whole point of a manual.

So everybody is clear, I'll repeat: The auto downshifts as much as the manual in the mountains. I've driven them, back to back. Their top gears are very tall, too. So if you don't like to shift yourself, by all means get the auto.

I've also yet to encounter another JLU or JLUR with 35's and an auto that can outrun mine, either.
 

bwright1818

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Not to seemingly change the subject but since this thread was about the clutch recall, I'm here to say I have apparently gone full circle. I had a leak in the line between the brake reservoir and the clutch control cylinder. (The first recall was supposedly done, too!) After four trips to my dealer, they replaced the line and now it doesn't leak. They said they bled it; but it now acts totally different, with the first half of pedal travel doing absolutely nothing and clutch release happening just slightly before the pedal hits the floor. Now I think I have a poor bleed that I didn't have before and I am worried that now I just may eventually have a clutch problem brewing. Thoughts? Please, please don't make me go back to my dealer ever again....
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