Help me understand how my clutch pedal failed...

[JLTraveler]

If it makes you feel any better, the automatic is terrific, and you haven't signed any papers yet!

I prefer manuals, but I enjoy driving my wife's AT Willys much more than I do rowing gears with this screwball clutch. Maybe I'm just weird about how I shift... but so too are plenty of other JL owners it seems

ugh... can’t bring myself to getting an automatic. Hope the problems with the manual are the minority- although Murphy’s law resonates pretty loudly with me. I did test drive 2 2021 JLUR MT and the clutch pedal in both felt VERY light and tough to find the bite spot. But that will just be a muscle memory thing after a while (hopefully). Never been off roading - but will try some easy trails when my car finally comes. I do wonder how much I’ll need to slip the clutch while off roading.

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[daveprice7]

ugh... can’t bring myself to getting an automatic. Hope the problems with the manual are the minority- although Murphy’s law resonates pretty loudly with me. I did test drive 2 2021 JLUR MT and the clutch pedal in both felt VERY light and tough to find the bite spot. But that will just be a muscle memory thing after a while (hopefully). Never been off roading - but will try some easy trails when my car finally comes. I do wonder how much I’ll need to slip the clutch while off roading.

The bite point is really the bigger problem than the pedal feel. I don't know exactly how it all works, but it feels like the clutch pedal has two stages. There's the range of motion from the floor up to about 70% of pedal travel, then the last 30%, where the return spring kind of "kicks in" and pulls harder on the pedal. The real issue (at least on mine) is that the clutch isn't fully engaged before the return spring starts pulling hard (this is a relative term, as the pedal goes from barely any resistance to "a little more"). This is where it throws me off - the pedal resistance isn't constant or even progressive, it's "stepped", so it's like I'm letting the pedal out quickly, then I have to tense up before the spring sucks the pedal up or it lurches... it's just incredibly hard to feather.

I do have similar issues off-road, though, with the Rubicon's transfer case and gearing, it may be less of a concern for you. You can likely leave it in 1st and idle your way to victory!

 

[Johnbuz]

This is my 5th MT and by far the hardest to get smooth engagement when starting from a stop. I have the muscle memory but every once in a while I either stall or over rev the engine. Actually it really takes away from the driving enjoyment. Every start is a new adventure, and not in a good way. The explanations above are quite accurate.

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