JLUR Manual Transmission Problems

[TrassaE95]

Not really. The JK and JL manual transmissions have the same ratio for 2nd gear. 1st gear is obviously slightly deeper on the JL but not by as much as people think. Unless you're towing or pointed uphill, starting in second is perfectly normal. Guys with "granny gears" in 1st have been starting in 2nd for decades when driving around town.

I don’t doubt that. I guess I am going by where I live, where there isn’t more than a few hundred feet of flat road at a time. It’s all hills and old, worn down mountains. I suppose it’s fair to say that different areas require different approaches (and you would think I would have enough common sense to know this, but I appreciate you calling it out )

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[Scottroxxx]

JK trannies had synchro problems, I would change out factory trans fluid for a high end synchromesh fluid like royal purple.

 

[MeepMeep]

If you try and shift like at 18-2200 I think you'll find the shifting from 1-2 much smoother and easier or wait a split second after pushing in the clutch to let the engine rpm come down a bit. I have an abarth and when shifting from 1-2 at at a higher rpm the effort is much higher. At 4000 the input and output shafts are turning at very different speeds.

 

[Ruby Jack]

I'd start out in 2nd. If it works in the JKU it'll work in the JLU.

I'd start in 2nd if you're starting out in a slight downward slope. For flat planes or upward slopes, I'd still start on first.

 

[Strifehero]

Read a couple comparisons - the improvement of the manual transmission from JK to JL is maybe the most under-heralded advancements. In every possible way the JK manual is a pig compared to the JL. Not even close to comparable. Just got back from some time up in the mountains and with some decent obstacles and am truly blown away at how amazing the JL manual is. Worth the upgrade for this alone!

 

[sost1sg]

Read a couple comparisons - the improvement of the manual transmission from JK to JL is maybe the most under-heralded advancements. In every possible way the JK manual is a pig compared to the JL. Not even close to comparable. Just got back from some time up in the mountains and with some decent obstacles and am truly blown away at how amazing the JL manual is. Worth the upgrade for this alone!

Well said. I couldn't agree more. I love the new manual

 

[bjeep1983]

I hated it at first but 1800 miles in 1st to 2nd is much smoother. I tried double shifting but my leg started to hurt. Ha. Played around with how far I had to push the clutch in and at different rpm’s. Finally found a combo that works for me.

 

[unaseer]

I've found the gears became more usable once I put on 37s. Especially 1st and 2nd.

 

[BeachNJeep]

I have a JLU Sport S with 600 miles. From day one, it was rough going from 1st to 2nd only. All other gears, up and down are fine. I had an old BMW like this. The only way I get a really smooth shift is with a double clutch. But I don’t speed shift, it’s not a race car and I’m not drag racing anyone. So slow, easy shifts from 1-2 help ease the roughness.

 

[Cameljoe121]

I have a JLU Sport S with 600 miles. From day one, it was rough going from 1st to 2nd only. All other gears, up and down are fine. I had an old BMW like this. The only way I get a really smooth shift is with a double clutch. But I don’t speed shift, it’s not a race car and I’m not drag racing anyone. So slow, easy shifts from 1-2 help ease the roughness.

I shift very slow as well the only way I have found to mitigate the issue is to shift at a very low rpm. But there are sometimes where shifting higher is needed. I don’t understand how Jeep can release a product with this issue and act like it doesn’t exist. These things are not cheap. It really drives me nuts that it does this.

 

[liquids]

Ten years in my JK now and I still don't like 1-2, but everything else suited me fine. My test drive of 5 mins in the JL made me want it right away. I still won't like first gear cuz it's so short. In my JK I would commonly skip a gear, like 3-5 or 4-6, after accelerating quickly. I'll probably do that less with the JL cuz the ratios are further apart from each other.

 

[OldGuyNewJeep]

I shift very slow as well the only way I have found to mitigate the issue is to shift at a very low rpm. But there are sometimes where shifting higher is needed. I don’t understand how Jeep can release a product with this issue and act like it doesn’t exist. These things are not cheap. It really drives me nuts that it does this.

Have you taken it to dealer? Every other review of the MT has been overwhelmingly positive. (I can’t wait for mine to get built.)

If you’re sometimes revving 1st way out because you need to haul ass, how about just skipping 2nd and going right to 3rd? I used to go 1->3->5 sometimes in my VW. e.g. when getting on the highway from a stop when traffic was too heavy to wait for a big opening. (Connecticut Merritt Parkway. Ugh!) Granted, my VW was a rocket compared to a Wrangler, and revving to 5,000 RPM was not an issue in it.

 

[sost1sg]

I don’t have any issue shifting 1-2 in my manual JLUR. Love the new tranny design. Just getting used to R now being next to 1!

 

[Cameljoe121]

I don’t have any issue shifting 1-2 in my manual JLUR. Love the new tranny design. Just getting used to R now being next to 1!

Where do you usually shift out of 1 to 2 at?

 

[Cameljoe121]

Have you taken it to dealer? Every other review of the MT has been overwhelmingly positive. (I can’t wait for mine to get built.)

If you’re sometimes revving 1st way out because you need to haul ass, how about just skipping 2nd and going right to 3rd? I used to go 1->3->5 sometimes in my VW. e.g. when getting on the highway from a stop when traffic was too heavy to wait for a big opening. (Connecticut Merritt Parkway. Ugh!) Granted, my VW was a rocket compared to a Wrangler, and revving to 5,000 RPM was not an issue in it.

I was there on Friday they put 23 miles on it said they could find nothing wrong with it. This Jeep in my opinion is very different you hear a lot more engine noise in the cab from either the aluminum hood and doors or the windshield to me it seems like your putting more power to it than you really are because of that and they have some type of exhaust tone that previous JK did not. I haven’t tried skipping gears I don’t think it would work well the 4:10 gears are very low on first then a decent jump to 2 and 3 maybe the higher gears can bee which I have 4 to 6 but the lower are all needed.

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