Off-roading with a manual transmission?

[dawgvet]

So I've been thinking of getting an JLU Rubicon. Will be a daily driver for my mainly 2-lane commute and light to moderate off-roading. Might work my way up to Beasley Knob ORV trails (7-9 rating on Badge of Honor system). Would love to eventually go to Moab as a bucket list adventure.
I haven't had manual tranny in several years and like the idea of going back to one. How is off-roading in the manual with say a 2" lift and 35's compared to the automatic? Plan to keep this one forever so long-term durability/service life is a high priority.
Any input appreciated.

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[Jorginho 113]

I ordered and waiting for a manual transmission JLUR. I did watch this video and had some pretty good info, may not answer your question about lift and tire but it made me order a manual over automatic.

 

[aldo98229]

Welcome to the forum.

Off-roading with an automatic is 100 times easier than with a manual transmission: you can focus on which line to take instead of when to release the clutch, and you don’t have to worry about lack of momentum.

Having said that, if I had a 2-lane commute I’d get the manual transmission. After all, you will spend a lot more time on the road than off.

Good luck.

 

[mnjeeper]

My TJ was a 5 speed and fairly built. There are moments when the clutch was a real problem. There were others where it helped. I pulled the fuse so I could start in gear. I'm sure it's pain on the starter, but you can bump over things that way. I still was jealous of friends with autos more than once. Not sure if you can do that in a JL. JL also has break lock available...so that could help.

I bought an auto this time around. I don't regret it.

 

[DuRsT]

I wheeled the fool out of my JK Rubicon 2 door over trails, rocks, etc.

I will echo the above, I loved that Jeep and was successful with it but the auto is far easier to deal with off road. There are some things like hill climbs I liked about the manual because the Jeep would keep itself running up a hill in 4L so you never needed to stay on the gas, the Jeep would pretty much drive itself up the hill. However, if you need to stop that's when it gets scary/interesting.

All of that being said my new JK is a six speed and I fully intend on wheeling it as well. Great experience driving it on road and a little challenge off road.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

How experienced are you with a manual? I found that driving off road with my 6 speed JK was not really an issue. You learn to use the clutch and pick your gears pretty quick IF you are already a good with a manual. If you are new to a manual, there will be a learning curve. That having been said, the current 8 speed is a great automatic.

 

[west tex]

I like a manual transmission for many types of driving and have owned several over the years. But, when it comes to off-road, the auto is better, in my experience. At least, with the newer microprocessor enhanced autos.

 

[Rubi6mt]

I just picked up a 2021 JLUR 6-speed on Monday. No argument on auto being easier and more consistent, but for me it was the challenge and fun of running a manual offroad. Yesterday after work I tried a small dirt path by me with a couple of rock steps and it was amazing how easy to bump the front tire up the step in 1st gear, 4low and sway bar disconnected.

Going to put some miles on it next few weeks then head to Rauch ORP. Can't wait!

 

[GearWhore]

All of my Wranglers and Cherokees were manuals until this diesel, and they've all been wheeled extensively. I really do prefer the feel and engagement of driving stick. If we could've gotten a diesel with a manual we would've.

That said, the auto is kind of a cheat-code for offroading (or so it seems to me). The hard-core stuff, sure, autos are almost mandatory. But the satisfaction of passing a crux move with a manual is hard to beat.

The 8-speed auto in the JLs is much better than any previous for every-day livability and efficiency. I'm still looking at a manual JL for our second vehicle. I miss shifting.

 

[Some Random Guy]

I have a manual JLUR. Here’s what I didn’t know/consider when I bought it:

The need to regear is much stronger with the manual. I don’t even like the stock gearing on stock tires, I almost never see 6th and 5th is only on the interstate. If you will be cost constrained, you might want to consider the auto, especially with the 2.0. Before someone says the regear costs the same as the auto, what I mean is if you are running tight on your budget once you have the jeep payment to make, the extra couple $/month on the payment for the auto might be better than the all-at-once cost of a regear.

Otherwise, enjoy the stick. It makes even easier stuff more rewarding, which might keep you from pushing past the breaking point to chase the fun.

 

[bjm00se]

Ultimately, your jeep is supposed to make you happy. Which configuration do you find more fun?

While it is true that it's a bit easier to handle the most difficult off-road obstacles with an automatic, with no possibility of stalling the motor, we're not going off-road because that's the easiest way to get there. We're going there because it's the most fun way to get there.

You're unlikely to face an obstacle that's so challenging that having a clutch means the difference between driving through it and winching through it. (At least, once you're fully back in practice at driving stick.)

So, pick the one you want that makes you happy.

 

[0II392II0]

Love manuals, learned how to drive on them and my first 3 vehicles were manuals. Had a manual less then 2 years ago, and that was my last manual for a daily, ever. Manuals are way more fun and you have better control over power out put. And here's my but... traffic just keeps getting worse and worse every year, regardless of location (was in the Army) . Getting stuck in stop and go trafic all the time gets really old real fast with a clutch. I know this is no help with your question of how they handle offroad. But personally I would weight the times that a manual would offer a better experience and the times it would make driving a worse experience. Unfortunately do to constant stop and go traffic I've come to conclusion that for a daily an auto provides a better all around experience. Hope this helps you with your decision, regardless you've chosen the right vehicle for a lot of fun miles.

 

[brewski]

So I've been thinking of getting an JLU Rubicon. Will be a daily driver for my mainly 2-lane commute and light to moderate off-roading. Might work my way up to Beasley Knob ORV trails (7-9 rating on Badge of Honor system). Would love to eventually go to Moab as a bucket list adventure.
I haven't had manual tranny in several years and like the idea of going back to one. How is off-roading in the manual with say a 2" lift and 35's compared to the automatic? Plan to keep this one forever so long-term durability/service life is a high priority.
Any input appreciated.

I did offroading for years with a manual in my JK and vehicles prior. The JK was a clunky "truck" transmission with shifting and the JL feels a lot more like a car with shifting (easier and smoother). I never had an issues with the manual with offroading and I did some harder stuff. I mostly do harder overlanding trails now (easy to moderate offroad sections on those) and there is nothing extra you have to do. In rock crawling there are some techniques you have to use to drive a manual if you get stuck/stopped on an obstacle and you might stall it, but you can do anything an auto can. But an auto makes it a lot easier when dealing with harder trails. If you get really into rock crawling and the harder stuff, then doing things like a clutch with a heavy weight flywheel are helpful to prevent stalls and help keep the engine running.

unfortunately my JL was the first auto I've ever bought in 30ish years of driving, but the diesel was only offered in auto. Luckily I have a daily driver in manual and w/o that I don't think I could be happy with having an auto. When driving on roads the manual is really nice and makes the drive better. Offroading I don't find it is as big of a need for my enjoyment of driving, but diesels have a lot of engine compression so you drive them similar to a manual where you lift off the gas and the vehicle slows, etc. And all that torque means its not shifting on you all the time.

 

[Oldbear]

As the others have said, it’s a lot easier. I’ve four wheeled in 2 IH Scout manuals, an F150manual , and a TJ manual. The 8 sp auto in a Wrangler JL is FAR superior. If you just enjoy a stick that’s cool, but the auto is a more user friendly option.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Manuals are way more fun and you have better control over power out put. And here's my but... traffic just keeps getting worse and worse every year. Getting stuck in stop and go traffic all the time gets really old real fast with a clutch.

This is why I got an auto this time. That, and the 3.73 rear end was not an option anymore. A Rubicon with 4.10s and a manual would be the only way I would get one now.

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