Weak Throttle Response on Manual Transmission Models?

[Raz65]

2021 6spd manual here. Zero complaints with 3.45 gears and stock 32" tires.

Sponsored

 

[8flat]

I have the same issue, this V6 is soooooo gutless off-idle, I swear you could grab the harmonic balancer with a pair of gloves and kill the engine haha
Trying to back up a trailer in reverse is embarrassingly bad.....and I have 4:10s.

It's basically a car engine stuffed in a 4WD, two totally different needs. A jeep should have low-end torque, not an engine that needs to be revved to the moon to make power. If someone made a stroker kit I'd buy it.

 

[sf5211]

2021 6spd manual here. Zero complaints with 3.45 gears and stock 32" tires.

Same here except mine is a 2019. As OldGuyNewJeep stated this engine likes 2000rpm. My gearing is fine for me. As far as 6th gear, if I’m doing 75 on flat or downhill my rpm’s stay at about 19-2000 and I do pretty decent on gas mileage too. I love this transmission.

 

[JRINGO77]

In the end seems like just a matter of personal preference and opinion.

 

[Spaffy]

I can't remember we're I read it, but someone once said that compared to the JK the JL essentially loses one non-OD gear. (4th)

The JK manual:
1st:. 4.46
2nd: 2.61
3rd: 1.72
4th: 1.25
5th: 1
6th: .84

The JL manual:
1st:. 5.13
2nd: 2.63
3rd: 1.53
4th: 1
5th: .81
6th: .72

So in essence from the JK manual both 3rd and 4th gears were merged into the JL's new 3rd gear. 4th gear is the new direct drive ratio in the JL and there are 2 OD gears.

If you had the same 4.10 gears in both the JK and the JL it should feel more peppy in first, about the same in 2nd, and 3rd and above would feel much taller.

I just give it more time in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th be fore upshifting. I've even gotten used to my 3.45 gears! They aren't terrible- but I still plan to regear to use 5th and 6th more often. As it is I'm just rarely above 4th at the speeds I drive.

 

[ThirtyOne]

I can't remember we're I read it, but someone once said that compared to the JK the JL essentially loses one non-OD gear. (4th)

The JK manual:
1st:. 4.46
2nd: 2.61
3rd: 1.72
4th: 1.25
5th: 1
6th: .84

The JL manual:
1st:. 5.13
2nd: 2.63
3rd: 1.53
4th: 1
5th: .81
6th: .72

So in essence from the JK manual both 3rd and 4th gears were merged into the JL's new 3rd gear. 4th gear is the new direct drive ratio in the JL and there are 2 OD gears.

If you had the same 4.10 gears in both the JK and the JL it should feel more peppy in first, about the same in 2nd, and 3rd and above would feel much taller.

I just give it more time in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th be fore upshifting. I've even gotten used to my 3.45 gears! They aren't terrible- but I still plan to regear to use 5th and 6th more often. As it is I'm just rarely above 4th at the speeds I drive.

This is exactly right, especially with the Sport (I've had both a Sport S and Rubicon).

We all sort of shift by feel and you have to re-train your brain to wind out 2nd, 3rd, and 4th with this combination.

In my Sport S with 33s, I held second until about 35, stayed in third all the way to 50-55, and often used 4th on the highway if I wasn't cruising. 6th was a long lost friend.

The Rubicon with 35s is a little better.

 

[8flat]

This is exactly right, especially with the Sport (I've had both a Sport S and Rubicon).

We all sort of shift by feel and you have to re-train your brain to wind out 2nd, 3rd, and 4th with this combination.

In my Sport S with 33s, I held second until about 35, stayed in third all the way to 50-55, and often used 4th on the highway if I wasn't cruising. 6th was a long lost friend.

The Rubicon with 35s is a little better.

I couldn't imagine a sport with those high gears and '35s, yikes. I'm considering a gear swap to 4:56 and keeping my 33s so this thing has a little more power.

 

[TheKeither]

Okay, I do not mean to be condescending. I want to make that very clear. I just wonder if those that complain about off-idle performance are either a - coming from a large engine pickup or b - coming from something sporty.

The Jeep is NOT a car. It is not a truck. It is a Jeep. It is its own thing.

(Sorry....in my mind the words Jeep and Wrangler are synonymous....have been since I was 12)

It behaves exactly as designed.

The engine needs revs. Pure and simple. I've had mine for about 1.5 months. And its taken me almost this whole time to understand my baby.

First to second is the hardest for me to get a smooth shift. However, once I started taking revs higher (say 3.5k) that transition is smooth as silk. For 2->3 and 3->4 you can get away with lower revs (say 2.5k).

As others have stated, its red line is 6.5k. USE THE REV RANGE THE ENGINE GAVE US! I've been pushing close to 22 mpg (21.8 mpg) using the above strategy.

And I've NEVER been happier doing it!

 

[Bloody Marty]

Not only what TheKeither said but it's also FUN to DRIVE!!!
MUCH more than an auto.

 

[8flat]

Okay, I do not mean to be condescending. I want to make that very clear. I just wonder if those that complain about off-idle performance are either a - coming from a large engine pickup or b - coming from something sporty.

The Jeep is NOT a car. It is not a truck. It is a Jeep. It is its own thing.

(Sorry....in my mind the words Jeep and Wrangler are synonymous....have been since I was 12)

It behaves exactly as designed.

The engine needs revs. Pure and simple. I've had mine for about 1.5 months. And its taken me almost this whole time to understand my baby.

First to second is the hardest for me to get a smooth shift. However, once I started taking revs higher (say 3.5k) that transition is smooth as silk. For 2->3 and 3->4 you can get away with lower revs (say 2.5k).

As others have stated, its red line is 6.5k. USE THE REV RANGE THE ENGINE GAVE US! I've been pushing close to 22 mpg (21.8 mpg) using the above strategy.

And I've NEVER been happier doing it!

Yep I'm guilty, came from trucks.
BUT: this thing has a tow package. Try backing up a trailer and "use the rev range"...hahaha

And it designed for off road, i.e. getting buried in mud or snow where you need the lockers (I have, many times). Yes 4LO helps, but in deep snow you need wheel speed and 4LO is too low. With no off-idle torque, it'll barely get the tires spinning in 1st gear. Very strange.

A longer stroke crankshaft, with a lower redline like maybe 5K, would be much better for this application.

 

[Spaffy]

Yep I'm guilty, came from trucks.
BUT: this thing has a tow package. Try backing up a trailer and "use the rev range"...hahaha

And it designed for off road, i.e. getting buried in mud or snow where you need the lockers (I have, many times). Yes 4LO helps, but in deep snow you need wheel speed and 4LO is too low. With no off-idle torque, it'll barely get the tires spinning in 1st gear. Very strange.

A longer stroke crankshaft, with a lower redline like maybe 5K, would be much better for this application.

Sadly with milage standards the days of big displacement engines with gobs of off idle torque are probably gone.

Just don't complain to the old YJ/TJ guys with the 2.5l, 4 cyl about not being able to spin the tires with the 3.6l.....

I am loving this engine/transmission!

 

[8flat]

Sadly with milage standards the days of big displacement engines with gobs of off idle torque are probably gone.

Just don't complain to the old YJ/TJ guys with the 2.5l, 4 cyl about not being able to spin the tires with the 3.6l.....

I am loving this engine/transmission!

HAHA good point.

True on V8s except for the 392 haha, they almost swung the pendulum too far the other way with that jeep, good lord. I'm just asking for something in the middle, maybe a high-torque V6 or a small 4.8 hemi V8 that still gets good mileage.

This is why EVs will be so much fun for us off-road guys, all the torque from 0 RPM.

 

[JLBoucher]

My 2021 Willys was a 6MT and had no complain. But then again, I drive like a grandpa since...my grandpa was the one who shown me how to drive.

My 2021 Sport S is still at the factory at the moment so I can't say if there's a difference. I guess not.

I guess it's a matter of preference. But the 3,6L is rev happy, even with the 8-speed auto.

 

[LunchBoxFab]

I agree. what small displacement gas engine has a bunch of torque at 2k rpm? Only vehicle I've ever had that did is my 6.7 powerstroke...not the same animal. I'm personally not looking at the dash when driving a stick it's by feel and sound.

remember, a lot of us are coming from an inline 6 cyl. 4.0l off idle torque was much different than this 3.6l

 

[JeepCares]

I picked up a 2021 JL Rubicon (2-Door) with a 6-spd manual transmission after it sat in a staging area for several weeks. Apparently, there was a Recall (W12 or Y01) that said all JL models like mine needed the fuel injection to be remapped as there were apparently clutch wear issues with the throttle take-off being too aggressive. Well, I think they went too far the other way. Under 2000 rpm, my 3.6L is essentially powerless compared to my 2017 Wrangler with the same configuration. I mean gutless until the revs climb over 2500 rpm. I find it unsatisfactory. It now has 700 miles on it. Any others in this situation?

Hi Edslittleworld,
We kindly recommend having your dealer inspect this concern for you as they are in the best position to assist. If you do work with your dealer, we would be more than happy to provide you with additional support via private messages.

Rob
Jeep Cares

Sponsored