Ive been 4x4'in for a number of years now. My vehicles have been grand cherokee limited, a 4runner and 2 pathfinders. All did well offroad (keyword well) but they were all automatics. I have been driving standards my whole life, but not in a 4x4.

I took my new TJ out this weekend. I noticed a HUGE difference in the way you 4x4 in a manual transmission. the biggest thing being rock crawling. When moving crawling you cannot idle and then just give it gas when the vehicle stops and climb over your rock. Instead you have to constant give the vehicle gas which creates a VERY VERY rough ride going at 1,000 rpm rock crawling or you have to feather your clutch like crazy. It seems to me that it is WAY easier on the vehicle in an automatic, and you you could burn a clutch out REALLY fast rock crawling as you have to feather it every time you go over another rock.

I was just wondering if what you guys would normally do, say your crossing a creek and its 1.5 to 2 feet deep and of course its completely rock covered. Do you feather the clutch the whole way through or do you just put it in 4-lo and crawl and give it gas whenever you see a large rock coming up??

On a side note. My TJ went places i never would considered going in any of my other 4x4's, it was unstoppable as far as I went this weekend. conquering every challenge without problem. I love it!!! Just gotta learn new tricks of trade.

Thanks guys!  

hail to the automatic!

theres noting wrong with using low range.
ya, when yer having to feather the clutch all the time it's gotta go into low range, then ya can use, say 2nd or third gear respectivly, to slow it down a bit so it's controlable by the throttle and save the clutch,

jump in here guys.... monster, I know you help out on this one!

how bout those pics of the newly lifted tj?
I can get ya set up to post em.  

Hey Dustin

Glad you're having fun. That's what it is all about.

I love building stuff and I'm an avid hiker. How could those two worlds come together any better than with a Jeep.

There has not been a time in the last 25 years that I have not owned a 4x4. However, there were two, two year stints when I did not have a Jeep. I've had CJs, a YJ and a TJ.

None of my GM 4x4s had a manual, and none of my Jeeps had an auto, until my TJ. When I was looking for my TJ, I was looking for a manual, because that's what Jeeps are supposed to have.

I never did crazy things in my GM stuff, but I did use them off-road. I much prefer an auto and the GM stuff was always fine. So, I bought the TJ because everything else was right.

Even though I don't like the 4spd auto in my TJ as far as a nice auto transmission, cause it's not, I do really like having an auto in my Jeep.

I find it more comfortable and enjoyable in every facet of off-roading. Especially in the areas that you mention.  

hey fellas,

my first car was our '73 CJ-5 and sense then i've been riding in my '99 TJ........ both of which are a standard. I found after toasting the factory clutch in  the TJ that it's alot better on the jeep to run around in 4-low, even if that means moving down the flats faster in fourth or fifth gear.
Then after you have slowed back down when you come up to your two foot ledge (back in first or second gear) if you'll feather the clutch  just before and as you hit it it'll cushion the impact, then let it out for the rest of the obstacle to keep from burning the clutch.
this way (if you get what i'm saying) there are no hard impacts on the drive train but the clutch isn't halfway in all day long!

-Cliff  

Yep 4low if you need control for rocks and technical trails to save the clutch.  Most of the time 1st, 2nd or 3rd works good and then 4th or 5th for the open areas, unless you wanna switch back to hi then back down to low for the next technical section.  Now if your doing mud running 4 hi all the way.  

I almost always use 4-lo. I would say 90% of the offroading I do requires the lower gearing that 4-lo provides. I never thought about using 4-high for mud though is there a specific reason for that??  

Lots of wheel speed keeps the tread cleaned out when in the mud.  

Ah yes that makes sense....last time i played in the mud I got stuck and it took me about 6 hours of cleaning to get the mud out from between my skid plates and my transfer case and gas tank...not fun...  

you cleaned it out?

LOL, I leave it, when it dries it'll fall off.  

I got stuck doorjam deep in THICK mud (this was in my pathfinder), it turned to concrete as the drive home was almost 100 degrees outside. Had it just been normal watery mud I would have just left it but it was caked solid in there and I had to smash chunks of it out with a screwdriver =p not fun at all, i had the pathfinder for sale at the time and people were coming to view it, otherwise I would have left it .