I have been waiting for the release of the jeep unlimited after reading about it. I had a TJ before and had to sell as I required a van ( more room) for my business. Things are going well and I wanted a jeep again. After reading a brief description of the new unlmited months ago i decided to wait for our local dealer to get them. My dilema is that I did not need read until the last issue of JP magaizine that it only came with a Four speed automatic. My TJ was a standard and I loved it. I am asking advice if i should go TJ and get the standard or is the automatic good enough and go with the unlimited? The increaseed space in the unlimited is very attractive but the only reservation is that it is an automatic. Should this be a concern for me? The majority of jeeps in the magazine are standard is there a reason for this?  

The new auto tranny has an overdrive, right? That right there is one more selling factor for me. I geared my ZJ down to 4.56, and with 31's, it still turns a bit less than 3,000 RPM at 65.  

my opinion is, auto's are better than standard for offroad and on.  get the unlimited. unless you're thinking about a rubicon. if the unlimited came in rubicon trim, that would be the ultimate vehicle for me.   

I had a 2000 TJ with the 5 speed. I replaced it with a 1997 TJ with the auto. I love the auto on and offroad. It is much more relaxing to drive offroad. Rock crawling is much more fun since you don't have to worry about pushing in the clutch. Go with the auto and have fun.

KC

I'm no expert ... but from what i've read the auto's tend to run hotter.  Also, if the tranny leaks ... a manual will still move, but the auto will be stranded.  I'm not sure how long a manual would go with little, or no fluid, but it might just get you off the trail.

Pete  

i'm no expert but i've seen clutches get smoked, and leave the driver stranded( mostly due to driver stupidity). both types have pros and cons.  

I agree that both have pros and cons. I like the auto for one reason. More relaxing to drive on the trails. True I have noticed that the auto does run a little hotter. That just gives me an excuse to stop and get out and enjoy the view.

KC

Heh, I think you'd have to be pretty damn nasty to a clutch before it would strand you.  Even if you 'smoke' it, once it cools down it will still work ... it'll just slip more.  I suppose on a hard trail you might kill a clutch, but you tend to notice the slip on higher gears first ... so there should be lots of warning before you're stranded.

Just my opinion.

Pete  

Maybe JP could do an article on common failures.

I'd like to know what happens with a manual when you smoke a clutch, or lose tranny fluid?

I'd like to know what happens with an auto when you overheat or lose tranny fluid?

How about diff's?

Maybe start with the signs that you're about to destroy something, then move on to trail fixes and options to 'limp' it home.

Pete  

i have towed a guy off the dunes because he destroyed his clutch while he was trying to get unstuck.

i have had th400's rebuilt prematurely because of overheating but never stranded on the trail.

2 different th400/dana 20 combos, same leak between them

although not a manual tranny, i've broken gears in my t-case because it was low on fluid and had to get towed back.

I would side with the manual transmission.  The most I ever did to a manual tranny (mind you I am not talking aluminum bodied crap, like the mitsubishi in Bronco II's) was burn out clutches or mess up shifting sincs., and that can be at least cobbled on the trail to get home, but if an automatic puked on me, I was stranded and usually leaving a puddle of tranny fluid on the ground or in the water.  The belly pan is a weak point in itself.

besides all that, I somply preffer the manual for the added control of what gear I'm in, and it isn't point and click driving; to get where you want to go with a stick, takes a bit of talent and is more of a challenge and isn't the challenge of offroading half the fun?

personally It irritates me to no end that now there is even a Wrangler that doesn't offer a manual transmission option. What's next- independant suspension in the Wranglers too?

I'm pretty sure that Chrysler will put the manual in ... if sales are good.

I've read that they have to do seperate crash testing for both tranny's ... so they want to make sure it's worth while.

Pete  

Not quite Pete. Expect to see a different manual tranny in Wranglers in '05. It was simply a waste of time to make the NV3550 work in the Unlimited for less than a year.

John 

Thanks!

Will the new tranny be better (for those of us with older TJ's)?  I've had mine rebuilt once already.

Pete

What year TJ?