For you new to Jeepin' a little help for you.

Rubiconrich

New member
I'd like to help out those who are new to Jeepin' MY 05 Rubicon is my 7th Jeep been doing this for 20+ years so let me pass this on to you.

Gears:What ever Jeep you buy or have you need to look at what gears you have. 3:73's , 4:10's are better then 3:08's and if you want to run bigger tires you will need higher numbers= lower gears = biger tires.
Ex. 33" 4:10's

Wheelbase/lift is a big thing: a longer wheelbase will have a longer rear drive shaft and can be lifted more and is more stable. ex. CJ6,CJ8, TJL and JK4.


Do your homework before you buy anything.
 

Think about this: If you find a cheap Jeep it's a 4C not a 6C.
Hold out for the 6C longer life and better resale. Yes the 4 will be better on gas but trust me hold out for the 6C. Buy the 4 Jeep cheap it's got 4:10's and put them under your 6C Jeep.
 
Do all the 4 bangers come with 4:10? I have a 97 TJ 4 banger does everything I need to do and more,just have not got under it yet to try and find the tag for the ratio.
 

Do all the 4 bangers come with 4:10? I have a 97 TJ 4 banger does everything I need to do and more,just have not got under it yet to try and find the tag for the ratio.
The 2.5L 5spd has 4.10, the 2.5L auto has 3.73 gears.

Rich, any more ramblings?
 
canofworms1-2.jpg
 

Yeah, you are probably right! LOL! I guess maybe I should just ask, will the stock auto hold up to the demands of wheelin'? Within reason of course.
 
Yeah, you are probably right! LOL! I guess maybe I should just ask, will the stock auto hold up to the demands of wheelin'? Within reason of course.

I'm sure if you drive smartly and take care of your transmission, it will live longer.
As far as manual/auto goes, it's personal preference.

What kind of Jeep do you have?

I have a T5 five speed in my 7 which is supposed to be really weak. I'll wheel it until it dies, then throw in an SM whatever since the bellhousing for the T5 mates up well with the SM's. Just an example of a possible plan.
 
I have nothing right now, as I'm selling my quad to a buddy of mine to raise some cash to get my Jeep. I'm trying to get ideas of what is out there to look for to get a good base for the project.....So far I'm looking for a late 90's CJ with a 6 cylinder.........:-|
 

For strict rock crawling, auto is the only way to go. It is awful hard to manage the clutch,brake and the accelerator when your sitting at 45 degrees and facing a 6 foot rock step.
Any other its driver preference.
 
I'd agree, I've been in some bad ways in the rocks and wish I had an auto, or a longer 3rd leg :shock: For general trail riding I prefer the stick.

'91+ is fuel injected, and '91-'95 Wranger is a YJ before they switched to TJ in '97.

The late '90s Wrangler auto does pretty good offroad, just keep them out of deep water. They slip a little on steep climbs and benefit greatly from a deeper transmission pan.
 
I'd agree, I've been in some bad ways in the rocks and wish I had an auto, or a longer 3rd leg :shock: For general trail riding I prefer the stick.

'91+ is fuel injected, and '91-'95 Wranger is a YJ before they switched to TJ in '97.

The late '90s Wrangler auto does pretty good offroad, just keep them out of deep water. They slip a little on steep climbs and benefit greatly from a deeper transmission pan.
Thanks! Not to be funny, but where would a 1996 fall into the classification?:?:
 

There was no '96 Wrangler produced, it was a transition year between the YJ and the TJ.

There are late model '95's like mine, I call it a '95.5, and there are very early production '97 TJ's, but nothing in between but XJ's and ZJ's.
 
I've wheeled both, it really is just drivers preference. When in big rocks, I likes the auto because fo the third pedal thing, but the inconvience is not an issue when I need to rev it up in Second gear and drop the clutch. also prefer the stick for bump drive and loading the suspension. If you have a stick and your vehicle is geared very low, the clutch become less of an issue.
 
For strict rock crawling, auto is the only way to go. It is awful hard to manage the clutch,brake and the accelerator when your sitting at 45 degrees and facing a 6 foot rock step.
Any other its driver preference.

You could install a hillbilly cruise control throttle on your shifter.

Or you could somehow move your gas pedal forward so you can heel toe easier.

:hide:
 

I like the clutch for making multi-point turns on a tight trail. Just clutch and let the jeep roll back while you correct the steering wheel, then forward you go. With an auto, you come to a complete stop to shift, back up, come to a complete stop and shift, go forward, repeat.
 
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