JK505

Yeah it's a lot of steps vs clutch... T case. Done. My buddy's is auto and I drove it not long ago. Both have pros and cons, that's why both are options. thanks everyone.

Mountain Man Tim

Speaking of shifters, you still have the junk stock plastic things? I picked up a set of Drakes and looooooooooove them, black billet withe the shift positions engraved on the T case, theres an engraved one for the manual too. They have mud terrain style tires around them for grips...... Sweeeeeet.........

JK505

Yeeeaaah I've got those. But they'll have I do for now. Saving up for 4.56's, front (have 3.21 now and need a new carrier so why not lock it and call it a day?) and rear lockers, and a new rear DS. It's gonna be a pretty penny. I'm very torn on doing the gears and lockers myself, the DS I am doing myself. Gears are just one of the things where a lot can go wrong with limited tools

Mschneid

1) I know in hi range you can shift without a clutch if you mesh the gears but what about low range?

2) what is this 2nd gear low range start? Are you using the starter to turn the whole drive train?

JK505

So I tried starting in 4lo today in first and second gear. Just an word of advice... I forgot to disengage the emergency brake and it stalled out with a harsh grinding sound so I would suggest not having the brake on. Once I disengaged the E-brake, its starts right up and just rolls right along without any throttle, it's pretty cool!

Freewill

Using the clutch in deep water, mud, or sand is a no-no. The advice above is spot-on.

FWIW, for normal driving (not crawling in water/mud/sand) you can drive a stick shift all day without the clutch. its just a matter of matching engine RPM to the road speed and gear. I drove an old Toyota for a couple weeks without a clutch because the clutch master cylinder was shot and I was broke. Had to shut of the engine to stop, then shift into first and lurch away with the starter. Once rolling the shifts were smooth as silk using just the gas pedal and the shifter. This was driving in the city!

I you watch the in-car cameras during NASCAR races, you never see the driver's left leg go for the clutch except to start, and I don't think those gearboxes even have synchros.

JK505

Can you explain how to do this exactly (and down shift doing this)? I'm very interested but don't want to tear anything up but could see how it could be useful to know.

Freewill

I think it would be easier to describe how to have sex to the uninitiated but here goes. . .

Shifting up is pretty easy. The gas pedal should be neutral (neither accelerating of decelerating). As you lift the gas pedal, slip the gear lever into the the next gear as the engine speed drops. On a synchromesh tranny the gears will pretty much drop right in. If they don't, blip the gas just a little in neutral and try again.

Shifting down is a bit trickier. With a neutral gas pedal, slide the gear lever toward the next gear down, blipping the gas just a tad as you move through neutral. If you hit the gas just right, the gears will slip right in. If you miss it, no harm done because a synchro box will refuse to go into gear. You just hafta blip the gas a little more or less while in neutral and try again.

Think of it like merging onto the freeway. You are a gear, the traffic is the other gear. If you match your speed to the traffic you can slip right in. If you miss matching your speed to the traffic you pull over and report the accident. (Unfortunately there are a buttload of drivers who don't understand this simple concept at all!)

JK505

This may be stupid to ask: but do our jk's have this synchro box? Still debating if I even want to attempt this.

Freewill

Yes. .