So, I've had my Jeep for about a year now but I've never looked at the suggested shift speeds in the owners manual. I've been driving a standard as long as I've been driving and just drive by 'feel'. But according to the book I'm pretty much always a gear too low. I'm sure that I'd get a little better gas millage if I went by this. Does anyone follows these shift points?

 

I had to really think about it -- but those are probably really close to my shift points for both cruising and accelerating. The thing is, I have rather short gearing. Not sure I can picture doing that with 3.21's on 32's.

 

Yeah, I tried it this morning just to see and I feel like I'm shifting every 1.5 seconds. It pretty much had me shifting at 2K RPM and cruising at 1.5K. But 56 MPH in 6th gear is crazy to me. I don't usually touch 6th gear at all unless I'm going to be on the highway for a while. Even then I have to downshift to make it up the smallest incline without losing speed.

 

Yikes - It sounds like you have 3.21's?

Short gearing is annoying on the opposite end of things - I gotta row like crazy everywhere I go!

When I know I'll be cruising for a bit on secondary roads, I'll often grab 6th at 35mph. On flat ground, 6th is still usable to just under 30mph. (4.10's on 32.6" tires)

I honestly wish I had 3.73's.

 

Yeah, mine is 3.21. I'm sure it'll be even worse when I go to 35's. Eventually I'll re-gear... when I'm not poor.

 

I just installed cruise control on my Jeep today and went out for a road test. I was doing 70 in 6th gear went I started up a pretty steep hill. I let it get down to about 40 MPH in 6th gear before I was afraid it would stall and had to downshift. I was actually surprised that it made it that low.

 

I never even opened the manual, but that looks almost identical to where I have been shifting.

Good to know.

 

I have 3:21's and the 3.6L. I never shift by speed. Always by tach. I usually shift at 2500rpm and like to keep it around 2000 while cruising.
Only exception, is 6th gear. I'll shift into 6th on the hwy when I hit 65mph. I find I get the best mpg this way.
I have 32's on it and don't plan on going bigger. 3:73's are in my future. THis thing is just too much of a dog with the 3:21's. 1st gear and reverse suck.

 

I have the 3.73 on my 2012 and constantly find myself skipping gears on flat roads. I start in 2nd, then to 4th and to 6th at 35 to 40 mph.

 

6th gear at 35-40mph? You have to be turning under 1500 rpm. Probably closer to 1200.
Not good for the motor or your fuel economy.