4spd vs auto...your $.02 please

[Cappicaper]

I have been gathering parts for a build over the past months and now have too many options. I just picked up a 60 front and rear and will be installing them into a 74 Wagoneer that is currently sitting with a 360/4 spd (t18 I believe - stock jeep for sure)

My intention was to run it as is but my friend was was saying that his experience is that 4spds break more components than autos.

What do you guys think? Should I go auto? I have an AMC400, a T18 and a 465/205 "in stock.". Too many choices!

Thanks for all input.

[AKJ20]

For a rocks buggy .....auto.

For everything else a.... stick.

4spds break more components

Only if your stupid........
If you drop the clutch at 5 grand...... you will break parts.

[MonsterZ]

If you have a 4spd and that is what you really wanted to go with, then by all means go with it. The only thing I really enjoy the auto over the stick for is traffic and towing, but I don't really see much of either so I would go stick and enjoy jamming gears. 4 speeds are stupid strong man, consider how many 70's ford F150's are running around with comparable axles and 35+ inch tires getting hammered on and not having any problems. Part breakage almost always comes down to drivers over-abusing their rigs and trying to do things with them that they obviously shouldn't try to do, regardless of the parts they are made of. I have never had a T18 let me down and I have run 3 of them in Ford F-series pickups wearing tires from as small as 35" to 42". Love them to death. Not to say that the TH400 is bad, it is just as strong as long as you take care of it. Boils down to what you want more than anything else. Good luck, hope that helps.

[jeeping1974]

Whether 4spd break more/less than automatics all depend on the person driving them, their driving style, how well they were built/put together, etc.

Its your vehicle do what you want wth it. If you like wheeling with a stick, then leave the T18. If you don't want to worry about shifting, then install the TH400.

[gsmikie]

automatic

[rocklaurence]

Manual: Ive never had to walk because of a manual but anything will stop an auto--water, hydraulic, heat etc. Plus, an auto will require a rebuild approx every 80K-100K miles.

[orangecherokee]

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=80794&highlight=auto+manual

[j20brett]

Tell us what your intended purpose is for the rig and we can give a better answer. Personally, i prefer auto for rock crawling and general trail riding.

[Cappicaper]

This is going to be a trail rig up here in the coast range of oregon. I wouldn't say it will never see the street but I have plenty of other DDs so traffic and road ability isn't a concern.

[austinaubinoe]

I wish I had a 4spd behind my 360. I admit I do like the Aw4 in my XJ. I have burnt the fluid in it, flushed it with royal purple added a cooler and its still going strong at 160k hard miles. If it ever goes though Im putting in an Ax-15 or something.

You can rockcrawl with a stick, you just gotta be cool

[MonsterZ]

Having a good idea of where you are playing, I would probably stick with the manual man, compression braking and being able to select your gear going through things up there and a simple crawl ratio and that it is a trail rig, T18 and lock it up in both ends.

[CutterN55]

I love my Ford np435/205 (basically same as the granny geared T-18) in my waggy. I can always throw a rock-crawler/hand throttle on it. The thing is so dang low geared I can roll in 2nd or 3rd all day long and only go into Granny 1st if I really need it. in 4-Lo the thing is a monster. WAAY more fun than the 727 I had and my jeep really scoots now. I've got more than twice the final drive ratio than I had with my auto setup. I'm also running a couple hundred less RPMs on the highway. I was turning about 3K at 70, now I'm at about 2800 at 70. Keep the manual if you like the gears and can wheel with it. its strong and gives you lot of options to change things up in the future. I don't think the trade off between deep gears and comfortability is worth it.

With np435 1st gear/4Lo w/ 33's and 4.10's I'm at 53.76:1 final drive ratio.
With 727, 1st gear/4Lo w/ 33's and 4.10's I was at 26.22:1 final drive.

Use this to help you decide what you want.

http://www.grimmjeeper.com/gears.html

[Olen]

Totally up to you and your style. In my very own opinion, I would say go with the auto. I speak as one who has only driven standards from 19 years old to my current 32. My daily drivers are a 1995 Cobra with a stupid heavy clutch and a Sentra SE-R ricer (full disclosure: got it for a family car to replace a Ranger) with a super light clutch 6-speed that has me constantly looking for gears 7 and 8. Being that it is in sixth gear at 45mph, it is a constant rowing machine. Short story long, it is tedious regardless of what I drive, and I long to get my GW up and running just so I don't have to shift. Call me lazy, call me crazy, call me old, but shifting in stop-and-go is for the birds.

There you go. My $0.02

[tgreese]

You realize that, on the trail, driving style is completely different for an automatic compared to a stick. Maybe not everybody does this, but I drive an automatic over rocks and other obstacles with left foot on the brake and right on the throttle. You go slow by releasing power with the brakes - brakes and gas at the same time. Consequently you really depend on your brakes when driving an automatic.

I love manual transmissions. All my cars have manual transmissions by choice. But I don't hate automatics. When it comes time, I'll probably swap a TH400 into the CJ-6 because it will be fun to drive something a little different, and because I think it would make that Jeep very much more capable on the trail.

[CoveJeepsPA]

When I put tons under my YJ and it became a trailer queen, I swapped out the manual for the auto. It took some getting used to but I was very happy with the swap after a few runs. A lot more control on the rocks IMO. I had a hurst shifter & removed the tab that caught it from going from N-R so a quick slap to R was possible if needed.