A heads up to anyone looking to buy a TJ with a 32RH transmission

[B34C0N]

I use my jeep for work. I need it to be reliable and the 32RH has let me down in the peak of harvest season. It's not a show off mall crawler Jeep.

Again. Daily driven 220k miles. Mine has had no issues. Call the shop that did the work. They should stand by their work.

Your sample size is small. Yours is the outlier.

Mine did 45k miles with 33 tires and 3.07 gears. That's overworked and no issues.

Again. Call the shop to get them to fix what they didn't.

 

[Caveman44]

Sounds like a warrenty claim to me. A good shop should stand by their work

Ive already had trouble getting them to warranty it when I had a transmission cooler line blow out a couple days after they rebuilt it. They think I take it to riding trails and mud bogs. I've never done anything stupid like that with it. Even if I had, it shouldn't fail this soon.

 

[B34C0N]

Ive already had trouble getting them to warranty it when I had a transmission cooler line blow out a couple days after they rebuilt it. They think I take it to riding trails and mud bogs. I've never done anything stupid like that with it. Even if I had, it shouldn't fail this soon.

Well I hope these comments have shown you that the transmission is likely not the root issue here. If the shop won't warrenty their work it may be time to escalate. Your case it not common.

 

[MountaineerTom]

As far as the pan leak, do you know if the mating surface on the trans body is in good shape (not gouged or scarred up)?

Is the pan straight?

How are you sealing it up? I've always had good luck with Fel-Pro gaskets.

Are the pan bolts properly torqued?


It's pretty uncommon for someone to join up and immediately start bashing Jeeps. Usually goes in the form of hey here's my problem, anyone got any ideas for a fix? Your first couple of posts came across as you being a big Ford fan and just wanted to bash on Jeeps.

I understand your frustration though and hope you can get it figured out. There's a lot of Jeep knowledge here, including the 32RH.

 

[Flivver250]

Sounds like your tranny shop doesn't like you. Can't imagine why.

 

[Irun]

You really stepped in a pile here. If you spent anytime researching, before posting, you'd see that the 32RH, previously known as the A999 is a member of the legendary Torqueflite family of transmissions. These were made continuously from 1955 - 2007. Variants of them were put behind everything from big block V8s to 4 cylinders. The A999 (32RH) in particular was a heavier-duty, wide-ratio version of the smaller A904 transmission. It was specifically designed and used in conjunction with V8 and high torque 6 cylinder engines. They are bulletproof, if taken care of properly, which has been proven through decades of use and tens of millions of miles. As others have said, your experience is not common.

 

[TheBoogieman]

The 32RH is my favorite Jeep transmission.

 

[jeepguy03]

The 32RH is reliable. My only gripe is that it's a 3 speed auto, which is 1960's technology and ridiculous that it's in a late 90's vehicle. You need to find a competent shop.

 

[mrblaine]

You really stepped in a pile here. If you spent anytime researching, before posting, you'd see that the 32RH, previously known as the A999 is a member of the legendary Torqueflite family of transmissions. These were made continuously from 1955 - 2007. Variants of them were put behind everything from big block V8s to 4 cylinders. The A999 (32RH) in particular was a heavier-duty, wide-ratio version of the smaller A904 transmission. It was specifically designed and used in conjunction with V8 and high torque 6 cylinder engines. They are bulletproof, if taken care of properly, which has been proven through decades of use and tens of millions of miles. As others have said, your experience is not common.

They are fairly tough, very common, and generally trouble free. Fred who went by the user name StealthTJ, swapped out his manual in his 98 for the 32. Got it all working and being a trans guy, did a few shortcuts. One had something to do with the shifter or some mod he made to it but he was on the way to a trail one morning, dropped his coffee tumbler and in grabbing for it, smacked the shifter from drive to reverse at 70 mph.

Turned around took it back to the shop where he pulled it and took it apart to check and fix it. Buttoned it back up without replacing a single part. That trans is still working today. It is the rig I fixed up for a buddy of mine.

I have a few I know of with very similar issues to the OP. They all have the same thing in common, the shops that rebuilt them do not understand that while the 32 is very common, there are quite a few year specific little things that have to ordered and installed correctly or you have a shit rebuild that doesn't work right and won't last very long.

I let myself be convinced that Tera knew how to build a belly skid many years ago. I high centered on a climb, smacked the belly pan up which pushed the 32 oil pan up and mashed it against the pick-up. Fluid starvation took it out and I had to have it rebuilt. Westminster Trans did it in around 2001 and it has been flawless since.

 

[Hopper]

I dont know alot, but I know our 32 has a great reputation. One thing I am learning since I dont know alot is take your repairs to a shop that specializes in Jeeps. These Jeeps can be specified S.O.B.s

 

[SkylinesSuck]

straight?

No, I don't think they are. They are arguing over what the best automatic transmission is to have in your Jeep.

 

[Cornbread]

I use my jeep for work. I need it to be reliable and the 32RH has let me down in the peak of harvest season. It's not a show off mall crawler Jeep.

Using a short wheelbase vehicle such as a TJ for the purpose of pulling wagons is plain dumb. I run a farm also btw. My TJ is purely a recreational vehicle. For the cost of a 4.0 TJ I can find MANY better options for towing.

 

[Irun]

One had something to do with the shifter or some mod he made to it but he was on the way to a trail one morning, dropped his coffee tumbler and in grabbing for it, smacked the shifter from drive to reverse at 70 mph.

Turned around took it back to the shop where he pulled it and took it apart to check and fix it. Buttoned it back up without replacing a single part. That trans is still working today. It is the rig I fixed up for a buddy of mine.

This on its own says a lot about the transmission. I'm guessing it wasn't designed with a reverse inhibit safety mechanism like newer computer controlled transmissions. Some older transmissions don't react violently to this scenario, but some would.

 

[RFAASRMA]

I’d have to echo the positive opinion on the 32. When I first purchased it I had a different opinion with gear slipping at inopportune times. I told myself I would swap it out for a stick shift if the filter and fluid change didn’t work - I didn’t expect it would and I really wanted a 5-speed. After getting under there and doing the work it’s performed flawlessly since and completely changed my opinion.

 

[Chris]

First time I've ever heard anything bad about the 32RH. For it's intended purpose it's a great transmission.

 

[Caveman44]

As far as the pan leak, do you know if the mating surface on the trans body is in good shape (not gouged or scarred up)?

Is the pan straight?

How are you sealing it up? I've always had good luck with Fel-Pro gaskets.

Are the pan bolts properly torqued?


It's pretty uncommon for someone to join up and immediately start bashing Jeeps. Usually goes in the form of hey here's my problem, anyone got any ideas for a fix? Your first couple of posts came across as you being a big Ford fan and just wanted to bash on Jeeps.

I understand your frustration though and hope you can get it figured out. There's a lot of Jeep knowledge here, including the 32RH.

Im not particularly brand loyal lol. I the transmission is really the only thing i dont like on the jeep. I wish i would have gotten a stick shift version. The rest of the jeep has proven reliable and robust.
When I replaced the pan seal i placed the pan on a flat piece of steel and it was straight. I used a felpro gasket and torqued the bolts in a star pattern. I didnt have any leaks after i worked on it. I dont know what the shop did to it.

 

[Caveman44]

Using a short wheelbase vehicle such as a TJ for the purpose of pulling wagons is plain dumb. I run a farm also btw. My TJ is purely a recreational vehicle. For the cost of a 4.0 TJ I can find MANY better options for towing.

I actually said i never have hauled peanut wagons with my jeep. It is too light, to short, and would lack the tractive force needed to safely pull them.

 

[TDI Sahara]

The people who complain about Chrysler transmissions are usually fueled by the antics of a bad mechanic. Get off of the forums and figure out the actual problem.

 

[Caveman44]

Don't push your luck here or with me.

What do you mean?

 

[KingCarGuyZ]

What do you mean?

I may just be a foolish bystander, but if my parents have taught me anything. that generally translates almost directly to "shut up before you say something you might regret"