Manual vs. Auto options

AndyG

AndyG

Because some other guys are perverts
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I have a pretty nice 03 Rubicon manual I'd like to be an automatic
It's not the be all of TJs , but it's mine.

I have a not as nice 06 Rubicon that is Automatic. Just not as nice at the 03. It's a good one to get out an wheel , chop up , etc...roll over on it's side , etc. It has a rebuilt title , was stolen, not wrecked , drives good , runs good , all there ...just not pristine at all. I'd call it a great hunting rig.

So, how can I end up with a nice automatic?

Swap trannies? Seems complex

Tremec auto in the 03 ? I'm evaluating . Have no idea the price .

Trade 'em in, get one nice one with an auto ?

I'd like to keep both , wife would like a trip to Europe .

I'm just asking for ideas .

What do I like about the manual ? It is fun and engaging to drive, sporty.

What do I not like about the nv 3550? The shifter throw is a mile, you lose rpm , and the automatic will basically smoke it on and off the road. Also, you have to manage the rpms more , etc, like in any stick shift . It's work. Not hard work , but enough to keep you from holding your wife's hand.

What do I not like about the auto ? The 42LRE is not a good match for the 4.0 with oversized tires even if you are properly geared in my opinion , but turning off the overdrive fixes that ... otherwise , everything is more effortless in the auto.

Hit me with some feedback. I'm attached to the 03 , but I get attached to most every vehicle I fix up a little.

They are both paid for, but I hate to go deeper into the 03 a lot , enough is enough .....or is it ?
 
Manual for me every time. But my commute is short, if I drove a lot in stop and go traffic I'd be forced to admit an automatic has it's appeal.

A B&M short throw shifter would solve some of your issues with the manual, just saying.
 
WallyWest said:
Manual for me every time. But my commute is short, if I drove a lot in stop and go traffic I'd be forced to admit an automatic has it's appeal.

A B&M short throw shifter would solve some of your issues with the manual, just saying.
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Good one. I forgot about those. Thanks.
 
I was thinking tub swap, but lord knows how different the tub wiring would be. You'd also need to pull the NVLD and components from the 06 tub and put it in the 03 tub.
 
Jamison C said:
I was thinking tub swap, but lord knows how different the tub wiring would be. You'd also need to pull the NVLD and components from the 06 tub and put it in the 03 tub.
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Yes, I’m having a hard time getting my mind around deep surgery. Especially now my rear defroster works....it’s a milestone ...everything works . Took a year and a half, and more money than I’m willing to publicly admit.
 
I'd take the easy way out and go for the 42RLE. With the right gearing it works well enough that I'm not looking to replace mine. It's not as bad as some claim. All the parts needed are readily available and there's nothing that has to be modified or engineered to get it working.
 
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An auto would be awesome for the rocks. Much more control and your crawl speed is basically endless.

Day to day I actually prefer a manual but that's just my opinion. I live in the SF bay area and we have some fairly bad traffic. Not LA bad but my work is 15 min away without traffic but takes me 30-45 min on weekdays both ways. Even though I have a nice automatic truck I always prefer to take one of the manual cars. It gives me something to do while driving and makes me feel more connected to the road.

If I was running the trails at Jerry's level I would hands down trade my jeep in for an auto rubicon and start swapping parts. But for the types of trails I do (rubicon and Moab being the more difficult ones) I have found my manual to do just fine. I wish I had an atlas 5:1 but with any luck, it'll come one day.

It's really a personal choice of which you keep. I wouldn't hassle with the tranny swap. If your goal is to sell one and go to Europe then the non-salvage jeep would obviously raise more money. You could always buy a gallon of Bondo, do a bunch of prep work, and let Maaco spray the 06. I have an old Miata I may be going that route with this summer. Or may just attempt spraying it myself.
 
Jerry Bransford said:
I'd take the easy way out and go for the 42RLE. With the right gearing it works well enough that I'm not looking to replace mine. It's not as bad as some claim. All the parts needed are readily available and there's nothing that has to be modified or engineered to get it working.
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You also have a shift kit if im correct? What is the point of that and how does it work, my Dad has one in his truck because we tow our boat and such quite often so I know it helps, but if i'm not mistaken it makes the shifts firmer and much quicker correct?
 
manual all the way for me but my Wheeling consists of two tracks for hunting and fishing and mine's a daily driver but the good thing about Emanuel is most of the Millennials are too damn stupid to steal it
 
AndyG said:
What do I not like about the auto ? The 42LRE is not a good match for the 4.0 with oversized tires even if you are properly geared in my opinion , but turning off the overdrive fixes that ... otherwise , everything is more effortless in the auto.
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I've owned several manual and 42RLE TJs. My personal experience with the 42RLE has been nothing but good. However, they do get a bad rap for the wrong reasons, i.e. the '05 to '06 computer issues. This problem has been resolved thanks to Wrangler Fix.

The '03 to '04 42RLE has proven to be very dependable. My '03 went almost 200K before needing a transmission. If you want to make them last, the answer is relatively simple. Get a good stacked plate cooler, add a temperature gauge, and change the fluid regularly.

Yes, you also have to make sure the rears are geared correctly. Doing this will make the Jeep much more enjoyable. I love driving a manual, but I never get in my automatic and wish for a stick. Also, don't overlook the fact that the 42RLE has something going for it that the other transmissions don't, i.e. a Rubicrawler. This is hands down my favorite modification. With a Rubicon 241 you get 4 speeds, ranging from 1:1 to 10.88:1.

Back to the topic at hand, maybe this is a chance to changeover to an LJ? If so, all '04 LJs were automatic and they aren't prone to the OPDA and computer issues the later models have. In terms of other options, you could always do a v8 swap, but that can be pricey.
 
WallyWest said:
Manual for me every time. But my commute is short, if I drove a lot in stop and go traffic I'd be forced to admit an automatic has it's appeal.

A B&M short throw shifter would solve some of your issues with the manual, just saying.
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I’m glad you brought up a short throw shifter.. I’ve heard they aren’t good for your transmission.. I took the one out of my mustang long ago Cause it’s basically a plate you install that just barely allows the teeth of the shift and tranny to engage causing the teeth to wear out prematurely?.. am I missing something?.. I’m just wanting to be more informed about them!
 
I've got the 42rle what I want to know is how do you end up with one in the 2003 manual chassis
 
AndyG said:
I've got the 42rle what I want to know is how do you end up with one in the 2003 manual chassis
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Take to “a guy” and tell him to swap trannys from one to the other.. easy peasy!!😂
 
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AndyG said:
I've got the 42rle what I want to know is how do you end up with one in the 2003 manual chassis
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Does the '03 have a black or gray key? If it has the gray "Sentry" key then the swap is much harder, with a longer, more expensive, parts list.
 
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Both have the same key... One thought is to keep the 03 and use it for longer trips it's very Highway friendly... And just wheel the 2006

That's been my plan all along until the wife asked me the other day if I was selling the 06 in that way women do that means you're going to sell it.

I even thought about getting a 4-door for longer trips ... But I'm going to be straight up.... I have had Jeep since I was about 19 or 20.. a TJ feels like a jeep has always felt. I declare when I get behind the wheel I'm 20 again .
 
AndyG said:
Both have the same key... One thought is to keep the 03 and use it for longer trips it's very Highway friendly... And just wheel the 2006

That's been my plan all along until the wife asked me the other day if I was selling the 06 in that way women do that means you're going to sell it.

I even thought about getting a 4-door for longer trips ... But I'm going to be straight up.... I have had Jeep since I was about 19 or 20.. a TJ feels like a jeep has always felt. I declare when I get behind the wheel I'm 20 again .
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What are your gear ratios in each with tire size?
 
mrblaine said:
What are your gear ratios in each with tire size?
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Both have the plain black key.

The 2003 manual 5-speed has 4:56 and 33 in.

The 2006 has 4:88 gears and 33 inch tires.

The short story is I bought a manual out of muscle memory I guess.. years ago automatic were relatively rare in the CJ Jeeps.

Then I drove an automatic and I was like what am I doing with a manual?
 
I'm a stick kind of guy. I get the auto is easier, but I also am not doing any hard core rock crawling and live in the country. Top off and a manual trans on a warm day is heaven to me.

But to throw this out...
Any sort of short throw shifter that restricts full gear engagement is not really a short throw shifter. I've actually never heard of that thing before. A short throw shifter works by changing the fulcrum in the shifter meaning the movement of the fork is made to be the same while the top of the lever has to move less. I can't imagine that type of setup going into a performance vehicle. They would be spitting gears out left and right. Sounds more like something your idiot brother-in-law would come up with.
 
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