Touchy Throttle Response

It's still my opinion that the described throttle touchiness is normal and just a function of the ultra-low gearing of 4Lo. Like a new teenage driver getting used to a clutch to make smooth 1st gear takeoffs, it's the same with new Jeepers getting used to 1st gear in 4Lo. It's an ultra low ratio and until you get used to it it could indeed seem very touchy.
 
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RD3 said:
What spring did you use and where did you find it? I have the same problem
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I had a bin with some springs. Any auto parts store should have a pack of light tension springs that should work.
 
Jerry Bransford said:
It's still my opinion that the described throttle touchiness is normal and just a function of the ultra-low gearing of 4Lo. Like a new teenage driver getting used to a clutch to make smooth 1st gear takeoffs, it's the same with new Jeepers getting used to 1st gear in 4Lo. It's an ultra low ratio and until you get used to it it could indeed seem very touchy.
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In my case on smooth surfaces 1st gear low range the throttle is fine, acts like any other manual transmission in low range. However when on rough terrain ie your bouncing all over the place on a rocky road your foot is not going to stay smooth on a light gas pedal which is going to result in jerking back and forth even more from your foot moving around on the gas pedal since you physically can’t hold it still. In this case an extra spring will fix the problem.
 
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Simply because "throttle touchiness" is common or even normal doesn't mean one has to put up with it.

For many, a second throttle spring stiffens the gas pedal just enough to make their jeep more comfortable for them to drive in low range. What's wrong with that? It doesn't have anything to to with being a "new" jeeper - it is simply personal preference for throttle feel.
 
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1945GPW said:
In my case on smooth surfaces 1st gear low range the throttle is fine, acts like any other manual transmission in low range. However when on rough terrain ie your bouncing all over the place on a rocky road your foot is not going to stay smooth on a light gas pedal which is going to result in jerking back and forth even more from your foot going up and down on the gas since you physically can’t hold it still. In this case an extra spring will fix the problem.
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Just a little more foot training is all that is needed for smooth rock crawling. On the rocks is where my TJ lives 99% of its offroad life, on extremely bumpy rocky trails. It's pretty much nothing but a rock crawler. Placing the right-side of your foot on the transmission tunnel to partially support it pretty well stops the foot from bouncing. I'm running a 4:1 tcase and 5.38 gearing with my automatic and this is my second TJ with an automatic (I converted my first TJ from a stick to an automatic) so if a jerky throttle was a problem for me I would agree. :)

This is my present TJ, it's my second pure rock crawler....

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To each their own. Some like touchy throttles some like stiffer. Has nothing to do with your experience level. It’s personal preference like Mr. Bills said.
 
1945GPW said:
To each their own. Some like touchy throttles some like stiffer.
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I wouldn't like a touchy throttle either, I just don't consider the OE throttle touchy after having sufficient time training my foot. It didn't take my foot long to master the gas pedal while on the rocks. To me considering it touchy is just a thing newer rock crawlers talk about. :)

P.S. If you just can't take the gas pedal's traits, you can always install a hand throttle onto your automatic.

This is what I installed into my previous TJ when I converted it over to the automatic but it wasn't long before it was no longer needed....

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Jerry Bransford said:
I wouldn't like a touchy throttle either, I just don't consider the OE throttle touchy after having sufficient time training my foot. It didn't take my foot long to master the gas pedal while on the rocks. To me considering it touchy is just a thing newer rock crawlers talk about. :)

P.S. If you just can't take the gas pedal's traits, you can always install a hand throttle onto your automatic.

This is what I installed into my previous TJ when I converted it over to the automatic but it wasn't long before it was no longer needed....

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Would have been easier to just repost post #18 ;)
 
Mr. Bills said:
What egocentric, condescending B.S.
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While I don't want to start an argument, I don't think that anything Jerry said is condescending. I remember when I first started to learn how to drive off-road (that was only a few years ago!). When I first started, the entire Jeep would jerk and lurch as I tried to control the throttle input. I just didn't have the foot coordination or the experience to know how to properly use the throttle pedal when in low range. After a few outings, I got better and better at controlling the throttle and nowadays I have no trouble driving or shifting in low range.

For me, it was just like learning how to drive a manual. At first, I couldn't start from a stop without the Jeep lurching. But after a few days of practice, I had no problems getting going. When I was first learning how to drive a stick, I didn't think there was something wrong with the Jeep. I just didn't have the experience to drive it smoothly.
 
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I think it’s comical how individuals can jump to conclusions on someone’s driving experience based on how they prefer their throttle pedal.
 
been driving Jeeps since the early 60's ....last 30 of those have been in the Ozark Mt. in AR....probably owned 25 - 30 Jeeps from a Ford GPW up to a 2014 Cherokee...ride now is a 2004 Rubicon and throttle is "touchy" sensitive in any gear even in a WM parking lot with two springs....I'll keep playing with it till I find the problem
 
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Kent Dakin said:
been driving Jeeps since the early 60's ....last 30 of those have been in the Ozark Mt. in AR....probably owned 25 - 30 Jeeps from a Ford GPW up to a 2014 Cherokee...ride now is a 2004 Rubicon and throttle is "touchy" sensitive in any gear even in a WM parking lot with two springs....I'll keep playing with it till I find the problem
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Gee Whiz, I guess one doesn't have to be new to jeeps or rockcrawling to talk about touchy throttles after all.
:crazylick:
 
Probably naive question, but how exactly do you use the hand throttle? Do set it to lock at a certain RPM or is it like a thumb throttle on an ATV? Assume it would allow for smoother acceleration and holding throttle bouncing around?
 
Rick2004LJ said:
Probably naive question, but how exactly do you use the hand throttle? Do set it to lock at a certain RPM or is it like a thumb throttle on an ATV? Assume it would allow for smoother acceleration and holding throttle bouncing around?
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The teraflex hand throttle I have can do both. You can turn a piece that adjusts the "clamping force" the hand throttle can put on the throttle cable to allow it to act either way. Either the spring at the engine can overcome the "clamping force" from the hand throttle or it can't. I say "clamping force" because I don't know how exactly the mechanism works.

Most people usually leave it so it locks in.
 
Operation of a shifter mounted hand throttle is similar to a thumb throttle. Adjust tension on the lever so that it will hold at the position you select (i.e., the rpm you desire) but not so tight that you can't quickly and easily push the lever with your thumb when you need to reduce rpm.

Hand throttles are most commonly used with manual transmissions so that one can hold engine rpm while braking with the right foot and clutching with the left rather than trying to use the right foot for both brake and throttle. A side benefit is that throttle jerkiness over bumps is reduced.

I had a hand throttle in my CJ with Ford T-19 manual transmission. I used it some, but not as much as I thought I would when I installed it.

There are commercial kits such as the Teraflex kit linked above or you can make your own with a bicycle shifter. See https://www.stu-offroad.com/engine/throttle/jeep_throttle.htm

Another option would be a dash mounted hand throttle, but these are more commonly used in flat dash panels and I'm not sure how or where one could mount one in a TJ or LJ.

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A third option, albeit pricey, is an electronic hand throttle such as the unit marketed by Off-Road Engineering (not sure if still available)

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