Jim McGeough

I do a lot of off-roading with my 90 XJ. Since I have an automatic, my
choices are 1-2, 3, D. When I am in 4WD-Lo and can get some decent speed in
3rd gear. When I need to slow down I shift down to 1-2. The Jeep
transmission will only stay if 1st gear and never give me access to
2nd......where I really want to be. (i.e., 1st is too slow and 3rd is too
fast). Other than tossing the automatic and replacing it with a stick, does
anybody have any ideas?

Mike Romain

Someone posted something about a computer chip or something that would
'hold' the auto in first or second because the bugger wants to shift
down just as they are powering up the last 1/4 of a sand pit wall, so
the gear down shot just digs them holes and they are stopped.

I have never heard of it happening the other way where you are actually
stuck in 1st....

Personally, and from my experience on lots of Jeep off road runs, I
would prefer to be stuck in 1st in an automatic to climb a wall rather
than have it being in second with a potential unexpected or unwanted
kick down into first under load.

That is a big problem with the autos on our runs, they lose it 3/4 the
way up when it kicks down and just dig holes.

With my standard shift XJ, I run in 2nd low on climbs because the 4.0 is
a bit weak in low end torque so I need to keep the rpm up, with my CJ7
and it's 4.2 engine, I run in 3rd low and the tach says +/- 400 rpm as I
am powering up the crest. I have 'never' had a stall, my BFG 33x9.5
muds will just dig in if I get too steep and we run 50-65+ deg pit
walls. I have had ATV's flip over backwards trying to follow me. <grin>

So, have you checked the mechanical linkage adjustment from your
throttle lever at the throttle body to the tranny?

The kick down to a lower gear can be adjusted there on most of the ones
I have seen.

Maybe you want it to kick down, maybe you don't.....

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Jim McGeough wrote:
>
> I do a lot of off-roading with my 90 XJ. Since I have an automatic, my
> choices are 1-2, 3, D. When I am in 4WD-Lo and can get some decent speed in
> 3rd gear. When I need to slow down I shift down to 1-2. The Jeep
> transmission will only stay if 1st gear and never give me access to
> 2nd......where I really want to be. (i.e., 1st is too slow and 3rd is too
> fast). Other than tossing the automatic and replacing it with a stick, does
> anybody have any ideas?

Jim McGeough

Thanks for the input Mike. The problem I have is when I am going down a
long steep hill. If I'm in 3rd gear in 4WD-Lo, then I am constatnly riding
my brakes. When I shift down, it goes to 1st gear and then I am going way
too slow (RPM's up to 3,000 on the tach). I have an Atlas II transfer case
and 3.8:1 gears. 1st gear is great for crawling, but I need that middle
gear for the down-hill stuff.
"Mike Romain" <romainm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:3F14B20E.63B73EB3@sympatico.ca...
> Someone posted something about a computer chip or something that would
> 'hold' the auto in first or second because the bugger wants to shift
> down just as they are powering up the last 1/4 of a sand pit wall, so
> the gear down shot just digs them holes and they are stopped.
>
> I have never heard of it happening the other way where you are actually
> stuck in 1st....
>
> Personally, and from my experience on lots of Jeep off road runs, I
> would prefer to be stuck in 1st in an automatic to climb a wall rather
> than have it being in second with a potential unexpected or unwanted
> kick down into first under load.
>
> That is a big problem with the autos on our runs, they lose it 3/4 the
> way up when it kicks down and just dig holes.
>
> With my standard shift XJ, I run in 2nd low on climbs because the 4.0 is
> a bit weak in low end torque so I need to keep the rpm up, with my CJ7
> and it's 4.2 engine, I run in 3rd low and the tach says +/- 400 rpm as I
> am powering up the crest. I have 'never' had a stall, my BFG 33x9.5
> muds will just dig in if I get too steep and we run 50-65+ deg pit
> walls. I have had ATV's flip over backwards trying to follow me. <grin>
>
> So, have you checked the mechanical linkage adjustment from your
> throttle lever at the throttle body to the tranny?
>
> The kick down to a lower gear can be adjusted there on most of the ones
> I have seen.
>
> Maybe you want it to kick down, maybe you don't.....
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
>
> Jim McGeough wrote:
> >
> > I do a lot of off-roading with my 90 XJ. Since I have an automatic, my
> > choices are 1-2, 3, D. When I am in 4WD-Lo and can get some decent
speed in
> > 3rd gear. When I need to slow down I shift down to 1-2. The Jeep
> > transmission will only stay if 1st gear and never give me access to
> > 2nd......where I really want to be. (i.e., 1st is too slow and 3rd is
too
> > fast). Other than tossing the automatic and replacing it with a stick,
does
> > anybody have any ideas?

L.W.(=?iso-8859-1?Q?=DFill?=) Hughes III

Hi Jim,
http://cherokee-jeep.com/ and:
http://www.dirtroad.com/compushift.htm
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Jim McGeough wrote:
>
> Thanks for the input Mike. The problem I have is when I am going down a
> long steep hill. If I'm in 3rd gear in 4WD-Lo, then I am constatnly riding
> my brakes. When I shift down, it goes to 1st gear and then I am going way
> too slow (RPM's up to 3,000 on the tach). I have an Atlas II transfer case
> and 3.8:1 gears. 1st gear is great for crawling, but I need that middle
> gear for the down-hill stuff.

Big Daddy

Jim McGeough wrote:

> I do a lot of off-roading with my 90 XJ. Since I have an automatic, my
> choices are 1-2, 3, D. When I am in 4WD-Lo and can get some decent speed
> in
> 3rd gear. When I need to slow down I shift down to 1-2. The Jeep
> transmission will only stay if 1st gear and never give me access to
> 2nd......where I really want to be. (i.e., 1st is too slow and 3rd is too
> fast). Other than tossing the automatic and replacing it with a stick,
> does anybody have any ideas?

Ummm, why would you want to be in 4wd low and run in anything but 1st gear?
Isn't that what it's for? The crawl speed and the massive torque? Anything
else, I assume you could get using a lower gear in 4wd high.

mabar

Actually, I frequently use 4-Lo in second gear (auto). Sometimes it provides
just the right combination of speed and torque.

Tom

"Big Daddy" <DontBother@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:3f15dea2$0$73625$a0465688@nnrp.fuse.net...

snip
>
> Ummm, why would you want to be in 4wd low and run in anything but 1st
gear?
> Isn't that what it's for? The crawl speed and the massive torque? Anything
> else, I assume you could get using a lower gear in 4wd high.

Carrollcaboodle

Here ya go. Let me know how it works out for you.
http://www.ilovejeeps.com/tech/article.cfm?ID=5
TrailMarker

Jim McGeough

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for!!
"Carrollcaboodle" <carrollcaboodle@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030716214200.05032.00000066@mb-m26.aol.com...
> Here ya go. Let me know how it works out for you.
> http://www.ilovejeeps.com/tech/article.cfm?ID=5
> TrailMarker
>