Learning Stick on an XJ

[jcjeeper89]

I recently bought a 97 manual 5spd, 4.0 XJ. I love Cherokees and the fact that this one was a stick didn't bother, me seeing as I think I got a great deal on it!

Anyway, are there any tricks/quirks to driving a manual XJ. This will be my first manual vehicle, so I will also be learning on it. (Trying not to wear out the clutch too much).

Thanks for any info!

 

[K2fender]

They are actually one of the easier cars to learn on IMO. Just give it a little throttle and let out on the clutch slowly. Youll get the hang of it.

 

[IXNAYXJ]

With all the torque and the forgiving clutch, it's a very easy vehicle to drive with a manual transmission. Good choice.

-----Matt-----

 

[GhostDakota]

I've had 3 friends learn in my XJ. The one learned to drive AND drive stick in it. Just get used to being stopped and moving in first gear. Practice that a lot. The shifting into 2nd and 3rd, etc., is easier. Good luck!

 

[UNCC_99XJ]

Slow and steady. As mentioned, practice starts and stops, that way you get a real good feel for the clutch.

 

[5-90]

It's a lot easier to learn a clutch in a truck than in a car - the gearing tends to be lower in a truck, and there's more torque off-idle. I've taught probably a dozen people - several of them in my 1988 (when the damn Peugeot gearbox wasn't acting up. Not a problem for you.)

Progression -
Learn takeoffs in first and reverse on level ground (a parking lot late in the evening is good for this.) Worry about shifting from first to second after you get good at standing starts - that's probably the hardest thing to learn first.

Once you get good at standing starts, pick out a couple of good, long, straight lanes in the parking lot so you can work on upshifts and downshifts (1-2, maybe 2-3, and 3-2.)

Once you feel comfortable with shifting up and down, and now that you've got flatland standing starts out of the way, go find a parking garage. Start over.

Why a parking garage? You can learn uphill and downhill starts and stops, and you can working on upshifting out of turns, and downshifting into turns.

This will usually allow you to learn rather quicker than trying to drive on the street. If possible, take someone with you who knows what they're about when driving a manual to get you there and back again the first few times, so you can focus on learning.

 

[RichP]

Both my kids learned on my 98XJ, they started out on flat roads in our developments lower end than graduated to the angles of the middle end then went on to handle the hilly upper part where you never get out of first no matter what you're driving. That one used to make me cringe when they were learing from a dead stop. Both currently drive wranglers with 5 speeds. For my daughter is was 'cool', she said it used to intimidate her friends that she could drive a stick.

 

[caspergotaz28]

There is no synchro for reverse, you have to quickly shift into 5th and then reverse.

That's how it is on my '94 anyways.

 

[xjfreak40]

I learned in an '87 toyota tercel hatchback. (can't complain about a $100 car.) The jeep I have now is way easier. Great choice on a vehicle to learn in. I would practice starting from a dead stop while facing uphill. You'll want to have that down. Then it won't be as nerv-wracking when you're on a hill at a red light and some jerk pulls RIGHT UP to your bumper.

 

[MoparRobbie]

There is no synchro for reverse, you have to quickly shift into 5th and then reverse.

That's how it is on my '94 anyways.

explains why my '89 4spd box likes to grind if I don't rev is a bit before shifting in Rev.

 

[93_xj]

my reverse always grinds but i figured out that if i shift to 1st quickly and then reverse, I have no problems.

I learned stick when i was 12 on an old 80 something s10 4 speed. Since then, both vehicles that ive owned ( xj's ) are both a stick. I love stick on and offroad.

Although my friend has an aw4 in her XJ and i took it out one night and its so much easier offroad, you dont have to worry about working the clutch , all you do is sit back and use the brakes when needed.

 

[remsing]

When ever you are starting off uphill keep your feet on the clutch and break. Slowly lift off of the clutch until it barely starts to engage. Then give it a little gas and let off the clutch. This will keep you from rolling.

 

[r/c-pilot]

Alot of great tips here, just practice as they've said, you'll be fine. We love our's, no problem with it. We've had 2 TJ's and 1 XJ so far with this trans, and no problems. We've been here in Chicagoland area for 3 years, the XJ had 30k on it when we came here, it now has 120k, from my wife (a real trooper), driving back and forth from Michigan ave. to the western suburbs in rush hour traffic. Still operates as smooth as it originally did.

 

[MENEZES]

i learned on my xj by driving to local residential hills and stopping halfway up and get going again, fun times haha.

You'll get the hang of it quick.

 

[MoparRobbie]

just don't slip the clutch a whole lot. I tend to slip it on a hill, if someone is behind me (as nobody really ever remembers that std trans *do* exist, only other heep drivers) If nobody is behind me, I roll back while revving it a little bit (12-1500 rpm) then come off the clutch. a nice smooth transition, maybe a little macho wheelsqueek.

 

[Dano]

my 93 was cake, i tought myself and afte 10 minutes i got it down pretty good.

now I own a VW and a metro that are 5 speeds. i dont think i'd buy another auto. the vw throws me off a bit and i have to glance at the shift knob. R is all the way to the left
R-1-3-5
...2-4

and you have to push the shifter down to get into first or reverse. but then again, i got it after about 10 minutes of driving.

I always swing the stick around in neutral, just to make sure, don't wanna get out and have it jerk forward.:guitar:

 

[RichP]

When ever you are starting off uphill keep your feet on the clutch and break. Slowly lift off of the clutch until it barely starts to engage. Then give it a little gas and let off the clutch. This will keep you from rolling.

Actually thats somewhat incorrect, better to take advantage of the emergency brake handle where it is and, one foot on clutch, one foot on gas, one hand on EB and the other on the steering wheel, release EB as clutch starts to engage.

 

[Ray H]

Actually thats somewhat incorrect, better to take advantage of the emergency brake handle where it is and, one foot on clutch, one foot on gas, one hand on EB and the other on the steering wheel, release EB as clutch starts to engage.

What! If you ever need to use the Ebrake to keep from rolling backwards, you're not very good at operating a manual transmission vehicle.
I would never, ever, teach someone to drive a stick using the Ebrake. I would teach the three pedal method before telling them to use the Ebrake, but on the street, thats not needed either.

 

[UNCC_99XJ]

What! If you ever need to use the Ebrake to keep from rolling backwards, you're not very good at operating a manual transmission vehicle.
I would never, ever, teach someone to drive a stick using the Ebrake. I would teach the three pedal method before telling them to use the Ebrake, but on the street, thats not needed either.

What's wrong with using the e-brake method?

I use the e-brake when I drive anything that's a manual. You can be the worlds greatest manual transmission driver, but burn the clutch out trying to get up a hill, or end up rolling in to that jerk behind you who pulled up too close.

The e-brake is a great way to help (especially those who are still learning) get you going on a hill, with out sacrificing the clutch. My old man has been driving straight drives all his live (never owned an automatic) and still to this day uses the e-brake method. Especially on the REALLY steep hills.

 

[Ray H]

What's wrong with using the e-brake method?

I use the e-brake when I drive anything that's a manual. You can be the worlds greatest manual transmission driver, but burn the clutch out trying to get up a hill, or end up rolling in to that jerk behind you who pulled up too close.

The e-brake is a great way to help (especially those who are still learning) get you going on a hill, with out sacrificing the clutch. My old man has been driving straight drives all his live (never owned an automatic) and still to this day uses the e-brake method. Especially on the REALLY steep hills.

If you are the worlds greatest manual transmission driver, you would never need to use the Ebrake to keep from burning a clutch.
Im just saying, if you have to use the Ebrake, you arent very good at driving a stick because you're making it alot more complicated than it is. Its a crutch. If people learn to depend on it, they wont learn what to do without it.
You dont need to "sacrifice" the clutch. Slipping it alittle at low RPMs is not what hurts it. Its slipping it at high RPMs (such as drag racing) that wears it out quickly and burns it up. On a hill all you need to do is let the clutch out just far enough that the engine holds the vehicle in place for a half second (just long enough for your right foot to move 6" to the throttle). Once your right foot is on the gas, smoothly release the clutch. Most all of the clutch slipping takes place while trying to get the vehicle moving so using the Ebrake doesnt save anything.
If you cant start on a hill without rolling backwards or stalling, by all means, use the Ebrake. Ive never needed to. Actually, the only stickshift I have right now is my YJ and it would be nearly impossible to use the Ebrake for this reason because I would need to come to a stop, put the Jeep in "N' to use my left foot to depress the Ebrake pedal, then push the clutch back in and put it back in gear, then move my left hand down to the Ebrake handle and steer with my right hand, then when I get rolling, switch hands again so I can steer and shift at the same time..