manually downshifting from 3rd. to 1-2

This is probably a simple question but I have never had the balls to actually do it. When my AW4 tranny is in the 1-2 position, like a lot of people's to shift to second I need to take the RPM's up to 5,000. Now, If I was cruising lets say at about 50 MPH in 3rd gear and dropted the shifter down into the 1-2 position, common sence tells me the transmition should downshift to second and stay there? Or, would the tranny slam into 1'st gear, this is what I'm afraid of Thanks!

snow drifter said:

This is probably a simple question but I have never had the balls to actually do it. When my AW4 tranny is in the 1-2 position, like a lot of people's to shift to second I need to take the RPM's up to 5,000. Now, If I was cruising lets say at about 50 MPH in 3rd gear and dropted the shifter down into the 1-2 position, common sence tells me the transmition should downshift to second and stay there? Or, would the tranny slam into 1'st gear, this is what I'm afraid of Thanks!

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You would hope that it shifts to 2nd, but what really happens is that it feels the sudden extra load and drops all the way to first. (Maybe not at 50, but often at 35-40). This was my biggest complaint about my XJ, until I found a fix on go-jeep's page:

http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoAutoSwitch.htm

It lets you put in a manual switch that fires the transmission's #2 solenoid. On the AW4 tranny, that forces you into 2nd if you're in 1st and 3rd if you're in OD. Flipping this switch lets you go back and forth between 3rd & 2nd using the shifter, which is awesome on hills.

which, sadly is only awsome if you have a 96 or older.

-ive kicked it into second doin 65 and it did fine!- wont do it again but it sounded really cool!

i've droped it from OD to 12 on the freeway doing 65...or 70mph and it locked up the rear, skidded, and held a remarkably straight line.
tranny is still ticking 6 mos later. i also had a similar thing happen playing the punch your girlfriend in the arm when you see a VW bus game...
well in our horseplay cruisin' at about 65-70 mph (again) we somehow kicked the shifter into R (this is not supposed to happen and i couldnt get it to happen again thankfully). on this occaison it skidded a little and ten the engine died. i know this is a bit off topic, but is a testimony to the strength of the aw4...and unfortunately my STUPIDITY.

Thanks for the replies. Living in the mountains of CO. With 31's and 3.55 gears I'm getting a lot of upshift downshift, 3rd, 2nd,3rd,2nd. I was hoping I could just slam it into 1-2 at about 45 and hold second gear while climbing. Can't do the 2nd gear mod, 99' XJ. Thanks again.