Manual vs Automatic-----Who Would Win the Race?

[MacAttack]

I just posted in another thread that I pulled up to a stoplight next to a Libby with automatic.
They were halfway down the road while I was still screwing around in 1st and 2nd.
I had to start in 1st because I was on a small hill.
Do you have any tips that would have helped me to keep up with the auto?
It's embarassing to have this beautiful, brand new shiny red Jeep, and have people behind me getting pissed while everyone on the side of me just zips on by.

Help !!!!

 

[KJ02Ltd]

Tips?

Drive it like it was meant to be driven and not like a little ol' woman! #-o

Seriously, I've got an auto so I'm not sure what the big deal is.

 

[jimheem]

I dunno, our 5 speed hauls along pretty good, even from a dead start. An auto may be able to pull away while I'm in first, but once I smack it into second she takes right off, third, even more so.

perhaps you ahve the 6 speed and the ratios have changed dramatically? not sure.

 

[Trodo]

For the auto, get a little rolling start, then don't floor it, but increase the pedel pressure and let the torque go for it.
With my mods, when I go for it, I roar away. Horsepower is good, torque is your friend.

 

[hyde]

If you complaint that it shifts up unneccesarily, just keep it at 1, and when you are ready switch it to 2.. in Automatic.

Win the race? in straight stretch? I would say manual. It depends on the driver, average american driver would not be able to operate a manual to win the race, because we are lazy and we are used to auto most. But someone who is experienced with stick shift, will do just fine over any auto any car any time.

 

[jimheem]

in a straight stretch I might say the auto could win the race, since it's totally mindless and you just need to put your foot on the floor to make it go. no need to shift or think about shift points and such, no clutch delay.

Where the manual shines is when you have to do things like take corners, or go up and down hills - this allows the driver to do all kinds of different powering manuvers that are not possible with an automatic, such as really powering into a corner

 

[MacAttack]

Well my problem is that when taking off form a complete stop with my Manual I either have to go extremely slow, or try to go fast but jerk and jolt all over the place (and I still can't go very fast). Watching the Automatic pull so far ahead of me from the stoplight made me jealous.

I've had Manual all my life, but I just can't seem to master this Libby ******.

 

[hyde]

Well my problem is that when taking off form a complete stop with my Manual I either have to go extremely slow, or try to go fast but jerk and jolt all over the place (and I still can't go very fast). Watching the Automatic pull so far ahead of me from the stoplight made me jealous.

I've had Manual all my life, but I just can't seem to master this Libby ******.

That's strange, Can't you just shift to 2 immediately you start moving? That's what people are doing most of the time to get going... ''


jimheem, while you might be right, you are forgetting that sometimes it takes long time for AT to shift to second gear, whereas in MT you can shift and get going, instead of putting torque while you can be putting some rubber on the road. Both have pros and cons in their own way.. I am no racer, but kj still picks up well with AT..

What I do with my AT is I floor get it going, I let gas go a little bit and push half way, I find that this trick gets jeep skip to second gear quickly. I fool my AT all the time!! I learned to control that it doesn't downshift as well on straight strech when I am doing 50 with 1400rpm \/

 

[MacAttack]

That's strange, Can't you just shift to 2 immediately you start moving? That's what people are doing most of the time to get going... ''

I couldn't start in 2 because I was on a small uphill incline.
I can switch to 2 real fast (in fact you have to get out of 1st quick), but when trying to switch gears fast I end up jerking and jolting all over. With my old pickup I could shift as fast as I wanted and keep it pretty smooth.

I'll just keep trying and hopefully I'll get better, and it will break in more, and we'll meet in the middle.

 

[kjpilot]

Mac,
To race only-Rev the engine to 4000 rpm (max torque) & bring up the clutch at an even, measured pace, fairly quickly but don't pop the clutch. Practice, practice, practice. all manual transmissions have different characteristics, you have to get used to your new one. use your tach to tell you when to shift, a lugging engine only happens when the engine isn't turning fast enough to turn the gears & drivetrain.

Careful, this is not a race car! It's heavy, has a high CG, huge soft tire sidewalls. You don't want to end up in the morning news paper! #-o Doing this stuff is ******* the car too, so don't practice too much O

 

[hyde]

That's strange, Can't you just shift to 2 immediately you start moving? That's what people are doing most of the time to get going... ''

I couldn't start in 2 because I was on a small uphill incline.
I can switch to 2 real fast (in fact you have to get out of 1st quick), but when trying to switch gears fast I end up jerking and jolting all over. With my old pickup I could shift as fast as I wanted and keep it pretty smooth.

I'll just keep trying and hopefully I'll get better, and it will break in more, and we'll meet in the middle.

Yeah, I didn't mean to get up at 2, i never seen a car that can do that. I used to have fun back in europe, start the car in shift, It hopped like crazy!!
I meant switch to 2 really fast, I might have forgotten "immediately after you start moving" in my post`.

I am sure you will get used to it, forget those who zip you by, just go at your own pace, don't feel intimidated. MT is a lot of fun to drive if you are the master of it. Otherwise.... I am lazy!

 

[indieaz]

The big question nobody has asked: why are you racing in a liberty...and why would you care about your liberty being faster than someone else's?

 

[jimheem]

prolly cuz he doesnt have a corvette

 

[MacAttack]

The big question nobody has asked: why are you racing in a liberty...and why would you care about your liberty being faster than someone else's?

I don't want to race anyone........was just having lots of trouble taking off from a stop.

On my way to work today things got better. I think I was shifting out of 1st and to 2nd too fast before because I read too many things about keeping the rpm's below 2500-3000. So this morning I tried just ignoring the rpm's and shifting when it sounded and felt like it was ready for a shift. It drove much better. I noticed I was shifting at about 3500 rpm's whereas before I was trying to stay below 3000. (Basically I just said screw being careful and just drive the son of a bit$%^#$%@# !!!)
So is it ok for the rpm's to get up towards the 4000 level on a brand new vehicle? So far I have 700 miles.

 

[MoladoGuy]

So is it ok for the rpm's to get up towards the 4000 level on a brand new vehicle? So far I have 700 miles.

I don't know about manuals but in my automatic I wont come close to those types of RPM's unless I'm jumping on the X-way. Especially just sitting at a stop light, unless the car behind is not stopping lol.

I keep my RPM's around 2500 or less when accelerating. I already have horrible gas mileage so I'm not going to play lead foot with the accelerator.

 

[MacAttack]

I just went out to look at my tachyometer.
It goes from 1 to 7. Redline is at 6.

I have the 6-speed. Are the redlines different depending on auto vs manual, 5-spd vs 6-spd?

Maybe that's part of my problem. Maybe I've been looking at a different tachyometer than other people.

 

[hyde]

You sure it is at 6000? it should be at 5700 or 58~
I think it is same no matter what kind of ****** you have.

 

[Dave]

My redlind is at 6. I just went outside and looked. That said I don't think I've actually red lined it then. I've had it to 5500-5800 though but normally I do not do that. That's way past the torque curve anyway. It's not like it's a vette or charger or something.

I did test drive a hemi GC and got on it and that was fun and I was burning up the dealer's gas.....ha ha.

 

[indieaz]

I just went out to look at my tachyometer.
It goes from 1 to 7. Redline is at 6.

I have the 6-speed. Are the redlines different depending on auto vs manual, 5-spd vs 6-spd?

Maybe that's part of my problem. Maybe I've been looking at a different tachyometer than other people.

The redline is a limitation of the engine - not the transmission. The redline in a 3.7L V-6 will be the same no matter what ******/gearing you have. The redline is determined by how fast the valvetrain can safely move before parts either begin breaking, valves start floating etc.

As for the saftey of bringing the vehicle up to high RPMs...if it's BRAND NEW (less than 500 miles generally...depending what automotive engineer you ask) you generally want to vary RPMs frequently...not stay at a constant RPM and not go over ~3k RPMs when the engine is brand new. The 500 mile rule is sort of old though...materials and such have improved greatly. I'm of the opinion that 100 miles is plenty.

One member said they rarely go over 3k RPMs. Make sure you occasionally drive it hard and gun the thing...otherwise you'll get lots of carbon buildup. That said, occasionally taking your vehicle up to 5,000rpm or higher isn't a problem and in fact is a good practice.

 

[kjpilot]

I don't know what this was based on, but on Car Talk they said to find the proper shift point for normal driving, take the car to the freeway & get up to 65 MPH. While cruising at 65 in the highest gear, note the RPM; this should be your shift point for other gears.

That was back in the early 90's, before 6 speeds, so I'd up it to 70-75 mph