The automatic has several advantages. The automatic tranny gives you a better crawl ratio due to the torque converter. Another advantage is that you don't find yourself in need a third foot or use your right foot to rock the brake pedal and throttle at the same time as your left foot presses the clutch. There may be some other advantages that I am not aware of.

 

Well the 46re has a 2.54 first gear vs a 5.61 for the nv4500

So with just the gear ratios you get.

4.10 x 5.61 x 2.72 = 62

4.10 x 2.54 x 2.72 = 28.3


But torque converters do magic things

you can't directly compare first in the auto to first in the manual. Just using the ratio.

 

So the way it was explained to me, that as the torque converter works it doubles the ratio.

46RE 4.10 x 2.45 x 2.72 x 2 = 54.6

NV4500 4.10 x 5.61 x 2.72 = 62

So this is how you would compare them, the NV4500 would have a slightly better crawl ratio.

 

List can be argued any which way. Really comes down to what kind of wheeling terrain you're mostly doing. Mud and open desert doesn't generally cater well to manual when keeping momentum is necessary. Crawl ratio is moot here. Shifting will breaks that momentum up.

In rock crawling, the manual has shock loading due to direct drive while the fluid coupling in an auto soak it all up.



https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...20transmission

 

Something particular that stands out in my wheeling terrain is manuals that stall out. Much more rare with autos. Its not an issue on flatish terrain, but when pitched up or down, stalling or pushing clutch in makes the rig not hold position. No matter how hard the brakes pushed. This goes to the earlier mention of needing a 3rd leg, but you're playing foot wrestling down there. This type of position makes for mistakes all around, such as too much throttle, slip off brake, rewind, repeat. When pitch is too steep, it may call for starting while still in gear, assuming geared low enough it can spin. Otherwise its using the starter to incrementally move to a safer spot. This is more of what I see in my circles. Some of it is experience and/or cost of the setup.

I will say it does feel cool when the motor is able to lug on.

 

I'll add my .02 worth here.

I have wheeled with both types of trannies and will say that I still prefer a manual tranny but with my bad leg a auto tranny made more sense. In the type of wheeling we do out here on the left coast a auto tranny will let you be smoother. With an manual tranny as WK said when you stall out and you're perched up on a rock you either have to 3 foot it or if you had planned a head you set your brakes. I have installed roll control devices on a few Jeeps. Like the one drag racers use to do burnouts on the starting line. You push on the brake pedal flip the switch and it locks your brakes. Then restart your engine, push in the clutch and start to slowly let the clutch out. Just as you feel the rig start to move you release the switch which unlocks the brakes and let the clutch the rest of the way out. It works pretty good and this way you don't have to 3 foot it. With the auto tranny you just keep your foot on the brake or set the line lock and put the tranny in gear as you step on the gas and load the driveline your release the brakes again.

Now where I can tell you the problems come in at is: Dead battery from winching.
Auto tranny: Hope someone can give you a jump or have a dual battery setup.
Manual tranny: Push start the rig, no big deal.

As WK also said if your shifting in the middle of a mud hole or in the snow you momentum and wheel speed if you have a manual where if you have a auto it isn't a problem. And trying to figure crawl ratio with a auto is really hard because a torque converter can give you more than the 2:1 ratio sometimes. It is pretty cool to never touch the clutch on your rig once on the trail though. My Jeep was geared low enough that I would just turn the key off when I wanted to stop and would start in 1st or 2nd gear by cranking the engine. As it cranked the engine the Jeep would crawl forward slowly but this only works as long as you have a good starter.

So it all comes down to what type of wheeling and then also personal preference.

 

Good conversation, Thanks for the enlightenment!

 

Wheeling is about having fun right? I have more fun when driving a manual, simple as that. My Jeep has 3 pedals and that won't ever change.

 

Bring the 3 pedals down here already to have some fun. I'm hitting the Rubicon Saturday for a day run. Wait, your Heep even rolling?

 

Never say never!!! I use to say the same thing.