having to double clutching on an 04 Wrangler X

Have you checked the tranny fluid? If it is low or has water in it it will shift bad. Jeep didn't bother to put a high water vent on the tranny like they did on the t-case and diffs so they can fill up with water easy.

A body lift can interfere with shifting too.

How is the fluid in the clutch?

Mike

My '05 TJL has the same problem when it was new. It's better, now that I figured out the problem, which was partial engagement of the clutch plates. Bad habit - I drive a semi, and when we DC shifts when moving or (esp.) when comming to a stop, it's a no-no to push the clutch pedal all the way to the floor. Doing with a TJ will result in a bit of gear grinding and difficult shifting.

Next time, consciously push the pedal all the way to the floor before grabbing 2nd. See if it helps.

Other causes might be incorrectly adjusted clutch linkage (are the '04 hydraulic?), low transmission fluid level, incorrect fluid type, or severely warped/broken clutch parts.

HI, THANKS A LOT FOR REPLYING. DO YOU THINK I SHOULD BRING MY JEEP INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE SOMEONE TAKE A LOOK AT IT?

IF MY BODY LIFT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM, DO YOU THINK THAT THERE IS SOME SORT OF AFTER MARKET ITEM THAT I CAN BUY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM? I THINK THAT I HAVE HEARD OF PEOPLE BUYING AFTER MARKET GEAR BOXES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT MAYBE IT IS JUST THE CLUTCH.

I HONESTLY DONT KNOW A LOT ABOUT CARS, SO IT IS REALLY HELPFUL TO GET FEEDBACK FROM OTHERS LIKE YOURSELF. DO YOU KNOW OF ANYONE THAT I CAN CALL AND TALK TO IF I HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. -NEIL

Mike Roma> Have you checked the tranny fluid? If it is low or has water in it it

It is not advised to have more than 1 inch body lift. How much do you have?

I HAVE A 3 INCH BODY LIFT.

billy ray wrote:

And a stuck capslock key.

hint: caps on usenet is like yelling.

Sorry about the stuck caps lock key.

DougW wrote:

Having a 3 inch body lift means your body is 3" higher above the transmission than it should be. Since your shifter goes from the transmission, through the body and into the cab, this usually results in some pretty rough shifting, it kind of makes you have to move the stick in ways the transmission doesn't want it to go.

Thanks for the reply, do you think that the grinding that I experience going from first to second is primarily caused by the 3 inch lift? If so, is there an after market item that can help to compensate for all of the additional rough shifting that occurrs as a result of the lift?

Or should I just check all of the fluids and ensure that no water is in where it should not be? Or both? The grinding that occurs from 1st gear to 2nd is the only complaint that I have about the vehicle, if I could solve that problem, then I would be very pleased with the Jeep's performance. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. -Neil

Micah wrote:

I had the same problem w/ my '03 TJ and it turned out to be bad syncronizer gears...Mine did it between 2nd and 3rd... Good luck!

Jeff

Mike, I thought you were going wheeling this weekend?

I would recommend you first verify that the lift, being so tall, hasn't already bent the body mounts on the frame causing the tub to be out of line. If the tub is even slightly off center, the shifter can jam against it when you try to hit certain gears like 1st or 2nd or if the body is leaning the other way, 5th and reverse.

A 3" body lift is so tall it is basically unstable and will stress out the mounts or the tub plates. This was happening to a friend from this group with one, so we took out the lift tubes and cut them in half to give him and another Jeeper from this group both a 1.5" body lift to go with their suspension lift. They haven't had problems since.

You would be better off with a cheap coil spring spacer lift and a lower tub lift.

To check if the body is out of line you can use a tape measure at the corners of the tub and measure from the edge to the frame.

I have also heard of some folks having to remove the shifter boots and actually snip mental and even having to leave one of the boots off. Others have heated the shifter with a torch and bent it to fit.

Mike

This makes sense, but if it is grinding already, I would agree with those who say that a synchro is bad. Don't overlook the possibility that the body lift caused this.

Earle

Unfortunately I moved the wrong way this week and my damaged neck went insane on me so I can't even drive, can barely breath. It's a bummer, it is our anniversary this weekend and we had a cottage with a nice cozy fireplace and outdoor hot tub waiting for us... Wheeling wasn't really on the agenda.

Mike

billy ray wrote:

Did your '03 TJ have a body lift or was it stock? If it turns out to be a bad syncronizer gear, how much do you think it would cost for a shop to fix that for me? Do you think that I should just have someone at a shop take it for a day or two to see what it might be? I really would rather not have to cut the body spacers in half or mess with the lift if I can help it.

Jeff (4X4PLAY) wrote:

Did your '03 TJ have a body lift or was it stock? If it turns out to be a bad syncronizer gear, how much do you think it would cost for a shop to fix that for me? Do you think that I should just have someone at a shop take it for a day or two to see what it might be? I really would rather not have to cut the body spacers in half or mess with the lift if I can help it.

Jeff (4X4PLAY) wrote:

Neil, your problem is most likely the body lift, though it seems you don't want to believe that. 3" body lifts can cause all sorts of problems, including what you are describing. Take it down to an inch and get a 2" spring spacer lift kit to clear your tires.

Oh man, that really sucks Mike! So sorry to hear that. Happy anniversary to you and the Mrs.

-jenn