[bigdogdazza]

Hi guys, I would like a little advice on the subject of gearing and gearbox choice for the 98 Jimny.
I am currently in developmental stage with it, still driving and wheeling it regularly and whilst out in the wattagans yesterday I realised we may have a serious problem that needs addressing. Whilst pushing the little zook hard up s steep, washed out, rocky incline I found that you must attack it at a higher than comfortable speed or risk having to slip the clutch or stall it. For the terrain it made me rather uncomfortable giving it the berries as wheel placement and general control of the car was a hit and hope affair which could quite quickly less to disaster... Broken parts or worse.. Rollover.
I am building this car to hand to my son who gets his " L " plates at the end of the year and whilst he is quite an accomplished driver on Tarmac ..ex-kart racer, he is still learning the joys of changing gears in a manuel. His preference would be an auto but I think this would be at great cost and major work to change to from Manuel? Transfer reduction gears are definitely needed as the little jimny struggles with any revs below 4000rpm on the street and sits around 3500 rpm on freeway at 105kph. Tyre size on it now is coopers at3 225x70x15 and we will be upsizing to a 31x10.5x15 once we decide to go M/T, Maxxis or whichever. So please guys your thoughts AND reasons for your preference AUTO, MANUEL or just reduction gears will do the trick?
I also have in our fleet NL Pajero Auto, and Zook Vitara Auto which both are much easier and more mechanically forgiving to wheel than the Jimny.

[want33s]

Unless your gearbox is spanish it is a manual, not a manuel..

Leafy transfer/jackshaft with reduction gears is your answer.