Manual Xterra good for dunes?

[Sreenath G]

Hello Everyone Good Afternoon, hope you all had a great weekend. 

In my quest for a used off-road vehicle, I have come across a number of options. My acquaintance has a manual gearbox xterra off road(diff lock) model from 2006 (US spec) that has been registered in the UAE and is in regular use. He is willing to sell it to me. 

Please advise if a vehicle with a manual gearbox can be used for off-roading. Will it be safe to travel across big dunes such as the Liwa Crossing?

I enjoy driving with a manual gearbox on the road. I have never driven an off-road vehicle with a manual gearbox. So please share your thoughts about it and is that worth buying for off road use. 

I'm glad for your time and look forward to hear from you.

[Frederic]

13 minutes ago, Sreenath G said:

Hello Everyone Good Afternoon, hope you all had a great weekend. 

In my quest for a used off-road vehicle, I have come across a number of options. My acquaintance has a manual gearbox xterra off road(diff lock) model from 2006 (US spec) that has been registered in the UAE and is in regular use. He is willing to sell it to me. 

Please advise if a vehicle with a manual gearbox can be used for off-roading. Will it be safe to travel across big dunes such as the Liwa Crossing?

I enjoy driving with a manual gearbox on the road. I have never driven an off-road vehicle with a manual gearbox. So please share your thoughts about it and is that worth buying for off road use. 

I'm glad for your time and look forward to hear from you.

Hey @Sreenath G

Of course you can drive a manual gearbox in the dunes. I even prefer it over automatic.  For an Xterra it's definitely rare, and probably lots of fun,

@Anoop Nair, @Srikumar, myself, and few others drive manual gearboxes. The advantages:

1. No automatic upshifting. You and only you decide which gear you want to drive in.

2. Less weight in comparison with an auto gearbox which will mean better performance and less delay (no torque converter).

Disadvantages:

1. Little bit more difficult to learn and you will probably burn 1-2 clutches by the time you get fully used to it. 

 

[Sreenath G]

Thanks @Frederic for your feedback. Noted. Any advise on maintainace of the manual transmission xterra. 

[Frederic]

2 hours ago, Sreenath G said:

Thanks @Frederic for your feedback. Noted. Any advise on maintainace of the manual transmission xterra. 

Definitely keep an eye on the regular replacement of the transmission fluid, but this counts for auto transmission too

The clutch pedal should feel quite hard. If at one point you feel it is becoming softer and softer, it might mean your clutch plate is worn.

[Srikumar]

One of my favorite topics...a Manual gearbox. 

Firstly, I love the feel of a manual gearbox especially while driving on the sand. No overheating issues, no upshifting issues and if you are reasonably careful they will outlast an automatic transmission any day.

As Fred said, however much your experience of driving manual on the road is, off-road is very different. You will definitely burn your clutch in the initial phase. How many clutch sets you go through depends on how fast you learn not to ride the clutch. I prefer the vehicle to stall 10 times rather than ride the clutch once.

But before you jump into a manual Xterra, I would check the following:

1. What are the gear ratios of the manual Xterra vs the automatic version. In some cars like the XJ the manual gearbox has a superior first gear ratio than in the automatic, letting you drive at high speeds on 1st gear.

2. If these gearboxes are not common, what would you do when one fails? Are they places (in US or a scrappy) where you can find a replacement.

After struggling with quite a few bad scrapyard and rebuilt gearboxes over the past 2-3 years, last year I finally was able to source a new gearbox from the US. Costed a bomb, but I am glad I took the call.

Some points that you ought to consider before buying a Manual Xterra. 

 

[Sreenath G]

@Frederic @Srikumar highly appreciated your feedback and all points are noted. Thank you.

The clutch and gearbox replacement parts are very rare to find it seems. 

@FredericHow about 2009 3 Door Jeep wrangler manual transmission. Is it worth for liwa. Specially the issue on heating.. 

[Frederic]

24 minutes ago, Sreenath G said:

@Frederic @Srikumar highly appreciated your feedback and all points are noted. Thank you.

The clutch and gearbox replacement parts are very rare to find it seems. 

@FredericHow about 2009 3 Door Jeep wrangler manual transmission. Is it worth for liwa. Specially the issue on heating.. 

the 2009 has the 3.8 engine which was not bad but the later model (2012 onwards I think )3.6 Pentastar engine is the one you really want. (200hp vs 280hp). 

[Srikumar]

If it's a manual Jeep chances are pretty high it's already been offroaded, because they are either way very few in numbers.

I agree with Fred that if you intend on buying a Wrangler the Pentastar engine is what you should be looking at. Also, please do check up, the earlier Pentastar engines did have some issues which were then rectified in the later models. Alternatively if you are lucky to find an old TJ with a 5 speed gearbox.

 

[Bravoecho]

On 8/28/2023 at 12:26 PM, Sreenath G said:

Hello Everyone Good Afternoon, hope you all had a great weekend. 

In my quest for a used off-road vehicle, I have come across a number of options. My acquaintance has a manual gearbox xterra off road(diff lock) model from 2006 (US spec) that has been registered in the UAE and is in regular use. He is willing to sell it to me. 

Please advise if a vehicle with a manual gearbox can be used for off-roading. Will it be safe to travel across big dunes such as the Liwa Crossing?

I enjoy driving with a manual gearbox on the road. I have never driven an off-road vehicle with a manual gearbox. So please share your thoughts about it and is that worth buying for off road use. 

I'm glad for your time and look forward to hear from you.

@Sreenath G, not owning a manual Xterra I can't provide feedback on that specific car but generally speaking driving a manual in the desert, for the right type of driver, is the best.

Having driven both a automatic and a manual in the desert the biggest difference from a drivers point of view is the level of concentration and anticipation you need to have.

When driving a automatic whilst you still need a high degree of concentration should you be in the wrong gear you can change down instantly whereas in a manual by the time you have realised you are in the wrong gear it is too late as a manual downshift will ruin your momentum.

In my experience I found that I was paying even more attention to the car in front as well as looking further down the track to anticipate what is ahead.

If your idea of a drive in the desert should be fast paced and intense then a manual will definately suit you because you have never done so many gear changes in one drive as you do on a technical sand drive.

Hope this helps.

[Gaurav]

On 8/28/2023 at 1:27 PM, Sreenath G said:

Thanks @Frederic for your feedback. Noted. Any advise on maintainace of the manual transmission xterra. 

Learn how to drive manual gear in dunes, especially for self recovery. Bit difficult to adapt in beginning but stick to basics - no half clutch and you will be good without burning any clutch.