Let's talk about the advantages to manuals....

[basalt51]

I ran open diffs and 30" tires for quite some time before going bigger. And it was just as much fun as wheeling with it now. The only difference is the places I wheel.

So if bigger tires let you have as much fun as wheelin with small tires in harder places because it's easier, then shouldn't wheelin with an auto let you wheel harder places and still have as much fun?

My LC is a stick with a great granny, the cherokee is an automatic. They are both great for wheelin. The cherokee rocks on the hwy and the LC's sucks a$$ on the hwy. I HATE sticks in traffic. They don't keep me entertained, they just annoy me. But thats just me.