We present a comprehensive nonlinear numerical analysis of the temperature dependent nematorheological shear behavior, using experimentally measured material parameters of typical nematic, low molar mass, rodlike liquid crystals. We consider a typical aligning nematic (5CBP:4‐n‐pentyl‐4’‐cyanobiphenyl) and a typical nematic (8CBP:4‐n‐octyl‐4’‐cyanobiphenyl) exhibiting both aligning and nonaligning behavior during shearing. The accuracy of the numerical results is established by a thorough validation procedure based on recently available experimental rheological data corresponding to the same model materials. Very good semiquantitative agreement between experiments and simulations is found for both the aligning and nonaligning materials. Despite the simplified model geometry, the simulations are able to capture both details and salient transient and steady rheological features that characterize the multiple regime transitions of nonaligning nematics, as they are cooled towards the smectic A phase.