Ok I don't EVER get to pass anyone around here. I do basically all city driving and have never really been on the highway and had to get around someone. I got this truck at the beginning of July and am still waiting to pass someone.

This weekend I am going to play golf around 30 miles away and I ALWAYS end up having to pass someone. This is my second stick shift vehicle and I'm not sure about the downshift speeds. The manual doesn't seem to show it anywhere except for one chart that has speeds like not going from OD to 4th unless you're below 55mph. That seems dumb to me.

If I am doing say 70MPH and need to pass someone, what gear could I toss it down into? Would it be too fast for second? My relatives trucks will all throw down into second if I floor it. Thanks, I know I'll be needing this soon!
Zach

Oh by the way, it's a 1994 4.0L with M5OD 5 speed. Thanks!

 

well forth and fifth are geared close to gether, i would try 3rd b4 second, unless you like redlining your engine, here is an idea to see what gear works for what speed, go out to a good stretch of road and start in first gear and look at where the power band falls off and you shift into second and what speed, as you do this for all the gears, you know what gear maxs out for what speed. example first max at 20mph, 2nd maxes at 50 and 3rd maxes at 70, no these might not be actual numbers but you get the idea

 

Aight, I'll run out tommorow to the speed road near here and go through 3rd and see where they all end up. Thank ya!

 

ohh just remember you may have to shift as you pass them. like if you run out of 3rd gear ( not gaingin speed) but not all the way clear shift in to fourth so you dont over tach you engine lol

 

lol yeah I know that. I think it'll be a 3rd to get going, 4th as passing, 5th once clear thing, should work out nicely.

 

I personally wouldn't go below 3rd above 55 mph, because my only tach is my ears. 2nd I would start worrying about my head gasket pretty quick.

 

I know 3rd can take it, I have a tach. When I replaced my diff fluid I went to make sure it would hold at high speeds/driveshaft RPMs, I hit 85 and was still in third, though it was easing up to around 4K if I remember correctly.

 

well when i like to mess with civics in my 5 speed anywhere above 55 the lowest gear i will shift to is 3rd. it gives it a nice hope and go then i cycle back up to 5th. sens eyou have a tach you should really check and see when your engine starts to lose speed at witch rpm. on my 87 ranger 2.9 hp. starts to decress to the rear wheels around 4500rpms. thats when i force myself to through it into the next gear. though i have learned that i can redline it in 5th gear up to about 5500rpms. This was descovered when i decied to she how fun it would be to go 140.(it was really really really fun by the way) and the engin held up with no problems. good luck and just drive it untill you get a feel for your truck. each one hendels different under different drivers

 

It depends in part on what rear end gears you have. On my old/former 94 with 3.73's, I would go 5 >> 4 for most passing and 5 >> 3 if the passing distance was tighter. You simply need to experimint a few times. 5 >> 2 will probably be of little benefit and invoke the rev limiter unless you have 3.08's . There is a notable difference between 5th and 4th; as I recall the OD is 20%. This is, of course, independant of whatever the rear end gearing is.

 

I have 3.73s in the rear axle and 3rd at 55mph is nearly 4000rpms. I can't imagine what 70 sounds like if you have that kind of gearing.

I pass only in 4th at highway speeds and it does fine, no matter what speed I pass at. Now doing 80ish and being near 3000rpms, I can pass without 4th gear's help.

 

I have 3.08s in the rear. Well it's getting tried before the golf after all. This weekend, I have a 25 mile round trip to pick up a friend and bring her to my house, then take her home and drive home, so 100 miles total, then Sunday I have a 50 mile round trip to my aunts for Thanksgiving, my gf is going and it'll be 100 miles all together, 200 miles in two days, good way to really let the truck out. I'll experiment a little out on the open roads around here. Thanks for all the help!

 

Yeah, I'm sure you did 140 in your 2.9 Ranger.

 

yeah it was on the interstate and my truck had been in the shop for about a week so i was really interested in pushing its limit. and yes i knew when i hit as i remplaced my factory gage that goes up to 85 with one that goes to love 140 that was offered by for motorsports for a short while. this is the only picture i can find of it at the moment but here atleast you can somewhat see that 85 seems to be more are the top and 3 digit numbers seem to work its way down. And with this i will leave you witha qoute: Success is found with the spirit of the driver not within the power of his car. And i beleave that to be more and more true nowadays where people will put thousands of dollars of power parts in there car but never have the spirit to see them to there full potential. The greatest problem is people who own a sport car but never have the ***** to see how far they can push it. lol i mena whats the fun of ownning a ENZO if your not willing to push the tripple digits. You might as well buy yourself a minivan. SO I strongly erge all drivers to push there transportions limit(if you have the means to clean up your mess if you go to far) becasue if you don't know its limit you will never know when to stop.

 

so in short check your ***** becasue some people are to afraid to let them drop HogTied

 

Yeah..........