originally posted by stevenn1


well, they dont rate them (autos) @ more towing capacity cause they are any tuffer. manual is always stouter. my guess its cause not as many people know how to EFFECTIVELY drive a manual anymore (just bein honest). most people cant effectively down gear and shift with a large load. what everyone elses take?

 

It is not the trans itself (manual or standard) its the weak stock clutch ford equips the maunals with. If they put a kevlar in it from the factory, it would be a tie.

 

In the back?? Geez....u all lie down to drive, imagine that.......chuckle
Trust me, the seat belt buckles are far far better to have sticking you in the back than one of those darn consoles you get with captains chairs. Those things are like having a nanny ridin with you<smile> I remember one time we were in the drivers seat and I look out to see three mule deer bucks, a four point, three point and a five point watching what we were doing. It was just before rutting season so maybe they were watching to see if we were doin it properly......

 

Thats funny cause I wanted to get captain chairs but couldnt find any regular cabs w/ the options I wanted, so I settled for the 40/20/40... good thing

 

ha ha <big smile> you did good, you will grow to appreciate the advantages of the 40/20/40 split bench. Also funny that I had the same problem but just the opposite. Every truck I found with the options I wanted had captains chairs with that uncomfortable center hard console. The only thing the console is good for is collecting junk or surving as an ice chest on hot summer days to keep your favorite bev ice cold. For those of you encumbered with those consoles do this. Get a tube of silicone and caulk all the seams on the inside then drill a drain hole through the floor in the lowest section. Walla! Instand cooler. Did this to my 96 Bronco I use in the mountains hunting.

 

auto is not a true truck tranny, real trucks have clutch and shift lever and get 8%
better fuel milage. All motor vechles should be manual tranny to help save fuel.
Teach the human to drive not the truck.

 

I choose the auto because if you break a standard the warranty is for 90 days parts & labor if your auto quits you can get a lifetime warranty. And with the arthritis in my hands and feet the auto is just easier to drive. rugerman

 

I am not sure if this is true any more...used to be.

My V10 six speed gets the exact same crummy mpg as the automatics....I think the advantage of the manual is the control over the vehicle especially when towing...at least for me. When I get into real tight spots, I can cram it into granny and its all good.

My wife has a Hyundai with an automatic and my daughter has the exact same car with a 5 speed...the auto get about 2 mog better.

The automatics today are just better than they used to be and are more efficient....mpg is not a reason for me to get the manual.

 

couple of guys have said that most don't know how to properly downshift a manual while towing. i'm young and understand i have a lot to learn being 26. having said that i have driven a ton of different vehicles loaded and unloaded in my few years of driving and like to think that i am pretty good at it. can someone explain to me how they think you should downshift with a load. if i have to ask...i probably dont know, right, well i'll see after someone replies. btw, this thread has got me shopping to trade my truck in for one with a stick.

 

A couple of things about down shifting with a load. 1) You do not want to lug the motor. That is one of the most important things to remember. Same goes with up shifting. 2) You do not want to over speed the motor. There is generally 750 rpm difference between gears. 3) I usually rev the motor up between shifts so that the rpm's are about in sync with the drive train. I then switch on the exhaust brake and the truck slows way down. I don't consider myself an expert but I have driven a stick for over 30 years. I would like to hear from others too.

 

why not, within reason, lug the engine? also, the above points seem backwards to me. downshifting would not lug the engine the same as upshifting is not going to overspeed the engine. i understand the importance of not overspeeding the engine. i have seen first hand what can happen.

 

Tazo said it pretty well cept I do it a little different not having an exhaust break. Try to keep your engine in the high tourq rpm range<2000rpm for powerstroke D>, higher rpm is better than lower when uphilling or accelerating. When shifting release the clutch to the friction point then slowly release through the friction point allowing the engine rpm to increase smoothly emulating an automatic transmission and with an eye on the tac untill clutch is fully engaged. Avoid jerking the drive train. Same for upshifhting and down shifting. Basic driving common sense. Never ever choose a gear that will put the engine rpm above red line or below max toruq rpm of 2000 for a psd, your engine if gas may differ. When cruising unloaded and not accelerating one can run as low as 15-1600 rpm without lugging the engine for economy. However, when loaded, you will be lugging your engine and will shorten its life. If cruising at say 1700 and you wish to accelerate drop a gear to get the rpm into a better toruq range and go for it. Does this make sense?

Anyway, a good auto like the toruqshift does all this for you giving you more time to relax and enjoy the sceanery or a companions company if one is along without a gear shift in the way<smile>.

 

Downshifting can over rev the engine causing it to blow up or shorten its life. Up or down it is very important to keep the engine in the proper rpm range. That is if its your truck and you plan on keeping it for awhile without spend bucks on repairs. Never ever lug the engine. Lugging an engine tears up your main bearing causing premature failure. Lugging can happen at any rpm depending upon grade, vehicle loading and trailer weight. The more weight for engine size the higher the lugging rpm. The steeper the grade the higher the lugging rpm. The problem with lugging is that it may not feel like you are lugging because you can't feel the jitter but it may be there anyway wearing away your mains. So, when cruising you downshift before passing just like an auto would do and for the same reason, to put the engine in a better power range and prevent lugging.

 

bfloyd4445----Thanks and you said it well too. The one thing I can add is to try not to slip the clutch. It will shorten its life dramatically. I don't look at the tach alot, I try to go by ear. So it is a mater of feel. When up-shifting on a hill with a load I will bring the motor all the way up to 3300 rpm's and then shift. The shifts are very smooth and it keeps the motor in the high torque-high horse power range. Lugging is just bad for the entire drive train and is worse the over reving. These motors can go to 4000 rpms without damage. Matt would know more about that.

 

Yep. The reason companies buy autos even though they are more expensive is because the maintenance and repairs are far less with the auto trans cause people just don't know how to drive sticks and lugg engines. I watch people everyday that are in top gear before they are through the interestion from a dead stop! Thats an engine killer for sure even unloaded.