Is the 6 speed really that bad?

From the few 2nd gen manuals I've driven gotta say pretty dissappointed, nothing at all like i expected, too tall gears with weird ratio splits & with 4x's forget it, every 4x I've had with manual trans you could put it in 4lo on level ground let the clutch out & walk along side it without any stalling or stuttering... Like beating a dead horse here tho', some will hate it , some will swear by it....so....

 

It's bad enough I have destroyed three of them in 80K miles. Well, two technically, but #3 has no syncros left and will need to be replaced soon...'course, I'm harder on stuff than most people.

 

sounds like it. You on fire down in Pendleton?

 

I'm at the other Pendleton in Oregon. It's famous for rodeo and whiskey. http://www.pendletonwhisky.com/wp-c...p?redirect_to=http://www.pendletonwhisky.com/

 

my bad.

 

He's in Pendleton, Oregon home of the Hodaka motorcycle not camp Pendleton down here but yeah the biggest fire in socal right now is there...

 

The fires are crazy though. Too many for a coincidence I think.

That's in Athena, but close enough. It's like 5 miles away.

 

Why the sm465? Curious as to how as well. The sm465 is a good trans in a older tow rig or a crawler but not something as light duty as a Tacoma.

 

Don't autos have driveline vibes?

 

Gotta love good old shamokin for wheelin!

 

That's sort of the point. I've wheeled 465's for years and to me they are about the perfect trans. They turned my old 395's for almost four years as a DD and wheelin rig behind a pretty stock LT4, aren't even phased with the current 42's and they're cheap easy and reliable. The how is the easy part, Tacoma running gear will all be gone. Most likely end up with another LT, or even a TBI 350 for simplicity and a 203/205 doubler. Why would you say it's good for an older tow rig or crawler? It's low tech, that's for sure but it works. And I would not consider a dedicated trail rig on built tons, V8, full hydro etc. very light duty.

 

Then dude you need the 6 speed. I had an 06 tundra d-cab with the same auto, and though it never gave me trouble in the 30k miles I drove it, it was boring and done to much "thinking" like you say. I hated it shifting down to 4th on the slightest hill knowing that v8 could push to the top in 5th if the tranny would let it. And I hated coasting down a hill, tap the brake a little for a slight curve and it downshifts hard, then give it gas when it levels out and stays in 4th seems like forever before it shifts to 5th. Thus keeping mpg's at 13.
I'm a straight shift kind of guy I guess. I mean they're just more of a simple machine. If mine tears up I can pull it apart and work on it. I put a clutch and URD TOB in mine when I bought it and a good Saturday and its done. If a syncro goes I'll tear it apart and fix it. I can't say that for the auto, too complicated for me. If my starter goes, I'll roll it off and keep going till I can put one on it. Not call for a tow. Same if my battery dies. A straight shift isn't going to overheat and die pulling a load. An auto isn't going to last long if it gets too hot a few times. If my brakes go out I'll downshift to 2nd fast then 1st and be slowed down. I've never been in an auto that'd let you skip gears downshifting.
I like keeping things simple I guess. An automatic these days are by no means simple. I also like being in control of my vehicle and shifting when I want to, and being able to feel the gears as I move the stick. That being said I really hope Toyota puts a manual tranny AND transfer case in the next gen Tacoma. I know, I'm in the minority. I also wish my d-cab had manual windows and locks. Trucks should have 3 pedals.

 

Reported for being reported.

 

Wish I had a grocery getter like that, shit.

 

The 6 speed isn't bad at all. About the only reason I could see anyone complain about the shifting feel is that they come from driving a little car with cables and linkages between the shifter and the transmission.

Honestly the stock shifter on my truck is better than the stock shifter on my old '12 Mustang 6 speed.

 

*sigh* reading through another thread like this... seems pointless for me to get involved again, its always the same.
I love manuals, it was deal breaker for me. If toyota stops putting manuals in the tacos I will lose all respect for them. I hate the downshifting of the autos and the lack of fun like most others have said. I know autos are much more comfortable rock crawling, but I still would take a manual over it. I'm at 155,000 miles and I have had no problems with my TOB. I have no squeaks or whine. I also don't get why people are bothered by the feel of the shifting. Sure it feels stiff compared to a little Audi, and yes the gears are way sloppier than my mom's viper, but its a truck! I love it to pieces! Compared to my 1990 yota pickup, this thing shifts like a dream. My ONLY complaint (which really isn't that big of a deal to me) is the high reverse and 6th gear. Let my dad borrow my truck one time and he burned the hell out of my clutch trying to back in the boat However, I can drive it just fine.
Really, its all preference. Manuals are dying out in America, and it's nice to see people who still appreciate to drive them. OP, since you said you aren't that happy with the auto, then hell, get yourself a manual. Even if my TOB were to give me trouble, It wouldn't be a deal breaker to me. Get it fixed with a URD like the others and be on my way

 

i didnt see anyone mention this... but downhill driving is made MUCH easier in my manual. i had a rental tacoma while mine was in for warranty work... 4cyl with 4sp auto? i live in the mountains and downhill driving in that thing was honestly scary. even placing it in a gear it was either still wanting to roll too fast or the engine was screaming. same for going up hill. trans would hunt until i manually selected a gear. i can only imagine towing up the mountain with an auto. i would be too worried the damn thing would overheat on me!

 

Yeah I agree with you there... especially the uphill sucks. I hate the gear hunting.