Shift Speed

I have a '11 2.7 2WD 5MT Access-Cab w/ ~71k on it. Truck is in fantastic condition, planning on keeping it forever, probably doing a diesel swap eventually (nowhere in the near future). I do a bunch of commuting, and am wondering what speed I should be shifting gears at. The truck rattles slightly at 35mph in 5th, and I'm wondering if this is too slow of a speed to drive while in 5th. I usually do 1st up to ~15mph, 2nd up to 25mph, 3rd up to 35mph, then to 4th or 5th depending on the speed limit of the road I'm on. Just wanting to make sure I'm not putting any excess wear on my MT so I can keep it for the next few hundred thousand without any issues.

 

I have no idea what speed I'm going when I shift, but I'm shifting around 3-3.5k rpm.

You're no doubt lugging going 35 in OD.

 

You shouldn't look at speed as much as RPM when shifting. I skip gears all the time, 1,2,4,6 or 1,2,3,6. MT's don't care what gear you shift into. You can go from 1st straight to 5th and it you aren't putting anymore wear on it than if you just went to 2nd. Arguably you might be putting less wear on it.
Your tranny will only care if you're in 5th doing 60 and try to jam it into 1st.....or reverse. It probably wouldn't like that.
You're not wearing the tranny out by doing what it was designed to do.

 

I was simply wondering if it's fine RPM-wise to be in 5th at 35mph. It's sitting at pretty low RPM's, and I'm not sure if they're too low.

 

Short answer is no, you are not doing any damage by shifting at lower RPMs. Keep driving it the way you want to. Definitely do a write up if ever get around to diesel swapping it though, that would be awesome!

 

I try to keep RPMs about 2300-2500 while cruising. 35mph in 5th is likely too low of RPMs. Doesn't need hurt to turn some revs in these 4 bangers. All the power is in the middle and upper portion of the rev range

 

@Guymon
There's definitely some misinformation here and too much focus on the transmission. The engine stands to be damaged in the long term, by lugging in low RPMs like that.

If the engine feels like it's struggling, it probably is. At 35mph, I would say 4th gear max, possibly 3rd depending on conditions.

Driving manual is about reading road conditions/features, measuring the truck's reactions and forecasting your next move.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soJea7xEt-8

 

I shift by the tach. Approximately 1500 shift down, 2000 shift up. First gear generally requires a bit higher.

 

Your question has too many variables.

Generally you shift to the next gear when the truck has enough power to maintain or accelerate in speed.

Speed and RPM are not really a good indication of WHEN to shift.

Engine load has much more to do with when to shift. The more load the engine has on it, the later you shift.

Down shifting is different if you are wanting to achieve engine braking vs gaining speed.


Just drive your truck. You’ll learn when to shift it. Seriously, this is the best way to know when to shift.