1st to 2nd Gear Shift technique 6MT

Hello, to anybody that has the 6 Speed Manual. What have you guys found to be the best speed and/or RPM to shift from 1st to 2nd gear. My shifting has been pretty rough. Thanks!

 

Redline

 

Lol, yeah right! But seriously.

 

It depends on the situation you are in. Just like in a automatic shifting at different RPM's depending on load, etc. Drive the Truck more and you will learn the best times to shift.

 

I find that you can shift way earlier on this truck than most cars I've driven in the past.
Normal driving - around 2,200rpm
Accelerating - 3,000rpm max. 1st gear winds out quick.

 

3-3.2k RPM, hesitate slightly longer as the RPMS drop compared to other gears and release the clutch a tad bit slower. That should get you into 2nd at close to 2k RPM.

Trust me, you don't want to be in 2nd lower than that if you need any sort of acceleration.

Only time I'll shift slightly earlier (like around 2.5k RPM in 1st) is if I'm in slower traffic conditions and need to move at maybe 12 mph or so.

I personally don't let 2nd drop below 10mph as it becomes what I consider a death trap in my truck.

 

I think your right, I find that I have to slip the clutch more than usual compared to other cars I've driven to get into 2nd gear smoothly.

 

I'd agree that 2500-3000 is a good range. I usually shift into second around 3000 because I'm young and I hoon my vehicles

 

i agree with all the above. main point i think, esp for car drivers, is to slow down the process. shift long and slow, work the clutch slowly, release slowly... it's a truck and if you work it accordingly it's a very smooth and rewarding drive.

and a pedal commander can help with your throttle if you find it too numb and unresponsive.

 

Perfect response. Go beyond 3K, then granny shift (pause before clutch release) so RPM's can drop. If you wait long enough (hard to do) for revs to match, you don't have to release the clutch slow.

 

Depends. Are you in a hurry, or....

I think I stopped paying attention to when I shift about a week after I got my drivers license.
That was a bunch of years ago. Once you get a feel for it, it sort of just happens.

 

I'm not in a particular rush, except for when I'm crossing a large intersection that takes more than 5 seconds to cross in 1st.

 

Yeppers... my 4 cyl has this 1st to 2nd shift too... like others said when shifting to 2nd push clutch in a little slower to let the rpms drop a little more.. it helps. This 1st to 2nd shift is worse when the truck is COLD, it gets better as it warms up, it gets better as the truck gets more miles on it and starts to break in more.. Happy Shifting !

 

I normally shift at 3K. Most other gears about 2500. Its a big jump in gear ratios as 2nd gear is rather tall and 1st is pretty short. The syncros take longer too work because of that, and so you can't make the shift very fast. Makes taking off quickly a bit tricky.

 

Normally I shift between 2500-3000 RPM unless I am accelerating hard, if that's the case then I'm into the 3500-4000 range. I agree with the above posters about letting out the clutch slowly, prevents jerking when going into second.

 

I agree with this and almost everything said in this thread. It is a very strange shift in this transmission.
After a year of ownership, it is the strangest shifting manual transmission I've ever driven.

 

The 4.0L 6MT on the Taco/FJ had a massive rpm hang between shifts and takes the cake in my book between the modern toyota MTs.

 

Yeah. After a few days of driving it around I thought it was just me. I got used to it and shift at higher rpms. It's a lot more fun to drive than my 1st gen

 

Shift 1st to 2nd at about 4-4500 rpm and it is smooth and first will take you across just about any intersection out there. You don't have a diesel in your truck let the engine eat a little.

 

if you can't feel it, then just look at the HP and Torque curve, then the RPM differance between 1st and 2nd, then that'll tell you the best RPM to shift. But if you're looking at the rpm for shift points rather than feeling/hearing it, you need more practice.