Factory 6MT Concerns

I did the overland tune and 5:29s on my 6mt and it drives pretty good now. Reverse sucks still lol

 

What tires you running for the 5.29s?

 

33s but currently shopping for 35s

 

Cool. Drive pretty good on the 33's?

Edit: Lol you already said it drives pretty good, so whoops. Guessing it's peppy at least.

 

yes , but depends on you expectations. Gas mileage took a hit but it off roads better imo

 

Almost 5 years I have had my truck. I love it. I did 2 mods that make life with the transmission easier, I did the URD short shifter kit and the 2lo mod.. This was for my liking... not necessary. I prefer the shorter shifter throws and I like the option of 2 low when I need it. Previous 4x4's I had i would simply unlock the hubs... 2 low can help with vehicle control and clutch life driving in reverse up a slope.

Neither of these are a requirement to drive the manual Tacoma. I always modify my vehicles to my liking.... I still enjoyed the truck stock and never even considered an automatic version.

Your fears are unfounded and if the info is from TW, then it is from a small subset of people like me the enjoy modifications to make thier vehicle work more for them... we are definitely not normal...

 

I’ve got an auto & a manual. If you ever tow anything & live in a hilly/mountainous area get the auto.

 

The problem is more the engine than the transmission. Old school truck engines got their torque at much lower rpm. And both transmission and axles were geared lower 30 years ago. But manufactures have tried everything to squeeze 1-2 more mpg's out of them at the loss of performance.

Newer engines are designed to work better with automatics than manuals. An old school truck often got max torque at engine speeds as low as 2000 rpm. A 3rd gen Tacoma needs 4600 rpm. Combine that with higher axle and transmission gear ratios makes it a lot harder to get a manual moving forward or in reverse. This is particularly true when backing up inclines. Doing so with a trailer is near impossible. The torque converter in an automatic eliminates this issue.

Here is the short version. If you want to drive your Tacoma like a sports car then a manual might suit you. If you want a truck to tow or do work with you want an automatic. NO ONE uses a manual anymore for serious towing or hauling. Virtually all big trucks on the road including busses and even 18 wheelers are now using automatic transmissions because they work better. You haven't been able to buy a 3/4 or 1 ton truck in 20 years with a manual. And some of those pickups are rated to tow 30,000 lbs.

And if you don't like the way your automatic shifts there is no law saying you can't manually put it in the gear that works best for you at the time. They can be used just like a manual, just without the clutch.

 

Great info, I am beginning to think members of this forum are a little more “fine tuned” with there trucks than me.

 

Do I like driving it better with certain upgrades/mods? Yes. Would I still drive it without those mods? Also yes.

 

I definitely will be using my truck for work/ driving like a truck. Have no interest in “sports car driving”. I thought the manual would be better for towing

 

Here we go again with car/truck engine BS…

 

MT is better for towing if you have super low first and R, IMO of course.

That’s why 2WD low mod on MT tacoma makes a world of a difference.

 

I love my MT, but that doesn't mean it can't be made better. I plan to do the accumulator delete, tune and re-gear. I've wasted tons of money changing other aspects of the truck, might as well do this stuff too.

 

My ranger had 207 hp at 5k RPMs and 236 tq at 3200 RPMs, definitely not fast. Decent low end though, high end was non existent. Surprisingly K&N Intake and exhaust actually made a difference.

I really did not like the reverse on my taco so I installed 2WD low mod, lifesaver. Otherwise I have no issues with the gear ratios. Second could’ve been a hair lower but really it’s fine for me.

 

If you like the manuals, you should get a manual. You'll be fine towing, within toyota specs. As far as the automatics are concerned, just do a Google or tacomaworld search on them. There's literally a whole cottage industry that's sprang up, trying to fix their shift times, holding a gear, or not, when to shift, how hard of a shift,,,,. With the manual you don't have any of those problems, you get to make those decisions yourself in real time. That's some of the reasons I chose a manual. Hope this helps.

 

People act like because peak torque comes at 4600 rpm it doesn't have anything below that. Torque is down a whole 15-20 lbs below peak at 2000 rpm.

 

I came from the 2nd gen MT and I can say the 3rd gen MT is substantially better. Super fun to drive. I hear good things about the accumulator delete mod but it's a little out of my comfort zone so haven't done it. Is it fine to drive 100% stock? Of course it is. Really fun. But this is TW so you can assume everyone will be screaming to do MODS, TUNES, etc...

I got the sprint booster and it made driving better but really OK with stock too.

Also, try find a new truck with a better MT right now....

 

I barely go over 2500 RPMs unless I need to pass someone. I really don’t know what that guy is talking about. I can’t even imagine driving around at 4600 rpms haha.

 

Still haven't done the ADM. Will probably do it in the fall but don't really mind it as is. A friend drove my truck this weekend and was pretty impressed with the transmission. Though we come from farm trucks so take that for what it's worth.

Reverse isn't that bad. I have done the 2Lo but really only use it for the trailer and even then it's rare.