Help better towing?

Thanks

 

Because Toyota saw fit to give the A/T 2 over-drives is an attempt to get the most fuel econ. Its severely overgeared. I don't have one, but I think its something around 1,500 RPM at 65ish. basically, it will barely overcome wind resistance at nearly full engine load in high gear. That is why it has to hunt gears. Any need for acceleration or to climb and it has to downshift. Other companies are doing this with 8 and 10 speed transmissions though. I think people are going to have to get used to the idea that their transmission will rarely use top gear. Gear hunting will be the new norm. Not necessarily a bad thing if the transmission can shift quickly.

 

the auto is programmed to shift into the highest gear possible. So if you were not using S4 and had it in 5th or 6th you may have been cruising in the higher gear but when you need to accelerate like on an on ramp or when passing it would need to downshift to get the torque needed but our trucks are hesitant to do it.

 

Bobs Lake and the Rideau system will always be beautiful. My first job out of university was with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and that whole watershed was my backyard for two years way back when. I still love it there.

 

5th and 6th on the M/T are also over drive. The lower geared rear axle help out more though

 

A lot of truck manufacturers rate their towing higher for their automatic transmissions, because they are tougher than standards. It seems counter intuitive, and I’m an old guy who has driven standards since I was 8 years old so I get why guys love standards. But a clutch is really weak link in a driveline. Really weak. Most drivers slip the clutch, but for real longevity it’s best to let it out and then accelerate. Tough to do on a boat ramp but that’s where low range comes in.

 

Yeah, I actually wish 5th and 6th were just a bit higher. Luckily our speed limits here are 70 mph max. Out west, it would really cut down on fuel econ to be driving 80-85.

However, 5th gear tows great.

 

True but 6th in the manual is geared lower than 5th in the auto. And thats before taking into account the 3.90 vs 4.30 diff gearing.

 

Stay out of over drive gears. That is where any auto tranny will start to heat up. When you are in over drive an pulling heavy loads. Tranny will be shifting back an forth. That causes heat build up. Stay in 4th or lower.

 

Thanks you guy...I’m so noob...

 

Is 5th gear an OD gear on a manual? I use 5th all the time when towing.......

 

Until it falls on its ass on the highway.

 

Here you go.

 

Technically it is because anything past 1.0 is considered an "overdrive" gear but I wouldn't be afraid to use it while cruising. Wouldn't venture down to 6th though and if I needed to accel I would downshift to 4th at least.

 

Thanks! That is going to be weird being in 4th on the freeway. But then again, in CA we are not supposed to go faster than 55 while towing...

 

Shoulda gotten the manual....or a full size....or a gen 2....

I got my Tacoma with expectation that it wouldn't tow that great but since I only tow maybe 10 times a year then that is fine. People equate truck with towing and that is not always the case. The gen 3 Tacoma has motor primarily developed for use in passenger cars. No wonder it doesn't tow that great.

 

Actually, they do use the same motor in the sienna, so it is a minivan motor. I will argue the 2GR motors lack of real torque until Toyota does something about it. Made to be a fun truck, not a work truck!

 

I has almost identical torque and more horse power than the 2nd gens, just higher in the rev range. Just push a little more on the pedal

 

You are talking of peak torque. You will almost never achieve that. My truck rarely goes above 2500 rpm and I have lots of torque. In fact at 1500 rpm I will break traction pulling away with a heavy trailer load. The gen 3 has a lot of power at high rpm which makes it go fast and even pull heavy loads fast. Unfortunately, you need to go through a weak power band before you get your sweet power band.

 

Prove it.
Because I don't believe you.
At all.