Manual transmission Fan Club and BS thread (All Generations Welcome)

No not really, learning to use the extra interior space for the loss in bed space.

 

I've got an I4 so I don't have the ability to accelerate quickly if needed.

I've never needed to avoid problems by accelerating out of the situation in 40 years of driving sticks while frequently being out of gear. I'm prepared to shift quickly into the correct gear when this unlikely scenario ever occurs. I have a good chance of being in too high a gear and need to shift anyways.

 

I do it all the time and have never had a safety issue! You can anticipate problems by looking up the road! Some of the shit people come up with on this site!

 

I text all the time, and I've never had an accident.

Must be safe.

 

Well, engine braking (with proper rev match) = full control plus less brake wear. Coasting is not something I tend to do, there's really no need.

Just my 0.02

 

This is the first Tacoma I've ever owned. When I decided I was going to buy it, I wanted a manual transmission. Coming from a full size truck, I really wanted a long bed too. Then I found out I couldn't have a DCLB with MT. I considered an access cab, but since we've got kids, my wife suggested I still go with a double cab (thankfully). Since I have 2 trailers, I chose the manual over the long bed. So far, the 5' bed has been sufficient and I haven't had to use a trailer. I'm very happy with my decision and if I had to do it again, I'd still take manual over long bed. It's just so damn fun to drive.

 

I had a 95 reg cab and now the 17 short bed. Both had/have camper shells. The 17 is wider and taller/deeper so with a little creativity it seems I can fit the same amount of stuff even with the short bed, or in some cases, more stuff.

I wasn't wild about getting a double cab but now that I've had occasion to throw people in the back a few times it's definitely come in handy. Also nice to have the extra interior storage.

TL;DR: Short bed isn't bad

 

I chose the access cab because I don't like playing taxi.

 

Anyone here upgraded their clutch to stage 2 or 3 aftermarket yet? If so which brand you guys went with and how is it comparable to stock?

 

I'll be building replacements for these 4 parts. I'm going to get rid of that floppy stick.

 

Like the looks of this! Old school. Where'd you get it?

 

Got it from HouseOspeed. Doesn't look like they have this same one in stock at the moment but some other Toyota knobs. Others in this thread have knobs from here as well, which is how I found this one.

 

Thanks for that. You see these in black, but I think your white color really looks classic!

 

Just changed my tranny fluid to red line mt-90 at 670 miles. I had pretty smooth shifting before and was curious if I would really notice a difference....holy cow it's so smooth. The stick literally just slides in so silky smooth. Pretty happy with it. Oil that came out was about the color of dark maple syrup. Going to do the diffs next. Then the engine oil at 1000 or so.

 

Thanks, matches my white truck well. But yeah have not seen one like this in black.

 

So true, I have to raise my shift points to compensate for the load in order to keep smooth shifts. Usually 3,500rpm with the A/C on, closer to 3k or lower w/o AC, good thing Chicago only gets like 6wks of summer.

 

Hello all-
Just test drove a '17 TRD Sport w/ the 6-spd, and was surprised at the clutch travel and, well, lack of feeling I guess. Currently driving an '02 Acura RSX Type S, and while I'm sure a certain amount of strangeness is just due to having had my current car for 15 years and being used to it, the clutch on the Tacoma just felt way different than any another clutch I've ever driven. Does anyone know if the feel changes over time? As in where you can feel it starting to bite? During the test drive, it just felt like mush- no feedback at all. Also, is there a way to shorten the clutch travel? The travel seems to be about 50% more than on my RSX. The shifter throws are longer too, but didn't feel like quite as much, and definitely did not seem out of the ordinary to me. Thanks!

 

so, first truck?

the clutch is hydraulic. you think it's weird now, wait for the cold weather lol. and, it's a truck. but yeah mine feels fairly positive for a hydraulic unit. the pedal sucks, tho.

long throws? it's a truck. URD makes a short shift kit if you dare to attempt the install.

most report the bite point up top. mine is very high, so i basically run out the pedal very quickly from the floor to the bite point up top and modulate from there... definitely took plenty of time getting that right.

my truck felt pretty mushy all around except for the steering, then i did some stuff to tighten up the ride by doing a little suspension work. it can be done. but i don't think much can be done easily to mod the clutch... maybe @gearcruncher or someone can chime in.

 

Yeah, first truck. Finally outgrowing the RSX. I've driven other manual trucks though- first one was an '89 Ranger that belonged to a friend, and the clutch travel wasn't so long and mushy feeling on that one. Same with a late '90's Dodge Ram diesel that belongs to a family member.

The suspension seemed fine to me- not a sports car, obviously, but seemed a little tighter than the wife's Traverse. Overall road feel was fine. The clutch is really the only thing that stood out from the test drive.

I figure it will also take some getting used to having reverse at top left instead of bottom right. That caught me pulling out of the dealer's lot at the start of the test drive.

 

i get it, my last car was a fully modified R32 and my dd. i totaled it hitting a semi truck tire in the fast lane at 75 and decided i needed something tough, hence the Tacoma (yeah there was a little more to it). but all vehicles have quirks, right? in this segment the quirk factor is very high. so i wouldn't make a deal about things you can fix or work with. that was my approach and I've been happy with all the solutions, and it's been fun modding... i still have the bug. but re: your Q about if it can deal with the MT, only you can answer.

btw the are a/m clutches available which would change it up. i believe @VolcomTacoma has one on his SC 2nd gen.