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

Your guide to mine spec.

https://www.fleetcrew.com.au/understanding-customised-specifications-for-mine-spec-vehicles/

Yes, in white please sir. The downside used is I'd guess low miles, maybe even low hours, worked really hard.

 

Question for those of you who wheel with your trucks. When doing hill climbs and technical rocky sections where super low speed and or constant start stopping, what are your typical habits? Specific to the manual transmission and clutch operation.

I went off roading yesterday and did a pretty good climb, it was slick, and had a small ledge, so I needed to give it several attempts to get up and over it.

I'd be on the gas, climbing, then not make it and have to stop and reset, and when I stop, I push the clutch in and get on the brakes so I don't slide back. Pretty standard manual stuff I feel like, except when I push in the clutch, the truck is still under a little bit of power due to the failed climb and I can hear the whole drive train sort of shudder. I know this can't be a good thing to do often.

I also tried using the E-brake for starts and a little heal toe. I am still a newb at off roading but been driving manuals since I learned to drive.

Has anyone had this happen and what do you do to prevent it?

 

appearance? Use low range n second gear. Clutch slipper on rocks . If need more torque 1st gear. But that's rare. Just do it n find what works for you. Friends do it differently than me. But on rocks n hills I slip it a little I have big feet so I have the ball of my foot on the brake n the side of my foot on the throttle.

 

Starting I'm fine I think. It was stopping. Just pushing the clutch in while would cause the drivetrain to shudder. Normal driving and operation is fine, it was just while climbing and then having to stop. I wish I had a video.

 

Starting in low range you can do in gear, that's the purpose of the "Clutch Start Cancel" switch on the dash. It overrides the clutch interlock and the engine will start in gear. The starter pulls the truck along a few feet until the engine catches and you continue driving.

Engaging the clutch when you stop and hearing the clunking of the gears and the unwinding of the drivetrain is typical. The engine and drivetrain aren't really bolted down firmly, it's all bouncing around on rubber mounts that's wound up and suddenly unloaded, like a spring. So it's probably the normal sound, but if it seems really bad you might check that you don't have a torn motor mount maybe.

Off highway I only push the clutch pedal if a stall is imminent, but even then usually I'll let it stall in gear and kill the engine. It's better to stop the truck that way so you don't roll backwards. Also if you push the clutch too soon you may not make it through the obstacle.

The engine will kick and sputter at really low RPM but it actually takes quite a bit to really stall it, so you should be thinking of giving it a little more throttle instead of clutch. Of course you don't want to push it too hard and break stuff or bounce too much. But you don't want to get into the habit of riding the clutch because that heats it up. Leave your left foot on the floor and only push the clutch when you really want to. In a typical day of wheeling I might have to slip the clutch once or twice to make an obstacle.

 

That's y I use low range to avoid the shutter when stopping. But I use the clutch to stop as well. The brakes only to stop from rolling backwards. But i have not completed the white rim trail. Many years back gernated my front diff. Been wanting to go back since. 5he way I thought my daughter is in San Francisco bumping the truck over curbs in the hills. Idle it to the rock n bump the throttle. In low range pretty impressive at how low speed idle is.

 

If the engine starts kicking then it's lugging and you must remove the load ASAP to prevent damage.

 

I didn't actually use that although I thought about it. I will be sure to try it out next time!

That is good to hear. That clunking and unwinding is what I was worried about. It was usually 3 or 4 da-da-da's as I am pushing the clutch in, no other time.

It really only happens like you said, when the drivetrain is all loaded up and I release all that tension by pushing in the clutch. And I only used the clutch when I failed the climb and needed to backup a few feet and reset. Otherwise all was well and the truck just creeped over flatland obstacles fine.

Thank you for the detailed reply, I do feel better about it, I think I just need some more off highway practice!

 

The way I wheel when the climb is steep is I am in 4Lo+1st Gear.
RR could be ON depending if there is mud or not, I am on 30" AT tires and don't have as much traction as those agressive tires people run.

When I go down hill I do 4Lo + 1st Gear + ATRAC and I take my feet off the pedals and let the truck do it's thing.
The only time I touch clutch and my breaks on the trails is to completely stop.

If you stall on the up hill or down hill, just pull hand-break and start with the hand-break engaged slowly releasing it while playing with clutch/gas pedal.
I have not used clutch start cancel button so far, but will try to use on the next trip.

Although just yesterday my driver rear wheel got seized after relesing hand break. I had to pull it all the way up to the max, release again and go into reverse to make the wheel spin again, no issues after that.

 

It is when I remove the load (by pushing in the clutch) that the drivetrain was shuddering and clunking and unwinding.

 

Oh yeah. The truck lurching when clutching is cause of all the torque and tension the drivetrain is under when you clutch really fast. To prevent that wait a 1-2 seconds after letting off the gas and press the clutch slowly. My previous comment was about something different. When engine is turning low RPMs and is shaking hard and knocking, that is lugging and can wear out engines if done very often.

 

I definitely try not to lug it.

I think I was just nervous about rolling back and getting off course. I'm used to hunting trails and mild offroading on the farm. Not hill climbs and obstacles. Next time I won't rush it and I'll try to smooth it out some.

 

How are you going to drive it off road if you're constantly engaging the clutch? I may have been doing it wrong for the last 22 years, I dunno. This truck got me 287,000 miles, though.

 

This is exactly why you have the clutch start cancel. If you stop start in gear the engine will hold you in place and you only go forward, you don't roll back, no need to feather the throttle or hold yourself in place with the hand brake. After a few times it'll become second nature with smooth restarts, hold the key to drive the starter for a few seconds and you'll drive right out of a stall.

 

What do you mean. If the engine is lugging then you're doing something wrong obviously. I try to take care of the equipment.

 

What I'm saying is I guess our tolerance for how far down we'll lug the engine is different and don't insinuate I'm abusing my truck. My point is that 22R-E in my 1991 didn't blow up even though it got lugged sometimes.

I've only had two trucks in the last 20 years, that 1991 and now my 2008. They get treated well but they aren't street queens either. I do a lot of maintenance and wrench on it constant to keep it in good shape, but it's just a machine, a tool to be used.

The engine will continue to pull at very low RPM, so I don't see any reason not to use the whole range. Sure, eventually you'll stall or lug, but let it do it's job, anticipate the trail, take care when picking lines and there's no need to constantly slip the clutch, which is abusive in a different way. Using your truck as a truck is why Toyota has the severe duty maintenance schedule.

 

That is my thinking but still have the 93

It has 398k purchased my 08 last December, blew up the radiator in the 93. Didn't have time to fix it n saw the 08 n said why not have 2.

 

Selling my 1991 was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made. Just didn't have the money and room to keep two trucks but I regret letting it go all the time and it's been 3 years now.

 

Ok. I understand. But just because it can doesn't mean you should. Just like how towing 6500lbs is doable yet not recommendable. You get what I'm saying. And by lug the engine I'm talking bucking like a bronco lugging. A little growl doesn't harm anything.

 

Yeah, it's hard to express it. I agree with you, it wouldn't be good to let the thing buck endlessly, that's bad for a lot of things. But there's a point where it could go either way and your first instinct shouldn't be to dive on the clutch pedal any time it's not going perfectly smooth. Rocks and roots are a challenge, so let the engine, gearing and suspension do their thing. When the engine lugs down, it may surge or a tap of the throttle will bump you through.