Manual transmission

This is my first truck, let alone a manual transmission truck. Not sure if they're much different from cars in terms of shifting etiquette. I mean, I don't want to drive/shift my truck the same way I've driven my coups/sedans and cause engine, transmission, damage or excessive clutch wear. Rev matching for example. This truck obviously doesn't rev as fast as a smaller car, I feel like it kind of defeats the purpose. I guess my question is, how differently shound a manual transmission truck be driven?

 

Just drive however you want to drive it. It's not a race truck but shift where you need to to get your desired accelleration. That is the beauty of manuals. This 3.5 is meant to wind out though. Don't hesitate to rev her, just know your MPG will go to shit. =)

If you want good MPG, maybe shift under 3,000 or 2500. If you wanna have fun, shift higher.

Jealous of the manual. Had to get an auto because I needed the DCLB.

 

You will get the hang of it, all vehicles are a little different and you will adjust to it before you know it.

 

The Tacoma is different in that it is a truck but with a high-revving engine. Like the above statement says, you will get the hang of it fast.

 

I generally shift between 2500 - 3000 RPM when driving in town/flat terrain. In the mountains and going up long highways grades I'll shift between 3000 - 4000 RPM as conditions warrant. First gear is stout, it's not for drag racing, but once in 2nd the gearing feels like what I had in my '01 Outback. At 3000 and 4000 the valve timing shifts and there is a nice surge of power.

As the folks above have said you'll get used to it pretty quickly. This is my first truck as well, 14 months in, and it's great. One last thing- this truck comes with a Lexus racing engine, when you need to hit the higher revs it will do so with aplomb.

 

I notice the 1-2 shift really hangs revs but you will get used to it. I dont like the clutch pedal feel and engagement but its leaps and bounds above previous mt trucks ive driven

 

Backing off the gas a second before smashing the clutch will keep the rev hangs from happening. I only have 2000 miles on my truck, 1500 of those were getting it home form the dealer so not a lot of shifting but I'm still working on getting this one dialed.

 

I bought her in OR, drove it home to NM. Had to make a stop in CA a buddies house but pretty much railroaded it until I got home.

 

I find that 3k is where the truck likes to be, it will get up and go above that. The manual trans is one of the biggest reasons I got onto the Tacoma and have stayed.

Did you have to order your truck, or was it on the lot?

 

If you need to get up and going faster you need to wind out first a bit in this truck. You also may need to slip into 2nd a little longer than you normally feel you would. A 4wd truck has a lot more slop in the driveline so expect to feel your non perfect shifts a bit more than normal.

Rev matching in this truck, i have found is absolutely necessary for a smooth shift. I've driven cars where you can get away with larger RPM differences when downshifting and still have it be smooth, a 4wd truck isn't one of them.

I typically cruise around 2500 RPM and shift about 3000-3200 RPM. Slightly above 3200 RPM (~3400?) the engine gives you a surge in power, don't shift here or it will throw you off and you'll really feel it lurch. Either wind it out more and shift or shift before.

1st to 2nd gear, either shift earlier (maybe 2200 to 2500 RPM?) If you are in no rush and be easy on the gas when you first get into 2nd. If you mash the gas at a lower RPM (but nowhere near lugging) in 2nd, the engine does some funky power delivery surging. Or take 1st up to 3k or so and take a bit longer on getting into 2nd while the revs drop.

Do not release your foot completely off the gas and then push the clutch in. If you do this and hesitate even half a second too long you will get massive rev hang when the engine is warm. I find it best to ease up on the gas pedal to where I am no longer accelerating and then slowly push the clutch in as I further move my foot off the gas (but my foot never fully removes itself from the gas pedal). Doing this, minimal/no rev hang. But if this isn't your first manual you probably already know this.

You'll get the hang of it eventually but the truck takes a while. Compared to the other manual transmission cars I've driven, this truck is definitely in a class of its own and takes some getting used to. My dad has been driving manuals his whole life and even he struggled with getting it smooth when I let him drive the truck. And vice versa I'm able to jump into his older cars from the 60's and have an easier time getting smooth shifts.

But trust me, you made the right choice going manual in this truck. Utilize it to keep yourself up in the power band. This truck makes max torque at 4k RPM and max hp at redline. Don't cruise at 1100 rpm like the auto transmission wants people to do. Keep the revs up a bit and you won't have the power/torque issues others are complaining about.

 

I drive it the same way I drove my GTI and have no problems.

I would recommend using the little trick when you rev match where you apply gentle pressure on the stick towards the gate and just let it slide itself in when it's ready, makes rev matches much smoother.

Dont worry about damaging the clutch or tranny, it's still a truck. They can take alot more abuse than a car (I learned to drive stick on an '89 F150 with 300k miles and original everything)

 

Thanks for the input guys. Thought I should clearify, when I mentioned rev matching I wasn't referring to racing, but rather making a smooth shift when down shifting to accelerate. When I try to rev the engine, the throttle doesn't respond as fast. I can't simply tap the gas peddle to bring the RPMs up to speed.

bcrobbin I had to put a deposit down for my pro. Waited about 3 weeks. Someone had previously reserved it but the deal did not go through while it was in que to be built.

Overall, I love how it drives. The power surge is great. My first car I owned was a vtec lol so I know how to appreciate vvti engines

 

My S5 used to rev match automatically with its dual clutch transmission. That sound = pure sex.

 

I bet. I had a 2007 330i in MT, it didn't auto rev match but was really fun to drive. But the headlines would turn in the same direction as I turned my wheels. Looks pretty sick at night to see the lights move as your turn.

 

It's more or less the same as any other manual. Don't be afraid to experiment with it a bit.. it'll let you know when you do something it doesn't like. I had to tweak my technique a bit from my car to keep things smooth. Rev matching isn't a blip but more get on the gas and let the clutch out once the revs match.. if you just blip it nothing happens, lol

 

Anyone with high miles still have the truck surge at the 3500-4500 marks? My truck does not surge at all anymore, when it was new it did bad. Now it accelerates smoothly in those rpm ranges.

 

I am at 7100 miles. I don't consider it "high miles," but mine has not been surging, as of late (last 1500 miles or so)

 

15k miles, only surges for me in 1st gear.

 

this is a super easy MT to drive, but if you've been a car MT driver then you may need to relearn just by slowing it all down: your shifts, your throttle control, and your clutch release. if you drive it like a car you'll overdrive it and it won't be smooth. I love it, and i find that a heavy shift ball and a pedal commander help massively for my style of driving it.