Skip shift

This surprised me in this discussion. There was a lot of comments that implied big RPM differences and now the clutch. If I skip gears it is as smooth going from 4-6 as it is from 4-5, 5-6, or even 2-3.

 

The only manual shift car I've ever had which frequently exhibited a shorter clutch life was an old Plymouth with a 318 V8 and a "3 On The Tree"; the spacing between the gears was so wide there was virtually always clutch slip when moving between 1st and 2nd when accelerating aggressively (I use the term loosely) and sometimes even between 2nd and 3rd. At one point I was replacing the clutch every 20,000 miles; which didn't make me a happy camper.

 

Only reason I’d appreciate a taller 6th is so I can still stay in the same spot when I regear. I like 6th where it is.

 

Depends on the situation but I usually skip a gear or two up or down.

 

A taller gear probably wouldn't help the mileage, these engines don't care for lugging.
Speed is a mileage killer with these trucks, over 65 and the mpg really drops.