Do we expect too much out of our trucks?

[20 20]

I am sure you can as can I but what I said "more consistent". Like on average. If you take 10,000 vehicles with a auto and identical 10,000 with a manual the auto will be the manual over the course of a year.

My first car was a Ford Escort with a manual. It had a tach and a shift light. I would drive it by the shift light then by short shifting prior to the light. Driving by the light gave much better performance, well as good as a Escort could perform, but I could get better mpg short shifting. So yes, it can be done but I would bet less then 10% of the population could do better than by following the shift light.

Chris

I agree, but I still wonder why they post on the stats that manual will get better MPG then auto? Go to any car lot and check it out, every vehicle that I've looked at will say automatic ___MPG standard ___MPG, standard is allways higher then auto{atleast from what I've seen?}. They must take peoples habbits into account in order to post the stats they give? Folks that drive standard are usually the ones that can drive{not all of course}. Something about learning on a stick makes a person listen to an engine {maybe}?

 

[Diamondpilot]

I think with perfect technique you can get better mpg with a stick. The average joe??? NO WAY.

I am sure the auto manufactures are using best practices to post mpg numbers for both autos and manuals. Only makes sense because that is a factor on choosing which one to buy.



Chris

 

[Verticaltrx]

The 1/2 T is a NV-3500 and the 3/4T is a NV-4500 I believe.





If you're talking light duty trucks, it's not practical. A lot of folks can't handle a clutch and surely didn't want to deal with 2 speed axles. I've found some of my Mopar friends couldn't understand full time and part time 4WD.

If you're talking medium duty, the trend has been to go into 6 speeds or more, and drop the 2 speed axle. Current engines tend to have broader torque ranges, so the right 6spd works out about as good. Personally, I like the Fuller FS-5106 with a 9.01 first and reverse. Remember the old 4x4 compound transmissions?

I agree and think that the reasons you cited for the light duty trucks are the same reason they are getting away from it in MDTs. Splitting gears with a 2spd rear axle is definitely a dying art, something that most people can't even grasp the concept of, much less put into practice. Also, in some ways they are a bit dangerous, if you miss a shift and get the axle hung between high and low you are free-wheeling (I did that once when learning to drive a 2-ton after cresting the top of a big hill, left a lasting memory.) And as you stated the new trucks have so much more torque its not as needed as it once was. Our C60 has a 2spd rear axle that's geared really deep (6.65:1 Hi, 8.85:1 Lo) which is what it takes to get 30K moving with only a 350 small block for power. The bad part is that you top out at about 60mph on the highway with it against the governor.

 

[sld]

Sticks used to get better mileage, by far, when all we had was 3 speed autos and no lock up converter.

Modern autos are very efficient but still lose a tad more power thru the drive train, but not much. And when the TC locks up it is a wash.

 

[FlaDon]

If I hadn't already known for 15 years that my hip wasn't going to take using a clutch much longer, my 2001 3500 would have had the ZF 6-speed manual. Out on the highway, a manual tranny will save fuel over the automatic if equipted with the same gears. While the Allison is a fine tranny, sometimes you still have to think for it. Tow/Haul isn't always smart enough to read conditions so pop it out, watch the tranny upshift, then pop it back in. If not in Tow/Haul in the hills, it tends to not relock the TC and keeps the revs up higher. With T/H, it will drop back 400 RPM and keep going.

As for tractors and such, give me the old stuff that a screwdriver, hammer, and adjustable wrench can fix. Oldest tractor is a 1941 Case, newest a 1955 MH. Oldest garden tractor is a 1925 Gravely Model D which I hope to get restored to running condition this year.