manual vs. auto for off roading?

[nevada]

I would put it in 2 and it would shift hard from 1 st to 2nd and that how all toyota autos have been in low rage it just bothers me because its harder on thing then they need to be

if its shifting into 2nd, maybe you don't even need to be in low range.




for me an auto wins. I PREFER a manual over an auto generally, but for wheeling you CAN NOT beat a well built auto.

I wheeled a manual for a LOT of years, and then I built my truck with an auto, and my eyes were opened.

 

[541joseph]

At that moment I didn't need low but in 100 ft I did and its a pita to take it out and put it back into low for every hill

 

[thebrandon]

I've offroaded in a 5 speed and my current auto 4runner. I love having two pedals instead of three to play with when moving over tricky obstacles.

For the sake of simplicity and laziness, auto all the way off road.

 

[Snowy21]

I would put it in 2 and it would shift hard from 1 st to 2nd and that how all toyota autos have been in low rage it just bothers me because its harder on thing then they need to be

Maybe older a340f's are different but on my 02 when I put the selector in 2, the trans starts in 2 and holds 2 till redline. No shifting (or shift shock) whatsoever. I use it quite often on wooded non technical trails to smooth out things. Then shift to L when things get technical

 

[KidVermicious]

Maybe older a340f's are different but on my 02 when I put the selector in 2, the trans starts in 2 and holds 2 till redline. No shifting (or shift shock) whatsoever. I use it quite often on wooded non technical trails to smooth out things. Then shift to L when things get technical

My old 1986 a340F would always start in 1, no matter where you had the selector. There's a fellow who makes shift controllers for these trucks that turn the selector into an actual shift selector that holds the gear you choose and nothing else, but that's not how they behave stock, at least not in my experience.

As to the OP, if we're talking stock to stock I'll take an automatic for offroading. But nothing beats a 5 speed with double low - aftermarket tcase gears take away all the disadvantages of a manual and make all the advantages better.

 

[Snowy21]

My old 1986 a340F would always start in 1, no matter where you had the selector. There's a fellow who makes shift controllers for these trucks that turn the selector into an actual shift selector that holds the gear you choose and nothing else, but that's not how they behave stock, at least not in my experience.



As to the OP, if we're talking stock to stock I'll take an automatic for offroading. But nothing beats a 5 speed with double low - aftermarket tcase gears take away all the disadvantages of a manual and make all the advantages better.

Interesting...I know that even across 3rd gen 4runners the a340f has 3 (or maybe 4) completely different sets of shift internals so that's why I can't say I'm surprised that it has different shift characteristics like that. Learned something new today

 

[Dan.3]

Interesting...I know that even across 3rd gen 4runners the a340f has 3 (or maybe 4) completely different sets of shift internals so that's why I can't say I'm surprised that it has different shift characteristics like that. Learned something new today

Interesting. From what I have come across a 340 is a 340. There where just sutle changes in the throttle body maybe. The 340h that I had in my first gen behind the 5vz with a 99 limited ecu has the same shift characteristics as my 99 limited 3rd gen. The starting out in 2nd is interesting. Ill check later but I'm pretty sure my 99 starts off in first to when in the 2nd position.

Otherwise I prefer auto for off road use and rock crawling. Better crawl ratio with the auto thanks to the TC.

 

[TRD 4RNR]

That's so funny! I would have said the exact opposite. Not trying to argue, genuinely curious on what your reasons are

This is what I was trying to say:

As to the OP, if we're talking stock to stock I'll take an automatic for offroading. But nothing beats a 5 speed with double low - aftermarket tcase gears take away all the disadvantages of a manual and make all the advantages better.

 

[Gerdo]

Real men wheel with manual transmissions.

 

[sportrunner2001]

Interesting. From what I have come across a 340 is a 340. There where just sutle changes in the throttle body maybe. The 340h that I had in my first gen behind the 5vz with a 99 limited ecu has the same shift characteristics as my 99 limited 3rd gen. The starting out in 2nd is interesting. Ill check later but I'm pretty sure my 99 starts off in first to when in the 2nd position.

Otherwise I prefer auto for off road use and rock crawling. Better crawl ratio with the auto thanks to the TC.

the 2nd start is only for 4lo and doesn't work on 2 or 4hi. at least thats how it is in mine and i think it was only for 01-02 that they did that.

 

[Kraze]

Real men wheel with manual transmissions.

Am I still a real man if I wheel a manual, but am not any good at it? :lookout:

 

[EatonKyleH]

Am I still a real man if I wheel a manual, but am not any good at it? :lookout:

Right there with you man. Proudly displaying my man card while I stall out and try again!

 

[KidVermicious]

Am I still a real man if I wheel a manual, but am not any good at it? :lookout:

Right there with you man. Proudly displaying my man card while I stall out and try again!

4.7 tcase, I'm telling you. Makes me look WAY better than I really am.

 

[Gerdo]

It's definitely a different skill to rock crawl with a manual. Three legging, foot on the gas, one on the clutch and using the hand brake effectively. I have thought for years about adding a hand lever to actuate the Hydraulic brakes.

Also slipping the clutch just enough to crawl but not too much that you smoke it.

With an auto, you can be smoother and keep power on to ease thru obstacles.

 

[Kraze]

4.7 tcase, I'm telling you. Makes me look WAY better than I really am.

Oh trust me, dual cases with a 4.7 low in the second case is somewhere in my future haha.

It's definitely a different skill to rock crawl with a manual. Three legging, foot on the gas, one on the clutch and using the hand brake effectively. I have thought for years about adding a hand lever to actuate the Hydraulic brakes.

Also slipping the clutch just enough to crawl but not too much that you smoke it.

With an auto, you can be smoother and keep power on to ease thru obstacles.

I'm slowly getting better at the 3 foot, it just takes time. That's an interesting idea about the hand brake though. I actually tried rigging up a hand throttle in mine, but I just wasn't able to get enough slack out of the cable to make it work. Maybe I'll attempt it again one of these days.

 

[KidVermicious]

It's definitely a different skill to rock crawl with a manual. Three legging, foot on the gas, one on the clutch and using the hand brake effectively. I have thought for years about adding a hand lever to actuate the Hydraulic brakes.

Also slipping the clutch just enough to crawl but not too much that you smoke it.

With an auto, you can cheat

Fixed that.

I'm slowly getting better at the 3 foot, it just takes time. That's an interesting idea about the hand brake though. I actually tried rigging up a hand throttle in mine, but I just wasn't able to get enough slack out of the cable to make it work. Maybe I'll attempt it again one of these days.

I played with a friend's hand throttle, I thought it was clumsy. I'd rather convert the pull-and-turn ebrake into a lever style, and use my feet on the throttle and clutch.

Or just use 4.7 low range and forget about the clutch.

 

[Kraze]

I played with a friend's hand throttle, I thought it was clumsy. I'd rather convert the pull-and-turn ebrake into a lever style, and use my feet on the throttle and clutch.

Or just use 4.7 low range and forget about the clutch.

What I had worked out was actually pretty slick. It would have worked like this if I could have got all the slack out:



Depending on how long it takes me to go dual cases, I might attempt it again.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

It's definitely a different skill to rock crawl with a manual. Three legging, foot on the gas, one on the clutch and using the hand brake effectively. I have thought for years about adding a hand lever to actuate the Hydraulic brakes.

Also slipping the clutch just enough to crawl but not too much that you smoke it.

With an auto, you can be smoother and keep power on to ease thru obstacles.

Yeah, a hand brake would make it pretty easy, actually. Unfortunately, my e-brake is completely useless right now. Heal-and-toeing is my only option.

I'd really like to fix that e-brake!

 

[sn0wrunner]

It's definitely a different skill to rock crawl with a manual. Three legging, foot on the gas, one on the clutch and using the hand brake effectively. I have thought for years about adding a hand lever to actuate the Hydraulic brakes.

Also slipping the clutch just enough to crawl but not too much that you smoke it.

With an auto, or 4.7 t-case, you can cheat

Fixed again.

 

[nevada]

an auto with dual cases and 4.7 in the rear = WINNING.

you guys that are saying a manual just haven't wheeled hard enough yet.:hiding: