Mountain Driving Tips

[aontkos]

I never understood why people did the Tundra brake upgrade, but I totally get it now. I'm from Florida, so I've never had a problem with the brakes on my 3rd Gen, but I've been traveling through the mountains of Georgia and North Carolina and the descents have been rough.

The lady friend and I were attempting to do the Blue Ridge Parkway in its entirety, but we had to get off due to the brakes overheating. I could feel the rotors starting to warp and didn't feel comfortable pushing it any further.

How do you other automatic transmission guys drive your 3rd Gen in the mountains? Does turning overdrive off on the descents help to engine brake at all?

 

[I_bRAD]

I never understood why people did the Tundra brake upgrade, but I totally get it now. I'm from Florida, so I've never had a problem with the brakes on my 3rd Gen, but I've been traveling through the mountains of Georgia and North Carolina and the descents have been rough.

The lady friend and I were attempting to do the Blue Ridge Parkway in its entirety, but we had to get off due to the brakes overheating. I could feel the rotors starting to warp and didn't feel comfortable pushing it any further.

How do you other automatic transmission guys drive your 3rd Gen in the mountains? Does turning overdrive off on the descents help to engine brake at all?

I have limited experience driving automatic, but can't you drop it to 3 or even 2 if need be?

 

[4-Ripcord]

turning off overdrive will hold the transmission in 3, or if you are on a slower speed road you can even go down to 2. I do this a lot going down hills, really saves the brakes.

 

[JayRolla]

I never understood why people did the Tundra brake upgrade, but I totally get it now. I'm from Florida, so I've never had a problem with the brakes on my 3rd Gen, but I've been traveling through the mountains of Georgia and North Carolina and the descents have been rough.

The lady friend and I were attempting to do the Blue Ridge Parkway in its entirety, but we had to get off due to the brakes overheating. I could feel the rotors starting to warp and didn't feel comfortable pushing it any further.

How do you other automatic transmission guys drive your 3rd Gen in the mountains? Does turning overdrive off on the descents help to engine brake at all?

The stock brakes can handle mountain driving. You need to drop to 2nd or even 1st on decent. 4lo if off road will really let you crawl.

 

[electroCrunch]

Often overlooked is the age and condition of the brake fluid. Old fluid will cause the brakes to fade as well.

If you are mechanically inclined, the TBU is not difficult or too expensive, for the benefits you gain from that modification.

 

[ajordan1975]

Turn overdrive off. Use second if you really need to. you'll be fine.

 

[turbo8]

Don't ride your brakes either.

 

[electroCrunch]

Don't ride your brakes either.

Yeah, probably best advice given so far.

 

[octanejunkie]

I favor gears to brakes and downshift often on hills, taking overdrive off in traffic too to slow vs braking

I see so many people drive going from gas to brake and back it's ridiculous. It's amazing what taking your foot off the gas and coasting does

 

[RAD4Runner]

Yes, by downshifting, you slow down the vehicle without having to ride your brakes. This is downhill driving 101.
We understand, of course, that OP, being from Florida may not be familiar with mountain driving.

 

[RonJR]

The Tundra upgrade will help a bit, but there are no brakes made that will fit in your wheels that will survive constant use down a 4 mile 7-8% grade without overheating and fading. You simply have to use engine braking, in which case your existing brakes are completely adequate.

On long down-grades, of which we have plenty in Colorado, I like to keep brake use to less than a 15-20% duty cycle. If I have to use them more than that, I know I need to downshift another gear. A general rule of thumb is to descend long grades in the same gear, or one gear lower, than you would go up. That's actual transmission gear, not gear selector position. So, if your transmission downshifted to 3rd to climb the hill, you'd need to shift to 3rd or 2nd to descend under engine control. This is even more important if you're towing.

 

[octanejunkie]

Yes, by downshifting, you slow down the vehicle without having to ride your brakes. This is downhill driving 101.

You'd be surprised what they don't teach new drivers. For instance, parallel parking was REMOVED from the driving portion of the licensing test in CA.

 

[rkymtnman]

Don't ride your brakes either.

I drive I-70 every week in the summer...usually pulling a camper behind the Raptor and I am AMAZED at how my people don't understand this. I have followed cars/trucks for miles without seeing their brake lights go dim. Far too many people ride the crap out of their brakes and don't use the trans to slow them down. It is a bit of a foreign concept to our flat-lander brethren however.

That said, i have not had any issues with the stock brakes on the 4runner but it is a manual and I do downshift it liberally.

 

[RonJR]

I drive I-70 every week in the summer...usually pulling a camper behind the Raptor and I am AMAZED at how my people don't understand this. I have followed cars/trucks for miles without seeing their brake lights go dim. Far too many people ride the crap out of their brakes and don't use the trans to slow them down. It is a bit of a foreign concept to our flat-lander brethren however.

That said, i have not had any issues with the stock brakes on the 4runner but it is a manual and I do downshift it liberally.

Totally agree. When I drive long downhills, my hand almost never leaves the shifter lever. It's my primary speed control. Brakes are mostly for emergency stops and slowing down for tight switchbacks.

 

[phattyduck]

You'd be surprised what they don't teach new drivers. For instance, parallel parking was REMOVED from the driving portion of the licensing test in CA.

Parallel parking wasn't required when I did my test in '96... So, yeah. The 'backing up' portion of the test was back up parallel to a curb, then a 3-point turn.

Maybe they should start requiring driving tests be done with a manual transmission towing a trailer. :eyebrows:

-Charlie

 

[mtbtim]

With mountain driving you have braking issues that you can easily deal with by utilizing engine braking like everyone has chimed in with. But, you also can have huge issues with overheating your auto transmission.

Having a way to monitor your trans temps is the first hurdle. If you have a 96-98, the ECU doesn't provide auto trans temp info. If you have a 99-02, you can either use a Scan Gauge or a Bluetooth OBDII reader sending information to a phone app like Torque Pro. For 95-98 owners, you can install a sensor into one of the transmission lines and run it to an aftermarket gauge.

Once you are monitoring your trans temp, you will notice how quickly your temp will rise when climbing grades. Turning overdrive off can help a lot if your'e at a speed between 3rd and Overdrive. This locks up the torque converter and will drop your trans temp 20+ degrees. If you're climbing up a steep slow grade, knowing where your trans temp is will let you know when it might be prudent to stop and give your transmission a chance to cool down. At 175 degrees, your trans fluid could last you 100,000 miles. As the temp increases, the life of the fluid decreases. At 230 degrees, which is a temp commonly hit by people who drive in the mountains, your trans fluid will only last 30,000 miles. The idiot light Toyota provides for the trans temp on the dash supposedly goes off at around 300 degrees. At that point, it's too late. You're trans fluid is completely toast. The light is basically warning you to stop so you don't do further damage and get yourself towed somewhere.

With an external trans cooler ran in-series with the stock trans cooler in the radiator, I've still seen high temps on particularly steep ascents. One in particular was a 15-20 degree climb up to someone's house in the Santa Cruz mountains. The road was long and consistently steep which caused the temp to rapidly climb. I was almost going to pull over and give my trans a rest when we finally reached the house. I hit 240 degrees. A trans cooler ran in-series will drop your coolant temps around 20 degrees. So, without the cooler, I could have hit close to 260. At 260, your trans fluid will only last you 10,000 miles.

Monitor your trans temps. It might be the difference between a nice long life for your original transmission or an expensive and labor intensive replacement.

Here's a video showing how turning off overdrive can drop your trans temp:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BEZfDOkGVno" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

If you would like to see how I installed my external trans cooler, here's a video that includes replacing the radiator and thermostat as well:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2nVbwe2t2T8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[aontkos]

With mountain driving you have braking issues that you can easily deal with by utilizing engine braking like everyone has chimed in with. But, you also can have huge issues with overheating your auto transmission.

Having a way to monitor your trans temps is the first hurdle. If you have a 96-98, the ECU doesn't provide auto trans temp info. If you have a 99-02, you can either use a Scan Gauge or a Bluetooth OBDII reader sending information to a phone app like Torque Pro. For 95-98 owners, you can install a sensor into one of the transmission lines and run it to an aftermarket gauge.

Once you are monitoring your trans temp, you will notice how quickly your temp will rise when climbing grades. Turning overdrive off can help a lot if your'e at a speed between 3rd and Overdrive. This locks up the torque converter and will drop your trans temp 20+ degrees. If you're climbing up a steep slow grade, knowing where your trans temp is will let you know when it might be prudent to stop and give your transmission a chance to cool down. At 175 degrees, your trans fluid could last you 100,000 miles. As the temp increases, the life of the fluid decreases. At 230 degrees, which is a temp commonly hit by people who drive in the mountains, your trans fluid will only last 30,000 miles. The idiot light Toyota provides for the trans temp on the dash supposedly goes off at around 300 degrees. At that point, it's too late. You're trans fluid is completely toast. The light is basically warning you to stop so you don't do further damage and get yourself towed somewhere.

With an external trans cooler ran in-series with the stock trans cooler in the radiator, I've still seen high temps on particularly steep ascents. One in particular was a 15-20 degree climb up to someone's house in the Santa Cruz mountains. The road was long and consistently steep which caused the temp to rapidly climb. I was almost going to pull over and give my trans a rest when we finally reached the house. I hit 240 degrees. A trans cooler ran in-series will drop your coolant temps around 20 degrees. So, without the cooler, I could have hit close to 260. At 260, your trans fluid will only last you 10,000 miles.

Monitor your trans temps. It might be the difference between a nice long life for your original transmission or an expensive and labor intensive replacement.

Thanks for the insight, everyone. I have a Scan Gauge II, so monitoring the trans temps is easy. I already keep an eye on the trans and engine temps at all times.

We'll be resuming our trip on the Parkway and we'll depart from Asheville tomorrow. I'll turn overdrive off during the descents, and shift into 2nd, if necessary. I appreciate your input!

I'm amazed that the posted speed limits on the Parkway are 45 MPH...I can't imagine going 45 in any vehicle...and in a 4runner with a roof top tent, ARB bumper, Wilco Hitchgate, and camping gear it's just unreasonable...

 

[RAD4Runner]

You'd be surprised what they don't teach new drivers....

I love the smell of burning brakes driving back from Big Bear

Speaking of overheating and other things...
When we use engine braking, the engine ends up revving up altho it is not burning anymore fuel so not producing significantly more heat from combustion. Is there a problem with the resulting higher than usual RPM? I don't have a tach so I tap my brake when I don't feel comfortable with how the engine sounds or feels.

 

[John7M7]

With mountain driving you have braking issues that you can easily deal with by utilizing engine braking like everyone has chimed in with. But, you also can have huge issues with overheating your auto transmission.

Having a way to monitor your trans temps is the first hurdle. If you have a 96-98, the ECU doesn't provide auto trans temp info. If you have a 99-02, you can either use a Scan Gauge or a Bluetooth OBDII reader sending information to a phone app like Torque Pro. For 95-98 owners, you can install a sensor into one of the transmission lines and run it to an aftermarket gauge.

Once you are monitoring your trans temp, you will notice how quickly your temp will rise when climbing grades. Turning overdrive off can help a lot if your'e at a speed between 3rd and Overdrive. This locks up the torque converter and will drop your trans temp 20+ degrees. If you're climbing up a steep slow grade, knowing where your trans temp is will let you know when it might be prudent to stop and give your transmission a chance to cool down. At 175 degrees, your trans fluid could last you 100,000 miles. As the temp increases, the life of the fluid decreases. At 230 degrees, which is a temp commonly hit by people who drive in the mountains, your trans fluid will only last 30,000 miles. The idiot light Toyota provides for the trans temp on the dash supposedly goes off at around 300 degrees. At that point, it's too late. You're trans fluid is completely toast. The light is basically warning you to stop so you don't do further damage and get yourself towed somewhere.

With an external trans cooler ran in-series with the stock trans cooler in the radiator, I've still seen high temps on particularly steep ascents. One in particular was a 15-20 degree climb up to someone's house in the Santa Cruz mountains. The road was long and consistently steep which caused the temp to rapidly climb. I was almost going to pull over and give my trans a rest when we finally reached the house. I hit 240 degrees. A trans cooler ran in-series will drop your coolant temps around 20 degrees. So, without the cooler, I could have hit close to 260. At 260, your trans fluid will only last you 10,000 miles.

Monitor your trans temps. It might be the difference between a nice long life for your original transmission or an expensive and labor intensive replacement.

Here's a video showing how turning off overdrive can drop your trans temp:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BEZfDOkGVno" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

If you would like to see how I installed my external trans cooler, here's a video that includes replacing the radiator and thermostat as well:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2nVbwe2t2T8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This.
Your post should be a sticky.

 

[phattyduck]

I love the smell of burning brakes driving back from Big Bear

Speaking of overheating and other things...
When we use engine braking, the engine ends up revving up altho it is not burning anymore fuel so not producing significantly more heat from combustion. Is there a problem with the resulting higher than usual RPM? I don't have a tach so I tap my brake when I don't feel comfortable with how the engine sounds or feels.

When the engine is coasting above about 1500 RPM, the engine is using 0 fuel. The injectors are turned off and the engine is just working as an air pump. There is no issue with this in a 4-stroke motor.

-Charlie