TRANS The death of the stick shift is almost here

[wait-n-see]

I loved driving with a Super 10, but when I had to play stop & go, stuck I-90 in downtown Chicago rush hour I did wonder if an autoshift wouldn't be nice. But seeing the early ones lose their minds and not move until they sat for five minutes and did a computer reset, I decided I wanted no part of them.

Maybe the new 12-speed automatics have all the bugs of the early heavy trucks worked out, but if I was to buy a new truck today, I'd still go for the 10 or 12-speed manual if available. But from what I've seen, manuals are no longer available from US heavy truck makers.

Stop & go! UGH!!!

Same experience with me. Playing "stop & go" on 635/30/360/20 from SE Collin county to Arlington for a few years which did a number on my left leg hovering over the clutch pedal the whole time going between 5 to 30 MPH with the occasional full stop.

Went automatic and never looked back.

 

[Wildwood]

My first car was a stripped down standard Camaro, a two year old 74 model that didn't even have AC. I was in college but working enough to make the payments. I had never driven a manual and drove that thing ten miles into town the first night I owned it. By the time I got home later that night, I was an old hand at it lol. There are some things you just have to do to learn.

DH and I had been dating a few years by then and in another year he'd landed a good job in Memphis but needed a better vehicle than his worn out Vega so we traded vehicles with my parents blessing...I still had a year's worth of payments left. We got married a few years later and I was back in the Camaro and he had a company car. We sold the Vega and got $500 badly needed dollars lol...my father was shocked, said we'd never get that much out of it.

 

[33dInd]

Everybody should learn to drive in an old Deuce and a Half.

Ohhhh yeah

 

[Select]

That looks like a combination code for a lock! I grew up driving tractors and farm trucks as soon as I was big enough to reach the clutch and brake pedals. Spent high school driving a maual S-10 in the mountains, love working the gears and burning the tires. Started adulting after college, lived in Atlanta with a manual explorer. The traffic sucked all the fun out of the manual and it didn't stay with me long... Son bought a manual Golf GTI that was tuned up and boy I had a ball with that when he came home. It got the desire back in me to find another fun car to drive around the curvy mountain roads!

 

[Sacajawea]

There is plenty of open highway left, and lovely 2-lane twisties, to play with a manual transmission. But it ain't in the cities. Barring the usual young adult fascination with "bright lights & big cities", a short-term aberration in my life's location, I don't live or drive there. Just the smaller city over the mountain, makes me chew nails.

If I HAVE to drive those conditions, my D drives - or a rent an automatic.

 

[Wildweasel]

My 48 Willys pickup is 4 on the floor
It’s not an original drive train though
260 ford v8 looked to for floor shift and ford 8 inch rear axle
The only non ford set up on it is 75 amc pacer front end
That gave me from disc brakes and rack and pinion power steering

Sounds fun. My late BIL's 53 Chevy pickup had a Pacer front end swap done. Camaro motor mounts made bolting a 327 in easy, with no cutting, drilling or welding.

Rode and handled so much better that the original straight axle. And the Pacer hubs were the same bolt pattern as a Chevy, so no need to buy new wheels.

Many a Space Bubble (Pacer) gave up its front end to somebody's hot rod project. Just like how a Ford Granada gave up its front power bench seat to BIL's Chevy. Those cars were better used as parts donors than as their original purpose.

 

[Txkstew]

If you have a dead battery in a modern vehicle, that has a manual transmission, I don't believe you can push start it, due to the electric fuel pump. I figured that out, trying to push start a little Nissan around a parking lot, by myself.

I have a 2009 Chevrolet 1/2 ton with a 5 speed manual transmission. When I it came up for sale by someone I knew, I jumped on it for $1200. Smooth V6 engine, good clutch and transmission, but otherwise worn out. We've been replacing almost all other parts, needed or not. The under carriage is rusted out, as is some body areas down low. I assume it came from up North where the roads are salted. Standard cab and hand crank windows. Someone had painted it with can paint, that was peeling off. My Son sanded it down, and you could see it was a fleet truck for a plumbing company, as most of the company name and phone number was visible. I couldn't make out the area code to tell where it came from.

 

[Anti-Liberal]

I may rebuild this car when necessary

I would purchase the parts now because big brother wants your car off the road and will do anything to make that happen.

 

[Delta]

I have my CDL, and in a previous career I used to drive trucks. Driving a manual in a semi truck is sort of like driving any other manual vehicle, except, you only clutch to get into gear and clutch to get out of gear. When you drive a truck, you float gears, meaning no clutching in and out like on a normal passenger vehicle/light truck. You change gears when you let off the fuel pedal and let the transmissions sync and mesh the gears itself. As far as the gears, it is known as HI/LO splitting. For instance, there are still 6 gates (sometimes I call it an L shifter 7 on very rare transmissions), but you have a switch that you flick up and down for your HI/LO splits depending on your load. If unloaded, you pretty much stay in HI and depending on the gearing and HP, you can skip shift quite a bit. 13 speed vs 18 speed ain't much different, you just have more HI/LO options for heavy loads or more HI/LO reverse options. Depends on the vocational purpose of the truck.

One can float gears on a passenger vehicle doing the same method, but it is ill advised. Not good for the synchros and the gear meshing cuts really isn't designed to be float shifted. However, there was one time I had to float shift a passenger vehicle and that was went the slave cylinder decided to spring a leak. Was a challenge, and a lot of gear grinding, but I made it.

A good truck driver can float gears so smooth that it doesn't sound like a slap shot from a hockey stick going on inside the transmission. Less of that will only make the transmission last a lot longer. Same with lugging, that is both hard on the engine and transmission and wastes fuel.

Now a days, a lot of these new trucks have semi-automated or fully-automated (automatic) transmissions. They work like the conventional manual transmission, but just use a solenoid to make the gear changes. Automatic neutral and stuff like that. Still totally different than passenger cars.

Thanks. Been years.

 

[Delta]

Correct. I learned how to do this driving smooth bore tankers. There's an experience for ya... (shudder)

And thanks to you, too.

I loved driving log trucks. The farther from civilization, the better.

 

[Delta]

I wonder if someday "foreigners" will become necessary to operate vehicles with manual transmissions (i.e. to deliver the goods).

 

[West]

And thanks to you, too.

I loved driving log trucks. The farther from civilization, the better.

On the river road between I-5 and the Pacific Ocean is hwy 96. And it follows the Klamath river drainage.

At the peak of the logging industry in 1997 I tried to keep up with a logging truck going West from Happycamp. About 30 miles of road I knew like the back of my hand.

I couldn't keep up! Crazy drivers. Most of them I could keep up with. But I think some of the drivers had no fear. And possibly faster trucks.

 

[Trixie Racer]

Learned how to drive on an old Ford Courier and a Ford Pinto, which I ended up having as my first car....I drove a stick up until about 5 years ago...I cannot seem to find one- They are far an few between...however, it ensures that no one else will want to drive your car, as I find most folks...save for Gen X and older do not know how to drive one. You get some youngsters that know how, but not often.

 

[Delta]

On the river road between I-5 and the Pacific Ocean is hwy 96. And it follows the Klamath river drainage.

At the peak of the logging industry in 1997 I tried to keep up with a logging truck going West from Happycamp. About 30 miles of road I knew like the back of my hand.

I couldn't keep up! Crazy drivers. Most of them I could keep up with. But I think some of the drivers had no fear. And possibly faster trucks.

I quit driving in 1983. a lot of the drivers had (and used) CBs, That helped 'em move fast on the one-lane roads. i didn' have a CB, but I knew who to tailgate.

 

[teedee]

The last stick shift I had was a VW golf. It had the 1.8turbo motor and was a ton of fun. Kind of like a go kart. Fastest I ever had it was 125 mph and it was still pulling like a train so I knew it was going to the rev limiter so I shut it down. I loved that car, it was as stable at 100 as at 55 and just as happy.

 

[Southside]

One can float gears on a passenger vehicle doing the same method, but it is ill advised. Not good for the synchros and the gear meshing cuts really isn't designed to be float shifted. However, there was one time I had to float shift a passenger vehicle and that was went the slave cylinder decided to spring a leak. Was a challenge, and a lot of gear grinding, but I made it.

LOL. Well sometimes yes, and sometimes no. Performance manuals with big clutches do not like it AT ALL. New stuff on the Camaros, Mustangs and Corvettes of the last 10-15 years really don't. My 1996 Honda Accord had 315K on the original clutch when I sold it was because I never used it. In the last 50 K I got so good with it, I could avoid using it in 1st if I could time it well. Stop signs were easy. You would hold the stick against 1st, and once it got to 2mph it would fall right in. Really didn't use that clutch much. My 2003 Acura CLS, not so good. Synchros were going bad at the 246K when it needed to go anyway. Yes, going bad from clutchless shifting. My 85 Mustang really doesn't care if I use it, as long as I go slow. But who wants to do that?

 

[Southside]

If you have a dead battery in a modern vehicle, that has a manual transmission, I don't believe you can push start it, due to the electric fuel pump. I figured that out, trying to push start a little Nissan around a parking lot, by myself.

I have a 2009 Chevrolet 1/2 ton with a 5 speed manual transmission. When I it came up for sale by someone I knew, I jumped on it for $1200. Smooth V6 engine, good clutch and transmission, but otherwise worn out. We've been replacing almost all other parts, needed or not. The under carriage is rusted out, as is some body areas down low. I assume it came from up North where the roads are salted. Standard cab and hand crank windows. Someone had painted it with can paint, that was peeling off. My Son sanded it down, and you could see it was a fleet truck for a plumbing company, as most of the company name and phone number was visible. I couldn't make out the area code to tell where it came from.

Never even considered that. Makes all the sense. You can still push start if it is a bad starter, though! I had to push start my Taurus SHO for awhile.

 

[Southside]

On the river road between I-5 and the Pacific Ocean is hwy 96. And it follows the Klamath river drainage.

At the peak of the logging industry in 1997 I tried to keep up with a logging truck going West from Happycamp. About 30 miles of road I knew like the back of my hand.

I couldn't keep up! Crazy drivers. Most of them I could keep up with. But I think some of the drivers had no fear. And possibly faster trucks.

I love the mountain roads in the N. Cal mountains. 2x I have had to take the road to the Nordheimer Creek put in for the Cal Salmon River. Oh my, at night. Worse during the day, you can see your death. All before GPS, and I live in Chicago. Splendid beauty in those mountains. The Cal Salmon always had about 6 miles to run on the Klamath before takeout.

 

[Dennis Olson]

I could float gears in a semi so good that the only time I ever needed to use the clutch was at stops and starts. Having 3000 gallons in a smooth-bore tank slap you into an intersection 5 seconds after you stop will give a person a "come to jesus" moment.

 

[West]

I love the mountain roads in the N. Cal mountains. 2x I have had to take the road to the Nordheimer Creek put in for the Cal Salmon River. Oh my, at night. Worse during the day, you can see your death. All before GPS, and I live in Chicago. Splendid beauty in those mountains. The Cal Salmon always had about 6 miles to run on the Klamath before takeout.

We had a claim on the south fork of the Salmon river. When one traverses that road, you have to keep your windows down and radio off.

That way you can hear the logging trucks honking their horn going out or in that one stretch of road about 10 miles of single lane cliff road. About every 1/2 mile there was just enough room to put your car or truck to the side so a big truck like a logging truck can pass you. Otherwise your backing up to the next pass spot. Those loggers are not going to back their trucks up for anyone.

 

[Wildweasel]

Never even considered that. Makes all the sense. You can still push start if it is a bad starter, though! I had to push start my Taurus SHO for awhile.

If your battery is too weak to start the car but has enough oomph to run the electronics, push starting should still work. But push starting any vehicle with a totally dead (or no) battery won't work like it would when cars had generators and not alternators.

It takes voltage to make an alternator work along with the electronics while generators make voltage whenever they are turning. And a generator with charge a totally dead battery where an alternator can't due to needing power to make power.

 

[Delta]

We had a claim on the south fork of the Salmon river. When one traverses that road, you have to keep your windows down and radio off.

That way you can hear the logging trucks honking their horn going out or in that one stretch of road about 10 miles of single lane cliff road. About every 1/2 mile there was just enough room to put your car or truck to the side so a big truck like a logging truck can pass you. Otherwise your backing up to the next pass spot. Those loggers are not going to back their trucks up for anyone.

You remind me of the "Beaver Slide". Getting directions at 2 am to where we'd be going the next day (only 2 or 3 hours later) was never good (Like "take the second to last turnoff to the right" was worthless when the road might go past that several miles to its "end", and you'd never been on it before anyway.) Really, the only thing you could do was look for tire tracks to follow or pray for other trucks to meet. One Monday morning a driver new to the show followed tire tracks down to the Klamath River. Turned out they belonged to fallers who knew the short cut. The trail got steep, and the morning fog made it slippery (to the brakes only locked the drivers). He bailed out at a flat spot where the truck almost slid to a stop. Eventually, it got all quiet, so he hoofed on down to retrieve his lunch but found the truck idling in the middle of the road (where the shortcut between two legs of a long switchback) met it again. (The truck had stayed in the ruts.) So he climbed in, drove on, and never told anyone the story for several years. Turned out log trucks were always supposed to take the switchback going in and out, no one took the "Beaver Slide" in the morning when it was wet!

FWIW, "long loggers" could be backed, short loggers were truck-and-trailers and could only back (with a good driver) very short distances. Generally, the trailer (or "dolly") was stacked on the back of the truck half the time (going to the woods/show). Empty (with the trailer on the back of the truck) you had the same (if not better) horsepower-to-weight ratio as a shorts car. This made for great (if not crazy) driving.

Nothing is as intimidating to a novice as watching an experienced trucker drive. Especially with a "brownie" and a main transmission.

 

[West]

You remind me of the "Beaver Slide". Getting directions at 2 am to where we'd be going the next day (only 2 or 3 hours later) was never good (Like "take the second to last turnoff to the right" was worthless when the road might go past that several miles to its "end", and you'd never been on it before anyway.) Really, the only thing you could do was look for tire tracks to follow or pray for other trucks to meet. One Monday morning a driver new to the show followed tire tracks down to the Klamath River. Turned out they belonged to fallers who knew the short cut. The trail got steep, and the morning fog made it slippery (to the brakes only locked the drivers). He bailed out at a flat spot where the truck almost slid to a stop. Eventually, it got all quiet, so he hoofed on down to retrieve his lunch but found the truck idling in the middle of the road (where the shortcut between two legs of a long switchback) met it again. (The truck had stayed in the ruts.) So he climbed in, drove on, and never told anyone the story for several years. Turned out log trucks were always supposed to take the switchback going in and out, no one took the "Beaver Slide" in the morning when it was wet!

FWIW, "long loggers" could be backed, short loggers were truck-and-trailers and could only back (with a good driver) very short distances. Generally, the trailer (or "dolly") was stacked on the back of the truck half the time (going to the woods/show). Empty (with the trailer on the back of the truck) you had the same (if not better) horsepower-to-weight ratio as a shorts car. This made for great (if not crazy) driving.

Nothing is as intimidating to a novice as watching an experienced trucker drive. Especially with a "brownie" and a main transmission.

Not many people know what a Beaver slide is...

https://terrier.tech/system/document_images/76d5cb20-991f-4498-815a-98367305fd69/image-20220426-143656.png

Some may think its a way to stack or unstack hay bails.

Heh.....

 

[cliff dweller]

Drive them all.

 

[WorkinStiff]

Nothing beats a 3/4 ton pickup with a granny low 4 speed.

Got a 2001, Cummins Dodge 4WD, 5spd, exhaust brake; 175K miles.....Painted it two years ago and old guys walk up to me asking how much I want for it........BTW: has got original clutch and rear brakes and front brakes were changed out 10K miles ago..Most of the miles hauling a camper up and down the Cascades, Sierra's and Rockies and up to Alaska...( Got a car for around town)_A few years back I was coming down a long grade in some Nat Park with the Jake brake goin, "Dah Dah Dah Dah Dah" loudly like a semi,...At the bottom, as I passed a huge parking lot full of tour buses, about 20 Japanese tourists come running out from between the buses with camcorders, all filming me as I slowly turned into the lot......... I felt like a real celebrity.........

 

[diesel85]

Got a 2001, Cummins Dodge 4WD, 4spd, exhaust brake; 175K miles.....Painted it two years ago and old guys walk up to me asking how much I want for it........BTW: has got original clutch and rear brakes and front brakes were changed out 10K miles ago..Most of the miles hauling a camper up and down the Cascades, Sierra's and Rockies and up to Alaska...( Got a car for around town)_A few years back I was coming down a long grade in some Nat Park with the Jake brake goin, "Dah Dah Dah Dah Dah" loudly like a semi,...At the bottom, as I passed a huge parking lot full of tour buses, about 20 Japanese tourists come running out from between the buses with camcorders, all filming me as I slowly turned into the lot......... I felt like a real celebrity.........

I really regret trading my 2002 24v Cummins 2500. I should've parked it and found a gasser version with a good body and replaced everything. Back then, things like Krown didn't exist. The only thing that really existed back then was that tar-like/rubber Ziebart which lets salt water sit between it and the metal.

 

[subnet]

Convenience is the name of the game, while I do get tired of rowing gears at times, our society is getting lazier by the day as technology makes everything it touches easy, thus breeding waekness.

 

[hummer]

Nothing beats a 3/4 ton pickup with a granny low 4 speed.

1984 Chevy 1/2 ton short box 4 on the floor with the 1st being that awesome granny gear!!! I had her specially geared in the factory. I LOVED my truck!!!