Posted on 03/26/2023 10:41:58 AM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?
Once upon a time, the manual transmission was the default transmission choice for a pickup truck. The automatic was a luxury option that robbed trucks of both power and mpg. But the final full-size pickup truck with the manual transmission (the 2018 Cummins-powered Ram) has come and gone. So who is to blame for the death of the manual transmission pickup truck? The truth is that increased engine torque, government regulations, and the capabilities of the average driver are all partially responsible. But at the end of the day, we killed the manual truck; automakers don’t offer manual transmission full-size trucks because so few drivers want to buy them.
The torque wars left manual transmissions in the dust
As a fan of classic trucks, every pickup I’ve owned has had three pedals. But I know every manual has a weak point: its clutch. And modern engines make a lot more torque, too much for the final generation of manual transmissions.
Take, for example, the first gen Cummins-powered Dodge Ram. The 5.9-liter turbodiesel I6 made just 160 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. Classic truck fans know that the manual transmission available behind this engine is a great option and will often last as long as the diesel itself.
Fast-forward to 2018 and the Cummins 6.7-liter turbodiesel I6 available in the heavy-duty Ram made up to 385 horsepower and 930 lb-ft of torque. That’s a lot of power to put through a manual transmission. It’s no wonder that the 2018 engine in the stickshift Ram was detuned, making 35 horsepower less than the same Cummins in an automatic transmission truck (350 horsepower).
According to Cars.com, automakers could conceivably engineer a next-generation manual transmission capable of handling this much torque. But that would be a very expensive process.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Now you pay extra for a manual. But that’s from standardized assembly lines. k
I got a little egg on my face here! just looked it up and todays charger is 4400+- pounds... a 72 was only 3300+-...
all I know is when your attention is drawn by the sound of a new cars RPM increase you see a car making a lot of noise with very little acceleration. take away the hellcat and its HP, and looking at the rest doesnt boast much advancement in 50 years!! just saying...
I started out in 1982 driving std f350 in heavy metro NYC traffic. After a looong day of work and only half way home, that clutch pedal spring, which seemed so light starting out is inducing cramps and is lifting me out of the seat. One day 30 years ago on 495 in stop and go I decided I’d never drive a standard again. Never again.
My '96 F150 4X4 is down for a clutch slave cylinder.
I don't know how much longer I'll be able to keep the old girl on the road (Rust mainly). I won't buy a new automatic so I'm searching for an old, restored or restore-able to good working condition 4X4 pickup. No need for a show piece when it will only get washed once a year but it needs to be solid and reliable.
Have $ Will travel.
Such are the challenges of island life in Alaska. I expect I'll have to fly down to the lower 48 to find one and bring it back on the ferry.
Your dad had BALLS if there was a house or garage in front of that driveway.
I’m kinda old so I grew up with, and still drive, manual shifts.
My first new one was a 1972 340 4-speed Dodge Demon....nasty little thing.
My latest is a 2011 392 SRT8 Challenger 6-speed.
My highest mileage is a 2005 5-speed Honda Civic LX: 298,980 miles as of today, and still running strong with 40+ mpg. I use it every day as an errand runner.
A fellow went to a gym near me. Stupid kid carjacked the owner. The kids got behind the wheel and didn’t know what to do about the 3rd pedal. The car owner called the local sheriff. Deputy showed up and the carjacker was still in the car trying to figure it out.
more importantly what the hell happened to the 2 door trucks with no backseat?
Regrettably, high dollar doesn’t always mean high quality. It’s like the industry is trying to influence a move towards automatic shift.
My 16 Tacoma was an exception.
It was about 10k less than the automatic version.
Buyers...
I don't want these modern pickups with berber carpet, burled walnut trim, and corinthian leather.
Why can't we get a basic pickup with vinyl floors, vinyl seats and a manual transmission?
Part of Obama’s regs. His Cash for Clunkers aberration was intended to put cars like that in the junkyard.
My first car was a 67 dodge dart with 3 on the tree, next was a 74 dodge colt 4 on the floor, then a Toyota pickup with 4 on the floor. Now no more manual at all.
When I was a state copper working in Cook County I was in Chicago in the Greektown restaurant area when my partner and I monitored a Chicago Police Dept flash message about a car jacking that had just occurred in the area within the last few minutes.
Just moments after we made note of it, we heard cars honking at a late model import that was moving slowly in the left lane, jerking and stopping as other cars swerved around it. Since it matched the description of the suspect vehicle, we made a felony stop, detained three suspects who had two pistols in the car, and notified CPD Tactical officers to meet us at the scene.
These suspects were subsequently identified as the offenders in the car jacking, and the reason for the erratic driving that had captured our attention was the fact that the ringleader driver couldn’t operate the 5 speed manual transmission in it very well. One of his accomplices was an 18 wheel truck driver who was entirely capable of driving it, but the boss said that he had always wanted to drive a stick shift and this would be his first chance, so he ordered his buddy to stand down and took the wheel himself.
We wouldn’t catch so many of these clowns if so many weren’t so damn stupid.
As a result of this experience, my 2010 Hummer H3 has a 5 speed manual trans. The transmission also helps me to get the most performance from a relatively heavy vehicle with a relatively small engine. (3.7L 250 hp, but moving 4800 lbs).
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