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 ...
That is when pickup trucks were used for working and not purchased as a stylish statement.
It’s not terrible to work on and has way more realized power than the previous 6.0s and 7.3…… I’m not a fan of the DEF and emissions though. I think a big part of not seeing the realized hp/tq etc in new cars is people’s buying habits have changed and it’s more niche.
People whom buy cars, probably commute and don’t care about the hp/tq etc or how fast it goes…..or they’re buying a new Charger, Camaro, or rice rocket they plan to tweak out. The F-150 (IIRC) is still the best selling vehicle in America (can’t stand the auto-shutoff they put in there), which pickups are great if you have a house and need to haul stuff around (mulch, lawnmower, etc)…..and SUVs for families.
All that to say - I’d prefer to let the free market decide what’s on the market.
The little princesses buying trucks killed the manual transmission. Truck buyers are too effete anymore to want a real vehicle that puts you in control. The whole torque thing is just a stupid excuse.
And don’t even get me started on automatic sports cars.
btt!!
The car I learned to drive with was a ‘49 Plymouth Woodie, with a 3 on the tree. I switched to a ‘54 Ford ‘wagon, with a manual 3 speed overdrive. Next was a 4 on the floor turbocharged ‘63 Corvair, and after that a 4 on the floor ‘64 Corvette. So I’m quite familiar with manual transmissions.
The Corvette I have now is an automatic. It’s difficult to drive in Texas Hill Country with any manual transmission car. Federal regulations on ‘step over height’ are a big part of the problem. In order to reduce incidents of drivers hitting the gas pedal in stead of the brake pedal, a regulation was made that requires separation between the pedals and an increase in the height between the two pedals. That makes it quite difficult to simultaneously press the brake and gas pedals with one foot, and the clutch with the other. That’s required to launch a car in traffic when stopped at a light on a hill, and it’s quite dangerous if you can’t do it. That’s a requirement in Hill Country.
The power issue is bogus. Detroit was making 500hp 12v71 engines in the 70s without turbos. Put an Eaton or Spicer behind that beast and they would last at least 500k miles. Imho clutch wear has more to do with the driver than engine output.
And the real reason three pedal rigs went away is women don’t want anything but automatics so that’s what most cars were. Heel and toe and double clutching died out as common skills
Question;
How’s your turning radius on your Ram?
I have a 04 Ram 2500 Cummins w/6pd manual, crew cab 4x4 and it has a huge turning radius. Compared that to my ‘13 F350 4x4 Powerstroke and the Ford turns on a dime.
Thats what keeps me from going back to the Ran.
I learned my first stick when I first picked up my 1980 z-28.
Man was it hard to get going in 1st!
About a mile away while getting gas the attendant informed me that smoke was pouring out of my back wheels.
I forgot to release the parking brake lol!
Had a stick Supra as well.
I miss both those cars...
This article makes no sense. Most semi tractors still have manual transmissions. The high torque thing makes no sense.
I would love it if my Tundra was manual.
Car dealer = shyster.
Those turbo T-Birds were super cool back in the late 80’s, had a bud at the time that had a new one.
Having stick must of made it a real fun car to drive.
Girls at the time were really impressed by both my Z’s and Supra turbo, doubly impressed watching me shift those things.
Upped my cool factor by 10..
Good times
Did you ever get to pass Bill Cosby in his VW Bug?
Nothing like stereotyping people you don’t know.
What branch of govt are you in?
LOL an honest car dealer!!!!
I don’t recall. However I am sure you can google it.
I drove Fords for 62 years and my last two were a 2008 and a 2012 and I pull a 40 ft. horse trailer and make a U-turn at the end of a dead end on my place and never noticed the difference. It is a really tight turn with a high hill on one side and a drop off that makes you hold your breath on the other side, so I think I would have noticed any serious difference.
You are correct.
And I have talked to several Ram owners who did the delete and set their trucks up for 700 HP. I don’t know how rough they treated them but they did not complain.
One of the sources told me that there is a company in Charlotte, NC who builds transmissions for those who want the best.
Manufacturers (smart ones, at least) make what they think they can sell. In North America, the market has pretty clearly turned against manual trannies. (I've had two manual cars; I like them except in stop-and-go traffic. But I'm in the minority.)
Ask a car salesman sometime what he thinks of manual transmission cars (or light trucks). They hate them because they're so hard to sell.
I’m the opposite; I actually like stick better in traffic and my feet feel like they’re cramping up if I’m in traffic with an automatic.
I’m still certain that it’s market manipulation. Same thing happened with carmakers suddenly stopping with station wagons (and even Ford with all of their sedans save the Focus), and now they’re trying to pull a trick again with electric versus internal combustion.
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