Autobox & Off Road

[davidroberts30]

I can find you a few places it cant

That's why sheep's where invented​

 

[sawdust]

That's why sheep's where invented​

And seagulls

 

[kiwi pom]

Ok so find me a hybrid with a manual gearbox?

There aren’t any are there!

The future is 2 pedals on the floor and gears that change without any input from the driver. The Americans wised up to this in the 50s. It was only the cost of fuel that kept us brits in cars with 3 pedals and a manual change gearbox.

Cars of the furute will NOT have manual gearboxes. I give it 10 years tops before it will be virtually impossible to buy a new manual car!

Its been really hard to buy a manual car here for a while now, dealers just don't order them. Pick ups are a bit different, still get a few manuals.
Not quite the same with big trucks though (HGV's) a lot of manual Eaton transmissions on the American/Aussie and some Japanese trucks, especially on Logs and stock work.
A lot of people ordering DAF's have been getting 18 speeds as well as the auto's weren't handling the work. Big truck 'autos' mostly being robotised manuals though. (I think)

 

[mf298]

Have an auto Isuzu dmax and have never had to rev it like your describing. I find it great off road as you can feather the throttle without fear of stalling to keep the wheels turning. If you know what I mean.

I would have to agree with you. Have used mine in similar situations including towing 3.5 tonne trailers off road and have been very happy, despite being a bit sceptical to start off with!

 

[Cowabunga]

It doesn’t need lots of revs it needs lots of revs to travel up hill and change into second so it doesn’t need lots of revs...

Second is geared like third in a manual. Ask yourself whether you would engage third on that piece of hill at the speed you are doing

 

[sawdust]

Second is geared like third in a manual. Ask yourself whether you would engage third on that piece of hill at the speed you are doing

I understand what your saying,
so are there better mapped autoboxes in other pickups or are they all much of an alike?

 

[Landy Nick]

Wouldn't be without auto, on or off fields.

 

[Cowabunga]

I understand what your saying,
so are there better mapped autoboxes in other pickups or are they all much of an alike?

All auto boxes tend to have a high first gear, letting the torque converter slip for very low speeds. There’s always low range to use on most pickups of course. As I previously mentioned, even the same model of transmission fitted to different vehicles can have different mapping, and indeed different final drive ratios.

The more gear ratios that are available, the more spread out they tend to be. So an eight speed box would typically have a slower first gear and possibly higher top than a six speed. The nine speed fitted to my Honda has a slow first and an absurdly high ninth, to the point that in eight months of ownership it has yet to engage ninth. For off-road use it would ideally have a lower final drive so that first was slower still. It would then engage ninth regularly on ordinary roads at legal speed. I’m sure that as it is, it would engage top gear at around 80mph+ on the motorway

Ford will soon have their ten speed automatic available in the Ranger. Hopefully they will slot in a ratio below current first and between second and third whatever else they do. Plus I would like them to provide more appropriate downhill engine braking, like my Volvo and [especially] Honda do.

Don’t get me wrong, the Ford six speed is perfectly good on the road and OK when towing. But it should be even better when towing. Given a choice between it and a manual, I would choose the automatic every time but wouldn’t object to driving a manual.

 

[holywell farmer]

All auto boxes tend to have a high first gear, letting the torque converter slip for very low speeds. There’s always low range to use on most pickups of course. As I previously mentioned, even the same model of transmission fitted to different vehicles can have different mapping, and indeed different final drive ratios.

The more gear ratios that are available, the more spread out they tend to be. So an eight speed box would typically have a slower first gear and possibly higher top than a six speed. The nine speed fitted to my Honda has a slow first and an absurdly high ninth, to the point that in eight months of ownership it has yet to engage ninth. For off-road use it would ideally have a lower final drive so that first was slower still. It would then engage ninth regularly on ordinary roads at legal speed. I’m sure that as it is, it would engage top gear at around 80mph+ on the motorway

Ford will soon have their ten speed automatic available in the Ranger. Hopefully they will slot in a ratio below current first and between second and third whatever else they do. Plus I would like them to provide more appropriate downhill engine braking, like my Volvo and [especially] Honda do.

Don’t get me wrong, the Ford six speed is perfectly good on the road and OK when towing. But it should be even better when towing. Given a choice between it and a manual, I would choose the automatic every time but wouldn’t object to driving a manual.

What you don't know about car transmissions probably isn't worth knowing as they say,

 

[Roger Perry]

Agree the 10 speed works really well, had one for a while now and its' a smoother flowing shift.
Question, when ordering a pickup here, on the order sheet checklist you get a choice of rear axel ratio's depending what you are using the truck for, do Ford spec just one or is there a choice in UK.

 

[Cowabunga]

There’s a choice of two final drive ratios on the Ranger. Most choose or have got the lower ratio one, whether they know it or not. The high ratio lowers the towing limit but is meant to improve fuel economy. Personally i find the lower ratio ideal for all purposes.

 

[Drillman]

All auto boxes tend to have a high first gear, letting the torque converter slip for very low speeds. There’s always low range to use on most pickups of course. As I previously mentioned, even the same model of transmission fitted to different vehicles can have different mapping, and indeed different final drive ratios.

The more gear ratios that are available, the more spread out they tend to be. So an eight speed box would typically have a slower first gear and possibly higher top than a six speed. The nine speed fitted to my Honda has a slow first and an absurdly high ninth, to the point that in eight months of ownership it has yet to engage ninth. For off-road use it would ideally have a lower final drive so that first was slower still. It would then engage ninth regularly on ordinary roads at legal speed. I’m sure that as it is, it would engage top gear at around 80mph+ on the motorway

Ford will soon have their ten speed automatic available in the Ranger. Hopefully they will slot in a ratio below current first and between second and third whatever else they do. Plus I would like them to provide more appropriate downhill engine braking, like my Volvo and [especially] Honda do.

Don’t get me wrong, the Ford six speed is perfectly good on the road and OK when towing. But it should be even better when towing. Given a choice between it and a manual, I would choose the automatic every time but wouldn’t object to driving a manual.

The bigger more powerful 3.2 engine overcomes most of the limitations of the ford 6 speed Auto.

Only thing I still have to do is nudge the shifter across and lock it into a lower gear downhill with heavy trailers to improve engine braking.

 

[Cowabunga]

The bigger more powerful 3.2 engine overcomes most of the limitations of the ford 6 speed Auto.

Only thing I still have to do is nudge the shifter across and lock it into a lower gear downhill with heavy trailers to improve engine braking.

The 3.2 doesn't close the ratio gap between second and third or make it change more responsively up hills, both up and down. Yes, one can always shift manually, which is what I do when appropriate, but others do it automatically and better.

Yes, I'm being picky, but if people want to know in detail how it compares to the best available, they should get the meat and two veg. Its a far better transmission than the four speed fitted to my Land Cruiser for instance. In truth even the 2.2 Ford Ranger is a match or betters the Land Cruiser 4.2 with four speed, in every respect.

 

[sawdust]

The bigger more powerful 3.2 engine overcomes most of the limitations of the ford 6 speed Auto.

Only thing I still have to do is nudge the shifter across and lock it into a lower gear downhill with heavy trailers to improve engine braking.

This one is the 3.2 version, it also has the down hill decent feature which does work as it saves standing on the brake peddle for most of the forest road hills, is it possible as @Sharpy says the gearbox has to learn my type of driving?

 

[Drillman]

The 3.2 doesn't close the ratio gap between second and third or make it change more responsively up hills, both up and down. Yes, one can always shift manually, which is what I do when appropriate, but others do it automatically and better.

Yes, I'm being picky, but if people want to know in detail how it compares to the best available, they should get the meat and two veg. Its a far better transmission than the four speed fitted to my Land Cruiser for instance. In truth even the 2.2 Ford Ranger is a match or betters the Land Cruiser 4.2 with four speed, in every respect.

the extra power and torque of the 3.2 means the gap between gears isn’t as noticeable though. Especially when towing

This one is the 3.2 version, it also has the down hill decent feature which does work as it saves standing on the brake peddle for most of the forest road hills, is it possible as @Sharpy says the gearbox has to learn my type of driving?

yes give it a bit of time to get used to you.

Do some bonding with your truck so to speak

 

[sawdust]

Do some bonding with your truck so to speak

 

[davidroberts30]

 

[Drillman]

View attachment 777814

@sawdust

 

[sawdust]

@sawdust

It's forests roads I need it to bond with, not urban streets

 

[Drillman]

It's forests roads I need it to bond with, not urban streets

Ok someone find @sawdust a picture of a bloke rodgering a tree