Auto or manual - Page 2

BAMF_CT2004 · 06-19-2008, 10:16 PM

get the auto. if you ever wheel with an auto or watch a pro crawler you will wish you had one. unless you are looking at a supra then get the 5speed

the only time a 5speed is ever useful is on the street.

Blizzard · 06-19-2008, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesD

I do not like automatics is because they can overheat

True, but I prefer watching the gauge going up and having to wait a little than burning my clutch in the middle of nowhere... This is also one of the reasons I have to swap to an auto.

David

SpecialScottie · 06-19-2008, 11:06 PM

Wow theres more votes for auto
Not what I was expecting

yotasavg · 06-20-2008, 12:41 AM

i have had both and i prefer the auto because i like to do faster offroading and i like the smother shift better. i also jump and charge hills and mud.

tc · 06-20-2008, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blizzard

True, but I prefer watching the gauge going up and having to wait a little than burning my clutch in the middle of nowhere...

You can limp home with a burnt clutch. Even a fragged manual transmission.

You don't go ANYWHERE with a burnt automatic ...

R.DesJardin · 06-21-2008, 10:58 AM

I have used both off-road, and I prefer the versatility of an automatic trans. No stalling on hills and such, easing into and out of obstacles. Full control of the electronic autos is a must.

cuatroxcuatro · 06-30-2008, 09:07 AM

I've gone from an auto to a manual and now I'm back to an auto, all in the same truck. Running a 700R4 tranny with a Transgo stage 2 kit, this way you can drive it like an auto or pick your gear. I have a 4.3 vortec in front of it and dual tcases with stock gears.

Kaydon · 06-30-2008, 04:08 PM

Manual FTW.

Brenjen · 06-30-2008, 07:12 PM

Auto...it's just easier off-road than playing with a clutch. Now if we were talking road cars like Mustang GT's or Corvettes I'd have to say, smooth curvy blacktop & a manual!

foskco87 · 07-05-2008, 10:49 PM

hands down a manual. I wouldnt spend money on an automatic. I think for most applictations manuals work much better, better control, better mileage, more power. Plus toyotas auto trannys arent the best out there (atleast the older ones). But most importantly they are waaaaaaaaay more fun to drive. I cant imagine never shifting or anything it would be like you are hardly driving the thing. Driving a stick makes me feel like I am one with the vehicle. heh.In my experience most people who know how to drive a manual would pick it hands down over autos and most people who drive autos just never learned stick. Of course with 4x4ing its a whole different story. I can see why an auto would be good for mud or rock crawling. Still....manual for life. Damn those 4th gen 4runners and not having a manual tranny!

mudhoney · 10-10-2008, 02:14 PM

i learned to drive in a beat up 1954 dodge with a three on the tree...i was 13-16 years old and "4wheeled" it on my property and "drove" it around my neighborhoods.My whole life i have gabbed about why manuals are better and noone can claim they are much better than i am at clutch drivin.
most of my vehicles have been manuals...
uhm my vote goes for automatic tho. I am way versed in all the neet ways a person can squeeze,eek,and coax power and control out of a manual but quite frankly i just got done shoppin for a 4runner and i got the auto cuz i am plain sick and tired of shifting..haha
i just am so fed up with the this and the that of it!Yes a person feels like he is drivin true with a manual and all that but imho the two different shift systems each have about equal advantages and disadvantages.i for one am loving the relaxed feeling im gettin while drivin now...i can gaze out the window and enjoy the landscape more without havin to fight the rpms amd keepem in range or worry bout where to compression brake at and on and on..
i just feel like i am way more apart of the road trip exp now that i can free up all that previously used attention.
i like auto for streets for all the same reasons stated above and hills of mud or whatever but i will say that switchback heavy speed racing is a manual dominated thing...anyone who wants to learn speed and driving fast while turning,braking,and filing all the road hazard data then by all means get a manual!

i for one am of the mind that offroading is a laid back sport where one just sorta kreeps along real slowish with bursts of speed when needed and also the driver and passengers are part of the wildlife[i mean they are enjoying the outdoors at the same time.
an auto suits me fine for this as i can free up some of my attention to jjust hangin out and being mello on the trail...never mind the big story and tit for tat mechanical advantages v.s eachother i just really like the mood an auto takes me to..and it DOES get the jobdone.

idk..just my opinion..i like it alot for this particular hobby...one just has to play with it and master it the same as amanual and know how to control it and it will pay you back...

toyNG · 10-10-2008, 02:41 PM

In almost all situations, I prefer the manual. As others have pointed out, you have better control, better mpg, and they are just plain fun to drive!

However, for rock crawling, I'd have to go with the automatic. It's hard to match the smoothness of the auto tranny. Some obstacles force you to slip your clutch then bounce over at way too fast of speeds when driving a manual.

Since the questions asks which I prefer for wheeling, I gotta go with the auto. But if manual with dual t-cases were a possible answer, that's definitely where I would be!!!

84RNR · 10-10-2008, 04:27 PM

An old underpowered/higher geared truck and I say manual. A properly geared, newer or higher powered truck and I say auto for sure.

JasonWin · 10-10-2008, 04:44 PM

I gotta say a stick. I'm not gonna say it's better in all situations, but for me it certainly is funner! I'd get so bored not driving a stick. I remember back when I used to drive my 93 tercel witch was an auto and after 10min or so I'd be bored out of my mind. With my 94 (current DD) and it's 5-speed I never really get bored of driving. It makes all the difference.

Plus we're forgetting a saftey issue the Manuel has over the automatic. The ability to brake with the engine!

baseballchamp157 · 10-10-2008, 06:37 PM

I say manual considering if your truck wont start you can always rol down a hill and start her! plus it gives sumwhat of a challenge

gspot · 10-11-2008, 08:53 PM

if your just wheeling stick with your auto but if you think youll want to do a motor swap down the line then definitly go with the manual. fact is theyre just easier to work with and they make more adapter plates for them. cause if your like me and your stuck with the a340h youll be wishing you had a manual

blackspyder · 10-12-2008, 01:42 PM

Manual all the way. Granted Toyota has never made anything as good as the M-21 or M-24 (ultra low granny gear comes in handy) but the R151 has a descent 1st gear ratio when coupled to a dual T-case (been doing some math). Maybe I drive different than most people because I have rarely had an issue with loosing power while switching gears (I "float" the gears without using the clutch)

Synchronizers are best taken out and sold for scrap.

colsoncj · 10-12-2008, 03:19 PM

Wheeled both... Many different kinds of obstacles, glad I went auto and wont go back.

Skinsfan6 · 10-23-2008, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpecialScottie

Thanks all for the responses.
I got a real good deal on my turbo and as many of you know they only come in auto.
Im looking to get some larget tires and the power of the 5 speed would be nice on the street.
How big of a job is it to do a tranny swap?

I have a 5 speed Turbo 4Runner. I just had to gut a Turbo truck to make it that way. I don't know how an auto to 5 speed swap would go, but the whole engine and tranny swap really wasnt bad.

Blizzard · 10-25-2008, 05:10 AM

Having tested my 3.0TD 4Runner after the auto swap I know I did a good election.

My auto is amazing, with increased pressure and shimmed accumulators and a programable tranny controller (Can drive in sequential mode with buttons in the steering wheel) I love it!

It's faster than before (The 0-60 is incredible) and in slow offroading it's way easier to climb over obstacles, the truck never goes backwards when you leave the brakes, etc.

I also climbed by a steep hill I did before (Dry day, 4L, manual and RR E-Locker) in 2H w/o lockers in a rainy day... Had only to press the gas pedal and the truck went up.

I love my new auto!

David

View Poll Results: What transmission do you all prefer while wheeling?
Manual	66	61.11%
Automatic	42	38.89%
Voters: 108. You may not vote on this poll

06-19-2008, 10:16 PM	#26 (permalink)
BAMF_CT2004 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Oak Lawn, IL Posts: 348	get the auto. if you ever wheel with an auto or watch a pro crawler you will wish you had one. unless you are looking at a supra then get the 5speed the only time a 5speed is ever useful is on the street. __________________ Let me tell you what Melba Toast is packin' right here, all right. We got 4:11 Positrac outback, 750 double pumper, Edelbrock intake, bored over 30, 11 to 1 pop-up pistons, turbo-jet 390 horsepower. We're talkin' some muscle.

06-19-2008, 11:06 PM	#28 (permalink)
SpecialScottie Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sun Valley, CA Posts: 301	Wow theres more votes for auto Not what I was expecting __________________ 1st gen 4runner interior for sale here 87 Turbo 4runner STOCK 85 4runner Build Thread 87 4runner (parts) 95 4runner 2wd auto

06-20-2008, 12:41 AM	#29 (permalink)
yotasavg Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Chico Republic, NOR*CAL Posts: 1,522	i have had both and i prefer the auto because i like to do faster offroading and i like the smother shift better. i also jump and charge hills and mud. __________________ -Andrew 94 4Runner 3.0 Auto. I got mods

06-21-2008, 10:58 AM	#31 (permalink)
R.DesJardin Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: SE Wash. Posts: 33	Automatics I have used both off-road, and I prefer the versatility of an automatic trans. No stalling on hills and such, easing into and out of obstacles. Full control of the electronic autos is a must. __________________ R.DesJardin http://www.radesignsproducts.com "I shift because I can!"

06-30-2008, 09:07 AM	#32 (permalink)
cuatroxcuatro Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 4	I've gone from an auto to a manual and now I'm back to an auto, all in the same truck. Running a 700R4 tranny with a Transgo stage 2 kit, this way you can drive it like an auto or pick your gear. I have a 4.3 vortec in front of it and dual tcases with stock gears. __________________ '85 4runner, 4.3 Chevy csfi vortec, 700R4, dual toy tcases, locked etc.

06-30-2008, 07:12 PM	#34 (permalink)
Brenjen Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Searcy, Arkansas Posts: 1,191	Auto...it's just easier off-road than playing with a clutch. Now if we were talking road cars like Mustang GT's or Corvettes I'd have to say, smooth curvy blacktop & a manual! __________________ '95 4Runner 3.0 Automatic bone stock; it's becoming a project slowly but surely, one part at a time "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!”

07-05-2008, 10:49 PM	#35 (permalink)
foskco87 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Port Alberni, BC Posts: 41	hands down a manual. I wouldnt spend money on an automatic. I think for most applictations manuals work much better, better control, better mileage, more power. Plus toyotas auto trannys arent the best out there (atleast the older ones). But most importantly they are waaaaaaaaay more fun to drive. I cant imagine never shifting or anything it would be like you are hardly driving the thing. Driving a stick makes me feel like I am one with the vehicle. heh.In my experience most people who know how to drive a manual would pick it hands down over autos and most people who drive autos just never learned stick. Of course with 4x4ing its a whole different story. I can see why an auto would be good for mud or rock crawling. Still....manual for life. Damn those 4th gen 4runners and not having a manual tranny!

10-10-2008, 02:14 PM	#36 (permalink)
mudhoney Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: puget sound ,wa Posts: 65	i learned to drive in a beat up 1954 dodge with a three on the tree...i was 13-16 years old and "4wheeled" it on my property and "drove" it around my neighborhoods.My whole life i have gabbed about why manuals are better and noone can claim they are much better than i am at clutch drivin. most of my vehicles have been manuals... uhm my vote goes for automatic tho. I am way versed in all the neet ways a person can squeeze,eek,and coax power and control out of a manual but quite frankly i just got done shoppin for a 4runner and i got the auto cuz i am plain sick and tired of shifting..haha i just am so fed up with the this and the that of it!Yes a person feels like he is drivin true with a manual and all that but imho the two different shift systems each have about equal advantages and disadvantages.i for one am loving the relaxed feeling im gettin while drivin now...i can gaze out the window and enjoy the landscape more without havin to fight the rpms amd keepem in range or worry bout where to compression brake at and on and on.. i just feel like i am way more apart of the road trip exp now that i can free up all that previously used attention. i like auto for streets for all the same reasons stated above and hills of mud or whatever but i will say that switchback heavy speed racing is a manual dominated thing...anyone who wants to learn speed and driving fast while turning,braking,and filing all the road hazard data then by all means get a manual! i for one am of the mind that offroading is a laid back sport where one just sorta kreeps along real slowish with bursts of speed when needed and also the driver and passengers are part of the wildlife[i mean they are enjoying the outdoors at the same time. an auto suits me fine for this as i can free up some of my attention to jjust hangin out and being mello on the trail...never mind the big story and tit for tat mechanical advantages v.s eachother i just really like the mood an auto takes me to..and it DOES get the jobdone. idk..just my opinion..i like it alot for this particular hobby...one just has to play with it and master it the same as amanual and know how to control it and it will pay you back... __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPvv8pU68K8

10-10-2008, 02:41 PM	#37 (permalink)
toyNG Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Location: Redlands, CA Posts: 247	In almost all situations, I prefer the manual. As others have pointed out, you have better control, better mpg, and they are just plain fun to drive! However, for rock crawling, I'd have to go with the automatic. It's hard to match the smoothness of the auto tranny. Some obstacles force you to slip your clutch then bounce over at way too fast of speeds when driving a manual. Since the questions asks which I prefer for wheeling, I gotta go with the auto. But if manual with dual t-cases were a possible answer, that's definitely where I would be!!! __________________ 1986 pickup 4x4 SR5, 31x10.5 BFG All-Terrains, Ranchos, 2" body lift, Downey grille guard and skid plate, TG sliders

10-10-2008, 04:27 PM	#38 (permalink)
84RNR Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: Maryland Posts: 111	An old underpowered/higher geared truck and I say manual. A properly geared, newer or higher powered truck and I say auto for sure. __________________ 84 4runner, 6" suspension lift, 35" BFG's, 5spd 03 Tacoma Dbl Cab, TRD Off-Road Package w/ E-Locker, Revo's

10-10-2008, 06:37 PM	#40 (permalink)
baseballchamp157 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Ocala National forest FL. Posts: 96	I say manual considering if your truck wont start you can always rol down a hill and start her! plus it gives sumwhat of a challenge __________________ BACKWOODS SOUTHERN REBEL! 85 with stock 4:10gears and a 22re 5speed. muddin 33/12.5 procomp M/T and a 3in roughcountry lift...94 pickup with a rebuilt 22r. stock road gears, 5 speed with 2in bodylift and 3in sus. lift. riddin on 32/11.50 baja mickythomsons.

10-11-2008, 08:53 PM	#41 (permalink)
gspot Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: phx Posts: 7	if your just wheeling stick with your auto but if you think youll want to do a motor swap down the line then definitly go with the manual. fact is theyre just easier to work with and they make more adapter plates for them. cause if your like me and your stuck with the a340h youll be wishing you had a manual

10-12-2008, 01:42 PM	#42 (permalink)
blackspyder Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Huddleston, VA Posts: 122	5 speed. Manual all the way. Granted Toyota has never made anything as good as the M-21 or M-24 (ultra low granny gear comes in handy) but the R151 has a descent 1st gear ratio when coupled to a dual T-case (been doing some math). Maybe I drive different than most people because I have rarely had an issue with loosing power while switching gears (I "float" the gears without using the clutch) Synchronizers are best taken out and sold for scrap. __________________ 1988 4x4 Pickup ISR/Battery-Intake Swap/216"c" Cam/ EGR removal/

10-12-2008, 03:19 PM	#43 (permalink)
colsoncj Contributing Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Monett, MO (Springfield) Posts: 2,481	Wheeled both... Many different kinds of obstacles, glad I went auto and wont go back. __________________ Cory Eastern OK, Western/Northern AR, Southeastern KS, or Southern MO area: OZARKS 4ROC Click Here 04 Dodge 2500 Cummins - DD/Tow Rig 02 Z06 Corvette - Weekender 94 FZJ80 - Wheelin Rig. Currently on 33"s, plan to go 35"s. 72 Buick GS - i.e. the project that will never get done.

10-25-2008, 05:10 AM	#45 (permalink)
Blizzard Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Barcelona (Spain) Posts: 871	Having tested my 3.0TD 4Runner after the auto swap I know I did a good election. My auto is amazing, with increased pressure and shimmed accumulators and a programable tranny controller (Can drive in sequential mode with buttons in the steering wheel) I love it! It's faster than before (The 0-60 is incredible) and in slow offroading it's way easier to climb over obstacles, the truck never goes backwards when you leave the brakes, etc. I also climbed by a steep hill I did before (Dry day, 4L, manual and RR E-Locker) in 2H w/o lockers in a rainy day... Had only to press the gas pedal and the truck went up. I love my new auto! David __________________ '94 Toyota 4Runner 3.0 Turbo Diesel Intercooler – Trail-Gear 4'' SAS front, Trail-Gear 5'' rear leaves swap, 35x12.5x15 M/T's and too many things more to write...