Talk To Me About Driving Manuals

[BaseManSquatch]

So I'm debating if I should go with the manual, I'm like 95% set on it over the automatic but have some questions, especially when it comes to offroading. First vehicle I had was a V8 5.7L 5 speed Dodge Dakota single cab.

1) I've read on this forum that driving the Bronco manual is different than driving a regular manual. What I have read on here is that you clutch in, change the gear, then clutch out completely and then push down on the accelerator. Is this true? Usually you have to balance both pedals at the same time when changing gears don't you? It's been a while since I drove a manual.

2) When going downhill, what gear do you stay in? Do you just put it in crawler or 1st and leave it there? This will ensure that the vehicle will not pick up speed correct?

See the video below for the kind of trails I plan on doing.

Also, any other tips on driving the manual?

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[Tricky Dick]

1) I've read on this forum that driving the Bronco manual is different than driving a regular manual. What I have read on here is that you clutch in, change the gear, then clutch out completely and then push down on the accelerator. Is this true? Usually you have to balance both pedals at the same time when changing gears don't you? It's been a while since I drove a manual.

Not entirely accurate. It functions like any other manual. The gearing is just so low that you don't need to feather the clutch much so you're less likely to burn it up.

 

[BlueBronco]

1. I drive it like any other manual I have ever owned. Maybe you are referring to the Crawl gear? With that you can just let out the clutch and go with no need to feather in the gas.

2. C or 1st depending on the hill. But you are going to want to use the brake as well and not just let it wind out. You can also use the down hill assist button that will maintain speed for you.

TIp. C is also great for slow moving traffic and parking garages

Edit. Watched your video and didn't really see any place I would have bothered to engage the hill descent control. Maybe that last long decent at the 4min mark but that would be just to have tried it out the feature.

 

[Lowcountry Bronco]

I've never heard your #1 before and for #2 manuals have hill descent control as well as the crawler gear, guess it depends on how slow you want to go down the hill.

 

[Dusty]

I prefer automatics but got the manual in my first 6G Bronco because I was intrigued by it and wanted to test it out along with everything else you get with The Cheapest Bronco You Can Buy™. I like the manual, it drives easy on-road and off. The Crawl gear helps make up for some of the things I'm missing on a non-Sasquatch Base model, and it does surprisingly well off-road even without lockers. That said, I still prefer automatics and my next 6G Bronco will have one. Both of my Early Broncos have automatics as well as everything else I own except my tractor (which is also a Ford ).

 

[Lèòn]

27k miles in 14 and half months, too and from Florida (1k too and another back) for Jeep Beach

its a beginners clutch imo, something to teach your friends and fam with, very easy and forgiving but also not jelly clutch like a mk2 audi tt. I dont know why anyone who wanted a manual would go automatic, especially when a few bolt ons would close the gap between the 2.3 and 2.7 (unless said 2.7 got similar mods)

 

[Scott R Nelson]

I've never heard your #1 before and for #2 manuals have hill descent control as well as the crawler gear, guess it depends on how slow you want to go down the hill.

I have the same issue with the automatic of determining which gear I want to be in going down hills. When I'm using Trail Control (the button in the center of the GOAT dial) down a hill, it will keep the speed where I set it, but if I'm in too high of a gear it is using the brakes to keep the speed where I want it because engine braking isn't enough. In 4H, first gear is sometimes too high to control descent speed through engine braking alone. In 4L, one of the four lower gears will be just right. I don't mind the car doing a little braking for me, but if I'm headed down several miles of steep road I don't want to take the chance of frying the brakes.

As for driving a clutch Bronco, I found it no different than any other manual transmission that I've driven, other than the clutch engagement being too far down for my liking on the one test drive that I had. I got used to it after a mile or two, but then when I gave it back and got in my Mustang, my clutch control was a little screwed up in that car until I readjusted.

 

[JohnnyBoots]

The Manual in the bronco is about as close to an Auto as you can get. Offroading I'm mainly in 1st and Crawler gears. It's light enough you wont have heavy movement/lurching if you stall out and the auto stop/start actually helps when you do because it immediately fires up after stalling when you press the clutch.

If you plan on offroading, the manual is a must. That crawler gear goes over things I'd need to engage my locker in on my Jeep XJ. It's great to have that extra bit of control.

 

[Grumpy]

C is really nothing more then a granny gear as we used to call them back in the day. The old Ranger pickups and 150's with the 300 straight six(awesome engine) with 4spd manual, 1st gear was so low (granny gear) that street use you mostly started out in 2nd gear, out in the woods 1st was sure awesome.

 

[bikearch]

I wish they would bring back "Three on a Tree"

 

[OuterJersey]

To me a stick is for chirping tires and dumping clutch on a hot rod so I went auto.
just me though.

 

[cbrenthus]

Didn't read the thread, but I'm old school and prefer manuals. I really don't like that there is no printed manual and I have to look through the infotainment

 

[BaseBD]

It has taken a little getting used to when off road on obstacles or bigger hills but the crawl gear is fantastic for downhill control. In 4L with the crawl gear it will keep you under control without having to use the break up to a 15-17 degree hill. Was going down a 21 and had to tap the break once or twice but controlled the decent great. Haven't had it on a steep hill than that yet.

 

[Headsong]

Get the stick! It's a very sweet one on the Bronco. I've driven 300+k miles on sticks, until my knees got wonky and backing boats down ramps was too tough to do. My neck don't twist that much now while working the clutch. But it's so pure....in cruise, instead of gear changes, the revs change. Very smooth. And no one can steal it.

 

[emulous74]

Off-roading with a manual is the same as learning to drive with any manual. It's going to take you time to learn what to do when and your going to have to think about and eventually you won't have to think and you'll just do it.

Automatics off-road are preferred with the latest technology that is include in most Broncos. This is one less thing you have to think about. However I believe this major amount of thinking goes away once you learn how to drive a manual off-road.

But you are always going to have think depending on your situation with a manual.

So it all depends on you and how comfortable you are about learning something new and knowing you might make a mistake.

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