auto or manual?

[bird hunter]

I'd prefer the ZF5 or T-18/T-19 manual. I like the ability to select a gear, the compression braking, simplicity of a manual, and no need for additional cooling. Just get a HD clutch. The C6 of course would be gentler on the axles, u-joints, driveshafts. But this is me and I just prefer manuals, but nothing wrong with a C6.

 

[MUDKICKR]

i pic the c6, i have been in many offroad adventures and had both type trannys, to straight out pull something its easier on the drivetrain with an auto. if your on a hill and have to use the trk to pull something uphill, the auto will be a lot nicer to the u-joints and axles, the zf can break stuff real quick, and i do know the parking brk trick when taking off, but that only helps so much. also if you have to ford deep water you run a real good chance of soaking your clutch. i burnt a clutch out of my offraoder in 5 minutes due to being stuck in a big mud/water hole and trying to get out of it. had to be towed out and the clutch was burnt that fast. both trannys will have good and bad. i would pefer an auto with the set-up your going with, a very well built c6 with a low stall converter.
also if your parking brk is a little out of adjustment, and your clutch has some wear on it, your trk call roll, no so with an auto, the ground has to move for the auto to let the trk roll

 

[Zrock]

I would go with the manual... With the low first gear in the trans and transfercase you don't even have to wory about giving it gas to get moving. I line lock would be a benifit as well or a trans brake. Auto's get hot enough trail runnin now tie another veh behind that and it will probably heat up fast. I would also look into some sort of selectable locker for the front. Electric or air just to give you a little extra pull when you need it.

 

[swuchase1]

AUTO WITH TRANNY COOLER I HAVE PULLED MANY CARS OUT SAND OF WASHES 4LOW NEVER GETS HOT USE GOOD COOLER WITH ELECTRIC FAN THEROSTAT . THESE TRUCK GET HEAVY SO MAKE SURE YOU PUT A TIRE WITH A WIDE FOOT PRINT FOR FOLATION

 

[RLDSL]

I sure hope that feller didn't ride that dozer to the bottom from where those cuts stop He'd be in serious need of a change of underwear.

I'm not sure how a ZF acts with a transfer case in low range but the reverse without it is terrible high and I would think that would translate into uncomfortably high even with the low range in a delicate situation. If you went with the ZF you would want a pure Kevlar lining on your clutch to hold up to it, and if you went with a C6 one of those nifty massivly overbuilt Allison spec torque converters would be the ticket for crawling out of the hills with a dead load in tow. You would want to build it up with a manual valve body for sure. That little extra bit of safety that you can get with an automatic when wriggling into uncomfortable places is something to really consider, ( This coming from the guy with 15 gears in his truck , oy

 

[timothyr1014]

from my time doing redneck recoveries out in holister hills to me there is nothing better than being able to lock and control your gear ratio...in as much as I would prefer the strength of the t19 or t18, a zf5 would also be an acceptable choice.

one of my buddies had a f250 4X4 7.3 zf5 with 4.56's...obviously short legged on the freeway, but with so much torque multiplication happening at the diffs that there was never a full load on the tranny/driveshaft. Just to give an idea of the pull, on one of the trips out to the mud pit we sunk a dodge 2500 cummins and an xj to the point they were sitting on the diffs...the ford pulled them both out chained together. between dual arb's, beadlocked 37's aired down, 1st/4low it just clawed down and crawled out....you would have had to have seen it to believe how smooth the truck pulled it off, but I will say it totally sold me on the combo for a grunt truck

 

[david85]

Why the insistance on a manual valve body? I drove my C6 home several times without any vacuum working and all it does is upshift hard and late and downshift ahead of you as you drop speed. Its not gonna leave you stranded or kill the transmission (zero vacuum makes it think your foot is on the floor).

1 and 2 are always manually selectable even in a stock C6.
Engine braking is fine even with a sluch box. With my 3.08s I can crawl slower than my Dad's lower geared GMC (also auto). Low stall torque converter makes a big difference in those situations and it feels like hitting a wall when I downshift from 2 to 1. An auto will engine brake very well with the transfer case in low range and a low stall converter.

 

[gatorman21218]

My truck is a "no ********" work truck (except for the christmas lights i had on the ladder rack) with a zf and 4.10s. Ive never driven an auto idi ive only driven a 99 PSD auto. But I haven driven in fields and in snow and I really like the combination. The reverse is a little high but I can make it work backing up it just takes a little practice. In 4low the zf acts a little different so that takes a little getting used to. (not sure if it is just my truck or not). ZFs are good transmissions, the big negatives with them are the DMF, the low hp rating and the aluminum case, and the non greasable TOB.

I just think you have a better control of the vehicle with a clutch and gear selection

 

[RLDSL]

Why the insistance on a manual valve body? I drove my C6 home several times without any vacuum working and all it does is upshift hard and late and downshift ahead of you as you drop speed. Its not gonna leave you stranded or kill the transmission (zero vacuum makes it think your foot is on the floor).

1 and 2 are always manually selectable even in a stock C6.
Engine braking is fine even with a sluch box. With my 3.08s I can crawl slower than my Dad's lower geared GMC (also auto). Low stall torque converter makes a big difference in those situations and it feels like hitting a wall when I downshift from 2 to 1. An auto will engine brake very well with the transfer case in low range and a low stall converter.

A manual valve body gives you more control. Anytime you're going to be dealing with critical situations, this is important.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

and i do know the parking brk trick when taking off,

What parking-brake trick ??

 

[RLDSL]

What parking-brake trick ??

I assume he means for manual trannys when on a real steep hill when loaded to the snot and about to drop off a cliff, you set the parking brake before putting it in gear and take off alot like a tractor, throttle, clutch, brake, start it rolling in gear with the parking brake still on , in low range you easily walk out of it, but it keeps you from rolling back. Only problem with that trick is use it too much and things get hot and shoes go out of adjustment and can not work when you need it most.

 

[plywood]

I forgot one of my favorite things about the auto.

When getting to the boat ramp with a hot engine, you don't have to shut it off to have an extra e-brake.

 

[Rot Box]

ZF5 gets my vote. Although this really is as bad as a Chevy vs. Ford debate

I have rock crawled in my Hilux for years and I LOVE my manual. It doesn't hurt having a two transfer cases with 4.7:1 gears in the rear case though Auto's are very popular in the off-road world, but I would only use one behind the diesel if I had more than an 80:1 crawl ratio as the low end torque would really take its toll on the torque converter... That said it depends on how "extreme" you want to get

 

[typ4]

C6,built by me with all the clutch upgrades and brazed TC , enlarge cooler line ports, big cooler , transfer case to run the pto and /or lower gears.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I assume he means for manual trannys when on a real steep hill when loaded to the snot and about to drop off a cliff, you set the parking brake before putting it in gear and take off alot like a tractor, throttle, clutch, brake, start it rolling in gear with the parking brake still on , in low range you easily walk out of it, but it keeps you from rolling back. Only problem with that trick is use it too much and things get hot and shoes go out of adjustment and can not work when you need it most.

Hmmmm..............., thanks for the explanation; I have to say that in my millions of miles of very heavy-hauling, I have never had reason to resort to such tricks to get rolling.

Usually, my problem in such situations was always how to keep from sliding, whether the wheels were under power or no.

With a diesel, I never have trouble coming off the clutch and getting underway; now, a spluttering gas-burner, looking to die at the least excuse, is often a different story.



In my experiences and observations, an automatic in such a situation won't launch the truck from it's tracks, just sit there and moan.