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tow WAY less with a manual trans?


96firephoenix

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So the owners manual for my 02 explorer has the towing capacity at roughly:
  • 4.0 4x4 Auto: 5700 lb
  • 4.0 4x4 Manual: 2400 lbs

Any clue as to why the towing rating is so neutered on the manual transmission?

would someone with an 02 4.0 manual 4x4 ranger please tell me what their owner's manual says about towing?
 
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RonD

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It would have similar limits.

It basically comes down to safety and liability.
An automatic will select the correct gear for the situation, and unless shifted into Neutral it stays "in gear"
Manual trans is "out of gear" when clutch is in, and you can get to rolling pretty darn fast when going down hill with the clutch pedal pushed in, lol.
Manual trans is something you learn to drive, unlike an automatic.
Towing weights are based on a new driver in a new vehicle to them, setting out for the very first time with a trailer...............................so lawyers say to limit the manual trans weight.
If there is an accident then they have the "recommended" towing weights on their side, "hey, we warned you"

You "can" tow the same weight with a manual, semi-trucks have been doing it for years, although many have switched to automatics now, lol.
You just "may" not.
Can = ability to do something
May = allowed to do something
 
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^^^ translated;
Most people don't know how to drive a manual, and the company knows that. So to protect themselves from idiots, they limit the tow ratings...it's a legal thang.
 

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Todays manuals are just not built to the standards for heavy duty pulling, look at the gear ratio for first. The old farm trucks had almost twice the ratio. Autos can take a lot more abuse.
Dave
 

RonD

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Pulling a trailer with a manual trans can be better if you do it right.
Transmissions can't see the road ahead, yet, lol......that day IS coming.
So with driver input you can stay ahead of any upcoming grades, up or down, or corners.
Brakes are not that expensive and an easy DIY, clutches are harder, but if you drive a manual trans pulling a trailer you can save brake wear better than in an auto, and clutch wear.
 

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Todays manuals are just not built to the standards for heavy duty pulling, look at the gear ratio for first. The old farm trucks had almost twice the ratio. Autos can take a lot more abuse.
Dave
Those old granny gears in farm trucks were not meant for towing on the road. It was meant for pulling equipment around in fields. Todays manual transmissions do very well towing on the road. I have towed my race car all over the country with the manual transmission in my 02 Ranger. The transmission is still working fine with over 180K miles on it. The only work I have done to it was fix a little leak that was due to poor application of sealant when it was assembled by the OEM.

Manual transmissions are easier to abuse than automatics but I don't share the opinion that automatics can take more abuse. I have seen more automatics fail in normal everyday use compared to manuals. Automatics have a slight edge off-road in slow going rough conditions but someone skilled in driving an manual will still do well there in 4WD low.
 

bobbywalter

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Todays manuals are just not built to the standards for heavy duty pulling, look at the gear ratio for first. The old farm trucks had almost twice the ratio. Autos can take a lot more abuse.
Dave
untill you actually expose them to hp and tq.


Those old granny gears in farm trucks were not meant for towing on the road. It was meant for pulling equipment around in fields. Todays manual transmissions do very well towing on the road. I have towed my race car all over the country with the manual transmission in my 02 Ranger. The transmission is still working fine with over 180K miles on it. The only work I have done to it was fix a little leak that was due to poor application of sealant when it was assembled by the OEM.

Manual transmissions are easier to abuse than automatics but I don't share the opinion that automatics can take more abuse. I have seen more automatics fail in normal everyday use compared to manuals. Automatics have a slight edge off-road in slow going rough conditions but someone skilled in driving an manual will still do well there in 4WD low.


they do a good job..


comparing an auto to a manual is tough to do. in rbv world the typical ranger v6 trans sux in strength compared to a manual....beyond that though certain autos are stronger then the majority of the common manual transmissions.


you can build and program these modern units to fully engage the tq converter clutch down to 2nd gear and 20 mph for full engine braking....so towing with a manual in that context is just more work.

even so, if i was long haul towing regular...i would still rather have a manual....if i had mixed driving as a rule the auto is king for me.


so......get your tow on 96firephoenix....in your case the manual is much more reliable to tow with then the auto you have.
 

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Many towing with manual issues I have seen are people riding the clutch while trying to get moving.

I've done a little bit of towing with a manual transmission, but I've just found that the automatic is less of a pain stop and go traffic makes it a pain sometimes towing a trailer. Biggest thing to remember like someone else mentioned is that the manual transmission is disconnected anytime you depress the clutch pedal to shift gears. It creates a safety problem to some people who haven't learned how to keep a manual transmission vehicle form rolling backwards from a stop.

I really don't mind towing using a manual transmission, I've just found automatics are just easier in traffic LOL.
 

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Most of the rating difference is in the clutch. Ford doesn't want to warranty your clutch while you learn to drive.

We all kick ass at driving with a clutch, so they shouldn't worry about it.

But, case in point, my skoolie is a 1991 International with an Eaton 6-speed. I bought it with only 67,000 miles on it and it had a new clutch and new driveshaft joints. Hmmm. All of my bus's sisters for sale at the same time were automatics with 300,000 miles on them. It's a fair bet those Allisons were original.

This bus comparison is a good one for this tow rating discussion. The housewife bus drivers destroyed a clutch in a 20,000# medium duty truck which is rated at 60,000# GCWR and they were unable to destroy the automatic trans vehicles.

If you want to use the automatic tow rating for your manual Ranger, you need to follow 2 rules. One is to get the clutch up quickly when you first get moving. A stock Ranger clutch isn't that good for this, but load some torque on the motor and get the pedal up. After that, the clutch really should not see any more heat until the next time you have to stop. You never need to slip it between gears. Because the second rule is to never let the clutch out when there is a speed difference between the engine and tranny. On a school bus a speed difference means all the crap in the bus goes flying and all of those drive shafts linked together under there whip around like a python being tazed. On a Ranger with a load, the clutch just smokes. You have to get used to not applying any gas until you have the clutch up. You have to find those spots for yourself. Mostly, make sure you have at least 4,000 on the tach before you shift when you are pulling. You don't want to have to use the clutch to pull the tranny up to speed after a shift. You should shift, let the clutch up and then feed in the power. On downshift, you have to kick the throttle before you let the clutch up. You have to get a feel for what your downshift points are. It's less important to get the downshifts correct on a Ranger because the motor doesn't make much negative power--mostly try not to overspeed the motor.

A clutch should die of old age, not wear.

But I should say--I prefer automatics. I've got a lot of experience on heavy stuff as well as lighter 1-ton and below. I don't really care all that much, but given the choice, I'd rather just drop it in GO and let the truck worry about it.
 
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