When To Shift?

[DannyG]

I usually idle at 3000 RPM, so I shift at about 4500~5000K. Truck seems to run fine!

My tack is messed up... LOL

Usually right around 2000~2500 is what I shift at.

 

[tenfive64]

I have a '94 ranger with the 4.0. It passed 249,000 miles this afternoon. I shift between 2000 and 2500 and get 23 miles to the gallon.

 

[1994 thor]

i shift at 2500 rpm just driving down the road normally.. anyone know anything about tire sizes? i need an upgrade i have 15 inch outlaw rims with 235/75/15 tires.. im looking for mabye 265/75/15 's but im not to sure.. i recently replaced the stock oem coil springs and put 2 inch spacers under them.. so im now level all the way around any ideas?

 

[legoms013]

I tend to hold RPM's right at 2000-2200 until the transmission shifts (its an auto-tragic-craptic transmission) for all gears. Seems to yield me the best MPG's which is a consistent 16.53. Thats with 3.73's and 31's, commuting 57 mi a day.

4th gear seems to be the torquey-ist of all the gears.

If I get on the throttle pretty bad I "let" it shift around 3000-3500 RPM's.

 

[AgPete139]

I tend to hold RPM's right at 2000-2200 until the transmission shifts (its an auto-tragic-craptic transmission) for all gears. Seems to yield me the best MPG's which is a consistent 16.53. Thats with 3.73's and 31's, commuting 57 mi a day.

4th gear seems to be the torquey-ist of all the gears.

If I get on the throttle pretty bad I "let" it shift around 3000-3500 RPM's.

If anything, 1st is the "torquey-ist" since the the gearing is numerically so much higher. It gets your entire truck initally moving...you need the most torque here.

As far as 4th feeling the best, its probably because 4th gear is a 1:1 ratio between the engine and the transmission (which is why people use 4th to dyno a car). it probably has the longest "feel-able" powerband...plus, your automatic has slippage.

You've also got a lot of stuff on your truck, with 33" tires. What is your axle R&P ratio?

5th overdrive is so numerically low, and your motor struggles to gain speed with that gearing, which isnt noticable.

 

[RangerBoy94]

With my ranger(4.0 3:73 31 inch tires) I shift any where between 2700 and 3000. Going up a hill a little more like 3300. I've never taken it over 3600.

 

[Hahnsb2]

I've never taken it over 3600.

Why?

 

[Kloque]

I have a 94 4.0 4WD, If Im driving fast, I shift just about 500 RPM after the torque starts to fall off so when I hit my next gear I land at the start of my torque peak again. otherwise I shift at about 2200 so that its an easy double shift to the next gear.

 

[AgPete139]

Chiming back in with this one (since Kloque recently posted I was subscribed).

I have since changed my setup as of 2 months ago.

4.0L OHV (no mods aside from basic bolt-ons & maintenance)
M5OD-R1 ------------- 3.40 / 2.05 / 1.31 / 1.00 / 0.79
BW1354 -------------- 2.48:1 (when in 4WD)
4.88 LS
35x12.50x15 BFG M/T

On street, to keep up, my 1st spins up pretty quickly. It a "slightly-faster than normal traffic" kind of truck, which means I get on it.

I constantly rev past 3K, and it is quite frequent that I am shifting around 3500 for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gears.

After that, I am shifting at 2200 RPM. I really wish I was shifting lower, but I can't stand going that slow. I try not to rush, but the truck is fun to drive again, and the engine is able to easily push it all again.

 

[FritzTKatt]

I never really got a good reading of my mpg yet having only put 200mi on my 94 4.0 5sp. But usually 96 miles costs me 5/16 of a tank. My 94 2.3 5sp gets 96 mi to a 1/4 tank.

The 2.3 doesn't have a tac, but i guess i shift at 2.5k or so. The 4.0 has a tac and its good to shift at 1k if i want to... usually shift at 1.5k. I don't know if the motor has a problem (sounds good, no check light) but after 2.2k it sounds like a damn diesel going down the road.

Just my $.02.

EDIT: the 2.3 gets shifted at 15mph, 25, 37, and 55, if it means anything to you. Usually the 4.0 is 15, 30, 45, 55.

 

[92NHranger]

My 92 gets about 10-12 mpg with 31's and 3.73's and i normally shift at 2000. and i run about 2500 going uphill. i just did that quick fix for the throttle cable too.. if you havent checked your cable for slack you might want to. i have twice the throttle i did before. and fritz about the diesel thing its because your radiator fan is spinning as fast as the engine. i had a leaky manifold once and it sounded like a semi.

 

[nine-teen91stxranger]

y'all are wussies!! i DAILY shift my 4.0l above 4k never had a single problem with it running or anything. i have 31"s and 3.55's. my speedo is only off 2 mph at 70. im going 72 when it says im going 70 (gps acurate)

 

[FordRanger1991]

y'all are wussies!! i DAILY shift my 4.0l above 4k never had a single problem with it running or anything. i have 31"s and 3.55's. my speedo is only off 2 mph at 70. im going 72 when it says im going 70 (gps acurate)

ya but down the road you will notice it. On average that's about 1500 more revolutions per minute than the average shifters. Every rotation takes life away. I can't imagine you get that great of gas mileage either unless you slowly accelerate to 4k... even then...

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

y'all are wussies!! i DAILY shift my 4.0l above 4k never had a single problem with it running or anything.

I'm with you there!
I shift mine around 5500, everything in the block is stock w/ 150K-ish miles on it. Now problems engine wise.

...my M5 didn't like it.
During my tranny overhaul she's getting a Centerforce pressure plate, the stock clutch isn't a fan of that much power and rpm either.

 

[Tbarnes93]

I tend to shift around 3k but that's just me I baby my truck though lol

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