[DieselWorkin]

Some guys just can't handle shifting gears all the time

, they were born that way.

lol

To each his own! I wouldn't have bought my truck if manual wasn't an option.

 

[RunningM]

Shifting isn't the issue with the manuals. . . That part is fun! It's the lack of throttle response prior to the deletes that is not fun!

 

[MaxPF]

I thought manuals were fun until my severe left ankle injury from my Army stint 23 years ago started to rear it's ugly head ALL THE TIME. Now i have to walk with a cane sometimes, and driving a stick no longer holds any joy for me.

 

[Delmar]

Some guys just can't handle shifting gears all the time

, they were born that way.

lol

To each his own! I wouldn't have bought my truck if manual wasn't an option.

Well said. The guy that traded in my current truck with 10,000 miles on it stated he wanted a slush box cause he was tired of shifting. He hauls the same type trailer I do and hauls oil field equipment like I do. He traded in the slush box for another G56 about 3 months later.:buttock:

Do yourself a favor and do not be lazy like the new generation of this county is.

 

[ZOP]

The clutch is what it is because of too many people buying trucks that doing need them and dont know how to drive. You can get much better clutches, but they all have some of what people might call undesireable characteristics...hard pedal, some will chatter, some will be a bit grab by when reversing, etc. So the people buying them to actually work with, which are becoming the minority it seems, get shafted with inferior for the task at hand parts.

 

[TexanPower]

My 2010 is a auto, and coming from a manual, I miss the manual almost everyday. My next truck will be a manual, thats for sure.

 

[2500 Dodge]

You'll never miss the torque difference with a standard transmission. Remember, the tranny is the torque multiplier, so just manually shift down if it won't pull the load in the gear you are in.
I am not sure but I think the H&S mini-max bumps the torque to maximum anyway.
I wouldn't have bought a Ram if it were not for the 6 spd stick. I love it.
Ford and Chev both quit the standard trannys. Too bad for them I say, They will never get my money.

 

[cpobst]

I get the bite grab feeling backing up in my auto that ZOP is referring too. Drives me nuts, with I knew for sure if it is normal.

 

[Exoyota]

i went manual with my 12 cause i killed my auto in my 08 in 4300 miles!!! ill never go auto with a diesel again they just cant handle the torque!

 

[Delmar]

You'll never miss the torque difference with a standard transmission. Remember, the tranny is the torque multiplier, so just manually shift down if it won't pull the load in the gear you are in.
I am not sure but I think the H&S mini-max bumps the torque to maximum anyway.
I wouldn't have bought a Ram if it were not for the 6 spd stick. I love it.
Ford and Chev both quit the standard trannys. Too bad for them I say, They will never get my money.

Winner, winner chicken dinner :thumbsup:

All I have purchased prior to this dodge is Fords. Ford lost a lifelong customer when they discontinued standard transmissions behind the diesels

 

[MaxPF]

i went manual with my 12 cause i killed my auto in my 08 in 4300 miles!!! ill never go auto with a diesel again they just cant handle the torque!

Sounds like an operator issue, not a design issue

Well, I guess it could be a design issue - the 68RFE is nothing but a 545RE with a couple extra clutches. Still same weenie internals. Leave it to Dodge to install a totally inadequate trans design

 

[reelslow]

The auto is a rocket, and would get a lot of interest (police, lawyers, judges) for me. The manual slows me down some since it is not a fast smooth shifter. I like it!!!!

 

[zfmax]

Just got rid of my '02 Duramax with 6-speed manual to get my 2012 3500 with G56 manual. I went Dodge this time purely because they're the only game in town for manuals.

One thing that really annoys me about the G56 vs. the ZF is that when in 6th gear, the shift pattern puts the shift lever near the seat. It's in the way. The Chevy had it up and out of the way.

Seems like a real basic design error to me.

The G56 is noticeably stiffer shifting, too, but that's not a big deal.

The Chevy ate clutches for breakfast, 5 clutches in 150K miles, two on the stock DMF's and the others on SBC SMF's. It really got old. Hopefully this Dodge will do better.

The Dodge is much torquier and a pleasure to pull a big trailer away from a stop. But the Chevy would leave it behind when pulling a trailer up a hill at freeway speed.

 

[Espeefan]

I've always been a fan of manual transmissions. In a diesel truck, I think it just makes sense. Sure an automatic might be fun for racing, but I didn't think that's what these trucks were built for. I don't understand the complaints about driving a manual in the city. The stock clutch feels really light. I've got a car with a hydraulic clutch that feels heavier then my truck. True, you can't bang the gears in the truck, or speed shift, but you can always plan ahead, when you come up to red lights, and time it so when the light goes green, you are still rolling, and you just let the Cummins walk away from everyone in 3rd gear.

There is something more satsifying about rev matching on your down shifts, with the exhaust brake on too. You are the driver. You are in control. The truck does what you tell it to. Do you drive your truck, or does it drive you?

 

[cummin02]

i wouldnt have bought my goat without a manual. i told the dealer to call me when he got a black stick shift and id come buy it. when pulling a heavy load you have so much more control. granted the stock clutch is a little weak if you have any mods but a sb dd will fix that issue and you can go on with your life. these trucks arnt built to race. but if you know what your doing u can beat an auto with your stick anyway.

 

[MaxPF]

The Dodge is much torquier and a pleasure to pull a big trailer away from a stop. But the Chevy would leave it behind when pulling a trailer up a hill at freeway speed.

First time I drove my friend's Dmax with the ZF, I stalled the engine taking off in 2nd (actual 2nd gear - 1st on the shifter). I was used to my truck, which had the Cummins, an SM465, and a South Bend Con-O clutch. The Cummins has so much idle torque and the governor is so responsive, that it was virtually stall-proof. This let you get lazy taking off - no real clutch modulation was needed to get a smooth start. The Dmax was almost like driving a gasser

i do agree that once you got moving the Dmax would haul @$$, and Dodge only wishes they had a trans as nice shifting as the ZF.

 

[Espeefan]

I love the low end torque, just off idle too. My old HO 5.9 truck was impossible to stall, no matter how aggressively you let the clutch out. I think it made me lazy too, as I never had to feed in any throttle. Trying to go back to a little 4 banger car, with a manual transmission was tricky! I felt like I was always giving it to much gas, or stalling it! My 6.7 truck has decent off idle torque, but it doesn't compare to my old 5.9. I'm not sure what the difference is, but I actually stalled my 6.7 a couple times, before I learned I had to let the clutch out a little more gently. I never feed any throttle in, while letting the clutch out, but my new truck has 3.42 gears vs my old truck's 3.55 gears. Maybe that's the difference? On the highway, they run close to the same RPM. The 6.7 runs just a couple hundred less at the same speeds, which I actually have grown to appreciate. The truck can run 75mph all day.

 

[2500 Dodge]

Mine has real stump pulling low end torque also. No need to feather the throttle on start up, just drop the clutch and it grunts the load, I would think if you feathered throttle up starts, you would burn up the clutch for sure. Best to keep off any throttle when starting, let the massive 6.7 at idle do all the start up work.
I have 3.70 gears and can run 75 all day long too. Prolly 80 mph if the law would allow it. I don't know how fast the top end is. MM deleted the top speed cut off. I do know it weighs 8300 lbs with fuel, tools and me... H&S is your friend.

 

[stonedog406]

i wouldnt have bought my goat without a manual. i told the dealer to call me when he got a black stick shift and id come buy it. when pulling a heavy load you have so much more control. granted the stock clutch is a little weak if you have any mods but a sb dd will fix that issue and you can go on with your life. these trucks arnt built to race. but if you know what your doing u can beat an auto with your stick anyway.

I wouldn't place that bet if I were you.

 

[MaxPF]

I wouldn't place that bet if I were you.

x2. Thats a good way to get your butt handed to you.