Question for you truck drivers.

[Amianthus]

We've got a 1977 Ford Truck on our department that was a cement mixer but is now used as a tanker truck. It is a tandem axle with a gas motor in it. My question is this. This truck has a 5sp transmission with a 4sp auxilliary. Basically 20sp. Are there any tricks to shifting this monster that you can tell me about? I would really like to master this truck. As I would be one of two maybe three on our department that could drive it. Any comments would be appreciated.

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'99 2500 ISB QC SLT (No Leather!), 4x4, 5sp w/McLeod, 4:10, BD-II, PE, PE-EZ, 4"exh. , Pac-Brake, A-Pillar gauge pod w/boost and pyro, Line-X, V-1, lights, siren, lic. plt. frame says "Diesel Fumes Make Me Horny!", and much more goofy stuff.

 

[nixter]

I would love to give 'ya a hand. No experience with a twin stick but...
Why don't you bring it to Iowa with 'ya?
Seriously tho', I would help you but it would need to be an in person kinda deal.
I've taught many people how to drive big trucks. I would also like to learn a twin stick. I'm sure we can work something out.

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2001. 5 QC,4x4,LWB,AUTO,3. 55,LSD,Bright Metallic Silver, -- email address removed -- Member:NRA, Teamsters Local 695

 

[Amianthus]

The department is not that far off from I-90. Maybe on the way back... Just a thought.

 

[Lil' Dog]

The way they work is that the "primary" transmission is the 5 speed. The "secondary" 4spd box contains 4 speeds, a lower reduction I believe, direct and two over-drives, depending on the model. (Its been about 4 years since I've driven one. )

The secondary may not shift like a regular 4 speed. Pattern may be top left low reduc, lower left direct, lower right OD and upper right 2 OD.

Put the secondary in direct. And select the gear to start, unloaded probably 2nd. Get underway, then without using the clutch speed match shift the secondary to OD and then double OD. The next gear requires pulling the secondary to neutral, shifting primary to 3rd and speed matching the secondary to direct. Then on to OD, 2OD etc.

Clear as Mud Right???? Thats the way I shifted anyway. Maybe I was out to lunch.

I hope you get a few responses from current 5&4 drivers to set this straight.

J-eh

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Jason Hoffman
Lil' Mack - 89 D250LE 5 Spd 3. 54 LSD Reg Cab. K&N,"tweaked pump", BD Injectors, Banks Pyro/Boost, 3. 5" Exst tail section straight. E&M Custom seats. Bosch H4, PIAA 80W/80W HdLites. 100W Drv,55W Fogs.
237,500 miles (380,000 Kms) 7850 Hrs. Cummins Power Booster member.
The Original Turbo Diesel

Lil' Mack Pics/March 2001

 

[Bad340fish]

I believe you just run through the 5 gears, switc the aux, run through 5 more switch. . get what I am saying?? I think thats how it works at least lol never driven one. It should shift easily without the clutch also, at least some of the larger trucks I have driven did including my work truck(97 INT) Have fun!
Clark

 

[Dr.Evil]

Li'l Dog is closest to right. I drove a '66 WHITE with a 5X4 and a 165 Cummins. I could take off loaded in 2 & 2, then ship Aux. to 3rd & 4th, Then shift Main into 3rd, Double-Clutch aux. into 3rd also, then Aux. into 4th, then Shify Main into 4th, & double-clutch Aux. into 2nd, 3rd, & 4th, then shift main into 5th & double-clutch Aux. into 2nd, etc. I never took both transmissions into neutral at the same time. If that intermediate gearset stopped, short of GRINDING it into gear, the only way you could get it engaged again was to stop. The low gear in the aux. was a deep reduction gear, like 2:1 or more. I never used it except when I was on soft ground off-road. Normally Low in the main was sufficient. If you want to learn how to drive that thing, Get in it AND DRIVE! I had about 3 minutes of explaination about what NOT to do with the truck, then the mechanic slammed to door And Hollared at me that I was late already!!
DENNY... ... ... .....

 

[QRTRHRS]

I drove some early 70's vintage Ford tandem's with the crummy done over gas job diesel and the five by four. Don't know about that gas job but on a lot of trucks, you will ruin the clutch brake if you push the clutch to the floor at highway speeds. You only need to go about half way down. All the way to the floor is for dead stops to get back into low. I used to mostly not use the clutch. Like was said before, use the four speed to split up the main gears. You don't always need every posible combination. If you want to shift both sticks at the same time, stick your arm through the steering wheel to keep your wheels where you want them. Careful on that move! The four speed shifters were kind of like a cheap car four speed. They would lock up and we would have to crawl under and work out the jam. Some of those gas jobs are tough because the torque wraps up everything.

 

[Champane Flight]

Ah,an old 5 and 4. Most here are correct,practice is the best way. When going from one gear to the other on the Aux,put your left arm through the steering wheel and under your right leg on the main,now with your right arm,put it over the main then back to the aux. Now that you are totally wrapped up just relax. You have every gear you would ever want or need there. Just imagine what a 5X6 would be like.

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95 Dodge 2500 Luverne grill guard,headache rack,running boards and Amzoiled. Soon to be mildly bombed. 84 Dodge d-150, 318 Hooker headers,Edelbrok intake,mallory ignition,Carter Afb,Accel coil,and Custom dual exhaust. Boat,fifthwheel,motorcycles,and shop. 72000 as of 3/1/01,not even broke in yet. Old Dodge 126000 miles and running better than new.

 

[LarryB]

It's been a lot of years since 5 and 4 days. Seems I remember that each shift was different, depending on gear ratio matchup between the main and Brownie. Some shifts can be done both levers at the same time, some the main first then the brownie, some just can't be done or aren't needed. Can't remember all the details but like others have said, "just do it", you'll pick it up fast and be the expert that everyone asks in no time. #ad


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1972 Chinook class C with 96/215 5spd, 4/5" exh, 4"BD, MagHytec, 85gal fuel, K&N RE0880, AutoMeter, 370's, BD gov kit, BD afc kit, 16cm, 16%btdc, yada-yada-yada
www.fostertruck.com/cummins

[This message has been edited by LarryB (edited 05-17-2001). ]

 

[tmacc]

It has been 27 years or so, but GMC used these trans. in their gas jobs too. I drove one briefly for a lumber co. before I went into their millwork shop. Most above are correct w/ the shifting procedure. I never had a problem. Maybe I didn't drive one long enough, but one of the other drivers left a drive shaft in the middle of the Wash. D. C. beltway one day trying a split shift combo that didn't work. OOPS! Now was that 3-4 or 4-3? LOL
DrEvil, You got 3 whole min. ? I got "See that load there?" as the dispatcher and I looked out the window at a loaded truck. "Take it to this lot and don't break anything. " Actually one of the forklift drivers told me which was the main and which was the aux. trans. Maybe 1 min. tops. (I had driven sin. 2-speed axle trucks up to that point, but they were short of drivers. ) That was a long, slow trip. Once the load was off It was a piece of cake. I got better eventually.
Have Fun.

[This message has been edited by tmacc (edited 05-18-2001). ]

 

[C Schomer]

My first tandem was a Binder 549 V8 with a 5&4. I don't think I used 1st in the aux every time unless I was split shiftin up hill loaded. Use the clutch only for takeoffs. It's easier to feel the gears without the clutch for all the shifting. I didn't like shifting both at once. For going up in gears, once it's in 4th in the aux - I upshifted the mainbox first then down in the aux and vice-versa when coming down thru the gears. When it's it 1st in the aux - upshift the aux, then down in the mainbox. If you get good at that b@stard, you can shift anything! Gassers are a lot harder to shift than diesels because they rap up way faster and less time to hit the holes. Craig

 

[roadranger]

REAL trucks have two sticks! #ad


The aux. splits the speeds of the main gear selected.

The lowest gear in the aux. is generally for off road.

You don't want to get both sticks into neutral at the same time.

When you've hit high gear in the aux. and continue to UPSHIFT, upshift the MAIN box FIRST, then shift the aux. back to 2nd or whatever.

When DOWNSHIFTING while pulling hills, upshift the AUX. box FIRST, then shift the main box down a gear.

When you get good at it, you'll be able to make the split two handed.

OR, you can granny it like some Don Ward drivers I knew, and run 1 thru 5 on the main
with the aux. in direct, then shift aux. dir to OD in 5th... #ad

 

[JMichelson]

In 1975 I learned to drive a 1960 Reo concrete truck with a Reo gas engine with a 5 speed main and a 4 speed auxiliary. Your correct on the 20 speeds, loaded it needed all of them. My dad was a truck driver an taught me how to drive it. Loaded you start out in 2nd in the main and 2st in the aux, then shift to 3nd, then 4th in the aux. Then shift the main into 3rd and the aux into second and repeat the cycle over again. To down shift reverse the cycle. The aux in the old Reo shifted easier with out the clutch. And I suspect the transmission in the Ford will shift fine with out the clutch. My dad wrote out the shift pattern and I taped it to the dash so I could remember it. Have fun, wish I was there to give you a hand, like to see if this spoiled automatic driver could still drive a real truck.

 

[Amianthus]

Here's my second time posting this. #ad


Welp, I took your advice and took it for a spin. I don't think anyone on our department has been driving this thing right from the git-go. They usually just leave it in direct and go. I tried to do everything you guys told me to do and it worked great. It was actually a lot of fun. I was having so much fun I was all giggles (yeah, I know real men don't giggle #ad
). I took it to a parking lot to practice, so I only got to 12th gear. I think I was better shifting in reverse than I was going forward. And you guys were right, it is much easier to shift without the clutch. Like I said, it was actually a lot of fun. That is until I bound up the brownie. I forgot that the linkage wasn't real tight and I wasn't making real crisp shifts, so I got the aux. stuck in 2 and D at the same time (at least the linkage was stuck). So I got it back to the station and popped the linkage back. No problem. Thanks again for all your help. I knew that if I posted this, I would get some help from you guys. Yous are really the best. Thanks again.

BTW-I think my wife's interested in trying this out. Do they make a brownie for our Rams? #ad

 

[PAYCHECK]

it's a browning.

 

[Amianthus]

I meant to do that. #ad

 

[roadranger]

Yep- they make a brownie box for our Rams-

It's the aftermarket overdrive/underdrive units that change your 6 speed into a 12 speed.