I'm shifting at 1800-2k rpm for 90% of my driving. Also I put in final if I'm going 40 mph or faster, which is also like 90% of my driving. I sometimes downshift, mainly if I approach a intersection and think it'll turn green before I have to stop. Other than that, I put in neural and brake. Yes, reverse gear seems pretty high, doesn't bug me though.

 

I think you guys are over analysing this. Manual is about driving with the senses. You shift not by RPM or speed, but by evaluated engine load. If the engine is laboring at low RPM you're likely doing more damage than stretching it's legs a bit. Same goes for fuel economy - if you must watch gauges, put the instant mpg dial on Torque and watch your MPGS go thru the floor when labouring the engine in high gears/low speed.
For a much more enjoyable driving experience, try watching the road/trail/scenery rather than gauges constantly.
FWIW my FJ feels happiest at 140kph on the black stuff and loves jumping over speed humps.

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If I drove my manual by my senses I would go through a tank of gas in less than a couple days cause I like to rev up my FJ and fly around haha :grin. That being said, there is a way to drive more economical and I believe that's what the OP was originally talking about. I usually shift around 1800-2000. If I'm going fast enough I skip 4th and go into 5th. Whenever I come to a stop I like to put it into neutral and stop instead of downshifting. My .02 :cheers:

 

IMO 1,800rpm is to low to shift, I can only imagine the load/strain on the drive train.

I have found that shifting closer to 3,000rpm and cruising around 2,500 rpm. At these rpms the engine is neither racing or lugging. Driving like this I still get ~17-18 mpg.

 

How is shifting at low RPM straining the drivetrain? This is news to me.

 

If I have the space around me, I like to drive lazily and not use the clutch.

 

Yes reverse gear is too big. Who wants to go that fast in reverse?!

Also one time while wheelin I went down quite a steep hill with a large pond at the bottom with the idea maybe I could get around the side...couldnt turn around or go forward so I had to reverse up, slipped the clutch to get as much juice as I could and couldnt keep it going fast enough to keep the power up by the top of the hill, I just barely made it.

 

Mikey nailed it. I do also agree on the reverse. If i'm on the trail and have to reverse up anything I always put it in 4 LL just to save the clutch. Also while we are talking about shifting habits I rarely downshift when coming to a stop on surface streets. I just throw it in neutral and let the brakes do the work. Less wear on the clutch and the trans itself. :cheers:

 

I've never thought about the 4 LL when off-roading to reverse. That will really help save the clutch. Thanks!

Reverse is geared the same on most cars. It's usually somewhere between first and second except you are going in reverse. If you think the FJ has too tall of a reverse gear maybe you should try driving a 5 speed and tell me what you think. I don't mind the large reverse because I did have to use it this weekend. Got up to 20MPH going backwards down my mom's street :grin

Also, I'm probably in the minority, but I love driving my truck fast. The V6 in these trucks is the most powerful I've ever driven. I just turned 21 and my FJ is my third stick shift car (It's my 4th vehicle). I do drive my truck slow where I shift at 3,000-4,000 RPM, but if I am merging onto the interstate, I shift into third and floor it almost to redline because why not? Gasoline engines were meant to be driven fast. The power curve maxes out at 5,200 RPM for a reason guys- that's only 800 RPM below redline. It's not bad to get our rigs moving fast every once in a while.

In the end, how I shift depends on my mood and traffic and my passengers. You can drive fast without putting stress on the driveline. Depress the clutch all the way, shift smoothly, and the truck will last a long time and you will love it. But most importantly, go slowly off road!

 

Meh. Slowly over whoops?

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I shift by ear for the most part, the tac is a bit small and out of the way for me. The TRD exhaust is just throaty enough to let you know it's time to shift around 2500 RPMs.
I don't think I have ever went over 4k before a shift, just did not seem necessary for me.
Some have posted they don't down shift but go straight to neutral and use the brakes. I down shift always and rev match as needed. I have driven performance cars most of my life and down shifting is just natural

 

I agree with with S2k. I shift by ear, but when necessary (or for fun) I shift above 3k. I down shift most of the time and rev match because I have driven performance cars and this is just natural for me.

 

I just drive until the rev limiter starts cutting in, then move to the next gear.

Am I doing it wrong?

 

Yup if I go into second at too low of an RMP you can hear the gears chatter a bit until I am over 1100 or so. In normal driving I shift at around 2800-3300..

 

I drive it like I stole it...seems to be working fine for me

 

If I'm trying to be conscious of gas, 2k is where I'll try to shift. Not gonna lie, that SoCal road rage is in my blood, so I'm a bit of a speed demon. I've damn near redlined Togo a few times getting around morons or just when I wanna get away from the pack. Cruise is my best friend when I'm trying to be good. Two lane roads in TN kill me when people use that passing lane as a pace lane. :twak:
And if I have an incline to back up, I see no issue with throwing in an extra step and going 4HL to save the clutch. Otherwise, on a flat surface, I get it rolling with R then N before shifting into first.
I used these habits for both my old '08 and '14.

 

To those shifting to neutral and just using the brakes when slowing down. That is a potentially dangerous and, in some places, illegal habit to get into. You should always be in gear unless you are in the process of shifting. Emergency manoeuvres can include rapid acceleration, which you can't do if you are in neutral. Braking in neutral is much harder on the brakes than letting the engine do some, or even most, of the work for you.
As for my shifting habits...if cruising around town with minimal need for acceleration I aim to shift around 2500rpm to keep it in the 2000rpm range.
On the rare occasions I need to give her everything she's got (towing, climbing, or needing to get up to speed quickly) I aim to keep it near the peak torque of 3700 and so shift around 4000.



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It was just fun reading this. My fj is an auto, but I'm learning how to drive a standard. It's fun, (when your dad isn't laughing at you for stalling). Lol. He's calling me the milkshake man!


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Am a vehicle rescue operator for the BLM in Nevada. If you have ever had to wrench a vehicle in reverse; you will need the high reverse gear ratio... If you are a side walk driver I can see how this might be irratating....

 

I shift between 2500 and 3000 RPM - I go by feel and sound of the engine. After reading this thread I realized I couldn’t answer the question of at what RPM level I shifted, so I decided to try and watch the gauge. I tried to shift at around 2000 like the OP, but every time I tried to shift under 2500 it felt like I was lugging the engine. I like 3000ish

And yes, reverse sux. I had to back out of a steep drive way once and I thought I killed my clutch. It smelled for days. Of course that may have just been operator error

Dan

 

Most around town driving I upshift at 2000 to 2200.
I will on occasion downshift and engine brake/coast.

On my long trip last summer I used the 2000rpm/60mph as my cruising.
It felt the most comfortable. Also I was on many two lane state and US highway so the lower speed worked.
On the few freeways runs I would cruise at 65mph. The last leg was from Heber City Utah to Portland, all freeway. Averaged a hair over 19mpg that day.

 

Agree 100% about reverse being too high. It is one of my big gripes about the vehicle. I looked up once and it is significantly higher than first gear. First is 4.17 second is 2.19 and reverse is 3.61. I have always had cars and trucks where reverse is like a granny, much lower than first. I like it that way because you back up just using the clutch never touching the throttle. I live in an area with steep hills. Try backing up a hill with a heavy trailer and the smell of burnt clutch is sickening. I have gone down to a flat area and reversed direction just to avoid the situation. That is just wrong.

 

If you don't like the smell of clutch, don't ride it...

 

In reverse you have let the clutch out and modulate with the throttle/brake.

 

Trust me it was in low range. Getting 2000lbs of fire wood in a trailer moving up a 15% grade is tough on the clutch even in low range. I recently parallel parked backing up a very steep Seattle street with 5 people in the car. The burnt clutch aroma was thick. I didn't think to put it in low range then. Anyway if I had a redesign, low range would be about twice the reduction it is now.

Don't get me started on the vehicle's ridiculous turn radius.