shifting gears on a 5 spd 80's Landcruiser

Hi,

I am new to 4 wheeling. I've got a nice, but not too nice, '84
landcruiser with a 5 spd transmission. There's a very nice 4x4 club out
here who do some beginner outings starting in June, and I am kean to go.
HOWEVER, I'd kind of like to have some idea what I'm doing with all
those gears before I start! I used to have a '78 Corona with a 5 spd,
and I loved driving that thing! Nothing has ever been as fun as getting
out in the evening and going for a drive and shifting, shifting,
shifting! So the 5 spd part sort of feels like coming home, but that
other little shifter beside it is a little intimidating!

Anyone what to give me an intro to the world of 4hi and 4lo, etc? I'd
really like to know when to use... what to use.. and how to use if
anyone can help.

Thanks

I really want to get dirty!!

Michael Gibson wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am new to 4 wheeling. I've got a nice, but not too nice, '84
> landcruiser with a 5 spd transmission. There's a very nice 4x4 club
> out here who do some beginner outings starting in June, and I am kean
> to go. HOWEVER, I'd kind of like to have some idea what I'm doing
> with all those gears before I start! I used to have a '78 Corona with
> a 5 spd, and I loved driving that thing! Nothing has ever been as fun
> as getting out in the evening and going for a drive and shifting,
> shifting, shifting! So the 5 spd part sort of feels like coming home,
> but that other little shifter beside it is a little intimidating!
>
> Anyone what to give me an intro to the world of 4hi and 4lo, etc? I'd
> really like to know when to use... what to use.. and how to use if
> anyone can help.
>
> Thanks
>
> I really want to get dirty!!

You will learn little via newgroups, join a 4WD Club, tell them you are new
and you will get a wealth of knowledge.

Probably the best advice,but since my local club doesn't really start
it's season for another month I was kind of hoping for a few pointers.

OzEnews wrote:
> Michael Gibson wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I am new to 4 wheeling. I've got a nice, but not too nice, '84
>> landcruiser with a 5 spd transmission. There's a very nice 4x4 club
>> out here who do some beginner outings starting in June, and I am kean
>> to go. HOWEVER, I'd kind of like to have some idea what I'm doing
>> with all those gears before I start! I used to have a '78 Corona with
>> a 5 spd, and I loved driving that thing! Nothing has ever been as fun
>> as getting out in the evening and going for a drive and shifting,
>> shifting, shifting! So the 5 spd part sort of feels like coming home,
>> but that other little shifter beside it is a little intimidating!
>>
>> Anyone what to give me an intro to the world of 4hi and 4lo, etc? I'd
>> really like to know when to use... what to use.. and how to use if
>> anyone can help.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> I really want to get dirty!!
>
>
> You will learn little via newgroups, join a 4WD Club, tell them you are
> new and you will get a wealth of knowledge.
>
>

1) Don't use 4x4 on hard surfaces like pavement and hard back dirt.
2) Some vehicles have a top speed limit in 4 low, as I recall my Toyota
pickup owner's manual said not to exceed 25 or 30 mph.
3) Low range will give you the most pulling power when going up hills and
the most effective engine brake when going down hills.
4) Low 1 will also allow you to creep along, very useful for rough stuff.
5) Your low range is probably has about an additional 2 times gear
reduction. This means that 1 Low is about half as fast as 1 High, 2 Low is
about equal to 1 High. 3 Low is somewhere between 1 High and 2 High.
Sometimes I can't find I don't like either 1 High or 2 High, so I shift to 3
Low.
6) As a newby and without the assistance others, I would stay away from
situations in which you think you need Low range (i.e. rock crawling or
steep hills). However, you can still play with 4 Low in areas where 4 High
would work, just to get used to how it shifts, etc.

I never belonged to a club and learned to 4x4 on my own. When I look back
at it now, there were a few situations in which my heart was racing, but
today I just cruise past the terrain. Probably the most important thing you
can learn is where various parts of the vehicle (i.e. tires, differentials,
rocker panels, sides - including your mirrors) are in relation to your point
of view and the ground. I good way to discover this is to pull up close to
something (a rock, some tall grass, etc.) and get out and look. Also,
driving over a small rock (so you can feel it) with a front tire and seeing
if you can hit it with the rear tire is a good way to learn, especially
while going around a corner. Sometimes I like to see if I can get both of
my passenger side tires between the raised bumps that accompany a double
yellow line. Because I'm driving in the opposing lane, it's illegal and
because it's a no passing zone, it can be dangerous, so be _very_ carefull
if you try this technique.

"Michael Gibson" > wrote in message
...
> Probably the best advice,but since my local club doesn't really start it's
> season for another month I was kind of hoping for a few pointers.
>
> OzEnews wrote:
>> Michael Gibson wrote:
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I am new to 4 wheeling. I've got a nice, but not too nice, '84
>>> landcruiser with a 5 spd transmission. There's a very nice 4x4 club
>>> out here who do some beginner outings starting in June, and I am kean
>>> to go. HOWEVER, I'd kind of like to have some idea what I'm doing
>>> with all those gears before I start! I used to have a '78 Corona with
>>> a 5 spd, and I loved driving that thing! Nothing has ever been as fun
>>> as getting out in the evening and going for a drive and shifting,
>>> shifting, shifting! So the 5 spd part sort of feels like coming home,
>>> but that other little shifter beside it is a little intimidating!
>>>
>>> Anyone what to give me an intro to the world of 4hi and 4lo, etc? I'd
>>> really like to know when to use... what to use.. and how to use if
>>> anyone can help.
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>> I really want to get dirty!!
>>
>>
>> You will learn little via newgroups, join a 4WD Club, tell them you are
>> new and you will get a wealth of knowledge.
>>
>>
>

Forgot to mention, when in doubt, go slow and don't be afraid to get out and
look at the situation and even walk through an area and pick out where you
want to be, which rocks you want to go over, which to avoid, etc. Walking
through an area with the perspective of driving it, especially after you
know where all the parts of your vehicle are from your point of view can
save you huge tow and repair bills.

"Ed H." > wrote in message
news:C4RZh.2371$KP1.268@trnddc02...
> 1) Don't use 4x4 on hard surfaces like pavement and hard back dirt.
> 2) Some vehicles have a top speed limit in 4 low, as I recall my Toyota
> pickup owner's manual said not to exceed 25 or 30 mph.
> 3) Low range will give you the most pulling power when going up hills and
> the most effective engine brake when going down hills.
> 4) Low 1 will also allow you to creep along, very useful for rough stuff.
> 5) Your low range is probably has about an additional 2 times gear
> reduction. This means that 1 Low is about half as fast as 1 High, 2 Low
> is about equal to 1 High. 3 Low is somewhere between 1 High and 2 High.
> Sometimes I can't find I don't like either 1 High or 2 High, so I shift to
> 3 Low.
> 6) As a newby and without the assistance others, I would stay away from
> situations in which you think you need Low range (i.e. rock crawling or
> steep hills). However, you can still play with 4 Low in areas where 4
> High would work, just to get used to how it shifts, etc.
>
> I never belonged to a club and learned to 4x4 on my own. When I look back
> at it now, there were a few situations in which my heart was racing, but
> today I just cruise past the terrain. Probably the most important thing
> you can learn is where various parts of the vehicle (i.e. tires,
> differentials, rocker panels, sides - including your mirrors) are in
> relation to your point of view and the ground. I good way to discover this
> is to pull up close to something (a rock, some tall grass, etc.) and get
> out and look. Also, driving over a small rock (so you can feel it) with a
> front tire and seeing if you can hit it with the rear tire is a good way
> to learn, especially while going around a corner. Sometimes I like to see
> if I can get both of my passenger side tires between the raised bumps that
> accompany a double yellow line. Because I'm driving in the opposing lane,
> it's illegal and because it's a no passing zone, it can be dangerous, so
> be _very_ carefull if you try this technique.
>
> "Michael Gibson" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Probably the best advice,but since my local club doesn't really start
>> it's season for another month I was kind of hoping for a few pointers.
>>
>> OzEnews wrote:
>>> Michael Gibson wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I am new to 4 wheeling. I've got a nice, but not too nice, '84
>>>> landcruiser with a 5 spd transmission. There's a very nice 4x4 club
>>>> out here who do some beginner outings starting in June, and I am kean
>>>> to go. HOWEVER, I'd kind of like to have some idea what I'm doing
>>>> with all those gears before I start! I used to have a '78 Corona with
>>>> a 5 spd, and I loved driving that thing! Nothing has ever been as fun
>>>> as getting out in the evening and going for a drive and shifting,
>>>> shifting, shifting! So the 5 spd part sort of feels like coming home,
>>>> but that other little shifter beside it is a little intimidating!
>>>>
>>>> Anyone what to give me an intro to the world of 4hi and 4lo, etc? I'd
>>>> really like to know when to use... what to use.. and how to use if
>>>> anyone can help.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks
>>>>
>>>> I really want to get dirty!!
>>>
>>>
>>> You will learn little via newgroups, join a 4WD Club, tell them you are
>>> new and you will get a wealth of knowledge.
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>

On 2007-05-02, Ed H. > wrote:
> Forgot to mention, when in doubt, go slow and don't be afraid to get out and
> look at the situation and even walk through an area and pick out where you
> want to be, which rocks you want to go over, which to avoid, etc.

One possible exception: Don't stop in mud. Get out and look *before*
getting into the mud. This is especially a problem with 2WD vehicles,
but I've seen at least one 4x4 get stuck in the mud. (Admittedly he
didn't seem like a very competent driver, but this was in my friend's
back yard, in the city... not what I would call offroading.)

If anyone with more 4x4 experience wants to say otherwise, please do. My
experience is mostly with unmaintained dirt roads and 2WD, and in one
case seeing a 4x4 not want to go where we tried to get a VW microbus.

Ivan

Very good point. Now that you mention it, I would add creeks and sand
pits/dunes to your list of what not to stop in and/or look at before
entering.

"Ivan Jager" > wrote in message
.. .
> On 2007-05-02, Ed H. > wrote:
>> Forgot to mention, when in doubt, go slow and don't be afraid to get out
>> and
>> look at the situation and even walk through an area and pick out where
>> you
>> want to be, which rocks you want to go over, which to avoid, etc.
>
> One possible exception: Don't stop in mud. Get out and look *before*
> getting into the mud. This is especially a problem with 2WD vehicles,
> but I've seen at least one 4x4 get stuck in the mud. (Admittedly he
> didn't seem like a very competent driver, but this was in my friend's
> back yard, in the city... not what I would call offroading.)
>
> If anyone with more 4x4 experience wants to say otherwise, please do. My
> experience is mostly with unmaintained dirt roads and 2WD, and in one
> case seeing a 4x4 not want to go where we tried to get a VW microbus.
>
> Ivan