Stupid location for reverse on the 6M

[Kielly]

This is more of a rant then it is anything else but can't we acknowledge the fact that having reverse where it's to, especially without a proper lockout is a horrible location? I'm aware it's been that way on previous gens to but Jesus.

When I first bought the truck I immediately though "Oh okay, takes a lot of oompf to slap it in reverse, should be safe", which day to day driving for the most part it's just fine, but there's been a good handful of times where I found myself not prepared for the light change and rushing to get it into first I slapped it in reverse instead, the warning beep when in reverse it's slowly turning into a sound that you hear, but you ignore because you hear it so often. One day, some day I'm going to come real close to reversing into the guy behind me.

Not to mention sometimes it gets stuck in between reverse and first, at the drive through today I went to put it in first, granted it didn't feel right, so I took it out of "first" and put it back into first, still didn't feel right but I stupidly trusted the truck and let the clutch off, grind em till you find em at it's finest.

Reverse being where it's too has lead me to grind my gearbox way more than I'd like to admit, besides it being super embarrassing (had two guys laugh at me the other day loud enough I could hear them), it's obviously far from healthy on my transmission.

Seriously, how hard would it have been to have a lockout reverse? Any other vehicle I've ever drove that had stick had a physical lockout you depress or pull to enter reverse.

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[scottiev]

There actually is a lockout but it's only functional when driving.

 

[Deleted User 1813921]

This is more of a rant then it is anything else but can't we acknowledge the fact that having reverse where it's to, especially without a proper lockout is a horrible location? I'm aware it's been that way on previous gens to but Jesus.

When I first bought the truck I immediately though "Oh okay, takes a lot of oompf to slap it in reverse, should be safe", which day to day driving for the most part it's just fine, but there's been a good handful of times where I found myself not prepared for the light change and rushing to get it into first I slapped it in reverse instead, the warning beep when in reverse it's slowly turning into a sound that you hear, but you ignore because you hear it so often. One day, some day I'm going to come real close to reversing into the guy behind me.

Not to mention sometimes it gets stuck in between reverse and first, at the drive through today I went to put it in first, granted it didn't feel right, so I took it out of "first" and put it back into first, still didn't feel right but I stupidly trusted the truck and let the clutch off, grind em till you find em at it's finest.

Reverse being where it's too has lead me to grind my gearbox way more than I'd like to admit, besides it being super embarrassing (had two guys laugh at me the other day loud enough I could hear them), it's obviously far from healthy on my transmission.

Seriously, how hard would it have been to have a lockout reverse? Any other vehicle I've ever drove that had stick had a physical lockout you depress or pull to enter reverse.

As I mentioned in another post my poor shifting has smoothed my transmission like river stone. I am currently doing the same exact embarrassing in public stuff that you are. I did not even look at another vehicle not a single one I wanted to shift. I agree with your assessment. I have the same feelings but I am so totally in love with this Tacoma I will Accept it As it is. I am glad to hear someone doing the same stuff my confidence is now boosted.

 

[Kdbradley85]

It feels almost identical to my 3rd gen, and I recall people having this same complaint with that gear box as well. Always kind of baffled me. I had a 2015 wrx that had the same type of gear location too so maybe I’m just more “used to it”… I dunno. Maybe you’re overthinking it a bit when shifting into 1st from neutral. If it takes ANY effort to get it into a forward gear, you’re pushing too hard. It’s just basically the weight of my arm and hand on the shifter followed by a forward push, as opposed to 3rd gear where I keep the weight of my arm off the shifter almost entirely when I push it forward. I have driven a lot of manuals over the years; some with a lockout (usually either had to push down hard on the shift knob or pull up on a collar with your finger tips) and some without, but just keep driving it and you’ll get used to the feel after a while. There’s bound to be some mistakes, but don’t sweat it, and don’t blame it on the shifter either lol! These transmissions are incredibly easy to live with. Going into reverse should always feel intentional. Do the shifter wiggle occasionally at stop lights while you’re sitting there in neutral and on your last “wiggle” give it that little extra effort to go into reverse without actually putting it into gear. I promise, it will be like second nature in no time.

 

[Kielly]

It feels almost identical to my 3rd gen, and I recall people having this same complaint with that gear box as well. Always kind of baffled me. I had a 2015 wrx that had the same type of gear location too so maybe I’m just more “used to it”… I dunno. Maybe you’re overthinking it a bit when shifting into 1st from neutral. If it takes ANY effort to get it into a forward gear, you’re pushing too hard. It’s just basically the weight of my arm and hand on the shifter followed by a forward push, as opposed to 3rd gear where I keep the weight of my arm off the shifter almost entirely when I push it forward. I have driven a lot of manuals over the years; some with a lockout (usually either had to push down hard on the shift knob or pull up on a collar with your finger tips) and some without, but just keep driving it and you’ll get used to the feel after a while. There’s bound to be some mistakes, but don’t sweat it, and don’t blame it on the shifter either lol! These transmissions are incredibly easy to live with. Going into reverse should always feel intentional. Do the shifter wiggle occasionally at stop lights while you’re sitting there in neutral and on your last “wiggle” give it that little extra effort to go into reverse without actually putting it into gear. I promise, it will be like second nature in no time.

Going into reverse for me when I first got the truck always felt intentional, I actually was shocked over the amount of force needed to slap it into reverse and still do for the most part but now it feel more easy to get into reverse, probably just my mind. But at a traffic light if I'm not paying attention to the opposing traffic lights changing and preparing to move (like I should be, sometimes something catches my eye) I'll rush to shift it in first, which doesn't result in a slow smooth shift, it's quite fast and aggressive which at times gives it that extra oompf to kick it into reverse.

I'd much rather a collar lockout than what Toyota currently has, but I'll get used to it, and what's a grind here and there

Otherwise it's fine, minus the couple of times it gets stuck between gears but I *usually* catch that now that I've had the truck for 15,000kms. I can shift gears with the tips of my fingers on a normal drive, just the few times I have to rush shift lol

 

[Kdbradley85]

Of course when we’re in a rush, it’s a lot easier to make mistakes. Grinding gears is the worst feeling, so I try not to do it at all if I can help it lol, but it does happen. Usually for me it’s when my foot’s moving faster than my hand, and god it’s embarrassing! Even when nobody knows I did it but me.

You’re at 15,000 km already though!?! That’s impressive. I’m only at about 3,000 miles, but it really does feel almost exactly the same as the 3rd gen, and I had a whole bunch of miles on that one.

 

[BLtheP]

I’ve accidentally gone into R at a stop probably 3 times over the 2+ years I’ve had my 3rd gen. It’s not a real problem for me, but a collar to lift up as a lockout would have been much better than the spring loaded version. My 6-speed Frontier had it to the right of 6th, and you had to push down on the shifter to get there. I much preferred that over what the Toyota transmissions have. Oh well, it ain’t changing.

 

[Kielly]

Of course when we’re in a rush, it’s a lot easier to make mistakes. Grinding gears is the worst feeling, so I try not to do it at all if I can help it lol, but it does happen. Usually for me it’s when my foot’s moving faster than my hand, and god it’s embarrassing! Even when nobody knows I did it but me.

You’re at 15,000 km already though!?! That’s impressive. I’m only at about 3,000 miles, but it really does feel almost exactly the same as the 3rd gen, and I had a whole bunch of miles on that one.

Impressive and depressing! Got the truck back in the beginning of March 60km to work and back and 250km every weekend to the camper, 250km back sure does rack em up fast! I'll be joining the 1,000,000km club before I even pay the damn truck off if I keep on racking em up like I am lol

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