No experience with an 18 speed, need to drive it home.

Yeah, if youre bobtail you can just shift it like a 9 speed, flick the switch forward before you even start your trip and forget about it... Leave the switch there and its a 9 speed.

 

You can drive them just like a 9 speed, flip the splitter forward and go. I've driven mine that way loaded.

 

You can do it either way, bobtail it don't make no difference.

 

Then 18 Speeds were the last stop over before the 12 Speed Autos, correct? Shift until 9/13, move splitter, and then its auto from there, up and down, until 9/13, then move splitter and shift down to stop after leaving the freeway and stopping at the bottom or the ramp? Or actually stopping anyplace. I have never driven a manual over 10. Glad Original Poster (OP) asked this question. Good to know.

 

The grey switch on the side…forward is overdrive, back is direct drive. Being Bob tail you can run in over drive all the way threw the gear box, so yes push that baby forward & run her like a nine speed

 

Gears and switches are there to be used.

Use em.

Except for granny gear.

I leave mine in overdrive due to the fact the speedo is lazy in direct. I climb hills at 15 mph in one position. When I'm doing 45 mph in the other position.