Quick questions about a 13-speed trans

AMPM Wayne didn't ever say he used low at every stop light. Just called BS on rookie statement to NEVER use it. It's there for a reason. See lots now that don't even go to 2nd and take off in 3rd or higher. Smell them too.

 

i got a question, how do you down shift when the spliter is in the over drive position and you want to down shift going up a hill loaded on a 13 sp?

 

A 13 speed is a 9 speed that you split the top 4 gears. As far as useing the clutch to split it you preferance. You can move the red button to the next gear let of the fuel and it wil shift with no damage at all or you can tap the clutch petal and it will do the same thing. As far as down shifting its the same as the main trans only your moving the red button and not the stick. Pull the splitter from high to low let up on fuel ever so slightly to let it come out of gear ( you could tap the clutch also ) then rev it up just like a normal down shift and it will go right into gear. The only differance will be you only need to rev half as many RPMs as a normal down shift. You will need to learn this right off the bat because the high low range swith will not go into low with the splitter in high. If you went from high range to low buy just flipping the splitter to low and not doing a proper down shift the trans will scramble it self and just grind causing damage. An 18 speed is actually easier to learn because the high low range selector works with the splitter in either posision. 18 speed shift just like a 13 other wise you just get to split all 9 gears. If your going to be OTR and are only going to be 80,000 lbs or less you dont need the 18 speed. They are designed fo off road and heavy haul. If you did get one it would work fine OTR but they are not nessisary.
As far as ratios the high gears are almost exactly the same. The 10 speed OD has a .74 OD and the 13 and 18 speeds have a .73 OD. First gear in a 10 speed is actually slightly lower (slower) than low in a 13 speed. 12.69 in a 10 and 12.31 in a 13. Again you wont be able to tell the differance. Tha 18 speed is a lot lower than the 13 with a low gear of 14.40. This is why its for off road and heavy haul. It will get extreme heavy loads rolling on soft ground. Again you dont need it. As far as "NEVER" use low gear. Its their for a reason. No most of the time 1st will be all you need even at 80,000 lbs but some times pulling up out of a steep dock, taking off from a stop light on a steep hill or for slow manuvering it a tight spot low is a god sent. You will now when you need it and when you dont.
One thing you will learn is that once you have driven a trans with a splitter weather its a 13 or an 18 speed you wont ever want a 9 or 10 again. Proper spliting will also get you better fuel milage. Not a huge amout but in the day every bit helps. The down side to the 13 or 18 speeds are that they weigh about 100 lbs more than a 10 and their are more parts to where out. The "back half or rear box" that is the splitter may where out sooner than the rest of the trans but its also not nearly as expensive as a complete over haul but its something than could happen.
Something I tell anyone that is buyin a truck and cant deside on what trans to get. You'll love a 13 or an 18 speed but their is nothing wrong with 10 speed. All things equal get the 13 or 18 but if you find a better truck with a 10 speed buy the better truck. Buy the way if you find a truck with an (RTLOC) 9 speed it can be converted to a 13 speed for only a few hundred dollars. The "C" stands for convertable. Ex Werner trucks and many other fleet trucks are like this.

 

Pull the splitter back to low tap the fuel ever so slightly to get the splitter to come out of gear than rev it up just like a normal down shift only you will rev half as many RPMS because you are only droping half a gear. You can also drop a whole gear and not touch the splitter just like a straight 9 or 10 speed.

 

Most trucks haul around very little weight, especially the dry vans and I agree that most NEVER need to use low gear. If I can start 120k with big gears in 1st I just don't see how a guy grossing 72k is going to need low so IMO his advice would work for most drivers.

High range reverse is there for a reason also, what that reason is I don't know but do you think they should use it also?

 

HELL YEAH! That's one of those getting out of trouble as fast as you got into it things.

 

Ummmmm...broken clutch springs are mainly caused by...you guessed it...starting out in too high of a gear.

When you start in too high of a gear, the clutch springs get worked harder because the friction plate has more of a load on it at engagement.

I'm with amp wayne. I start in lo with a load, and 1st when empty. No clutch problems for me so far, but I'm sure that's just a coincidence.

Ask any of my drivers what will happen if I find out they're starting my trucks out in any gear other than lo or 1st. They'll tell you they won't be driving my truck anymore

 

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

Highside is 100% correct and I drive my own truck exactly as he described.

 

There are a lot of reasons why some folks make money and keep rolling and others are always paying for last repair job.
Very rarely use low unless heavy or steep grade. 1st a lot and always w/load. Not in too big a hurry most of the time and you're not picking up any time by not starting one notch lower.