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I'm looking for some opinions here regarding using first gear. I'm confining the discussion to on-road use only, not towing anything and in rear wheel drive (as opposed to 4 wheel drive).
I have felt that 1st was too low for starts on flat or downhill roads and only use it when starting from a dead stop on upgrades. I've heard this from several M37 owners whose opinions I respect. I was re-reading the operations TM the other day and came across a statement that 1st gear should be used all the time. I do use it routinely for parades and find it just about perfect for that venue.
So what say all the experts here. Should we all be usings first all the time or was that just written to keep the GIs from having to think?

even with 4.89s i start off in second......well unless there's a dill hole sitting on my bumper. then i start off in first run her up to 2800rpm and watch their nose dive as the truck loses all momentum going into second. welcome to my hitch

an appropriate gap is always observed at the next lights

I've never driven my M37 because I got it it wasn't running and I started taking it apart as soon as I got it. But I've driven others trucks and I would always start in 2nd gear when driving on the road. I did the same thing with my M151. I use to say it's a three speed with a granny gear.

On regular, dry, paved city/suburban streets with no load in 2 WD I always start in 2nd gear.

The comment about having a 3 speed with a "granny gear" is absolutely correct from my experience.

YMMV

52 M-42

Without a load or on a steep grade 1st gear doesn't get you very far, about two and a half feet and you're shifting to second. So you might as well start in 2nd gear a get a little more rolling footage before you have to shift again.

Always in 2nd gear, unless going up a grade.

On the road without a load 2nd gear start. The only exception is when I want to climb over an import that is in my way
BTW I have 4:89s

I only use 1st for precautionary reasons, like crawling it into the garage next to my wife's SUV. For general movement I start in 2nd....
Gary

WarrenD wrote:I'm looking for some opinions here regarding using first gear. I'm confining the discussion to on-road use only, not towing anything and in rear wheel drive (as opposed to 4 wheel drive).
I have felt that 1st was too low for starts on flat or downhill roads and only use it when starting from a dead stop on upgrades. I've heard this from several M37 owners whose opinions I respect. I was re-reading the operations TM the other day and came across a statement that 1st gear should be used all the time. I do use it routinely for parades and find it just about perfect for that venue.
So what say all the experts here. Should we all be usings first all the time or was that just written to keep the GIs from having to think?

I almost never use first gear. Using it is a pain in the butt. And, like said above, it only gets you two and a half feet before shifting to 2nd.
I suspect the TM specified using 1st gear only to keep inexperienced drivers from "riding" the clutch if they used 2nd gear to start off.
Case in point...... teaching my teen-aged boys how to drive a multi-speed manual transmission on our tractor/trailers. When starting in a higher gear they ALWAYS
slipped the clutch. Teaching them how to double-clutch a non-snyncro was a true test of my infinite patients. Eventually they learned on the newer units but
I don't think they ever did learn how to operate the old "twin-stick" Mack road tractor. Can you say.... three arms and three leg?
Jerry

I agree with everyone here.

RMS, I had to go back and read your post to figure it out. The dill term threw me. I will have to remember that one. I hate tailgating.

Phillip

The only time I've used first gear is in a parade. Put it in first, let out the clutch and just idle along at walking pace. I never used 1st back in the day except in Ft. Hood, Tx when climbing up to the OP's with the survey teams to direct Arty. I was in commo and we had to run field wire up for the survey teams to talk to FDC a mile or so back. Some of those rocks we climbed were pretty rough. Sometimes 4 wheel low to get where we needed to be.