Reverse gear sucks. What to do?

Having a touch of buyers remorse. My 2017 Access cab, TRD sport, 6MT, can barely back up a modestly steep driveway much less back my boat up it into the garage.
My boat and trailer weigh ~5000 lbs. The dinky reverse gear doesn't have enough grunt to back this load up a 1 % grade without lots of RPM's and clutch smoke. Is there a gear fix I could do?
Although the engine and tranny are ok around town, I feel like Toyota didn't get it right on towing ability. This truck would struggle to pull buttered string out of a pigs ass. Would the auto have been a better choice? I really need a granny gear for first. Reverse feels like 2nd gear ratio. Manual says this truck should pull 6500 lbs. Help.

 

The reverse ratio was a huge fail by Toyota. I bet you could do 35mph easily in reverse. When I am just backing up the truck, I can't even let the clutch out fully. Only work around it to pop it in 4 low, but that doesn't work when turning on dry pavement.

 

Yeah they really missed the ball on the gearing for reverse, no idea what they were thinking there.

I do find it interesting that you don't think first gear is low enough for starting out, or maybe I'm miss interpreting what you are saying. I've never felt that first wasn't geared low enough, if anything I feel that the ratio between first and second is two large. But I've also never tried towing anything actually heavy before.

 

Thats the only reason I would consider going to 4.88 gears on my MT reverse is complete crap. I only plan on running 285's at the most so I dont really need the 4.88 but I plan on getting a boat and the backing up is a big problem.

 

Reverse does suck being unloaded. I can't imagine what it's like backing up a loaded trailer. I try not to slip it the whole time, I will give it some clutch in short bursts. What you can do is line your truck up and put it into 4lo and backup as straight as possible. Then just switch back to 2hi.

 

Would be nice if we could mod in 2lo like on the 2nd gens. And no, other than reverse, the 6MT is much nicer transmission than the auto.

 

Toyota missed the mark on the gear ratios in both man trans and auto. They also missed the mark on the auto transmission itself and the 3.5L motor. The JBL audio is nice though.

 

It's really just reverse, and I wish maybe 1st wasn't as short - but that's helpful the 1 time a year I tow something. Everything else about the MT gearing is great!

I use @specter208 's method of short bursts of clutch rather than slipping the whole time.

OA

 

When asked by Toyota if I had any complaints... it was this one. 4 low would be very useful if there was a way to keep the front diff from locking. Folks with 2wd are just screwed as far as backing a trailer goes.

 

The spread between 1st and 2nd is too much but I can live with that, the reverse gear is a complete joke. Reverse should be a granny gear or a ratio equivalent to 1st. However, it's more like 2nd. I took 3 years off the clutch plate in 5 minutes backing that boat up driveway. Can reverse gear be swapped for better ratio?

 

Yes. I hate reversing with a trailer in this truck. U either have to smoke the clutch or ride the brakes and be on the verge of stalling. Way to high.

 

2nd gen 6 MT here, but my solution has been to let the clutch all the way out then control speed with just the brakes instead of smoking the clutch. Not always possible but it really helps. With the variable timing or whatever they call the electronic system the truck is hard to stall even when revs are way under where they should be. "Back in the day" when I learned to drive the reverse gears were generally the same, or very close, ratio to first gear. But you couldn't lug the motors because they would ping (detonate) damaging the motor and stall out. My Tacoma just grunts along revving way below where it should. If that's still too fast there really isn't much of a risk with dropping into 4H or even 4Lo for a minute or two. Just don't spend the day in 4Lo and everything should be just fine.

 

Maybe it's just me or maybe it's the third generation, but if I let my clutch out all the way, I'd be doing like 15mph in reverse (exaggerating). Any slower and it'll stall/bog.

OA

 

Could be. At times I'm sure the truck will stall but it just sputters along. Worth a try. Or just go 4H or 4Lo.

 

Can you retrofit locking hubs on these trucks? If someone came up with a clean-looking locking hub kit, that would solve a lot of the "wish I could do 4lo things without being in 4X4lo" type issues.

Might add a few MPG too.

 

You don’t really gain much, you already have an ADD so it disconnects the front drive axles when you are not in 4WD.

I do wish we could do the “gray wire mod” on our trucks though...that would be great. Mostly for the 2HI locker.

 

Also have a 6MT, reverse is definitely geared high, but never really bothered me. But also never backed a heavy trailer up a hill so...

If it’s that bad or common for you to do this, maybe a front hitch or something? We use a front hitch to reverse hay wagons...

 

I just use 4low when backing my trailers.
Haven't had issues with binding the drivetrain even on pavement doing this. I do however realize that binding can happen. I purposely clutch and unload the drivetrain to make steering corrections to avoid this.

 

I feel like tow mater in reverse. There is no slow speed. And as far as a boat goes I think marina fees will be cheaper than replacing the clutch that often.

 

Took me one time of backing up a trailer to put it in 4lo. No big deal as I've had to do this in other trucks too. I didn't even think twice about it. Anyone who has been off road in the rocks knows a little bit of 4lo on pavement won't hurt anything.