Ford Bronco Manual Transmission Tips, Tricks, & Secrets with Our Bronco Life!

Sean from Our Bronco Life is joined by seasoned off roader Scott Haines to discuss some tips, tricks, and secrets of the manual transmission Ford Bronco!
Here are the topics:
00:21 Shift Pattern
1:39 Auto Blip / Anti-Stall
3:19 Crawler Gear As Traffic Gear
4:34 Auto Restart After Stalling
5:06 Hill Climb In Crawler Gear
7:15 What To Do If you Stall On a Hill Climb
9:14 3 Second Hill Hold
10:28 Hill Descent Control
11:34 Downhill Engine Braking
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Follow Scott Haines : hainesbadlands
#OurBroncoLife #FordBronco #BuiltWild
Positive vibes only!

[@lotsatrix]

To all of the Bronco owners that have automatic transmissions…you are missing out. The manual is the way to go! It’s twice as much fun!

[@OurBroncoLife]

You are right!

[@MrBobbyBrown2006]

This is literally one of the best, if not THE best, Bronco videos on the internet regarding the manual transmission. I can't thank you enough for uploading this video. Y'all are legends

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thank you so much for the compliment! Appreciate it

[@brawnto]

I love my 7MT Bronco Badlands, it is an absolute gem and hill descent control is a wonderful tool. I wheel mine nearly every weekend and having the 4.7 with the crawler gear in 4L is something to write home about. It's a freaking tractor.

[@OurBroncoLife]

The manual is a beast for sure! Glad you like your Badlands!😎

[@dsop]

I haven't gone 'wheeling yet but I also love my manual Black Diamond, it drives so well!

[@OurBroncoLife]

@@dsop glad your enjoying it! 🤙🏻🤙🏻

[@MyProjectsFL]

Yes, so much agree, I love my 2 door, 7 speed manual Badlands, it doesn't have a beast mode, it is beast mode! I love it barely does 1mph in 4L in Crawl gear. I've had it a month and have been out three times wheeling, hoping to go to Hardrock Off Road Park in Ocala this weekend to do some more serious fun, rock crawling and more challenging stuff.

[@bengleckl1877]

Is it true that not in crawler gear ,I know crawler gear it won't let.u stall but even in first gear pulling out it adjusts rpms so u can't stall it .

[@duderdude4831]

Damn these smart features are a game changer!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Indeed!

[@l5e5m5]

This is great - I'm sure all the engineers that slaved over these features are happy to have them showcased!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@chadbaptiste4227]

Daaaamn that auto-restart after a clutch stall is revolutionary!!

[@OurBroncoLife]

For sure!! Thanks for checking out video

[@illusioned0ne]

It's good for stalling but man I can't stand it on a hill sometimes I'm faster than the auto start/stop (steep inclines) and it creates a weird situation sometimes.

[@micahrichey5335]

Driving this exact Bronco at the off-road experience convinced me to change my order to the manual transmission!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Alright!! Love hearing that.

[@itsallsquishy1341]

This is hands- down the best video I've seen about the manual trans! My bronco fever just went up a couple of degrees, can't wait to actually be able to get one! Def getting the 2-door badlands non-squatch with manual, just gotta make up my mind about the color!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Wow thanks for the compliment!! Glad we could help out and you enjoyed it!

[@agoodauthority]

Awesome video, guys. Thanks so much. Late to the party but just got my 7M Badlands .....

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thanks for checking it out! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@jakec2009]

I’ve had a lot of vehicles. Nothing compares to my MT Bronco Badlands. Thanks for the video.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@slobodanfemic4481]

Manual forever !!! 🥇🏆👍💪

[@danw9790]

This is fantastic insight into the 7MT! Was always going to get one but nice to have the education. I’m forwarding this to my dealer so he can education others too :)

[@OurBroncoLife]

Awesome! Glad it could help you and hopefully others

[@dustinwithfantasygenremusic]

I haven’t had a ford truck in over 20 years, but I just picked up the 2022 Bronco Black Diamond and I absolutely love it! Such a beautiful vehicle and so many cool features. Looks like I’m a Ford guy once again.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Congrats!

[@davevisse]

Great vid, as I have been waiting FOREVER for my 7-speed Bronco. Went to the Bronco school...but no stick shifts....so really enjoyed this.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thanks for feedback, glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@rcbell436]

Great video. I have a 2d base manual Bronco. First manual transmission. This video helped answer some questions I had about my manual Bronco

[@OurBroncoLife]

Awesome glad it helped you!

[@Asherr6]

I love the manual. The hill assist and auto blip are so awesome.

[@OurBroncoLife]

👏🏻👏🏻 it’s a great transmission that’s for sure

[@joelpaez833]

great job explaining how the 7-speed works. i can’t wait to try it out. thanks.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thanks 👍🏻👍🏻

[@SternDrive]

You did a great job of explaining all the features of this new car. I've watched some other Bronco videos and shut them down after 3 minutes. Some of these guys have no clue how to drive a stick. Quite cringe worthy in the extreme. Good work!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thanks for the compliment! Appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@chrissteinhilber8839]

I just picked up my 7 speed Big Bend and this is a super helpful tutorial on how to get the most out of my manual transmission…Keep on crawlin’ Bronco Nation!!

[@hajjdawood]

I also have a manual 4d badlands, the only feature I wish it had is auto blip when you downshift to smooth out your downshifts.

[@scottydog62]

There is something about the sound of that 4 cylinder too, it just sounds so retro it really matches the Bronco look and a very capable engine

[@mikerones7201]

Great video.. very informative that manual transmission is miles ahead of what i expected

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thanks!

[@SharonsHere]

THANK YOU... I learned so much! The Ford sales people know absolutely nothing about these features (at the two dealerships near me). This is THE best training. Glad I found your channel. 👍🏆

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thanks for the awesome feedback! Glad we could help you 👍🏻👍🏻

[@contrarian604]

From one car guy to the other. RPM is plural, so no need to say RPMs. I heard both during this video, you swap back amd forth between the two. The plural is because it is the abbreviation for “revolutionS per minute”. RPMs would he “revolutions per minutes”, which makes no sense.

[@SharonsHere]

@@contrarian604 I received an email stating that you replied to my comment. 🤔I never said RPMs. You should have commenting to the channel's video not the comment thread (unless it's relevant). Oops... I guess we all make mistakes.

[@scottydog62]

​I've heard a similar argument with RBI in baseball haha come on it's just semantics, just about everybody uses the phrase "RPMs"😅 I remember that argument on Mike and Mike ESPN Morning Show they would get into that quite often about RBI or RBI's😂, I never heard the RPM argument but it's the same parallel as RBI "Run's Batted In" if there is someone out there reading this doesn't know what RBI is ​@@contrarian604

[@byronpeterson795]

Great video, after watching this I have no doubt that ordering the MT for my new Bronco was the correct choice.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the video and are getting a MT!

[@B4TM4NX]

Excellent information thank you! One thing that is almost NEVER talked about is the way you describe how the vehicle responds when letting off the clutch. I didn’t realize this was an “anti-stall” type of feature. I’ve noticed some cars requiring a bit of gas on clutch lift off while many don’t. I could never explain what this was to ask car salespeople, but none of them seem to know enough about their cars to explain it. Thanks!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Glad we could help out. Thanks for checking out of channel!

[@Nickpetikas]

Great video! I love how factual and to the point it was. Sooo many videos are filled with side comments and opinions. Definitely subscribed, you two are cool!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thank you for the excellent compliment! Glad you enjoyed our video 👏🏻👏🏻

[@mesothelioma5024]

Was hesitant on buying the 7 speed as I’m not very fluent but want to get fluent and this helps make my decision to go with it

[@OurBroncoLife]

Awesome! Glad it helped you

[@christophernuckolls9964]

Wow! This was way more informative than I expected! Thank you!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Awesome! Glad we could help out.

[@jonnyappleseed2282]

Freaking GREAT !!!!!!!!! Video Bros !!!!!!!!! Nice touch on adding everything we need to know !! 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thank you!

[@USDefcon1]

Awesome video. Wonderfully put together and answers all the important questions that Ford didn't bother to answer. Thank You!!!!!!!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thanks!! Glad it helped out. We wanted to showcase the manual in a light that we haven't seen yet.

[@LICobra]

Very informative video, as finally decided to order a manual 2 door badlands sasquatch, I was told by the dealer there not taking any orders until 2024...

[@robertanderson1457]

Hey guys, great video! My wife is getting her 2022 manual today and I shared this video for her. Awesome job.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it

[@wewantben]

This was a great demo! Thank you so much.

[@OurBroncoLife]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@MaximumDIYGarage]

Fantastic video! Thank you!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Our pleasure. Thanks for compliment!

[@fescudder]

Well done sir. Nice work.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@TugHillGuy]

The last manual I owned was my '98 Ranger 4x4, which I received from the factory in late '97 and traded in during the summer of '05. It was a 5-speed stick shift and didn't have any of the innovations Scott demonstrated in this video. I have an order in for a 2022 non-Squatch 4-door Bronco with a 2.3L Ecoboost and automatic transmission. I was tempted to go for the manual and I still have a soft-spot in my heart for manuals but at my advanced age of 60 I just don't feel like fussing around with a clutch and manually up and down shifting everywhere I go. My Bronco will be my only vehicle after it arrives. I hope I get my build week soon as I had a Day-2 reservation and first ordered my Bronco in January of 2021. I ordered it with a MIC top and towing package, which are both features that can slow an order. I also ordered a Lux package and originally had ordered the PPF from the factory, which Ford dropped for anyone who didn't have a Wildtrak a few months ago. I also indicated to Ford I was interested in the Bronco Raptor and got a "golden ticket", but after I talked to my salesman about ordering one he indicated they would mark it up about $20K. I could have shopped around for a better deal but I didn't really want or need a Raptor. I'm leaving the towing package in my Badlands order for now as the factory towing package is much cheaper than getting it installed piecemeal by my dealer as 2 accessories (hitch + wiring harness). The accessory version also only comes with a 4-pin harness whereas the factory package has a 4-pin and 7-pin harness. You can now get a Trailer Brake Towing pack as an accessory, but it requires a 7-pin harness. It would be essential if I opt to buy an off-road trailer for my Bronco. In the meantime I'll keep driving my '07 Sport Trac.

[@OurBroncoLife]

It will be worth the wait for sure. We tell everyone - keep waiting for the options you want (MIC, tow, Lux, etc.) because you will be happy in the long run you did. Good idea keeping the tow package based on what you have planned for it as well. Thanks for checking out our video, glad you enjoyed it.

[@MasonMarsh]

Love seeing Scott and #8. Great video!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thanks! #8 is a beast for sure.

[@Chris_Roy.]

Thanks for the Hill Decent tutorial. I tried and failed to figure out how to use it on my own without instructions.

[@OurBroncoLife]

🤙🏻🤙🏻

[@libonation]

This reaffirms my current manual driving experience in my bronco. Great video!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thanks!

[@spunky181]

We lost brakes on a hill stall was pretty scary thanks for the tip

[@OurBroncoLife]

👍🏻

[@diegogomezjr7142]

Hey I drove that vehicle at the Bronco experience in Rockford IL. Great video guys.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thanks!

[@MaximumDIYGarage]

Hi From Rockford! I must have missed the event!😢

[@etmccaus]

Really neat video (and fills me with regret that I couldn't quite swing a manual Sasquatch). Only thing else I would have liked to see is the "start in gear" function.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@daninsf648]

Excellent content!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thank you

[@michaelfernandes3620]

Literally one of the best videos! Thank you so much!

[@pro2amatt846]

Very informative. Thank you

[@OurBroncoLife]

Glad you enjoyed it 👍🏻👍🏻

[@sox2000]

This was amazing. I miss having a manual so bad and to see how easy they've made them to use these days is incredible. I had no clue about how the crawl gear worked for start and stop traffic (which is usually the reason people avoid manuals these days). Fantastic video with great info. Thanks, gents.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Awesome! Thanks for the comment. Glad you enjoyed the video 👍🏻👍🏻

[@ccclaw13]

This was an awesome video!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Glad you liked it! Thanks

[@cameronkedy4802]

Great video!!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thank you!

[@garrettstayton]

I love that the clutch and brake pedal are from a 90s ford escort 🤘

[@tomsbigtrucks]

Great Video with Scott. I love my 2022 manual 2 door BadSquatch it’s really impressive! I’m amazed with the technology this vehicle has introduced. Thank you again for showcasing all the features its great information.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Our pleasure, glad you enjoyed the video.

[@Lion-qi8ej]

Awesome stuff Gents. Thanks!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thanks!

[@Lion-qi8ej]

@@OurBroncoLife my MT badlands is in! Picking it up this week!! I’ll be watching this several times! Thanks again.

[@OurBroncoLife]

@@Lion-qi8ej Thanks! Congrats, so worth the wait

[@Thunderhead21]

as far as the anti stall goes, you can do that in almost any manual trans vehicle. I have a 30 year old 4 cylinder and I never touch the gas when inching forward or doing very slow movements on level grade. seems like a feature for people who cant drive stick that well.

[@jessdunn05]

Wow nice!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@lolzinc]

I love this vehicle. I want to learn how to drive manual.

[@OurBroncoLife]

It’s even more fun in a manual

[@boisebroncoadventures]

You beat me to the punch on this one! I am going to make a similar video going over the features of the “modern manual” in my Bronco.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Did you enjoy the video and learn something at least?

[@boisebroncoadventures]

@@OurBroncoLife yes! The 3 second hold! I had wondered as had it release once off roading.

[@boisebroncoadventures]

@@OurBroncoLife Scott is an Off Roadeo Instructor? Lol sure seems it! That guy knows some stuff!!!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Yeah he is. He has 20+ years experience off roading and teaching military off roading. Texas guy

[@boisebroncoadventures]

@@OurBroncoLife cool! I think my manager met him there. Said he kept talking about Moab lol. That was awesome having that kind of knowledge and know how for the edit! Any plans to be in the PNW this year?

[@salami99]

my favorite feature is " drop a gear and disappear" only on manuals

[@BuckingBronco]

Very useful tips! Thanks for sharing these. I'm currently waiting on my Bronco to be built and to be fair, it's an automatic, but if Ford has me rebuild my Bronco for MY 23, I may opt for the I4 with 7 gears instead.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the video and it helped out!

[@TugHillGuy]

In my long previous comment I forgot to mention how much I liked this video! Scott did a great job of illustrating all these handy features!

[@OurBroncoLife]

He’s very passionate and an excellent teacher.

[@cfolise5465]

Scott is the man!! Rode with him in Rockford and taught me a lot. Mainly I should have gone for the manual! Keep up the great videos!!

[@OurBroncoLife]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks!

[@rodneysherwin4489]

" FRICTION POINT " IS THE KORRECT NAME/TERMINOLOGY WHEN CLUTCH ENGAGES TRANNY/ GRANNY GEARS AND CRAWLER >> CREEPER GEAR AS ITS CALLED,, IS DAH REAL KORRECT TERM BY 4X4 TRUCKERS AND ME 50+ YEARS !!

[@OurBroncoLife]

OKKKKK

[@Rocketsong]

I accidentally stalled climbing a hill at one of the Bronco events because I didn't quite downshift out of 2nd fast enough. Was really cool when it spun back up on it's own when I stabbed the clutch. First thing I do is disable the god-awful 3-second hill hold though. It's annoying beyond belief in the Mustang, and will be so in the Bronco as well. If I punch the clutch with no foot on the break, I want it to roll. I was foolish enough to order the impossible to build BASE model over a year ago, so who knows when Ford will get around to building it.

[@OurBroncoLife]

It will be worth the wait...I know you don't want to hear that but it will be for what you want. Hope you enjoyed your drive at one of our events.

[@stereopolice]

Man, back in the day, almost stalling is what Ford did best!

[@rockoq173]

Is there a reason why to use hill decent in neutral rather than in gear?

[@rodneysherwin4489]

NEVER PUT ANY TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL >> UPHILL BUT WATCH OUT 4 X,S ENERGY TO HOLD BACK WEIGHT, YER BRAKES ALONE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH G-- FORCE S...CRASH & BURN..

[@texfabhaines462]

The demo we did in the video shows that Hill Decent doesn't use the transmission at all, and that the computer is using the wheel speed sensor and adjust brakes individually as needed. If you're going to select a low gear combination (transmission and transfer-case) to "Engine Brake" down the hill, you'll most likely, find hill decent unnecessary. The situation will dictate the appropriate gear combo, the lowest combo possible is definitely not always optimal. If your engine breaking is too "slow" for the traction surface, you will begin to slide. The rule of thumb is the tires need to be able to turn, just fast enough, to allow you to keep directional control of your vehicle (maintain steering). In some situations, you can actually find yourself going to the accelerator, rather than the brake. Happy wheeling... practice on smaller hills first ;)

[@jamescaldwell5]

Love my Manual Transmission Badlands. One thing you missed is that the annoying electric parking brake does have the convenience of automatically disengaging as you drive off. However I’m curious to know if it’s possible to roll start a new Bronco with a dead battery. I’ve always owned manuals and I’ve been saved by the roll start on several occasions. But maybe it’s not possible with the push button start tech.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Glad you love the manual! It is awesome. That is a good question. We haven’t tried that feature yet. Would be curious as well if it can with the push button start.

[@jamescaldwell5]

@@OurBroncoLife since asking you guys, I’ve found others who say it’s impossible to roll start, it triggers all sorts of error messages. I think I’ll figure out a way to keep a compact jump starter somewhere in my emergency kit. The key will be making sure it stays charged.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Thanks for letting us know. We have a small starter pack that’s pretty compact they can fit under the trunk storage we carry with us.

[@SynysterGoose]

This is why I’m a jeep, bronco, and tocoma fan. The fact they have a stick in a non performance vehicle

[@OurBroncoLife]

For sure!

[@davidritacurl797]

Dude! Mo much easier than old school.

[@ehdeereotutar6843]

Can you the crawler gear in 2H and do you release the clutch the same as 1,2,3 etc gears?

[@OurBroncoLife]

Yes. Clutch release is same

[@900bcy6]

Auto-blip/start-stop: First two features I would turn off.

[@isuzuguru1303]

I have a 2022 black diamond with 7 speed manual.Has your bronco started the grinding sound at cold idol .I have 1800 miles on mine. I'm a little sick about it .What do you think?

[@OurBroncoLife]

We have not experienced any gear grinding, you should have the service department check it out

[@johnbragg2690]

How does it go up and down on those same hills in the snow? Have a super steep driveway that is 2/10 of a mile and would be curious how it would be in the winter.

[@OurBroncoLife]

Momentum is a replacement for traction. Keep momentum always is a good tip especially in slippery weather. 4 low if bad snow if just a little 4 high is fine

[@AKguy74]

I drove MT and was kinda disappointed in performance. AT feels a bit better. Maybe I need to try it again

[@tomsbigtrucks]

What about start in gear?

[@texfabhaines462]

I tried it a few times. It’s quite the process, and to be totally honest, I can not justify a reason to use it. There are reasons to do this in older vehicles, or on very slick traction but you don’t want the engine to start in that situation.

[@edkelley6916]

Get it tuned yet?

[@OurBroncoLife]

No tune yet

[@edkelley6916]

@OurBroncoLife you gotta.. that ford race tune brings the bronco to life.

[@goinwheelin]

Rather have the auto. And the people who want a manual don’t need this video. But hey hope you got paid.

[@hajjdawood]

I have the manual and sometimes its nice to learn features since every manual is a bit different

[@texfabhaines462]

Your wealth of knowledge is a ray of sunshine to the rest of the world. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@4dscdriver]

I find it amazing how far manuals have come. All the manuals I ever drove were actually manual, and didn't have any driver aids. I don't have a bronco, but may get one in the near future. This video helps me to decide if I may want the manual.