3-on-the-tree

Had several TOTT's when I was younger. I think everybody in our gang owned one at some point but they mostly got replaced w/ floor shifters as they were becoming a thing then. Hell, ain't seen one in years. Good to see they're alive and well tho.

Nice '50 Ford there, wonder how it survived mostly stock this long w/o being hot rodded.

TOTT side story: Changing the clutch on a '77 F-150 I noticed the 3-speed trans was almost identical to the T-10 4-speed from my '64 Fairlane project. Had to swap the 3-speed shift levers to the 4-speed but mostly all factory parts. Driveshaft fit too w/ no mods.

Ended up w/ a four on the tree w/ a separate lever for reverse, a cut down shifter lever w/ floor mount bracket and boot. TOTT reverse became 1st, TOTT 1st became 2nd etc. Put the tree in neutral and move the floor lever for reverse. Kinda good theft deterrent too, nobody could ever figure that one out.

No one in my friend group had ever even heard of such a thing as TOTT, so best part of daily-driving the Ranchero was my passengers' reactions. It was fun to watch them become aware that I was grabbing the gearshift and--according to everything they knew--trying to shift my automatic transmission into reverse while we were driving along. Guys were the best, because they'd invariably get alarmed and assume that I didn't know any better. I'd just widen my eyes at them and go, "What?"

Margie

Marjorie Suddard wrote: No one in my friend group had ever even heard of such a thing as TOTT, so best part of daily-driving the Ranchero was my passengers' reactions. It was fun to watch them become aware that I was grabbing the gearshift and--according to everything they knew--trying to shift my automatic transmission into reverse while we were driving along. Guys were the best, because they'd invariably get alarmed and assume that I didn't know any better. I'd just widen my eyes at them and go, "What?" Margie

They wouldn't see the 3 (4) pedals? Or you moving your left leg? I assume that in a Ranchero it wasn't exactly a light clutch...

In reply to mtn:

I always wondered the same thing, but nope. People see what they want to see, I guess, and the Ranchero was already such a novel experience--never mind with a young lady at the wheel--they never processed what was going on. Or, more likely with my friend group, their processing abilities were, uh, impaired.

Margie

There is something satisfying about the movement of the column shift. So many joints in the linkage and they all have a little play in them (even with new bushings) and the solid motion of the transmission internals add up to a combination of vague and direct that defies logic. You start the motion and then inertia takes over and there is a tiny moment of all that slop in they system "slopping" at once where nothing is touching and the lever goes light in your hand, then the thunk of the next gear engaging.

Now I kinda miss it. Thanks guys.

Robbie wrote: Never done 3 on the tree, but have driven a 69 Mercedes 230 that is 4 on the tree. I agree, it's pretty cool.

Similar here. I test drove a '73 Saab 95 wagon with 4 on the tree. Once I realized the shift pattern is the same as most Euro cars (Reverse: up-left), but turned sideways, it wasn't hard to adapt to. For a more utilitarian vehicle, you could quickly appreciate the clear floor.

When I had my '90 E150, I kept wishing there was some sort of conversion to column-shift a T-5 so I could fit a manual trans without having the stick come up through the floor.

81cpcamaro wrote:

Jumper K. Balls wrote: When my ford was still 3spd column shift I briefly toyed with the idea of lengthening the levers on the transmission to make a "short shift" kit for it. I mean a lot of race cars go through an awful lot of fabrication to bring the shift lever closer to the steering wheel and you can't get much closer than a column shift. In the end I decided the overdrive was more important than the novelty of "TOTT".

My Dad's 53 Merc had TOTT and overdrive, so you can have both. Overdrive engages automatically so no shifting into overdrive. Probably not the best choice for a performance application though.

By installing a switch the OD could be kicked in in second gear giving 5 spds. Never tried it in first.

In its day I was the go to guy on them. Oh well.

The weirdest shift with 4 on the tree as on a the '57-'60 Borgeward Hansa 1100/Goliath.

The lever came out of the dash instead of the column.

You had to move the lever in and out to select gears. The second to third was the tricky part. You had to lift up an in at the same time. The pattern was normal four speed and after a little practice it was easy to do. My mother drove one for several years.

iceracer wrote:

81cpcamaro wrote:

Jumper K. Balls wrote: When my ford was still 3spd column shift I briefly toyed with the idea of lengthening the levers on the transmission to make a "short shift" kit for it. I mean a lot of race cars go through an awful lot of fabrication to bring the shift lever closer to the steering wheel and you can't get much closer than a column shift. In the end I decided the overdrive was more important than the novelty of "TOTT".

My Dad's 53 Merc had TOTT and overdrive, so you can have both. Overdrive engages automatically so no shifting into overdrive. Probably not the best choice for a performance application though.

By installing a switch the OD could be kicked in in second gear giving 5 spds. Never tried it in first. In its day I was the go to guy on them. Oh well.

The Merc will sometimes go into overdrive in second if you are above 25 mph or so. But it then stays in overdrive when you shift into third. A switch would help with that.

I learned on Dad's '62 Ford "unibody" pickup with three-on-a-tree, as did my siblings.

I've thought about rescuing that truck from the field, and upgrading a few things including the transmission. But how does one do a five-on-a-tree?

Same as a six on the tree. With a gear vendors.

In reply to BrokenYugo:I had a 64 Plymouth complete with a slant six and worn out shifter bushings. There were no speed shifting from 1st to 2nd. If you went to fast it would lock up and you had to get out and take the linkage apart at the steering column to get it into neutral. Good times!

slantvaliant wrote: I learned on Dad's '62 Ford "unibody" pickup with three-on-a-tree, as did my siblings. I've thought about rescuing that truck from the field, and upgrading a few things including the transmission. But how does one do a five-on-a-tree?

Very simple, you modify the trans shift rail to be manipulated like the shift rail on a cable shifted FWD car trans, then modify the column to run the pair of shift cables. Should be doable with mostly junkyard stuff.