Ridgeline Trailhawk

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 03/19/2020 at 12:31 • Filed to: not covid

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I just realized that the 2020 Ridgeline gets the ZF9hp like the passport and pilot. I know some people hate this transmission but it has a big advantage over the old 6 speed.

The old 6 speed had a 3.59:1 1st and a 4.250:1 final drive for a 1st gear ratio of 14.275:1 which isn’t great for a truck without a low range.

The new 9 speed has a first of 4.731:1 and a final of 4.33:1 for a 20.4:1 first. About what you get on the Renegade trailhawk. It’s also almost exactly what I would get in low range 2nd gear locked in my GX, which is usually more than enough gearing. Granted the gx has a v8 with way more low end torque but still. 20.4:1 is really good for a single speed system. its actually better than my cruisers 2nd gear low range even with 4.56 gears. again, the cruiser has way more torque between 1000-3000 rpm than the honda, but still.

Bigger tires, a small lift, basic skids (and abundant transmission and RDM cooling) would make this a great light duty touring machine.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > HammerheadFistpunch 03/19/2020 at 12:38

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I drove a Ridgeline several years ago and it was one of the most comfortable, best-driving cars I’ve ever driven.

Deal Killer - Powered by Focus > HammerheadFistpunch 03/19/2020 at 12:38

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RDM Cooling???

HammerheadFistpunch > Deal Killer - Powered by Focus 03/19/2020 at 12:40

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Rear drive module. I think its integrated into the transmission cooling loop, but if not it might be worth looking at auxiliary cooling for it.

Saracen > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 03/19/2020 at 12:41

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We had a Ridgeline in the family for a few years.  Not withstanding the soft torque, it is simply the best driving vehicle with a pickup bed.  I lamented its departure when my dad sold it.  

HammerheadFistpunch > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 03/19/2020 at 12:41

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big though, its basically as wide as a full size.

ClassicDatsunDebate > HammerheadFistpunch 03/19/2020 at 12:41

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I know we’re talking a different application but I had the ZF9 in my old TLX. It was much more refined than the 6-speed in the older SH-AWD TL, but I actually enjoyed  the janky shifts and the harsh kick from second to third.

Saracen > HammerheadFistpunch 03/19/2020 at 12:41

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Eh, I disagree with the naysayers . It’s a great transmission.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > HammerheadFistpunch 03/19/2020 at 12:46

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And the one I drove, poor visibility.

HammerheadFistpunch > ClassicDatsunDebate 03/19/2020 at 12:56

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I remember driving pre-prouction KL cherokees with it and not being bothered by it at all. But im sure it takes a lot of time to really notice the annoyances .

wafflesnfalafel > HammerheadFistpunch 03/19/2020 at 12:58

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right - extra transmission/driveline cooling would probably the very best upgrade to keep the rig in one piece.  

Shift24 > ClassicDatsunDebate 03/19/2020 at 13:08

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True it   was more on Honda than ZF for the zf 9spd . The tuning just was never there.

Though its left Honda with a bad taste for outsourcing major drivetrain components . As rumored the new TLX will return to a H onda developed trans. The 10 speed in the A ccord and odyssey has  had good reviews

and 100 more > HammerheadFistpunch 03/19/2020 at 13:12

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I miss the look of the 1G RL... especially with lift/tires:

That said, the stock 2G would look so much better with just larger tires and a bit more offset.

Also, this is acceptable:

ClassicDatsunDebate > Shift24 03/19/2020 at 13:15

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Yup, the 10 speed in my RDX seems much more integrated with the 2.0T.  I wonder what the old V6 would have felt like with the 10 speed.

ClassicDatsunDebate > HammerheadFistpunch 03/19/2020 at 13:17

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I didn’t really have any issue with the ZF9 in general.  it was a bit slow to respond on a slow roll right hand turn, but all-in-all it was fine.

Shift24 > Saracen 03/19/2020 at 13:19

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It’s a decent trans from a reputable transmission company ZF , just poorly tuned for the TLX. IIRC it’s the first outside sourced trans for Honda in a long time.

So to be expected there were challenges in tuning an outsourced drivetrain component. More recent updates have seen complaints reduce for the TLX.

Saracen > Shift24 03/19/2020 at 13:41

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It’s tuned perfectly in my 2019 MDX.

functionoverfashion > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 03/19/2020 at 13:44

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I grew up with a series of Hondas and have always meshed well with them. I think I would love a Ridgeline, and it would do 100% of what I need from a vehicle without being a Real Truck - which is good, because on my daily commute, I’d hate driving a Real Truck.

But one thing that stops me is, I’d need a cap because dogs, and then I might as well get a Pilot, although those are shorter, right? Then I go full-circle back to “I’ll just get another Suburban” which would also do 100% of everything I’d need, but would be a beast to drive every day (I’ve done it).

I just need a huge barn so I can have more cars. 

Chuckles > functionoverfashion 03/19/2020 at 13:51

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Like you, I also find myself stuck in a feedback loop between the Ridgeline and the Pilot occasionally. 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > functionoverfashion 03/19/2020 at 15:46

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That’s why I am a van man.

Shift24 > Saracen 03/19/2020 at 17:48

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Yep they pretty much have it down now, just took s ome time

HammerheadFistpunch > HammerheadFistpunch 03/20/2020 at 00:44

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ah the mysteries of the algorithm that this silly post has 13k views and climbing.  either shared someplace or a lot of people are searching for a ridgeline trailhawk for some reason.  or my not covid tag is trending for some reason

James Matti > HammerheadFistpunch 03/20/2020 at 08:13

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I own a 2008 Ridgeline since new and I love it. I've had zero mechanical issues, the only issue I have is my radio dash lights went out almost a year ago. Besides that it's been a great truck to own. 

JBT > HammerheadFistpunch 03/20/2020 at 09:56

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Yeah, but your GX also has a first gear too... and things like a full size spare. The Honda trucklet is surely better with a bit lower gearing. Not sure it's much more offroad worthy though. Biggest benefit is probably towing. I assume electric drive will replace low gearing across the board soon. 

HammerheadFistpunch > JBT 03/20/2020 at 11:25

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You can put a full size spare in the bed, there is an eyelet that comes with it to move the spare into the bed if you want, you could even populate that space with an air compressor and small tank if you wanted. You are right about gearing though, if we are talking about maximum crawl ratio the GX and the Cruiser have both better crawl ratios and torque at the wheels.

GX 1st gear low range 35.7:1 (10000 lbs-ft Trg @1000 rpm ), 2nd gear 20.7:1 ( 5800 lbs-ft Trg) (28 0 lbs-ft at 1000 rpm)

Land Cruiser 1st gear low range 34.78:1 (8350 lbs-ft @ 1000 rpm), 2nd gear 19:1 (4560 lbs-ft @ 1000 rpm) (240 lbs-ft @ 1000 rpm)

Ridgeline 1st gear 20.4:1 (4488 lbs-ft @ 1000 rpm) (220 lbs @1000 rpm )

This was more just an exercise for me to look up the numbers really.  Still 4500 lbs-ft at the ring is decent.  More than enough to tackle anything that the chassis can handle.  

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > HammerheadFistpunch 03/20/2020 at 13:30

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A coworker of mine got one, it looks really nice. I was considering getting one, but I’m not going to get one new. In the end I figured out how I can put my boat on my wagon and when the M37 truck is done I can use that for short range boat and sur fing stuff.

Scotty just wants a new Mazda6 wagon > HammerheadFistpunch 03/20/2020 at 15:18

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Recommended on my Google homepage sir. But Im a frequent jalop so. . . 

Jay > HammerheadFistpunch 03/20/2020 at 18:58

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I own a 2018 Ridgeline Sport AWD . This is a great vehicle. Very comfortable interior, great ride, and the in-bed storage is great. I get north of 25 MPG on interstate driving. If I am light on the gas and keep it under 75, that goes up to 27+. I installed Honda roof rails and cross bars, and added a foldable bed cover.

I am always looking for more upgrades that I can do at home. Looking for a roof basket that will work with the factory cross bars.

JBT > HammerheadFistpunch 03/21/2020 at 12:55

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The ridgeline has merit as a daily driver that can run to most dirt road camp sites. I’d be really curious to know how the transmission would handle the heat of a long period of high slip in the torque converter. The A750/760 in the various Toyota models is ancient, but it’s also pretty close to bulletproof. I’ve never been able to get anywhere close to overheating mine on a trail. Not sure how the Honda would hold up to sustained crawling. Might work great. It’s known for overheating the transmission just trying to park travel trailers on slight hills, so I’m skeptical it would do better on a low speed trail. That’s usually in reverse, so maybe it has a reverse overheating problem that isn’t an issue in forward gears? Maybe it’s better with the new transmission? The typical honda forum response is “don’t back up on hills”. That’s not really a solution if you’re going to play in the dirt. EDIT: the TFL guys already did it - and it overheated after a fairly short time on low speed trails. That was a 2017, so maybe the new transmission has better cooling. 

I don’t think they can realistically go much lower. The final drive unit up front is small. And the rear is really tiny. It’s like ATV size stuff. The Toyota 8.2 in your GX has a larger pinion shaft and larger pinion bearings than a Dana 60. I’ve built a couple 8.2 diffs for my own junk. They’re substantially stronger than the old Toyota 8" - and should handle a lot more torque. I don’t think the Ridgeline drive train is strong enough to handle low range gearing. It’s heavier than a comparable Tacoma already.

The spare is a huge bugaboo for me about the ridgeline. I know you can put another full size spare in the bed. But why design it that way? If you wanted to use it for off road trips or towing and you have a flat - then what? Now you have to empty the bed to get to the spare. It’s a pretty terrible OEM design for anything other than running to the hardware store occasionally. Even then - what if you have a flat with a bed full of mulch or drywall or??? You have to unload all the cargo just to get the spare out - and then what? Leave your pile of mulch on the shoulder until you can get your tire fixed? Trucks that are intended to be used as trucks would never have a spare that requires unloading the bed to get to and can’t be used to tow a trailer or if you have anything in the bed.