mnkyboy

As said in my previous post, I am new at driving stick. Ive been getting much better, but I still have some questions.

When shifting through gears, what is the best way to determine when to shift? 2,000 rpms? 3,000 rpms?

Next, some people tell me that a general rule of thumb is that when you are going 43 mph , you should be in 4th gear. Is this true? I find that when im going 55mph and I have to slow down, I go into neutral, then when the car comes down to 44 mph, I put it in 4th gear, and the car jumps. Is this correct?

Please bear with me, im a begginer stick driver.

One last thing for the time being, is it better when taking off to give the car a little gas, say up to 1500 rpms, then release the clutch, or release the clutch slowly and when the car starts to accelerate, then give it the gas? Ive been playing around with both of these methods, and I feel that giving the car a little gas before releasing the clutch is easier, but if its NOT the right way to drive, please tell me.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me...

douggie

Don't shift according to car speed. Shift according to RPMs!

For example, you can be at 45mph in 2nd!

don668

I agree with PseudoRealityX and mnkyboy. I used to be a driver/trainer for a trucking company. (6, 10, 15, and 18speeds) If giving a shot of gas before releasing the clutch work for you great, I pop the gas slightly myself, I imagine I have the clutch fully released before 1100 rpm's. Be SMOOTH.

As for what gear, dont choose a gear that bogs down your car. As with Psudeo` I probably shift down a gear if the car drops below 2000, (not sure, you'll find it becomes a "feel" thing after a while especially with heel/toe downshifting)
Last thing you want is to have to do an avoidance manuver and have the car in too high of a gear.

Cheers

Buttersideup

Depends on the car. My uncle's Lamborghini Miura redlines at 48 in first...

My P5 likes to be between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm in normal driving...usually in fifth at 55. My Miata likes to be between 3,000 and 5,000 rpm normal driving and in fourth at 55. Interestingly enough, both the P5 and Miata are at about 4,000 rpm at 80...difference is 4k is the start of the Miata power band. Shift by powerband, not speed.

Corvettes have a wickedly tall top gear that drops their revs to something rediculous (1,300 rpm?) at 55...actually allows those guzzlers to make decent gas mileage in cruise mode. Different cars, different cases.

Erm...you shouldn't ever be travelling in neutral for any length of time. If you need to slow down...just release the gas and slow or downshift immediately. Some people think that if you hit the brakes, you have to push in the clutch. No. Bad, bad, bad.

When you downshift, give the throttle a little push before putting it in the lower gear...this will help keep your car from jumping. "Jumping" is bad because it causes undue stress on the engine and unsettles the car by suddenly transferring weight to the front and/or suddenly slowing the drive wheel/wheels...these could be big trouble in a turn...especially for a front-drive car.

There are two little tunes to keep in your head as you learn to shift..."single clutch" and "double clutch"...like a samba line...

Single Clutch:

Clutch in, next gear, gas, clutch out...

or Double Clutch:

Clutch in, neutral, clutch out , blip...clutch in, next gear, clutch out, gas

Both happen in the same amount of time...maybe a second...so you can see the latter is a bit more complicated.

Double is tough for a beginner...or an experienced driver. It's not neccesary with modern synchromesh transmissions (but very neccesary in trannys without synchros), but it sounds cool, looks cool, can make your shifts smooth as butter and, if you ever want to go to a racing school with formula cars or drive a semi, you'll need to get it down before you get behind the wheel. Get single down first, then work on double after you master heel/toe.

--Dean

Buttersideup

The little formulas at most driving schools like Skip Barber and Bob Bondurant usually aren't synchromeshed and DC is what they teach. At least that was the way it was a few years ago...maybe that has changed?

Oh, and how many formulas have I driven? Zero!

--Dean

don668

driving a semi for 10 years, the clutch is only used to start. All shifts are done by rev matching. On the upshift you release the gas @ desired RPM, at the same time pulling it into neutral. Hold the stick against the next gear (lightly!) and it will pop in when the gates open. On an downshift, its the opposite.... pull into neutral, hold lightly against the gear you want and pop the gas to raise the rpm. As the RPM's fall again It will just click in. When you get familiar with a engine you know when it shifts, no need to hold against the gates. Same when splitting ranges. IE: from low to high range, or on a 13-18 speed you can split the actual gear. (5th low/5th high, 6th low/6th high etc.)

The skills make a difference on car driving too.

Cheers