Any shifters here that skip gears?

F1nut

When I had my LandCruiser I would normally skip first gear, starting off in second unless I was pointing uphill.

exalted512

In most v8 trucks, Ill skip 1st gear all the time.
-Cody

tommyboy

No skipping gears here, my car is too much of a piece of **** to do that, with exception of starting while on steep hill, then its useless to use first and sometimes second. And since I live in Pittsburgh this is not a rare occurence.

Down shifting is a different story though, whenever I have to stop rather quickly due to a light changing or whatever, I usually go from 5 to 3 or 4 to 2. I don't do this too often though and clutch still good as new after 70k. I think I found a good mix between using the clutch and brakes to slow the car, when I first got a manual I never downshifted and destroyed the brakes:p

Ron-P

shack wrote: »

Often when skipping gears the rpms will be too low and there tends to be some slippage with the clutch. Good engagement of the clutch causes much less wear than any slipping.

I did a little test today...

I took 1st to 3000rpms and then into 2nd, the rpms dropped to 2500. Next, I took 1st to 3000rpms to 3rd, the rpms dropped to 1800. Lastly, I took 1st to 3500rpms and then into 3rd, the rpms dropped to 2500. So, even if I hit 3000 in first the rpms only drop to 1800 which, at least in this car is plenty high.

Sami

comfortablycurt wrote: »

That's all getting changed within the next year or so.

Before I read this I was going to say your gearbox is then wrong for the car, you will need to change gearing.

shack

Ron-P wrote:

I did a little test today...

I took 1st to 3000rpms and then into 2nd, the rpms dropped to 2500. Next, I took 1st to 3000rpms to 3rd, the rpms dropped to 1800. Lastly, I took 1st to 3500rpms and then into 3rd, the rpms dropped to 2500. So, even if I hit 3000 in first the rpms only drop to 1800 which, at least in this car is plenty high.

I never said it couldn't be done. I said it was harder on the clutch and causes more wear when not done at the optimal rpm. Also, you may be better than most that drive a stick. Another thing most don't realize is when you are stopped, instead of keeping the car in 1st and the clutch disengaged, it causes much less wear to keep it in neutral and let the clutch out and only shift into gear when ready to move.

sTiLlLeArNiNg

SWEET monte! what does she run in the quarter?

lightman1

My bucket truck hates first gear without a loaded trailer behind it. Second, third and fourth.

Kex

I have always been told not to skip gears, so no, I never do, neither going up or down (except that when slowing down, I brake and stop when in second, not first). Also, it's supposed to be very bad to leave your hand resting on the stick while driving, BTW.

On the subject of gears, our latest car (three years old now) is an automatic, like the rest of them now, but with two reverse gears (and seven forward gears)! No, it doesn't change gears when reversing, but there is one reverse gear for "sport" mode, and one smoother reverse gear for "comfort" mode. I think it's supposed to avoid jolting the unfortunate passengers, or something like that. It's probably useful in icy conditions too. In any case, automatic transmissions seem to have improved immensely over the last ten years or so IMO.

Aren't VW automatics not, technically, automatics at all? I think they use a Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG), which is described as really dual manual gearboxes, in one housing, with dual electronically controlled clutches (one for each gearbox). The main advantage is the elimination of the need for a torque converter. Best of both worlds, maybe?

Face

Kex wrote: »

Aren't VW automatics not, technically, automatics at all? I think they use a Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG), which is described as really dual manual gearboxes, in one housing, with dual electronically controlled clutches (one for each gearbox). The main advantage is the elimination of the need for a torque converter. Best of both worlds, maybe?

When they stay together, yes.

comfortablycurt

sTiLlLeArNiNg wrote: »

SWEET monte! what does she run in the quarter?

It's mainly a street car...plus right now you can't really lay into it because it's got the stock rear end. If you were to bang the gear in it you'd be grenading the rear end...lol

It generally runs low to mid 12's. Once the rear end and suspension are upgraded, it'll be running a lot faster than that though.

lightman1 wrote: »

My bucket truck hates first gear without a loaded trailer behind it. Second, third and fourth.

Yeah, I forgot to mention that. First gear in my bucket truck almost never gets used except occasionally when we're moving around a yard. Always start it off in 2nd.

Lowell_M

tommyboy wrote: »

No skipping gears here, my car is too much of a piece of **** to do that, with exception of starting while on steep hill, then its useless to use first and sometimes second. And since I live in Pittsburgh this is not a rare occurence.

Down shifting is a different story though, whenever I have to stop rather quickly due to a light changing or whatever, I usually go from 5 to 3 or 4 to 2. I don't do this too often though and clutch still good as new after 70k. I think I found a good mix between using the clutch and brakes to slow the car, when I first got a manual I never downshifted and destroyed the brakes:p

Dude... Brakes are a lot cheaper than drive train components. If you are going to downshift at least give the throttle a blip before letting the clutch out to match revs. ... Work on it enough and before you know it you'll be heal/toe downshifting like a race car driver. You really don't have to downshift to slow the car down and it scrubs a lot of clutch material off if you let the clutch do the rev matching.

Lowell_M

Kex wrote: »

I have always been told not to skip gears, so no, I never do, neither going up or down (except that when slowing down, I brake and stop when in second, not first). Also, it's supposed to be very bad to leave your hand resting on the stick while driving, BTW.

Nothing wrong with skipping gears. As long as you have enough torque to do what you want to do in the next gear, have at it. Your automatic skips gears all the time. Most sporty cars that have a 6 speed transmission are geared so that you can remain in a narrow rev range at a particular speed for optimal power, but you don't have to be in that range if you don't want to.

The only reason it's bad to leave your hand on the shifter is because then you're not using that hand to steer. In a track environment your right hand only leaves the steering wheel long enough to get you into the next gear.

Lowell_M

Face wrote: »

When they stay together, yes.

For performance, the DSG gearbox is the ultimate choice. Shifts happen in a very small fraction of a second and you get manual transmission drive train losses rather than losses that you get through a torque converter. Not all VW's have DSG. I was hoping that Nissan was going to add DSG as an option to the new 370Z, but not yet.

Ron-P

I never downshift, never. It's does nothing but put extra wear and tear on the clutch. When I prepare to stop I keep it in gear and when the rpm's start to dip below 1500 I take the car out of gear and coast with light pressure on the brakes.

I also always sit in neutral, never do I sit stopped with the clutch to the floor and the car in gear.

ShinAce

On wearing out the clutch...if this keeps you up at night, learn to powershift and/or rev match(double clutch). Nuff said.

On downshifting...I downshift if I have lots of time to stop or if I need to stop quick(mix of downshift and brake). Otherwise I don't find it's worth the time.

On skipping gears...yes. I've driven a lot of underpowered cars and have to say, driving stickshift has saved me many times. Blown gears, gaining speed on ramps, and foresight. An automatic car doesn't know that you're about to shift and then cruise at that speed. I tell the gearbox that's what I'm doing when it happens(which is over 10x a day).

ShinAce

Ron-P wrote: »

I also always sit in neutral, never do I sit stopped with the clutch to the floor and the car in gear.

Is there any point to this, one way or the other?

Lowell_M

ShinAce wrote: »

Is there any point to this, one way or the other?

Sitting with the clutch to the floor wears out the throw out bearing.

As for double clutching.. there's no point unless your driving a semi. Double clutching rev matches the gears in the gearbox so that they mesh when you move the shifter. Our cars all have synchros which slow/speed up the gears so they mesh. Has nothing to do with the clutch.

Lowell_M

ShinAce wrote: »

Is there any point to this, one way or the other?

Actually, if you like that one.. I sit in nuetral with my foot off the brake AND clutch if the road is level enough. Hot brakes clamped around the rotor will create "hot spots" (deposited brake material) on the rotor and cause your rotors to pulse, not to mention heat up your brake fluid.

Ron-P

Like you Lowell, I also sit with my foot off the brake. If I get rear-ended, I'm getting a serious push into the car in front of me, or into the intersection.

Aqs612scag

Most of the time, but depends on the driving mood you're in.

madmax

Lowell_M wrote: »

Sitting with the clutch to the floor wears out the throw out bearing.

I was 50/50 on switching to neutral and letting out the clutch rather than holding the clutch in when sitting still, I will now do it more often. Great tip, I had forgotten about this.
madmax

Kex

madmax wrote: »

I was 50/50 on switching to neutral and letting out the clutch rather than holding the clutch in when sitting still, I will now do it more often. Great tip, I had forgotten about this.
madmax

In some European countries (U.K., for example, IIRC) they are actually taught to put the car in neutral when stopped at a traffic light, let out the clutch, and use the hand brake (they don't even call it a parking brake), not the foot brake, to make sure the car doesn't roll or get pushed into the intersection. They also take the driving test in a manual, mostly. If they take the test in an automatic, they are only licensed to drive automatics! I'm sure this varies from country to country though.

GaryZ06

comfortablycurt wrote: »

Very nice machine Oh I know what 500+ ft lbs of torque feels like:eek:

Sami

Kex wrote: »

Also, it's supposed to be very bad to leave your hand resting on the stick while driving, BTW.

What's the reason they told you?

Sami

Lowell_M wrote: »

As long as you have enough torque to do what you want to do in the next gear

True but you have to keep in mind too much torque on the gears is a bad thing, they wear out much quicker.

Lowell_M

Sami wrote: »

True but you have to keep in mind too much torque on the gears is a bad thing, they wear out much quicker.

Not really

Sami

Lowell_M wrote: »

Not really

Yes, really.

Lowell_M

Sami wrote: »

Yes, really.

Ok... Good point.

zingo

audiobliss wrote: »

That's just as it should be, my good man. Props to you!

Now let's see some pics and vids!!

Ditto