clutches are semi-tough to wear out on most small economy class cars (ex. the lancer). you're not doing any hardcore extreme acceleration, and it's just generally easy on the car. clutches could (and probably in the lancer should) last up to and ideally past 100k miles
just think about the *****ing you've prolly heard that the Evo's clutch lasts 'only' 25-30k miles.
how many brakes last much more than 30k.
i'm at 25 and needing new ones... maybe i'm unusually rough on my brakes tho... don't think so.
i downshift... usually starting in 3rd gear when i hit about 50 mph... i leave it in 5th gear until then... 4th gear doesn't add much as far as slowdown, especially not when i've only got about 500 feet until the stop light... if i had forever, i suppose i'd use 4th gear, but i rarely have that much time... i find second gear is by far the most helpful for downshifting... and i never ever ever have my car in first gear while the tires are rolling. i could be going 2mph through a stop sign and i will always leave it in 2nd. in my opinion, 1st gear is only good for getting the car rolling... does this mean i shift from 1st to 2nd at 2mph? hell no. i ride 1st all the way through just like the other gears... but i'll never downshift to 1st for any reason.

another main reason i downshift is cause i don't care much about anything except not paying more money... my car is on lease. i'll prolly put 36k on the car in the 39months... the clutch should easily last that long... the brakes prolly wont... so i'd rather wear on the clutch and save brake money than just assume the worst and throw in for new brakes.
one thing i did do poorly was save my tires... but in the huge snowfalls and all the rain it's tough not to e-brake in corners and rev to 6500 and spin for days.

 

so which is better? i downshift because i hear it saves on brakes.

 

But then it does wear the wclutch too

 

I didn't know how to drive a manual till I bought my Lancer. I really wanted to learn so when I bought my Lancer, I made sure it was a manual. I tought myslef and it's been alot of fun, I really would have been dissapointed with an auto. If I know I will have to come to a complete stop, I pop it in nuetral and just stop, but if it looks like the traffic might get going, i'll downshift. It doesn't really matter to me which wears more, clutch or brakes... I'll have to replace them both one day, they won't last forever.

 

or
and other posts of this type...

You guys didn't seem to have changed that many clutches on the AWD (or any other ones for this matter) cars and seem to prefer that to the brake pads change.

Very interesting!

MrAWD
ps. besides the time needed, good pads are in $150 USD range versa $300-$400 for a good clutch! Hmmm...

 

you wear out the clutch more when you downshift than when you apply the brakes and shift when the car is almost to a stop. the clutch does not normally slip so you do not have to wear it out. if you have a slipping clutch, due to abnormal adjustment, that is another story.

 

Every time the clutch is engaged with a mismatch between the flywheel speed and input shaft speed you have a wear and there is nothing abnormal about it. The worse your shifting technique is, more wear and tear you get. The fact still remains that this is the one less slip that clutch has till it is due for the replacement.

MrAWD

 

when the clutch is pressed by the pressure plate there is no wear unless the clutch is worn that there is slipping. the mismatch between the flywheel speed and the input shaft speed is always there and the wear occurs when you shift such as downshift. if you downshift say three times from 3-2-1 rather than down shift from 4-1 you have more wear from the former than the latter.

 

and when you get really good at shifting try shifting without the clutch. if you have the rpm's just right and shift at the right speed then you dont even need the clutch. i do it all the time in my truck. i dont get to drive the lancer much since its my wifes. this also works when upshifting but please dont try speed shifting using this method. this only works at the recomended shifting points which are found in the manual.

 

Unfortunately, there is a wear even with the clutch pressed all the way. The thing is that, even tough you press you pedal for 4" or even 5", throwout bearing moves only about 1/8" and that is not enough to remove all the wear from the disk. Plus, you add the wear on the pressure plate springs...

Now, as I said earlier, wear occurs every time you have a mismatch between the flywheel and the input shaft. And that includes upshifting and downshifting, and even just a pressing and releasing of the clutch in the same gear.

And, the last one, there is no difference whether you are shifting from 4 to 3 or 4 to 1. Although, it is easier to shift from the gears on the same shaft (like 1-2 and 3-4), from the clutch wear point of view, there is no difference at all.

MrAWD

 

Never downshift while coming to a stop sign! Try to learn how to pop the car into neutral with out using the clutch. Brakes are to slow the car down and cheap to replace. Clutches and transmissions are not cheap to replace. Look at two identical cars that have 100,000 miles. The first driver pops the car into neutral from fifth as he approaches a stoplight. The second driver downshifts through every gear.

Assuming each car has 100,000 miles = 30,000 stops. Avg/distance between stops = 3.3 miles

First driver: 30000 stops = 150,000 clutch actuations.
Missed 1% of all shifts = 1500 gear grinds.

Second driver: 30000 stops = 300,000 clutch actuations.
Missed 1% of all shifts = 3000 gear grinds.

Which car do you want to own if you had to pick between the two? Which car is going to feel tighter and have less drive train back lash?

Turbo442

 

good points, ive put it in neutral since day one, i figure brakes are easier to replace than a tranny

 

To all those that say "easier to replace brakes than a tranny": If you can't shift without screwing up your transmission, you don't know how to drive.

 

 

I guess, if you are one of those that have perfect shifting techniques and never ever miss to match flywheel and input shaft speed, than I agree with you 100%. Unfortunately, I am not that good, so I will stick with replacing the pads instead!

MrAWD