i don't understand your guys's logic... a tire only has one factor that slows it down... that's the tires. if you are coming off an on ramp... and you're starting at 60 and you continue at that pace... you'll stop in the exact same amount of time/distance braking whether you are in gear or not... the only time you stop faster is if staying in gear leaves you at a lower speed to stop from (which it almost always does, unless you accelerate down offramps), moral... just slow down for off ramps or grandpa.

there IS a need to double clutch... try to get into first gear for hair pins going fast, it's hard/impossible so you double clutch to get in gear and then rev match.

as for downshifting... i do it for practice... but no one has to do it... it's whether you want to or not. brakes are easier and what not to replace... keep that in mind.

 

If you havent noticed yet... bring your car up to high revs and dont shift, your car will start decellerating at a higher rate than just letting it cruise in neutral. Thats engine braking and it will cause you to slow down if you're in gear...

 

#1 you should not be downshifting into first in the first place

And how do you guys figure that downshifting does not slow you down. If your going 60MPH and you down shift into third gear the cars will slow down more when you let your foot of the gas. Coasting in neutral is extremely bad on the drive train. Not only will you have to replace your brakes, but also throw out bearing and some CV joints wear a lot quicker. The hold drive train in neutral is just freelance, free to go, twist and wear where ever it pleases. With nothing to power your drive train and camshafts they are free to do what ever they please.

Basically what I'm saying in neutral @ high speeds all your bearings and joints in the drive train have no power directing them to where they need to be going. So just step on the brake alone will cause serious wear on all your drive train parts (especially you pads, rotors, CV Joints, and Throw)

 

I double declutch every time I downshift, without exception. When I am coming off the freeway I go from 5th to 4th to 3rd to 2nd and then depress the clutch to stop. Usually I do this while applying to brakes. It is unnecessary to go to 1st as you should really only use 1st for starting off.

You have more control by being in an appropriate gear and hence this is safer.

Although this is not too hard to do, it does take practice to do it well and consistently. I have found that by doing this I have less trouble driving other cars -- even quirky older cars. I have also found that this is completely second nature on the track as instead of thinking about shifting, I think about my braking thresholds, turn in points and my apex.

This does increase wear slightly compared to just braking but is inconsequential especially compared to abusive driving such as clutch drops. BTW, I have never burned out a clutch or transmission in any car I have owned, including racecars.

 

The only reasonable purpose of downshifting is to maintain the engine within a convenient or desired rpm range. A blip to the accelerator merely matches the synchro with the higher gear, hence a smooth shift. Heel and toe or toe and heel, according to the spacing between both pedals or the size of your shoe, is a technique used by racing drivers to their advantage when braking late into a corner which also requires a downshift for adequate exit speed.

As far as I know or my experience has proven, no significant wear can be ascertained in transmissions because of frequent gearshift changes or downshifting, unless an improper technique is used.

Be safe and by all means enjoy your drive.

Edmundo

 

Really? I've been coasting around in neutral on the highway for al ong time :P... like at tollbooths and such. Why would it cause more wear? Its not like having no power to whatever parts you said would make them go faster or spin around in crazy speeds you would think they would just slow down naturally......?

 

wait a minute first of all doubleclutching is not downshifting its double clutching and takes no practice at all
the car slows itself when you let of throttle so yes it is esier on the brakes
maybe you guys are screwing up syncros because your going from5 to 4 to 3 to 2 thats unnecessary wear on your drivetrain,learn to rev match and go to appropiate gear

 

I guess it is habit. Since I am always in gear unless I am at a stop, I feel really uncomfortable coasting in neutral. The closest thing I can compare it to is driving without a seatbelt. Since I always do, it feels weird to not have it on.

Correct driving etiquette is to never coast in neutral.
Leaving the car in gear allows you to more effectively control your speed. Otherwise if you want to decrease your rate of deceleration, and your foot is already off the brake, then you have to, again, put it in gear.

On a side note: If you want to drive me nuts as a passenger, dip the clutch while going around corners. I have never understood why people do this.

 

If you are matching revs correctly then it does not damage your syncros.

 

um..... double declutching is shifting gears while rev matching.
It implies the following:

Example from 4th to 3rd:

1) Put your foot on the clutch and shift from 4th into neutral
2) Take your foot off the clutch
3) Press the gas to get the appropriate amount of revs (rev match)
4) Press the clutch in again and shift into third
5) Release the clutch

The benefit of this is that instead of just engine rev matching, you are bringing the entire transmission up to the correct speed which reduces wear on the syncros.

 

is it bad just in general when coming to a stop rather then downshifting to go from 5th to neutral and just use the breaks?

 

OMG!! I can't believe that this subject has gone so far!!

 

thats how my grandma shifts do what you want though,i dont need instuction from someone who obviously aint got there s*** down

 

Your grandma obviously knows what she is doing. It is a shame that she wasn't the one to teach you how to drive.


Check this link out if you still think I am full of it -- or better yet, try a search on double declutching.

http://www.tcsracing.org/doubledeclutching.htm

 

ok... what i'm saying is you can produce the SAME deceleration with brakes... there's not ADDED braking that can stop you FASTER than your brakes can... cuz ultimately... it's up to the tires to put you to a stop. think about it... in the impossible situation that your engine brake so hard that it locks all four tires you're still not stopping faster than antilock brakes. so... like i said before... just slow down, yeah, brakes'll do that.

OMG how the hell do youfigure you're not suppose to downshift into first? WHY should you not be doin' that? cuz it's hard on the syncros? THAT'S WHAT DOUBLE CLUTCHING IS FOR. THINK PLEASE, you think road racers just take every hair pin in 2nd even if it's better taken in first? NO.

and what the hell is clue talkin' about... what do cam shafts have to do with your tranny.... what do you mean nothing is powering the camshaft? the cam shafts are always under power... even during idle. your bearings and joints wear more under power... why the hell would they wear worse in neutral... that's like saying you should never turn in your car because it'll wear one side more than the other.

i am not advocating neutral coast or hitting every gear down to stop... you can do either. i hit every gear down to stop... including double clutching first. it's not necessary! but i do it. and it IS unnecessary wear if you don't rev match but if you do... then it doesn't make the synchros work hardly at all, but it DOes make your engine work.