How do you downshift?

[375hh1973]

I'm 47 yrs old.

Have never driven a manual in my life.

Reading this thread is like reading something in a foreign language LOL!

I can't comprehend shifting gears, would seriously get in the way of my drinking a coke while texting.

 

[ladder13]

I'm 47 yrs old.

Have never driven a manual in my life.

Reading this thread is like reading something in a foreign language LOL!

I can't comprehend shifting gears, would seriously get in the way of my drinking a coke while texting.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

In June of 1974, the Monday after graduation, was my first day with my family business's 1972 pick-up. a 3/4 Ton Chevy special ordered to pull equipment trailers, so it was a 4 on the floor. But it started with Low, then 1-2-3. Wound out l would get maybe 10 MPH!

From 1987 to 1999 I had a 1979 4x4 1/2 Ton Suburban with the same transmission! Pulling a camper uphill from a stop sign with a tailgater, always bothered the wife. My philosophy was, if he doesn't want a new grill, he will quit tailgating!

My wife had learned to manual shift in economy cars, When she had to run around in the "Tan Tank", it really bothered her at first. Then she realized, every car on the road was worried that "She had nothing to lose, and she's going to take us with her!" Then driving in traffic became a game, instead of a chore!!

Ivan

 

[Hair Trigger]

So here’s the question: Long straight level road, you’re in top gear, you need to stop 1/4 mile ahead, other traffic isn’t a factor. Do you go down through all the gears, using the engine to slow you, do you put in the clutch and hold it in, do you put it in neutral and let the clutch out, or is there some other way?

I downshift through the gears, but I’m willing to change my ways. The boys put in the clutch and “rev match” if they don’t need to come to a complete stop.

In the situation you mention 1/4 mile to stop and no traffic to consider, I let off the gas and apply brakes until I'm doing about 15 mph, then push in the clutch, come to a stop, shift to 1st, and wait on the light to change. No need to downshift through the gears, unless I'm towing a heavy load and need the engine braking to assist my wheel brakes.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Grew up in vehicles with manual transmissions. Shifting gears, both up and down as required, was second nature to me.

Past 4 years I've been driving a new Nissan Titan pickup, 5.6L V8 390-HP with 7-speed automatic. I swear I can hear the computer controlling the transmission as it thinks! Constantly shifting up and down, keeping the RPM within optimum range, utilizing engine breaking on extended downhill runs. Very impressive technology.

I can override the automatic functions and select a gear setting with a touch of a button. That has been handy on a couple of occasions while driving on snowy mountain roads in 4-wheel drive at modest speeds, keeping the engine RPM up in the 2500-3000 range to have better engine breaking and throttle response. Not a good thing to constantly rely on the brakes while driving in the Rocky Mountains, and not a good thing to have the engine turning near idle when you need some RPMs to correct for drifting on packed snow or ice.

My Titan is 4 years old now. I'm sure the newer vehicles have even more impressive performance built in.

I learned about double-clutching in my younger days driving a 1959 Austin Healey Sprite, then a 1963 MGB. If you expected your clutch plates to last very long you had to learn how to anticipate engine RPM to shifting points and treat the mechanical parts gently. With the old drum-style brakes and pads, downshifting became second nature. I spent more than enough of my time working on those cars and paying for parts.

 

[Squarebutt]

Next time you're driving his Mustang, shift without using the clutch. It can be done on most standard transmissions by matching RPM to road speed, the "sweet spot." With practice, I could work through the gears in my old F350, only using the clutch starting from a dead stop. My daughter couldn't believe I was driving her Subaru that way after her hydraulic clutch failed.

 

[grover99]

Reading this post took me back. I started driving at the age of 12 on my uncle’s ranch and all of the work trucks were sticks. Always drove a stick until I was around 65 and started to have problems with left knee using the clutch. Hated it but had to go to automatics then.

 

[John_M52]

Depends how aggressive/lazy I'm feeling at the time. No wrong answer.

 

[31FordA]

Most of my manual transmission driving has been with the unsynchronized transmission in my Model A. I put it in neutral and use the brakes. My Model A never goes past 50, and with the mechanical brakes I am careful to avoid the need for sudden stops as much as possible.

My Dad, who would absolutely never buy a truck with an automatic, always downshifted. He was a really good driver, he could shift gears matching rpm’s by ear instead of using the clutch. Dad was a gifted, he could steer and shift gears while drinking a cup of coffee and eating a donut, all at the same time.

 

[LVSteve]

If you are not rev matching using the throttle and you can feel the car slow as you let out the clutch and that makes the engine rev, you're doing it wrong. You could fail a UK driving test dragging the clutch against the motor.

One car I had in the UK had quite a big motor (for the UK ) and not much weight. In the snow I would downshift without the clutch, that way I couldn't mismatch the road speed with the motor because it wouldn't go into gear until the match was right.

 

[wyo-man]

Downshift through the gears. Done.

wyo-man

 

[Beemerguy53]

...Long straight level road, you’re in top gear, you need to stop 1/4 mile ahead, other traffic isn’t a factor....

I've been driving for 53 years, and have never owned a car with an automatic transmission. In the specific scenario you describe, I let off the accelerator, stay in gear, let the car slow down, and shift to neutral just before it comes to a stop.

This avoids wear on the clutch, transmission, and brakes, and saves fuel because the throttle is closed.

Downshifting through the gears is fun, but impractical given the efficiency of modern brakes. And blipping the throttle and raising RPM for each downshift uses fuel you don't have to use.

 

[boykinlp]

There are quite a few of these dotted across the Tri-State.

BA, BA, BA, BA, BAAAA
Just in case you can't tell, that is my Jake Brake imitation.
Larry

 

[LVSteve]

There are quite a few of these dotted across the Tri-State.

The signs in Las Vegas don't say please.

 

[Buzzzer]

I drive/drove standard and double clutch. I always downshifted everything, especially double clutch. In case I happened to need to speed up, or keep speed, for whatever reason (take your pic nowadays) good luck trying to find the right gear/rpm in your tractor that quickly...

 

[Old 44 Guy]

My Ranger has a 5 speed tranny. I still down shift. That's the way I was taught in 1944, was good then as now. Enough said.

 

[BigBoy99]

Why use a $6000 engine to save the $50 brake pads? For the 1/4 mile, shift into neutral and coast to stop sign, using the brakes at the end to stop.

 

[zeke]

Current vehicle is first owned with an automatic, and it's a 2005. Learned and took driving test with a manual shift. Drove a B series Mack dump truck for construction years ago. Almost always kept vehicle in gear at appropriate rpm when coming to a gradual stop for the added control. Very quick stops from lower speeds were another story. Have driven older vehicles (especially motorcicles/trucks) where the brakes needed accompaniment by down shifting early.

As others said, kinda situation/vehicle dependent.

 

[NYlakesider]

Got to say every stop, every vehicle, every road condition is different. With that said my internal computer (brain) just sort of takes over and I do what is needed, makes no difference if I'm driving a econo car, sports car or a large truck.

Now I started driving stick when I was 13-14 and many of those trans were unsynchronized first gear 3 on the tree boxes!

 

[Rammer Jammer]

Brake pads are way cheaper than transmissions.