changing down gears..

loltim · 23 Mar 2007 at 17:24

FishThrower said:
wont you need to press on the brake pedel a lot harder if you do that? the higher gear you are, on lower revs the harder it is to stop, wont you just be wrecking your brake pads?

I always change from 5-4-3 if i want to get into 3rd, I sometimes go from 4th to 2nd tho

Brake pads are cheap, clutches and gearboxes aren't

Lopéz · 23 Mar 2007 at 18:02

5-4-3, that's how I was taught and that's how I do it to this day, if possible with a little gas on the downchange.

I really hate block shifting.

georges · 23 Mar 2007 at 18:23

Simon said:
5 straight into the lowest gear is the method for the road, it is an advanced driving method.

On the track with hard breaking, block shifting will lock the rears, especially on a RWD car.

Would be hard to do it on an fwd

SKILL · 23 Mar 2007 at 18:32

I pretty much always use B, block shifting just feels 'wrong', probably because I never do it

csmager · 23 Mar 2007 at 18:43

saitrix said:
A, best way is to match revs as you bring the clutch up, puts less strain on the synchro.

Less strain on the clutch, surely. At this point, you're already in gear.

If you wanted to reduce strain on the synchro, you'd have to clutch in, neutral, rev to spin up gearbox, clutch in, put in gear. (known as double de-clutching, used mainly on vehicles with no synchromesh)

saitrix · 23 Mar 2007 at 19:33

csmager said:
Less strain on the clutch, surely. At this point, you're already in gear.

If you wanted to reduce strain on the synchro, you'd have to clutch in, neutral, rev to spin up gearbox, clutch in, put in gear. (known as double de-clutching, used mainly on vehicles with no synchromesh)

Sorry wrote the wrong thing, musn't have been thinking at the time.

ShiWarrior · 23 Mar 2007 at 20:37

depends on the situation...

Iif i need to slow down very quickly, i drop to 4,3 and then 2 using the engine to break.

or sometimes i will using breaks or "let it roll" so to speak let the revs come down on their owen, to a low level then goto 3rd

Stellios · 23 Mar 2007 at 20:47

Depends what im feeling like, a lot of the time ill drop down the gears but sometimes i will go directly to what i want.

West · 23 Mar 2007 at 21:44

Depends..

If im approaching lights and I know they're staying red, ill slow gradually dropping through the gears... but if I know they're gonna change ill just slow down with brakes and drop to 2nd or thrid and carry on..

Puzzled · 23 Mar 2007 at 22:27

Both really.

Brakes and block shifting when driving normally around town or motorway.

But if I'm having a blast down country roads then I like to shift down using the gears to slow gradually for a corner, then floor it and shift back up on the exit. Makes a nice noise to when you slow with the gears.

Cupra · 24 Mar 2007 at 00:48

the real question is why are you slowing down

Adz · 24 Mar 2007 at 00:54

Block shifting when braking hard to a halt (i.e. coming off the motorway approaching traffic lights). Otherwise down through the box in sequence - it's smoother and faster as you're always in the right gear to make a fast getaway

.

DRZ · 24 Mar 2007 at 00:56

If I am being lazy I will block shift down the box if I am going into slowish traffic where I am unlikely to pick up speed again quickly.

For absolutely every single other application, I go down through the gearbox. I do it without thinking about it because thats just how its done. If I am really really pressing on its absolutely essential to avoid locking up the wheels. If things are right on the ragged edge then a bit of H+T is thrown into the mix.

It really does 'feel' better too, even when comparing being driven about by the same driver employing different methods.

Dolph · 24 Mar 2007 at 07:52

georges said:
Would be hard to do it on an fwd

Well, apart from the sudden deceleration from the front end unloading the rears, reducing grip and, if you're still braking, substantially increasing the risk of locking up, as well as unsettling the car and risking oversteer.

OneWingedAngel · 24 Mar 2007 at 12:43

Sorry if this sounds dumb, but how do you know what the right revs for a set gear is?

csmager · 24 Mar 2007 at 12:46

OneWingedAngel said:
Sorry if this sounds dumb, but how do you know what the right revs for a set gear is?

The right revs will depend on the road speed - so it would be a bit of a challenge to methodically learn them - you 'feel' it, I suppose.

markyb · 24 Mar 2007 at 12:47

A,

However, to put a smile on my face, 2nd and enter the V-tec

dirtydog · 24 Mar 2007 at 12:53

I go straight into the gear I want. That might be 5th to 2nd (quite common if I am slowing down to turn into a road), 2nd to 5th, 1st to 4th... whatever.

Zip · 24 Mar 2007 at 14:40

dirtydog said:
2nd to 5th, 1st to 4th

WTF!!!!

Wouldnt that destroy the clutch putting it under so much stress =/

[huzeeee] · 24 Mar 2007 at 14:42

Zip said:
Its called Compression lock up IIRC, The engine just acts as a brake and it will just stop all movment too the wheels i think

Your engine will blow up, its what racer we build engines for did, as he was changing from 4th to 3rd he was hit on the inside, he changed to 1st instead of third, kaboom 7 or 8 valves bent.