Resting your foot on the clutch?

asim18 · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:37

If you ever so lightly rest your foot on the clutch pedal, without even barely pushing it in, does it affect your speed?

Because the last lesson I took, I was on a 50mph road, and I was just barely managing 45mph with my right foot planted into the accelerator.

Should your foot be completely away from the clutch?

Hxc · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:38

This is riding the clutch. Don't do it.

Vigoro · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:38

Are you sure you werent going up a hill in the wrong gear? i did this when i was learning and somehow dropped from 60 to 20 and was confused about it

NathanE · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:39

Won't affect your speed but it will see you paying for a new release bearing eventually...

Clarkey · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:40

Don't understand why you would do that?

Fr0dders · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:40

asim18 said:
Should your foot be completely away from the clutch?

yes

its a bad habit ive gotten into that im really trying to get out of.

Lopéz · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:41

Hxc said:
This is riding the clutch. Don't do it.

No, the clutch has to be slightly depressed to be "riding" the clutch.

Your foot resting on it should not have any effect unless you are applying at least some pressure. Try not to do it though as it can be easy to start resting on it a little harder.

NathanE · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:41

Hxc said:
This is riding the clutch. Don't do it.

It's not riding the clutch. It's just being lazy and/or ignorance of mechanical sympathy.

Riding the clutch is when you see idiots using it to keep the car on a hill or something when really they should just select neutral (or fully disengage the clutch) and use the handbrake.

DevilsAdvocate · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:42

MrLOL said:
yes

its a bad habit ive gotten into that im really trying to get out of.

This.

Having misinterpreted what 'riding the clutch' meant, I've now got to break my 5 year habit of doing it!

Hxc · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:42

Surely it's slightly engaging the clutch?

Now been told completely different things about riding the clutch on here... I was told that was not riding the clutch NathanE... just having your foot on the pedal with any pressure at all was? What is correct?

Fr0dders · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:44

DevilsAdvocate said:
This.

Having misinterpreted what 'riding the clutch' meant, I've now got to break my 5 year habit of doing it!

as above, i belive you have to actually been moving the clutch plate to be "riding the clutch"

the first few mm of travel arent riding it. But you will be putting unusual ammounts of wear on the other parts of the mechanism.

Hxc said:
Surely it's slightly engaging the clutch?

no, the first few mm of travel wont actually make the plate move.

Clarkey · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:45

No, riding the clutch is when you're intentionally slipping it, to hold the car on a hill generally. It's a really bad habit and there is no reason to do it, will wear the clutch out much more quickly doing this.

NathanE · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:45

I'm correct

Riding clutch = using human clutch pedal input to vary clutch plate friction to hold the car on a hill/slope or some other situation.

Just resting your foot on the clutch pedal just takes up the slack in the release bearing. But causes the bearing to have friction that it really doesn't need to have. I.e. it wears the bearing out needlessly.

Hxc · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:47

Righty, thanks for clearing that up. My instructor told me wrong then!

Scania · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:47

The number of truckers who rest their foot on the clutch pedal amazes me, most pedals are quite heavy and serve as a great foot rest but you can usually smell them pass you!

Not for nothing do the likes of Eddie Stobart opt for Automatic transmissions these days.....

Fr0dders · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:48

Hxc said:
Righty, thanks for clearing that up. My instructor told me wrong then!

think how small the travel on the pedal would be, if as soon as you moved the pedal even 1mm, you started moving the clutch plate.

If you move the pedal slowly, you can feel the resistance increase when the pedal actually starts moving the clutch plate.

Hxc · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:49

I was talking more about the fact of what "riding the clutch is". I was told it was basically having your foot slightly on the clutch at all times for no reason.... when it's actually for example, holding the car on a hill with it!

Janesy B · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:50

Your foot doesn't need to be there. Asim, what gear were you in? if you're flawing it in 5th or even 4th not a lot will be happening.

CliffyBiro · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:50

I rest my foot on the clutch but doing so barely depresses it at all. 2-3mm at the most.

TBH, in my car, there is nowhere else to rest my foot.

Fr0dders · 24 Mar 2009 at 21:50

Hxc said:
I was talking more about the fact of what "riding the clutch is". I was told it was basically having your foot slightly on the clutch at all times for no reason.... when it's actually for example, holding the car on a hill with it!

oh i c