Riding the clutch - Life span

NickXX · 7 Mar 2006 at 19:48

Enfield said:
Bit of a crappy arguement. What if you need to accelerate to avoid someone T-boning you?

Oh please... accelerating to stop someone from T-boning you is not going to happen. You're either going to swerve or brake hard - if the other car is going so fast that neither of these methods work, then accelerating sure as hell isn't going get you out of the way.

I know you've said you accelerated out of the way of an X5, but I'm sure that braking or swerving would have got you out of the situation - unless you drive a rocket propelled Murcialago which I'm sure you don't. If he really was travelling at such a speed that he would have T-boned you, then I'm pretty sure you'd not have a drivers side door anymore.

When are you ever going to be in the situation where you're slowing down, and a car is travelling quickly perpendicular to you? :confused:

Enfield · 7 Mar 2006 at 20:03

NickXX said:
Oh please... accelerating to stop someone from T-boning you is not going to happen. You're either going to swerve or brake hard - if the other car is going so fast that neither of these methods work, then accelerating sure as hell isn't going get you out of the way.

I know you've said you accelerated out of the way of an X5, but I'm sure that braking or swerving would have got you out of the situation - unless you drive a rocket propelled Murcialago which I'm sure you don't. If he really was travelling at such a speed that he would have T-boned you, then I'm pretty sure you'd not have a drivers side door anymore.

When are you ever going to be in the situation where you're slowing down, and a car is travelling quickly perpendicular to you?

Why would I brake or swerve if I was stationary? I had to accelerate otherwise he'd have hit me.

All depends on the situation doesn't it.

NickXX · 7 Mar 2006 at 20:06

Enfield said:
Why would I brake or swerve if I was stationary? I had to accelerate otherwise he'd have hit me.

All depends on the situation doesn't it.

I thought we were talking about coasting and slowing down though, why would you be coasting if you were stationary? :confused:

However, my past statement still holds true - unless you drove a Rocket powered Murcielago, you would not be able to accelerate out of the way from a stand still. Unless of course he was travelling towards you very slowly, but then why wouldn't he just brake?

geiger · 7 Mar 2006 at 21:11

With an X5 driver you can make no assumpations.

NickXX · 7 Mar 2006 at 22:22

geiger said:
With an X5 driver you can make no assumpations.

Chris1712 · 7 Mar 2006 at 23:23

-AnthraX- said:
I was taught the same way too :/

me 3

andy2k · 8 Mar 2006 at 09:18

Chris1712 said:
me 3

I think most people were taught this way.

Dogbreath · 8 Mar 2006 at 14:44

It's pretty poor that people are taught to keep their foot on the clutch with the car in gear for extended periods. OTOH I have found that driving instructors typicaly have very little knowledge of car mechanicals.

Using the engine and gearbox to slow down does not break them.

It sounds very much like a faulty/poorly made aftermarket part was fitted, but without seeing the part in question it's hard to be sure. From the description of "thinner circles" it sounds like the friction material has parted company with the driven plate. If this was bonded rather than rivieted, then it's possible that overheating the clutch could cause the bond to fail.

agw_01 · 8 Mar 2006 at 14:50

Dogbreath said:
It's pretty poor that people are taught to keep their foot on the clutch with the car in gear for extended periods. OTOH I have found that driving instructors typicaly have very little knowledge of car mechanicals.

For the first few lessons I had, I was told to keep it in gear at the lights and find my bite point.

After a couple of lessons and I'd got used to the clutch, he told me to knock it out of gear and leave it in neutral.

The first few times I tried setting off I stalled, but picked it up pretty quickly. I miss learning to drive, it was great fun!