View Poll Results: Do you guys downshift when decelerating?
Yes, all the time.
232
22.92%
Yeah, most of the time
355
35.08%
Nope, once in awhile though
355
35.08%
Never
70
6.92%
Voters: 1012. You may not vote on this poll
Downshifting
I think this thread has like 9,000 different conversations going on in it and each person is talking to themselves.
So when people respond to a comment when someone is responding to someone else's it has nothing to do with anything except to add more confusion.
Overall the question is do you downshift when deaccelerating.
Like going from 65 to 55, do you downshift to slow down as opposed to pushing the brake to slow down. Even if you would normally not change gears, you only do it so that you slow down more, not because you need to.
Not stuff like when you are coming to a red light do you drop to first gear and then cause you wifes head to fly forward then put the brake on.
I think a good time to do it is when you are speeding and you downshift so that your brake lights don't turn on and you don't yell out to the cop "look at my lights!!!"
So when people respond to a comment when someone is responding to someone else's it has nothing to do with anything except to add more confusion.
Overall the question is do you downshift when deaccelerating.
Like going from 65 to 55, do you downshift to slow down as opposed to pushing the brake to slow down. Even if you would normally not change gears, you only do it so that you slow down more, not because you need to.
Not stuff like when you are coming to a red light do you drop to first gear and then cause you wifes head to fly forward then put the brake on.
I think a good time to do it is when you are speeding and you downshift so that your brake lights don't turn on and you don't yell out to the cop "look at my lights!!!"
Originally Posted by richieg
Not without therapy. It is so hard to let go after SO MANY PAGES!!!!
Damn this thread needs to stop, I would unsubscribe but I just can't stop reading what the next guy replies with!
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Some great inputs on "Downshifting" above. Having manual transmissions all my hot rod life I will say that the KEY to long clutch life is DOWNSHIFTING.
I will not argue that downshifting increases clutch disc wear. However the majority of clutches that are changed are because they slip. Not because the clutch disc is worn thin.
Think about this.... in normal operation the flywheel turns the clutch disc. This is a directional function that overtime very slowly starts to glaze the surface of the disc, thus causing slippage. When you downshift, the clutch disc turns the flywheel. In this direction the clutch disc can have the opposite effect.
Many, mant times I have improved customer cars that have clutch chatter simply by telling the customer to start downshifting. It will improve the flywheel to disc contact surface friction.
Bob
I will not argue that downshifting increases clutch disc wear. However the majority of clutches that are changed are because they slip. Not because the clutch disc is worn thin.
Think about this.... in normal operation the flywheel turns the clutch disc. This is a directional function that overtime very slowly starts to glaze the surface of the disc, thus causing slippage. When you downshift, the clutch disc turns the flywheel. In this direction the clutch disc can have the opposite effect.
Many, mant times I have improved customer cars that have clutch chatter simply by telling the customer to start downshifting. It will improve the flywheel to disc contact surface friction.
Bob
12 Second Club
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 993
Likes: 3
From: Waukesha,WI
i do it all the time. i love to hear the car so i take advantage of that. Every one i know always thinks i'm wierd for rev matching but i do it to keep away from extra wear and the shock on the trans and rear end. Every one knows its me coming into a parking lot or a few stop lights away lol 
I'm an A4 and I've been downshifting automatics and manuals for 37 years of driving out of my 49 years on this earth ... from tractors, to motorcycles, to cars, to trucks. Haven't broken a transmisson yet from it. I don't downshift very hard often with my A4 ... downshift all over town but extemely hard only about 10-15% of the time.
i downshift only when i need to. i rev match by bliping the gas and letting the clutch out.
i have major clutch chatter so i guess ill "engine brake" and let the drivetrain rev the engine up like the guy above said.
i have major clutch chatter so i guess ill "engine brake" and let the drivetrain rev the engine up like the guy above said.
My car is a DD in the warm weather and I do it to slow down with traffic and avoid hitting my brakes on the highway, or to make some noise around town. It is fun to hear the exhaust! I too rev match and everything seems to be fine for me too.
i do it about 95% of the time while stopping/slowing for any reason. I dont really think about it it has just become a habit of the way i drive. My clutches and trans have always been fine, I guess i mainly do it to save my brakes. the only time i don like to down shift and actually think about it is when I'm low on gas then I wont ... Until i fill up again.
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: S/W Burbs Illinois
Hi, Been driving sticks for over 30 plus years. Never had to replace a clutch on something I bought new. Downshifting helps when matching the speed your going at, to match the engines rpms. To ither gain or reduce speed. Prob is, when you try to drop down or go up too much to over rev or lug. Get to goofey & doing 50-60 & try to drop it into 2nd, well, what do you expect? Straining it? Yup. Brakes are cheaper than clutches to replace, but treat a clutch right. It lasts you forever. Once it's engauged, let the engine do what it needs & can do. Didn't hurt the clutch a bit that way. Dave
Originally Posted by H8 LUZN
Ok, downshifting is NOT harmful to the transmission if done properly. You must match the rev's in a "heel-toe" manuver to avoid sliping the clutch. If you can do this, there is no negative side effect to downshifting.
IF the clutch is slipping or you notice any accel/decel effects of the shift, your not doing it properly.
The only reason to downshift while decelerating is to prepare yourself for acceleration out of a corner so you do not have to shift in the middle or exit of the corner.
If your downshifting and coming to a stoplight it has NO benefit.
IF the clutch is slipping or you notice any accel/decel effects of the shift, your not doing it properly.
The only reason to downshift while decelerating is to prepare yourself for acceleration out of a corner so you do not have to shift in the middle or exit of the corner.
If your downshifting and coming to a stoplight it has NO benefit.
Right on the money I rode in a lambo once with the paddel shifters and everytime he down shifted it blip the throttel so I do it in my z and it works good in preping for turns or just being cool1
