Muerte_X

iTrader: (1)

Double clutching is rev matching with an extra step. Clutch in, move to neutral, clutch out, rev, push in clutch, move to correct gear and release. If you do it right, it'll do in really easy. As for leaving it in neutral, I don't think that's any different that just holding the clutch down at a light with it in gear.

windshear

I used to always downshift. That is how I learned to drive my first stick. Now I use the brakes alone to show down. At a stop, I leave it in nuetral.

kjmdrumz3

iTrader: (1)

When mine was an M6 this would happen occassionally. Nothing to be worried about. When i had trouble getting into first I would go to second then back to 1st.

98Z-6Speed

I used to downshift all my life, I was not even aware there were people that did not downshift. Then like a month ago someone posted up this same subject.

So I tried using the neutral method.

I used to get around 280 miles to the tank of fuel downshifting.

I have now went through three 310 + mile tanks by using only brakes to slow down, without any other driving modifications.

Downshifting burns fuel.

Vertigo

iTrader: (1)

Now im assuming you have an M6. In this case you should go to neutral and use the brakes. DON'T leave the car in gear with the clutch in at a stop this wear out and heats up your Pilot baring...NOT GOOD! Also not good to downshift when slowing down your just putting more un-needed stress on the valvetrain,transmission, and wearing out your clutch faster. Brake are 10X cheaper and easier to replace than all of that other stuff....

98 SNAKE EATER

It really depends on my mood....

If I'm zoomin around, I usually downshift, but always rev match to make it a smooth transition...

If I'm lazy, I just pop it in neutral...

Sometimes I'm REALLY lazy and don't use the clutch at all to upshift or downshift





Rick

Aztek T/A WS7 & 70 RAM AIR IV T/A
Moderator @ LS2, FAST LS1, FUELSLUT,
The F-Body Hideout, LS1Turd & ChopperForums

kjmdrumz3

iTrader: (1)

BTW guys, just a bit of interesting info. In Maryland it is illegal to "have the gears in neutral" on a downgrade. LOL. Talk about stupid laws.

Keenov

iTrader: (5)

Same here, it is illegal to leave it in neutral.

ArcticZ28

iTrader: (14)

Why would you want to put added negative stress on your drivetrain by downshifting? Now not only are you putting positive (moving forward) stress but u're also putting negative (holding back) stress. I'm not against downshifting, I just don't see a reason to doing it when you can more easily throw it into neutral and use brakes that cost much less.

Flawless02SS

iTrader: (9)

I mostly downshift to stop, I'm a clean freak and I HATE BRAKE DUST!! I keep it neutral when stopped.

Blakbird24

iTrader: (24)

If you can downshift properly (i.e. rev match) then you will put absolutely no more stress on the car than you would if you used the brakes. Think about the amount of stress braking puts on the suspension. Doesn't matter how you stop...stopping means reducing speed, and to reduce speed you have to turn that energy of movement into some other form of energy...no matter how you do it you are stressing something. You could say that you would prefer to replace the brakes than the clutch, but even a clutch used by a constant downshifter will last upwards of 30k miles. Braking all the time means you are replacing your brakes at least every 10k miles. Good pads on all four corners plus rotor resurfacing will easily cost you $100+, and that's if you do the installation yourself. So in 30k miles you can replace the brakes at least three times at $100 each...that's $300, or buy a new clutch, which if I remember correctly isn't even $300 (unless you do what most people do and upgrade). So the wear and tear difference is negligeable, the price difference is negligeable, and the gas mileage difference is a matter of the area you drive in (I get the same no matter if I downshift or brake), so do what you love to do.

SouthernSon

iTrader: (1)

Stress on the drivetrain from downshifting?? Only if one can't match RPM to speed! If you have ever accelerated with full throttle from 0 to whatever just to see how quickly she goes, I think you have put more stress than a lifetime of downshifting done correctly.... have fun as others have suggested and don't worry about it.

As far as in neutral at rest, you betcha!.....throw out bearing leads a tough life as it is.......take the pressure off of it and leave it in neutral!

More importantly, do you drive with your hand resting on the shifter?? Don't do it, it wears on the tranny inside............

ArcticZ28

iTrader: (14)

Actually unless you rev match perfectly (know the exact speed to rev to) then you are putting stress on it, bottom line. However, a shift to neutral creates no unnecessary negative stress. And you can't really compare brake stress to engine stress. If your brakes wear out quickly, about all you have to do is replace the pads, possibly turn the rotors. If you put more wear on the drivetrain than necessary, there are many more parts in there to wear out and cost a lot more to replace. But, on the topic of brake pads... I rarely ever downshift and rely on my brakes constantly. The last change of pads was 15k miles ago and they have 1/2 pad left. So I think those numbers are a bit skewed, but I def agree that you should just do whatever you love to do. Not much else to it. And don't get me wrong, I def abuse many parts on my car every once in a while... you don't buy an F-body to take it easy on em Everyone has arguments to either, it's just a matter of knowing all the components that are affected by your conscious/unconscious driving efforts.

RedstickZ28

I always downshift and with 87k on the stock clutch on the 01 Z,it must not be hurting it too bad. (knock on wood) I just love the sound, and being that it is very loud, it is very intimidating.

2MuchRiceMakesMeSick

I say its your car, do what you want to.

Me...Im too lazy to worry about down shifting. I guess you could say I just dont care enough.

jaberwaki

Downshifting: also see referance ... burning candle at both ends....

double clutching: If you are driving a semi truck then continue... if you are driving a car then stop watching vin deisel movies...

those that said you should be in gear at a light because you might have to accelerate to avoid a wreck.... so.... what if you have to quickly go in reverse? read:just as likely.
also see:mute point.

those of you that said go ahead and down shift all the time ,siting reason clutch replacement is part of life.... please see : death is going to happen to everyone too... so following your logic, you should play russian roulete everyday, cause what the hell your gonna die anyway .... wuss

it sounds "intimidating"? to who?

rev matching: see, less "initial" strain. not NO strain...

perfect rev matching: unless your foot is calibrated, then you cant do it. stop lieing to yourself...


..........next..........

calys968

More importantly, do you drive with your hand resting on the shifter?? Don't do it, it wears on the tranny inside............[/QUOTE]

I always drive with my hand on the shifter....I didn't know that it was bad for the transmission! Can you please explain how it is bad? Thanks

Black Z/28

I think some people actually mean, "I gonna keep smoking and drinking and eating bacon cheeseburgers every day even though I know this stuff is bad for me (may shorten my life considerably) because these are the things I like to do." These same people understand not to blame anyone else when their tranny breaks or when they get clogged arteries.

boondiggys

iTrader: (165)

if you gotta stop in a hurry downshifting while getting on the brakes stops you quick ....while stopped put in neutral so theres no stress on the throwout bearing

Blakbird24

iTrader: (24)

It ocurred to me today while I was bored at work that i've been in a conversation much like this before, however I had not thought of it when I made my first post in this thread. Here is where the original conversation was...

https://ls1tech.com/forums/road-racing/166538-downshifting-technique-question.html

Downshifting with rev matching (or "sync-shifting" as i've always heard it referred to) will put little to no wear on anything. Done without rev matching it's murderous on your clutch. HOWEVER, as you will learn in the above thread, braking and not downshifting when coming to a stop is hard on the synchros. So basically, the bottom line is, you're going to wear SOMETHING out by coming to a stop. Who wants to argue that you should never some to a stop?

Once again: double clutching is not USELESS with the T56...however it is 99% a waste of time on up-shifts, and is counter-productive in drag racing. However it is very useful for Autocrossers and the like when downshifting to keep traction in turns (as illustrated in the above thread).

Hopefully this info has helped answer the original question.