The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Down shifting

I have a 216 cid with a sm420 transmission in a 3600.

Is it best to down shift when coming to a stop or slide up in neutral? What are the pros and cons?

Don

I sometimes do both together or one or the other. Defensive driving says get your foot on the brake pedal so your brake lights are on early so those behind you are alerted that you are stopping. Also, if you are going to wear one of them out, the brakes are easier to change out than the clutch!

Why would there necessarily be pro's and cons? It would just seem to be preferences. Sometimes I do one, then do the other.
You would save a little on brake shoe wear, or wear a little on engine clutch and transmission. Brakes could fail during a stop, and you could just let out the clutch in a lower gear. I have had that happen.
Just as often as having a clutch fail and drive home without one.Had that happen twice.

I don't shift down just to reduce wear on my brakes. Approaching a red light, I only shift down into my 2nd (SM420's 3rd) if I feel the light is going to change in my favor before I get there. Otherwise, it's all brakes.

At a stop sign, I'll shift into my 2nd if the coast is clear and I'm not going to stop. Just trying to keep my carbon footprint down, right?

x2

Downshift, apply brakes while putting your lips together and blowing out making a "brup, brup, bruppppppppp" noise to simulate jake brakes.

I didn't want to admit that on my part...LOL

Had a buddy once who down shifted all the time....and from some pretty high speeds. I could just see the crankshaft torqueing up and down on the ends!.....while the engine begged for some relief. Engine puked and I just told him "told you so".
Yeah, for me no down shifting except in an emergency. Just my opinion.

What's cheaper, brakes or a transmission? When I started driving this question was posed to me and I've driven accordingly ever since.

Sounds like some people really have no clue as to how and when to down shift, it is not an exercise in destruction. There should be no wear on engine or transmission to speak of. That's why I don't let many drive my vehicles.

Pretty much how I do it. Only had 1 clutch in over 110k miles, broke a 2nd gear out of the blue. I have had two 3sp+od transmissions so, being sixty to seventy yo I take great care.

You up shift a manual trans to bring the engine rpms down. Slowing down, down shift a manual trans when or just before the engine starts lugging in the gear you're in. Disengage the clutch when coming to a complete stop. Lot of variables, such as turning corners at low speeds, non-synchronized first gear, etc. If you haven't learned how not to ride the clutch or brakes when driving you need an automatic trans vehicle. Very few people actually know how to drive a manual trans vehicle these days. I dislike it when stopped on a hill and the person behind you is on your rear, giving you anxious moments doing the clutch/brake/gas shuffle when taking off.

Rick

Just for fun and the sake of this discussion. Scroll down the page after opening the link........

GEARSHIFTING

Interesting that the "Shifting To Lower Gears" instructions DO NOT mention downshifting for the purpose of braking or decelerating.

Add me to those who choose which technique to use depending on which component is least expensive. Every gear engagement puts microscopic wear on synchos, gear teeth, u-joints, etc. Brakes are cheap and disposable. Just don't coast up to stop signs in neutral when taking your DMV road test; they claim that's "out of control."

I have always looked at downshifting to slow down as just normal driving. I just take my foot off the gas, let the engine slow things down, brake and downshift at the same time. If your brakes go out, you can down shift to the point of almost a dead stop using the engine, an stoop the truck with the e-brake.

That was kind of interesting reading for what it was, a short primer for tyro's on driving. But its on the same scale as saying that the story of Jack and Jill accurately describes how to be a mountain climber.
If you don't have time/inclination to learn how your standard should be driven, by all means stay on the safe side and don't break it. Nothing worse than putting a lot of work into a classic and then tearing the trany or clutch out of it. But repeating myself, "That's why I don't let many drive my vehicles."

I have only let a handful of people drive my truck as well. The question begs, "Where do you learn to drive a standard?" Family friend or Dad who might have bad habits, self-taught, armed with "Don't ride the clutch" ? Lee, with all your experience being a mechanic you've seen the worst of the worst abuses of drivetrain and brakes of that I am sure.

I have never abused a car or truck in my life, consider them transportation and with good care and preventive maintenance carefree miles can be had. I remember as a young buck helping a neighbor change out rear axle seals, I said to myself right there that seeing the differential for the first time it made no sense to 'peel out' like the local teens openly wondering if they had ever seen the inside of a differential or transmission.

I have "geared down" a few days in my lifetime for safety. Save the engine, save the brakes.....and save ME. But no down shifting in everyday life.

For those who may not know.....you can drive a car hard, and fast, without killing it. Its an art many don't learn unless they learn the hard way! Read below.......

Cosmo, I agree with you. Back in my mid teens to mid 20's I learned a valuable lesson. Out of aggravation I hit the windshield with my fist and broke it, scattered a clutch and pressure plate unnecessarily, crumpled a back bumper out of anger, and countless transmissions and rear ends.......THEN one day I figured out who was paying for it. Just about every weekend my buddies were under their cars, or under the hood while I hardly ever raised the hood on mine. When they ask me why, I ask them why they thought they had to do a jack rabbit start or spin the tires at every ice cream and burger joint!

This is just a funny note...hopefully not to far off thread.
Today my nephew and his 25 year old son, brought my 50 coupe home to me. Brandon has had trail bikes, 4 wheeler, and messed with race cars as well as drive 5 speed shifts..........but today, when he got in the car to back it off the trailer we had a good laugh. He wanted to know how to put it in reverse....it has a 3 on the column shift. I laughed till I hurt watching him figuring it out! Young folks...hehehe , but didn't we all have to learn somewhere?!

Yep, I learned on my buddy's fathers 1960 Valiant. It had a 3 on the tree, slant six. I have never had to change a clutch on my vehicles. I've put well over 100,000 miles on my manual transmission trucks. Never had to replace the clutch on any of my tractors either. I rebuilt the 3-speed, floor shift trans in my 1939 Chevy 3/4 ton stake truck last fall because of bearing noise and vibration. While I was at it, I replaced the throwout bearing, pilot bearing, clutch and pressure plate. It still had the original clutch/pressure plate. It wasn't wore out, but was getting close to the rivets. I get lots of miles on brakes too, can't say the same for the vehicles the wife drives. I enjoyed my vehicles with the 3 on the tree, more so than the floor shift vehicles. As I've gotten older there is a lot to be desired with the automatic transmission.

Rick

I don't understand the debate. The OP asked about what folks do when they pull up to a stop, shift to first before you stop or after, at least that's how I read it. I shift to first after I stop. When sitting at a light I shift to neutral to save the throwout bearing.

I was taught to downshift by my Dad in the '70s. It's never caused any problems for me.

John