What is your preferred downshift method?

[redcivic19x]

Just stay in the gear you were in until you have reached the desired speed, then shift to the gear you need for the road speed and rev match.

If I'm in 4th gear at 50 kph and the turn requires me to be driving at 20 kph, I slow down to 20 kph, skip shift to 2nd and rev match my road speed. I don't need 3rd gear at all.

If I'm driving 70 kph in 5th gear and I need to slow down for a turn that requires me to slow down to 20 kph, I slow down to 20 kph, skip shift to 2nd and rev match. I don't need 4th or 3rd gear at all.

This is for all gears unless the RPM would cause the engine to lug while in a higher gear, in which case you just clutch when the RPMs are just above idle and hold the clutch for a tad longer as you're slowing down before rev matching.

If I'm required to stop, regardless of the gear I'm in, I slow down until the RPMs are just above idle, clutch and at 5 kph or less, put just light pressure on the shifter and it slips right into 1st. If I know I'm going to be sitting at a red light, instead of putting in it 1st, I put it in neutral and relax the clutch.

The key to driving manual is to shift when you need to, not when you want to:
Slowing down: same gear I was in when slowing down, down shift once to desired gear, rev match, accelerate away.
Speeding up: Shift at low RPM, smoothly, don't drag the clutch, stay in the gear that achieves the best fuel economy for the given speed and grade. Or you can skip shift. Wind the gear out more and shift up 2 gears, such as 2nd to 4th, or 4th to 6th (4th to 6th is more common for me if I had to speed up quickly from 4th - I will just drop it in 6th).

Sometimes people think too much, waste gas, wear clutches, wear synchros.. There's really no need for that when you're daily driving. Just be gentle with it. I guarantee it will cost you $10,000 less over the car's lifetime if you just drive it right, and that's not including if you blow it up or break something. I'm just talking about wear items.

I always read it was bad to skip gears.

can you clarify (or someone else) why people shift at such low RPM bands?? I find it way mite difficult to shift at low RPMs and if I do, I end up riding the clutch a lot longer than if I shift at a higher RPM band. even just casually driving I am still shifting around 2700-3000 RPM (except from like first to second which I’ll normally do around 2000-2500). and then I read where people are shifting around 1500 RPM and i guess it doesn’t make sense why people would shift so early. Any explanation would be great. Just very curious. Unless it’s strictly a personal preference, then disregard my question. I just want to know if there is a specific reason for shifting at such a low RPM band.

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[NoelPR]

I always read it was bad to skip gears.

can you clarify (or someone else) why people shift at such low RPM bands?? I find it way mite difficult to shift at low RPMs and if I do, I end up riding the clutch a lot longer than if I shift at a higher RPM band. even just casually driving I am still shifting around 2700-3000 RPM (except from like first to second which I’ll normally do around 2000-2500). and then I read where people are shifting around 1500 RPM and i guess it doesn’t make sense why people would shift so early. Any explanation would be great. Just very curious. Unless it’s strictly a personal preference, then disregard my question. I just want to know if there is a specific reason for shifting at such a low RPM band.

I skipped gears for years on my previous three manual cars. Never ever had a problem with the transmission. Is just an urban legend.

 

[jakdotdot]

I skipped gears for years on my previous three manual cars. Never ever had a problem with the transmission. Is just an urban legend.

It shouldn't cause issues if done correctly, but it isn't an urban legend.

 

[crxFITcivicBOY]

It shouldn't cause issues if done correctly, but it isn't an urban legend.

Ya, to your point, they say skipping gears puts more wear on the synchros. I sometimes row through the gear change so I’m not asking the synchros to match from 4th to 2nd when downshifting into a corner... I’ll clutch in, shift to 3rd the 2nd pretty quick, rev match and come up.

 

[bikejog]

Ya, to your point, they say skipping gears puts more wear on the synchros. I sometimes row through the gear change so I’m not asking the synchros to match from 4th to 2nd when downshifting into a corner... I’ll clutch in, shift to 3rd the 2nd pretty quick, rev match and come up.

Hey I thought I was crazy for doing that. I guess you and I the only true Rowing Heroes. Lol...

But seriously, I normally don't do it unless I'm going at a relatively fast speed and I shift thru the gears at a leisurely pace.

Third gear in this car is so useful at taking any turn at city speeds that I never felt the need to skip more than one gear say from 5th to 2nd for instance. I may drop to 2nd if I'm entering a small shopping plaza but other than that, 3rd gears works for all turns for me.

 

[FC3L15B7]

This was not the case. I didn’t have any torque wrenches in inch lbs and I had to go out and specifically buy one to do this install. I know I used the correct torque specs, but for whatever reason it was only that one hex that I ended up stripping. But I don’t ever see a need to replace it so I’m not too worried about it

I was just kidding, but good catch on the units nonetheless.

 

[TypeSiR]

Down shift? Don’t hold down the Shift. It’s what CapsLock is for.

 

[FC3L15B7]

I always read it was bad to skip gears.

can you clarify (or someone else) why people shift at such low RPM bands?? I find it way mite difficult to shift at low RPMs and if I do, I end up riding the clutch a lot longer than if I shift at a higher RPM band. even just casually driving I am still shifting around 2700-3000 RPM (except from like first to second which I’ll normally do around 2000-2500). and then I read where people are shifting around 1500 RPM and i guess it doesn’t make sense why people would shift so early. Any explanation would be great. Just very curious. Unless it’s strictly a personal preference, then disregard my question. I just want to know if there is a specific reason for shifting at such a low RPM band.

I don't know who is up shifting at 1500, but under normal, relaxed conditions, I shift before 2000 to keep the turbocharger from spooling up because it has to increase fuel by a large margin once the turbocharger is adding a surge of air.

 

[2020k20c2sport]

My favorite method is impossible until I get the throttle pedal adjuster. But till then I do my best to rev match. A lot easier to do when downshifting to speed up instead of to slow down lol

 

[Ncgenxsi]

omg y’all are crazy!

y’all need to quit granny shifting and start Double clutching!!!!!!
In my opinion (you should read here I don’t give a flap of yours)

there’s nothing new under the sun boys
Best way is to revmatch and double clutch. Period always.

because I know you’re all going to ask 1 million questions here’s why. You have three different things spinning
A speed of engine
B Gear your in speed
C wheel speed attached to road (Grip)
Clutch works btw A and B
Synchros work btw B and C
so process is like this
I’m say 4th you do : Clutch In, Pull gear to N, rev kick up, Clutch out, Clutch back in, hit 3rd gear, clutch out into matched revs Done

to answer other posts
If you do not double clutch you are abusing the synchronizers and Not rev matching Only makes things worse.

The amount you do not revmatch is how much abuse you put on the The synchronizers. The only reason why you don’t wanna do this is to bang gears and reduce shit times ( aka if your racing) Y’all are destroying it.
While I’m here stop hitting each gear pulling up to red light your extra abuse is so stupid the only reson why you want to bang gears coming down in speed is for better car control (racing ) all other times it’s useless abuse


But you know Visa works too

 

[Gruber]

There is no choice really, to rev match or not when downshifting. It all depends on the answer to this question: why are you downshifting in the particular situation on the road?
There are two basic reasons to downshift:

1. Because of traffic or road situation, or your own reasons (I wanted to look at the accident in front of me ) you slow down, either by cruising, or by braking, and then to resume driving, you need to downshift. In this case, there is absolutely no reason to rev match anything, because you don't need to downshift until you slow down to the appropriate speed. (So actually, you are rev matched, but it's by adjusting down the car speed, not up the engine speed). Or if you wish, you can even engine brake by downshifting and using the clutch to slow down, but that's not the regular thing to do.

2. You downshift to get more power via higher revs, to be faster, to pass, or just to go as fast as you can. You are trying to go faster, so engine braking is not acceptable. In this case, you have to rev match, or the whole thing will just look clumsy and show you are not yet there with the stick. The car should just spring forward in lower gear, without any awkward slow down and you being thrown ahead instead of the car. It can be also useful when driving uphill and trying to be as fast as possible. Instead of waiting with the downshift until the grade slows you down, you can downshift when you are still going fast. Then you have to rev match, because engine braking when going uphill will look very silly.

As for the heel-toe trick, it's always optional, not a part of just competent manual shifting, like rev-match.
It may be obligatory only in racing, but there is nothing wrong with using it on the street for fun.

 

[FC3L15B7]

omg y’all are crazy!

y’all need to quit granny shifting and start Double clutching!!!!!!
In my opinion (you should read here I don’t give a flap of yours)

there’s nothing new under the sun boys
Best way is to revmatch and double clutch. Period always.

because I know you’re all going to ask 1 million questions here’s why. You have three different things spinning
A speed of engine
B Gear your in speed
C wheel speed attached to road (Grip)
Clutch works btw A and B
Synchros work btw B and C
so process is like this
I’m say 4th you do : Clutch In, Pull gear to N, rev kick up, Clutch out, Clutch back in, hit 3rd gear, clutch out into matched revs Done

to answer other posts
If you do not double clutch you are abusing the synchronizers and Not rev matching Only makes things worse.

The amount you do not revmatch is how much abuse you put on the The synchronizers. The only reason why you don’t wanna do this is to bang gears and reduce shit times ( aka if your racing) Y’all are destroying it.
While I’m here stop hitting each gear pulling up to red light your extra abuse is so stupid the only reson why you want to bang gears coming down in speed is for better car control (racing ) all other times it’s useless abuse


But you know Visa works too

You don't need to double-clutch. If you rev match the road speed to the input shaft for the gear you're in, the synchronizers will be fine.

Their entire job is to clutch spinning shafts and gears to synchronize gears. If there is a minimal amount of difference in speed, the synchronizers are still sitting back in a chair with their arms behind their head and feet up on the desk.. It's not enough to wear them out.

If you know how to float gears, you don't even need to clutch and the synchronizers still won't wear out prematurely. The point of clutching and having synchromesh is to minimize the amount of concentration the driver needs to not grind gears. If not for that, we'd still have straight cut transmissions. Focus on shifting is one reason why automatics are taking over - so the driver can focus on texting.. I mean, driving.

 

[teders]

Are you saying there are people who downshift without rev matching?

In a FWD car, the consequence of NOT rev matching is (for the most part) nonexistent, apart from the shock you are putting on the transmission. The abrupt weight transfer that occurs when you downshift too hard, doesn't really unsettle a FWD car the way it does in a RWD car.

All that being said, i almost always rev match when i downshift becase:

1. its just fun
2. it sounds great
3. my skin crawls anytime i do anything that hurts my car

 

[bikejog]

1. Because of traffic or road situation, or your own reasons (I wanted to look at the accident in front of me ) you slow down, either by cruising, or by braking, and then to resume driving, you need to downshift. In this case, there is absolutely no reason to rev match anything, because you don't need to downshift until you slow down to the appropriate speed. (So actually, you are rev matched, but it's by adjusting down the car speed, not up the engine speed). Or if you wish, you can even engine brake by downshifting and using the clutch to slow down, but that's not the regular thing to do.

This manual thingy is too hard. I wonder if the CTR Rev Match software has this logic built-in.

 

[kcvpr]

omg y’all are crazy!

y’all need to quit granny shifting and start Double clutching!!!!!!
In my opinion (you should read here I don’t give a flap of yours)

there’s nothing new under the sun boys
Best way is to revmatch and double clutch. Period always.

because I know you’re all going to ask 1 million questions here’s why. You have three different things spinning
A speed of engine
B Gear your in speed
C wheel speed attached to road (Grip)
Clutch works btw A and B
Synchros work btw B and C
so process is like this
I’m say 4th you do : Clutch In, Pull gear to N, rev kick up, Clutch out, Clutch back in, hit 3rd gear, clutch out into matched revs Done

to answer other posts
If you do not double clutch you are abusing the synchronizers and Not rev matching Only makes things worse.

The amount you do not revmatch is how much abuse you put on the The synchronizers. The only reason why you don’t wanna do this is to bang gears and reduce shit times ( aka if your racing) Y’all are destroying it.
While I’m here stop hitting each gear pulling up to red light your extra abuse is so stupid the only reson why you want to bang gears coming down in speed is for better car control (racing ) all other times it’s useless abuse


But you know Visa works too

You're thinking of semi's, and cars made pre 1920's. Double clutching originated back when syncro's didn't even exist.

These days syncro's in cars are so good that there should be very few issues with transmissions until high mileage is reached no matter how you shift... As long as you're not grinding gears and constantly redline shifting.

Besides most truckers don't even double clutch anymore these days, its more of a "gear floating' technique. Basically you are selectively loading and unloading the drive train and pulling the transmission out of gear when there is zero load on it, then switching to a higher gear is very easy when timed correctly. Shifting down is almost as simple, apply a short burst of throttle and let go of the pedal, shortly after that the shifter should effortlessly slide out of gear then just a blip of the throttle to get into the lower gear with just as little effort with practice. The only time the clutch it used is when starting the engine and starting from a stop, or maybe when switching down from one range of gears to the next.

I had to drive an old 70's 3spd chevy truck with the gear floating technique for almost a year, as the clutch was going out and the syncro's sucked lol.

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