Opinions on downshifting
#31
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#32
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Just curious do you ever do anything for fun ? I love the sound of my exhaust . It's fun to hear the up shift blip of the throttle . Has nothing to do with the transmission . It's just fun . You do what you do and I will do what I do . The two can coexist .
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#33
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Nothing wrong with having fun with the car and enjoying the engine sounds on the way up or down in speed.
Sure, I enjoy heal toe shifting around town and on the track when downshifting. I also enjoy staying in gear as i drive around town, and then taking my foot off the throttle to slow, maybe a blip and then down shift and then shifting into neutral before I come to a stop.
What i dont enjoy is dumping the clutch from a dead stop, nor riding the clutch when accelerating from a stop in 1st to 2nd, nor sitting at a stop light with my clutch pressed in for the duration, all of which are the quickest way for a clutch replacement.
If you want to have to rebuild your tranny, dump the clutch as you are downshifting causing wheel lock. This is where braking, speed and synchronizing the revs thru a blip come in handy.
Sure, I enjoy heal toe shifting around town and on the track when downshifting. I also enjoy staying in gear as i drive around town, and then taking my foot off the throttle to slow, maybe a blip and then down shift and then shifting into neutral before I come to a stop.
What i dont enjoy is dumping the clutch from a dead stop, nor riding the clutch when accelerating from a stop in 1st to 2nd, nor sitting at a stop light with my clutch pressed in for the duration, all of which are the quickest way for a clutch replacement.
If you want to have to rebuild your tranny, dump the clutch as you are downshifting causing wheel lock. This is where braking, speed and synchronizing the revs thru a blip come in handy.
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#34
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I always downshift so car is in the correct gear for the speed - you never know if you'll need to quickly accelerate to avoid a situation. Also, 80% of the time, I slip the clutch will downshifting instead of heel toe. While I'm no expert at heel/toe, I notice it's generally much easier for me to blip if I'm braking hard, which I'm not doing in most situations. I have done this in all my manual cars and never experienced increased clutch wear. My 2013 VW CC has over 160,000 miles and it's still on the original clutch doing what I just described.
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damage98MO (08-30-2023)
#35
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I’ve never heard of blipping the throttle on the upshift but if you enjoy it why not
Most of the time I’ll downshift coming to a stop.
UNLESS there’s someone behind me.
Most drivers today don’t understand the manual transmission. Slowing down without your brake lights coming on can be dangerous.
He’s a racer, there’s no time for fun.
It’s serious business when you have a big wing, helmet and gloves.
There’s no time for frivolity when you’re living your life one lap at a time.
Because if he’s not first, he’s last.
Most of the time I’ll downshift coming to a stop.
UNLESS there’s someone behind me.
Most drivers today don’t understand the manual transmission. Slowing down without your brake lights coming on can be dangerous.
It’s serious business when you have a big wing, helmet and gloves.
There’s no time for frivolity when you’re living your life one lap at a time.
Because if he’s not first, he’s last.
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#36
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Sure is nice to have a modern gearbox in our cars with synchros. I remember driving a buddy's old MG 20 years ago trying to figure out how to shift it. Different world.
#37
Burning Brakes
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I guess I am surprised at all the wrong answers in this thread.
This is right:
Everyone else is wrong. And you guys talking about double clutching and blipping... On UPSHIFTS... what the actual F.
A lot of you act like heal / toe is some magic, or laborious process... wild.
This is right:
Everyone else is wrong. And you guys talking about double clutching and blipping... On UPSHIFTS... what the actual F.
A lot of you act like heal / toe is some magic, or laborious process... wild.
Heel and toe is right.
Anyone who spells it otherwise is wrong.
A lot of you act like basic spelling is some magic, or laborious process ... wild.
The irony is strong with this one ...
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#38
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I see what you're doing... lol
Ya we know, you just need to leave your tranny in 4th gear all the time. So much LS torque under the mesa flat curve, u never need to downbshift.
Probably can start out in 4th also
Going to be nice to not to worry about gear changes/downshifting and just concentrate on entering and exiting corners correctly so you can be on the ragged edge at the apex, ,,then lay down that built LS Torque coming out of that corner.
Hmmm, let us know what 6th gear feels like wound out tight...? Whats your new redline for your built LS3,,, a conservative 8000..?
Ya we know, you just need to leave your tranny in 4th gear all the time. So much LS torque under the mesa flat curve, u never need to downbshift.
Probably can start out in 4th also
Going to be nice to not to worry about gear changes/downshifting and just concentrate on entering and exiting corners correctly so you can be on the ragged edge at the apex, ,,then lay down that built LS Torque coming out of that corner.
Hmmm, let us know what 6th gear feels like wound out tight...? Whats your new redline for your built LS3,,, a conservative 8000..?
Last edited by allcool; 08-28-2023 at 02:32 PM.
#39
Instructor
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Just to add another data point, I heel-and-toe downshift if I know I'm not going to be stopping and need to get to the right gear, but if I'm stopping I never downshift, just shift to neutral when the revs drop near idle. As was already mentioned in this thread, brakes are cheaper than transmissions and clutches. Easier to change, too.
But definitely suit yourself. If you enjoy it then more power to you.
But definitely suit yourself. If you enjoy it then more power to you.
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#43
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Are people actually trying to say that using engine braking to slow down is harmful to your transmission and clutch?
They shift into neutral and coast while braking?
Would they do the same driving a tip or PDK?
Lol, pull both paddles, coast and use the brakes only.
They shift into neutral and coast while braking?
Would they do the same driving a tip or PDK?
Lol, pull both paddles, coast and use the brakes only.
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#44
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Don't know. The only time I shift into neutral is when I am coming to a stop at a light. The rest of the time I am enjoying shifting gears up and down.
Last edited by GC996; 08-31-2023 at 01:27 PM.
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#45
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