Downshifting question.

[Intrepid Bass 10+ year member]

I'm wanting to clear some things up on down shifting. While driving on streets and highways, Is it ok to put it in neutral and use the brakes to come to a stop? The other thing is on the highway when passing someone when you're in say 5th gear and you want to pass you slow down to a certain RPM, downshift, merge in the next lane then speed up back up to 5th. I was watching this video.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=roaEXp1Mb1g

Click to read more...

 

[patrick1202 10+ year member]

i usually put it in neutral or just down shift each time if i am bored lol

 

[liftedcj7on44s 10+ year member]

its ok to go into in neutral but downshifting will help reduce the wear on your brakes. When i pass someone say im in 5th crusing at say 50mph in my car i usually "rev match" meaning i will first push the clutch in and rev higher before dropping into a lower gear. if you just drop to a lower gear and release the clutch then it causes alot of wear and tear on the ****** and jerks the crap out of you and the car.

 

[teamsolo 10+ year member]

yes that it correct down shifting shouldnt be no problem at all

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

the neutral stop, yes.

i have no clue what the other scenario is

 

[patrick1202 10+ year member]

yea shit was jumpy when i firsted learned and did not rev match lol it sucked

 

[patrick1202 10+ year member]

i just down shift and pass em sounds like you are making it complicated

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

its ok to go into in neutral but downshifting will help reduce the wear on your brakes. When i pass someone say im in 5th crusing at say 50mph in my car i usually "rev match" meaning i will first push the clutch in and rev higher before dropping into a lower gear. if you just drop to a lower gear and release the clutch then it causes alot of wear and tear on the ****** and jerks the crap out of you and the car.

you could modulate the clutch:fyi:

however how most people drive, yes it will jerk you

and giving a little gas to bring the transmission up to synchronization is a good idea

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

o...and buy a real car....I don't have to downshift in my maverick, just give it more gas:

 

[patrick1202 10+ year member]

i do not even have a manual vehicle lawl

 

[liftedcj7on44s 10+ year member]

this is how i usually do it though. crusing behind some slow poke in 5th gear doing 50, i push the clutch in drop to 4th romp the gas and let the clutch go. i know my car and i know at what speeds in what gears turn what rpm. when i do this its smooth as butter!

 

[kurrupt 10+ year member]

i never (rev match) if im going down the road in 5th and want to go to fourth i just put it in fourth and slowly let out the clutch while starting to accelerate.

 

[dman4486 5,000+ posts]

this is how i usually do it though. crusing behind some slow poke in 5th gear doing 50, i push the clutch in drop to 4th romp the gas and let the clutch go. i know my car and i know at what speeds in what gears turn what rpm. when i do this its smooth as butter!

but you know your car....takes some people years/decades to get to that point:laugh:

and if I downshift with my petal on the floor I would end up in a ditch

 

[liftedcj7on44s 10+ year member]

its ok to do that but the more you easily release the clutch like that the faster you wear the clutch out. the less time you spend on the clutch pedal the longer your clutch will last.

 

[Intrepid Bass 10+ year member]

Ugh. Rev matching is what I would like to be explained.

I appreciate all the tips.