a proper technique??

[JuniorDA[LS]]

so im hearing all these things about how to turn a corner driving a 5 speed. i hear some ppl say downshfting is bad and that it strains your engine. and brakes are easier to replace then a engine or a tranny. then i heard ppl say you should downshift. one time when i was practicing how to drive my 5 speed, i was in 3rd gear coming to a corner, what i did was put it in neutral before tha turn didnt give any gas, and when i turned i applied tha brake pedal and when i was exciting tha turn i shifted into second and continued driving. so can someone please tell me what is tha proper way of taking a corner without stressing tha engine please. id rather replace my brakes instead of the engine or tranny

 

[chrisjames]

i downshift in anticipation of the turn.

 

[dc2GS-R]

Rev matching is the proper way to downshift.

When going into lower gear, you essentially blip the throttle to rev the engine to speed at which it will be when the clutch is let out in the lower gear.

This technique matches the speeds of the input and output shafts of the tranny making it easier on the entire driveline as well creating a much smoother downshift

Downshifting when just coming to stop is dumb. Brakes are replaceables that are meant to stop the car, not the clutch. Not worth putting unnecessary stress on drivetrain components that aren't nearly as easy or cheap to replace

 

[JuniorDA[LS]]

yea when i come to a complete stop i shift in neutral then apply foot brake as i come closer than shift back into 1st.

 

[rockadilla]

If I don't have to stop, I just put it in neutral, roll threw the turn, and then shift into either 2nd or 3rd depending on how fast I'm going

 

[JuniorDA[LS]]

rockadilla yea thats what i do. there's nothin wrong wit that technique tho right.

 

[redjdmdc2]

Rev matching is the proper way to downshift.

When going into lower gear, you essentially blip the throttle to rev the engine to speed at which it will be when the clutch is let out in the lower gear.

This technique matches the speeds of the input and output shafts of the tranny making it easier on the entire driveline as well creating a much smoother downshift

Downshifting when just coming to stop is dumb. Brakes are replaceables that are meant to stop the car, not the clutch. Not worth putting unnecessary stress on drivetrain components that aren't nearly as easy or cheap to replace

This is very true and i never thought of it. lmao i guess ima be changing brakes alot more often now after reading this thread.

 

[rockadilla]

No I think the only way to improve I would be reving the engine a little before shifting into 2nd or 3rd (called rev matching) but no I'm almost positive there's nothing wrong with it... Unless u shift into a wrong gear lol

 

[JuniorDA[LS]]

so do you guys know tha steps to rev match. or any video's i can watch? sorry im really new at driving a stick. and i wana make sure that i do things properly so i dont have to spend money that i really dont need to and also not to shorten tha life of tha car.

 

[rockadilla]

Lol just look on youtube "how to rev match" it really doesn't do THAT much good I don't think.... (But I'm not an expert obviously) it just makes it smoother to downshift instead of the little jolt when the gears engage... And it overall will probably help the clutch to last a LITTLE longer...

 

[redjdmdc2]

what i usually do is. I start slowling down by braking then i downshift to a lower gear and i don't have that jerk everyone talks about

 

[dc2GS-R]

Lol just look on youtube "how to rev match" it really doesn't do THAT much good I don't think.... (But I'm not an expert obviously) it just makes it smoother to downshift instead of the little jolt when the gears engage... And it overall will probably help the clutch to last a LITTLE longer...

It does do a lot of good. Eliminating that jolt not only makes it smoother for you, it eliminates that jolt from going through your entire drivetrain......clutch, gears, synchros....etc.

It is much better for prolonging the life of your drivetrain. Especially when driving hard

 

[rockadilla]

It does do a lot of good. Eliminating that jolt not only makes it smoother for you, it eliminates that jolt from going through your entire drivetrain......clutch, gears, synchros....etc.

It is much better for prolonging the life of your drivetrain. Especially when driving hard

^^^
I stand corrected lol

 

[heykosal]

so im hearing all these things about how to turn a corner driving a 5 speed. i hear some ppl say downshfting is bad and that it strains your engine. and brakes are easier to replace then a engine or a tranny. then i heard ppl say you should downshift. one time when i was practicing how to drive my 5 speed, i was in 3rd gear coming to a corner, what i did was put it in neutral before tha turn didnt give any gas, and when i turned i applied tha brake pedal and when i was exciting tha turn i shifted into second and continued driving. so can someone please tell me what is tha proper way of taking a corner without stressing tha engine please. id rather replace my brakes instead of the engine or tranny

Your friends are right when they say its better to have to replace your brakes rather than your engine. To me that only applies to coming to a stop, say like a traffic light. It also goes for taking a turn too, for me it depends on the situation. If i'm in a hurry and i've got the engine on a boil(VTEC) i'll heel/toe(rev-matching) during the corner, in order to utilize engine braking, and to be able to hit the gas at the apex instead of having to get back into gear.

Either way, its kind of personal preference, but like Kyle said if done correctly, downshifting to a stop(or a corner) does no damage other than the wear on the engine that is inevitable, and wasting gas.

Downshifting when just coming to stop is dumb. Brakes are replaceables that are meant to stop the car, not the clutch. Not worth putting unnecessary stress on drivetrain components that aren't nearly as easy or cheap to replace

Agreed. Sometimes though if i'm in a lower gear i'll downshift..like if i'm in 5th i'll shift to 4th or even 3rd. but really i do it to wait for the light to change.lol

 

[Aussie]

Your car should never be driving in neutral. Your car should always be in gear while turning and you should keep your car in gear as long as you can when coming to a stop.

Rev matching is a great technique to learn. It's not needed for daily driving. I second that you don't need to downshift every opportunity you get.