Downshifting
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 966
Likes: 2
From: New Braunfels Republic of Texas
Downshifting
Just a curious question. How many of you do any great amount of downshifting for braking in your normal day to day driving? Personally, I seldom downshift for braking. Maybe I am not driving a vette the way I am supposed to?????????????? I am usually planning ahead and end up going to neutral and coasting until I need the brakes to ease in at the light, off ramp or what ever, which also helps of mileage. You input.
Melting Slicks<br><img src="/forums/images/ranks/3k-4k.gif" border="0">
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,018
Likes: 214
From: Central Connecticut
St. Jude Donor '13, '17-'18, '25
Mickey;
I do a lot of downshifting. I limit my time spent in neutral while moving as I want to be able to accelerate out of a "situation" if I need to.
I am not a fanatic about it but I believe coasting in neutral can be dangerous.
Also, my Vette is not my daily driver so I am not concerned about gas mileage.
I want performance and control.
My 2 cents...
Jeff
I do a lot of downshifting. I limit my time spent in neutral while moving as I want to be able to accelerate out of a "situation" if I need to.
I am not a fanatic about it but I believe coasting in neutral can be dangerous.
Also, my Vette is not my daily driver so I am not concerned about gas mileage.
I want performance and control.
My 2 cents...
Jeff
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
That's true, and it's what I do. When I want to practice, I do it. Otherwise, I'd rather pay for brake pads and rotors than a transmission and/or clutch.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 31,088
Likes: 23
St. Jude Donor '08 thru '13
Downshifting is fun and sounds great with the headers and bullets, so I do a fair amount of it with my A6 in paddle mode.
Fun is what this car is about for me, so I'm a downshiftin' fool! Having it in gear when you get back on it is definitely a necessity!
Fun is what this car is about for me, so I'm a downshiftin' fool! Having it in gear when you get back on it is definitely a necessity!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 966
Likes: 2
From: New Braunfels Republic of Texas
Mickey;
I do a lot of downshifting. I limit my time spent in neutral while moving as I want to be able to accelerate out of a "situation" if I need to.
I am not a fanatic about it but I believe coasting in neutral can be dangerous.
Also, my Vette is not my daily driver so I am not concerned about gas mileage.
I want performance and control.
My 2 cents...
Jeff
I do a lot of downshifting. I limit my time spent in neutral while moving as I want to be able to accelerate out of a "situation" if I need to.
I am not a fanatic about it but I believe coasting in neutral can be dangerous.
Also, my Vette is not my daily driver so I am not concerned about gas mileage.
I want performance and control.
My 2 cents...
Jeff
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,503
Likes: 1,452
From: Pittsburgh PA
2025 C8 Stingray of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I downshift while braking most of the time on the street. Good practice for my heel & toe technique. The Flows sound cool and it's fun. 
Melting Slicks<br><img src="/forums/images/ranks/3k-4k.gif" border="0">
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,018
Likes: 214
From: Central Connecticut
St. Jude Donor '13, '17-'18, '25
Since I am already thinking and planning ahead, I am alert and to get into gear is pretty fast, but your point is well taken. Should I just coast with the clutch in so I can get in a gear I want and be ready?????? Is keeping the clutch in while coasting doing anything bad to the clutch?
I don't think coasting with the clutch in for a limited distance is a problem. I will do that as I approach a stop, maybe while shifting into first.
Like I said, I am not a fanatic about it but I try not to spend too much time in neutral. If I am sitting at a light, I prefer to be in first gear with the clutch in.
Making that a habit will limit that occasion when I don't see someone heading for me fast and I am not already in gear.
Jeff
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 20,352
Likes: 568
From: Ventura County, Calif
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 752
Likes: 28
From: Ottawa, Ontario
Since I am already thinking and planning ahead, I am alert and to get into gear is pretty fast, but your point is well taken. Should I just coast with the clutch in so I can get in a gear I want and be ready?????? Is keeping the clutch in while coasting doing anything bad to the clutch?
I heel & toe for the purposes of being in the proper gear while braking (let's me brake later into a corner), ready for acceleration, and/or for smooth progressively powered exits out of corners.
I agree that slowing down using the engine is not a good practise anymore. Pads are cheaper than clutches, Corvettes have very very good brakes, and by using the engine you are upsetting the brake balance (front to rear) engineered into the car.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,673
Likes: 9
From: Upstate New York
The debate on this has always been that brakes are cheaper than a clutch. The way I look at it is I've owned manual gearbox cars for years, put almost 100K miles on them and never went through a single clutch - not going change my habits now. I almost always downshift but I do blip the throttle to try and match the revs.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 547
Likes: 3
From: Silicon Valley California
St. Jude Donor '09-'11
I find myself downshifting for engine braking much less in the Corvette than in any previous car I've owned. Could be partly because I've still got that "new car" mentality of being nice to it since I was the original owner and had to go through the break in period.
Probably more it has to do with the driving dynamics of the C6, and the gearing and the brakes. I don't hesitate to downshift when I plan to apply power, but I do find myself not using much engine braking with this car. And the new Bosch brakes are excellent. It's less boost than I'm used to but when you get on it, they do a great job for a street car and the ABS seems invisible to me (no pulsing feel in the pedal like all my previous cars).
Probably more it has to do with the driving dynamics of the C6, and the gearing and the brakes. I don't hesitate to downshift when I plan to apply power, but I do find myself not using much engine braking with this car. And the new Bosch brakes are excellent. It's less boost than I'm used to but when you get on it, they do a great job for a street car and the ABS seems invisible to me (no pulsing feel in the pedal like all my previous cars).
Racer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 417
Likes: 10
From: Orlando Florida
Mickey,
All the above answers are great. They show personal choice.
My guide to down shifting in regular city traffic situations is to move to the gear that will keep me above 900-1000 RPM and then I can accelerate with easy.
Stop signs and stop lights I will stay in a gear as I approach the area I will have to come to a stop but if I know I have to come to a complete stop at a sign I will shift to 1st but if the stop condition is a long red light I shift to neutral to eliminate the clutch pressure on those components including my left foot.
I not good on the rev match down shifting into 4th, 3rd and 2nd and I never try to rev match to 1st. Up shift is great.
Fortunately most of my driving is highway in the "corvette lane"
Hope this provides another insight.
Mike
All the above answers are great. They show personal choice.
My guide to down shifting in regular city traffic situations is to move to the gear that will keep me above 900-1000 RPM and then I can accelerate with easy.
Stop signs and stop lights I will stay in a gear as I approach the area I will have to come to a stop but if I know I have to come to a complete stop at a sign I will shift to 1st but if the stop condition is a long red light I shift to neutral to eliminate the clutch pressure on those components including my left foot.
I not good on the rev match down shifting into 4th, 3rd and 2nd and I never try to rev match to 1st. Up shift is great.
Fortunately most of my driving is highway in the "corvette lane"
Hope this provides another insight.
Mike
Pro
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 701
Likes: 9
From: Trophy Club TX
Would make a difference if you have an auto or manual. Owned manuals for last 25+ years and never had an issue with down shifting. Paddel shift might be a little different. On the race track a combination of heel toe, rpm match, and down shift is how I was taught.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,158
Likes: 4
From: Henderson Nevada
