Nice Ride

rather than down shift. Seems like this practice would reduce clutch ware.

hrt vlv

Manual transmission I assume

Bruze

"Freewheeling" to a stop will wear your brakes out quicker. I tried to explain this to an old GF years ago but she didn't understand what I was saying, and continued doing it. Not sure where she learned that bad habit.

A half-century ago (or more) they outlawed the old style overdrives because they would freewheel and, apparently, caused some accidents from brakes getting too hot.

EDITED to add, after reading the OP again: You don't HAVE to downshift.

808_Vette

I personally like to downshift, but wouldn't it be cheaper to do a brake job rather than a clutch?

FAUEE

Age old debTe. Personally ally, I find brake pads easier and cheaper to replace than hutches or engines, so I'm on team friction braking vs engine braking.

Dano523

All the time when on the street, since I don't use engine braking when even on road courses.
Hence motor is for acceleration, brakes are for deceleration, and should be be use accordingly.
To add here, spent too many years driving MG midgets that don't have a threw out ball bearings, but only a pad at the TB isntead. So sitting at a stop light with the clutch pushed in, would end up with the TB "pad" just being worn out very quickly instead.


So no, even in my vet years now, still don't sit at a stop light with the clutch pedal in, but with the car in neutral, pedal out, and wait for the light to change before putting the trans in gear. As for when the car is pulled out of gear, something before the stop is enough time, while other as the car come to a stop at a stop light isntead.

Also to point out, the Vet had very, very good brakes on it, so they should only be used when it time to stop the car, Hence not rode for blocks at time to just glazed the pads and rotor surfaces isntead.

To add here, there are times that I need to get the car loose when braking to change the line of the car into the corner, and you can do such with engine braking taking place. So for high speed braking off the straight into the sharp end of corner that is going to be less than a second for the transfer with the car front weight transferred, clutch is in, heal toe to bump the RPM to drop the trans down 2 or more gears getting ready to the drive out of the apex, and the point that I can let the clutch out to get back on the throttle again without the engine over revving. To drive this in deeper, the amount of braking that I am doing, and how quickly this is done, I can't pull off with a A6 trans, since it will not down shift that fast, and find that on the drive out of the corner, most of the time the Auto trans is in a gear to high.

So again, you don't need engine braking on a vet, since the brakes are that good,
and by trying to use the engine for braking in the first place, it just putting too much strain on the motor and drive line slowing your major downshifts down, and will not allow the car to get loose enough to skate change the cars line if needed on braking/weight transference into the corner instead.

Vette_DD

No, never did it. Had 7 Vettes, but didn't know any of them had wares.

Bruze

My male cat is always "checking his wares."

reasonable suspicion

always

mkitt27

I use the brakes for slowing down but do keep the car in gear until at the stop. I'll downshift if appropriate - but again, using brakes for the actual slowing. Will also put into neutral and let out clutch at the stop.
Like to keep in gear so ready to react if the light change, or someone changes lanes, pulls in front of me , whatever, I have the option of accelerating immediately if that is the best action.

TorchRedFred

No need to downshift through the gears. I usually ride out the gear i'm in until low RPM's and then just put in the clutch and ride it to a stop. Occasionally I will downshift, but that is only if I want to hear the exhaust rumble as I'm slowing down.

PRNDL

When I turn onto my street there is about 1/2 mile of gentle downhill until I get to my house. I will occasionally pop the automatic transmission into neutral right after the turn and coast until I get home..... usually in the Honda CR-V. If I am returning home after filling the gas tank (and reset the trip odometer) it can really boost average MPG!

SladeX

I am on my 4th clutch in my camaro average of 60k miles/clutch and each one lasted lots of daily driving, 1/4 mile runs, 1/2 mile runs and road racing. I probably downshift 80% of the time and maybe drop to neutral and brake the rest. I think for the neutral stopping, I tend not to do it from speed and rather in situations where I know I will come to a complete stop.

I replaced my brakes more often when I did road course days and I'd end up wrecking the rotors after 2-3 sessions and opted to get new pads at the same time. For everyday use and drag racing, my brake pads, I went through 2 sets for each clutch replacement.

Personally, I would not hesitate to downshift as if you rev match it well (and given lots of experience, you should be able to get it within 100rpm), you will do very little wear to the clutch in up/down shifting. Your biggest wear moments will be starting the car from a dead stop and clutch dumps. I'm only on my 2nd clutch in my c6 and based on my driving, it lasted just about the same amount of time as the camaro's first and second clutches which was a ls1 and ls7 clutch respectively. I just have a ls7 clutch again in the vette since I I'm keeping my c6 stock.

kevinkar

Many different ways. Downshift while slowing down so I'm in the right gear should I need to punch it but also braking at the same time so that the downshift is not causing too much engine braking as well as putting it in neutral and keeping my foot off the clutch as I come to a stop when it makes sense. After almost 40 years of driving, I've figured out what the feel and sounds are like so it's second nature. Honestly, I don't even know I'm doing which method most of the time. But coasting to an easy stop in neutral is neither bad nor good. You're either going to wear out brakes or clutch and a brake job is way cheaper and easier than a clutch job so minimizing clutch wear is a good thing.

There is no *one way to drive* and anyone who says so is obviously wrong. There's always someone out there who drives better.

Bruze

How do you guys steer? If I pull on the left side of my steering wheel the car goes left. Pull on the right side, it goes right. Is this normal? Am I doing it right? Will I wear out my steering wheel?

I know the hands are ALWAYS supposed to be on the "10" and "2" position, but I notice sometimes my right hand will slip down to about the 2:30 position. Could this cause me to lose control of my car?


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Dano523

More gas to correct for under steer the car has, and steer correction away from the corner I'm turning to check the back end so it does not come around on me on the way out while the back end is pushing the car through the last of the corner on the way out.

Same going into the corner under hard breaking/front end weight transfer with steering correction away from the corner, so the back end does not come out too far on the outside on me before the apex as well.

Bruze

Lol!

LowRyter

I do it frequently. I like to coast and save gas. I really see no reason to gas it only to brake at a red light when you can coast there to the very same spot. I've even timed it where I can coast about 3/4 quarters of a mile, turn into my housing addition, turn on my block and coast up the drive into the garage. It's a little easier driving my Honda Accord.

Saves gas, saves brakes.

When you drive, drive. Perform in all aspects of driving. Use your brain.

JockamoIPA

LOL!!! I was thinking along the same lines....

tstad9i1

All the time. Pads and rotors I can change. Clutch? That would mean letting someone else work on my car. Pass.