driving a 5 speed

[alleycat24]

Please help..! answer this question...everyone who drives a 5 speed.my husband insists that when driving our 5 speed 99 ford truck that when slowing down i must" downshift"..My husband gives me hell... I always step on my brake then put it in the gear according to my speed...he says to drive "properly you have to "downshift" thru all gears to slow down without using the brake....PLEASE HELP..: I was told that a transmission should not be used to stop a vechiel..Is this correct..

[YogsVR4]

Using the transmission to stop the vehicle is not a good thing to do, but its not unusual to use it to slow down. That doesnt put much strain on it, but rapid downshifting without braking will tear up the tranny (no matter how many gears it has).













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[enginerd]

With the advent of synchromesh in the late 1940's shifting through every gear to a halt is no longer neccessary. Rig drivers use compression braking very often, if your husband drives a semi-tractor I can understand his point. However, automobile brakes are more than sufficient to stop a car without using compression braking.

[Steel]

from 5th to 4th, or 4th to 3rd, is ok, but after that i just pop her in neutral and use the brakes. I dont like thinking aobut that poor clutchplate wasting away, or seeing the engine shoot up to 4500 RPM (i have a truck). But just braking is fine.

[Polygon]

Personally, I use both the brakes and the engine to slow the car, it does save the pads a little. But I would never just use the engine to stop the car.

[DravenGSX]

Think about it this way. What costs more to replace? Brake pads/rotors or motor/transmission? I'd rather change the brakes 10 times than have to pay for a new motor and or transmission. It is absolutely not necessary to downshift in order to slow down. There are times when it may be beneficial for you to do so (i.e. in the snow), but it is not required and is in fact undesirable.

[Doctor]

There are ways you can down shift with out causing to much stress on your clutch and tranny.

Just shuffle your way down the gears and use depress your accelerator before you release the clutch so the engine and tranny has already caught up with the inertia of the vehicle. Some times you don't even need a clutch to put it in gear beacuse the engine revs and tranny are syncronised. Thats only if you know your car well!

Ben

[GTStang]

Best way is to slow down in a manual is like this:

Say your going from 4th to a stop. Push the clutch in and use the brakes to stop. While coming to a stop work you way down throught the gears 4th to 3rd, 3rd to 2nd, 2nd to 1st. The reason to do this even though there is no power going to the transmission is because the synchro's in a tranny are set-up to go in order. Skipping gears will slow take there toll on the tranny's synchro's. To replace synchro takes as much works as rebuilding a manual so save yaself some $$$

[SaabJohan]

There is no need to go through all gears. That is only done in sequential racing gearboxes.
The engine takes no damage by using it to brake. (only twostrokes and race engines can take damage) That is of course if you don't over rev it.

Brakes -> push down clutch -> downshift -> clutch, and don't slipper on it -> next gear if neccesary

By using the engine to brake you will get a lower fuel consumtion (with a new electronic direct injection engine it will use NO FUEL when braking).
It will also reduce wear on brakepads and discs.