Down shifting
#2
Extraordinary Engineering
If you can match the revs exactly then it doesn't cause any wear. You also should worry about rev matching to protect your synchros
Last edited by DarkBrew; 04-24-2007 at 05:26 PM.
#3
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^ What Dark said. I downshift all the time, and I have a 15-year-old Toyota Celica with 180,000 miles and the original clutch. Match revs when you downshift and the effect on the clutch is minimal.
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thanks for the info, but what i should have specified was without rev matching....like using the engine comprssion to slow down, that type of down shifting
#7
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Downshifting does not add any appreciable amount of wear to the clutch. That is a myth. Does it add any? Sure it does. Will it effectively reduce the life of your clutch? It depends on how you drive. I'm at 158,000 on my daily driver and I downshift everywhere. I'm so crazy about downshifting that I'm still on the original set of rear brakes. No clutch issues.
Think about this. When you are downshifting, all you are doing is increasing the speed of a rotating engine assembly. It isn't under a load and relative to the car doesn't weigh very much. It's just dead weight you are slowing down. This isn't that hard. When you are accelerating, this engine is under load providing all of it's power through the clutch and is trying to get 3000+ pounds moving. Sometimes quite quickly. Sometimes people will dump the clutch at high rpms and really put some power through the clutch. Of course this is the fast way to kill it but it usually does it. Downshifting is nothing to it. I don't rev match. I slowly ease into the clutch until the engine's rpms get where I want. I use the engine as a dynamic brake. It works great and saves fuel and brakes. It doesn't do anything appreciable to the clutch.
Think about this. When you are downshifting, all you are doing is increasing the speed of a rotating engine assembly. It isn't under a load and relative to the car doesn't weigh very much. It's just dead weight you are slowing down. This isn't that hard. When you are accelerating, this engine is under load providing all of it's power through the clutch and is trying to get 3000+ pounds moving. Sometimes quite quickly. Sometimes people will dump the clutch at high rpms and really put some power through the clutch. Of course this is the fast way to kill it but it usually does it. Downshifting is nothing to it. I don't rev match. I slowly ease into the clutch until the engine's rpms get where I want. I use the engine as a dynamic brake. It works great and saves fuel and brakes. It doesn't do anything appreciable to the clutch.
#8
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Down shifting at 70mph to third gear, and flooring it, puts a smile on my face.
thanks for the info, but what i should have specified was without rev matching....like using the engine comprssion to slow down, that type of down shifting
Last edited by Raptor2k; 04-24-2007 at 05:46 PM.
#9
Extraordinary Engineering
Originally Posted by mattvit
thanks for the info, but what i should have specified was without rev matching....like using the engine comprssion to slow down, that type of down shifting
Figure out heal 'n' toe down shifts.
Last edited by DarkBrew; 04-24-2007 at 05:46 PM.
#12
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Originally Posted by rotarygod
Downshifting is nothing to it. I don't rev match. I slowly ease into the clutch until the engine's rpms get where I want. I use the engine as a dynamic brake. It works great and saves fuel and brakes. It doesn't do anything appreciable to the clutch.
-Cody
#14
Klingon Grammarian
Originally Posted by rotarygod
Downshifting does not add any appreciable amount of wear to the clutch. That is a myth. Does it add any? Sure it does. Will it effectively reduce the life of your clutch? It depends on how you drive. I'm at 158,000 on my daily driver and I downshift everywhere. I'm so crazy about downshifting that I'm still on the original set of rear brakes. No clutch issues.
Think about this. When you are downshifting, all you are doing is increasing the speed of a rotating engine assembly. It isn't under a load and relative to the car doesn't weigh very much. It's just dead weight you are slowing down. This isn't that hard. When you are accelerating, this engine is under load providing all of it's power through the clutch and is trying to get 3000+ pounds moving. Sometimes quite quickly. Sometimes people will dump the clutch at high rpms and really put some power through the clutch. Of course this is the fast way to kill it but it usually does it. Downshifting is nothing to it. I don't rev match. I slowly ease into the clutch until the engine's rpms get where I want. I use the engine as a dynamic brake. It works great and saves fuel and brakes. It doesn't do anything appreciable to the clutch.
Think about this. When you are downshifting, all you are doing is increasing the speed of a rotating engine assembly. It isn't under a load and relative to the car doesn't weigh very much. It's just dead weight you are slowing down. This isn't that hard. When you are accelerating, this engine is under load providing all of it's power through the clutch and is trying to get 3000+ pounds moving. Sometimes quite quickly. Sometimes people will dump the clutch at high rpms and really put some power through the clutch. Of course this is the fast way to kill it but it usually does it. Downshifting is nothing to it. I don't rev match. I slowly ease into the clutch until the engine's rpms get where I want. I use the engine as a dynamic brake. It works great and saves fuel and brakes. It doesn't do anything appreciable to the clutch.
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Originally Posted by mysql101
I'd venture to say that shifting is at least 50% of what makes driving the rx-8 fun.
![Ylsuper](https://www.rx8club.com/images/smilies/ylsuper.gif)
-Cody
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