Shifting while going over bumps or rough road.........
#1
Now with 25% more fluff..
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 537
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Shifting while going over bumps or rough road.........
I've never owned a stickshift that was worth examining my driving habits too hard, so now that I have a nice RX8, I've been thinking a lot about the how, when, where, and whys of shifting.
So with that in mind............
Suppose you are driving a city street. Suppose you are in, I dunno, 2nd gear and ready to shift into 3rd gear when you notice there will be a slight bump in the road right where you will probably put the clutch in and shift. A bump along the lines of one piece of the road not being flush with another piece of the road. Nothing major, nothing worth hitting the brake, yet noticeable enough. Do you:
a) Shift into 3rd anyway, paying the bump no mind-
b) Stay in 2nd until you, get past the bump, then hit 3rd after the bump-
c) Shift, stay in neutral as you pass the bump, then hit 3rd the moment after clearing the bump.
???????
My concern is the health of the clutch, unnecessary wear, etc.
Or am I just overthinking things?
So with that in mind............
Suppose you are driving a city street. Suppose you are in, I dunno, 2nd gear and ready to shift into 3rd gear when you notice there will be a slight bump in the road right where you will probably put the clutch in and shift. A bump along the lines of one piece of the road not being flush with another piece of the road. Nothing major, nothing worth hitting the brake, yet noticeable enough. Do you:
a) Shift into 3rd anyway, paying the bump no mind-
b) Stay in 2nd until you, get past the bump, then hit 3rd after the bump-
c) Shift, stay in neutral as you pass the bump, then hit 3rd the moment after clearing the bump.
???????
My concern is the health of the clutch, unnecessary wear, etc.
Or am I just overthinking things?
#5
a.k.a. WhITeRE8
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Nor Cal *
Posts: 2,231
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
as long as its not a speed bump then it should it be fine because i dont see why this would damage anything unless you bottom out for going too fast. anyways i have been in these kind of situations before and it never really bothers me, but for me i would probably just hold the clutch or maybe a slight tap on the brake just so i would slow down during the bump and accelerate away after it.
#9
Registered User
Join Date: May 2006
Location: la crescenta, ca
Posts: 311
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
#10
Registered
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: California, Chula Vista, Otay Ranch
Posts: 772
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
1 Post
I have been shifting before, on top of, and after those bumps.
Sometimes the motor feels like it spins out of control until the tires touch again.
That happens when I am on the bump and speed away too fast.
It can't be that wrong, because 26,000 miles can't be wrong.
Sometimes the motor feels like it spins out of control until the tires touch again.
That happens when I am on the bump and speed away too fast.
It can't be that wrong, because 26,000 miles can't be wrong.
Last edited by User24; 12-19-2008 at 03:12 AM.
#11
Registered
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 16,684
Likes: 0
Received 252 Likes
on
110 Posts
I rarely enjoy shifting on a bump or flaw in the road, so I usually do one of your 3 options, depending on what the flaw is.
And yeah, I overthink everything.
![Smilie](https://www.rx8club.com/images/smilies/smile.gif)
#14
My 8 looks like a Smurf
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada
Posts: 1,742
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Since no one actually answered....
I do C) -- clutch in, pass the bump, then clutch out into whatever gear I feel is a better choice after the bump. I find it to be softer on the suspension this way.
I do C) -- clutch in, pass the bump, then clutch out into whatever gear I feel is a better choice after the bump. I find it to be softer on the suspension this way.
#15
What mawd bug?
iTrader: (3)
How about this.. If you're in an intersection, in second gear, ready to shift into third, do you:
A)Shift just incase you get T-boned and accidentally slam your foot onto the gas causing unnecessary fuel cutoff
B)Clutch in so you don't stall if you get T-boned
C)Turn the music down so you can hear the car that's going to T-bone you trying to stop?
A)Shift just incase you get T-boned and accidentally slam your foot onto the gas causing unnecessary fuel cutoff
B)Clutch in so you don't stall if you get T-boned
C)Turn the music down so you can hear the car that's going to T-bone you trying to stop?
#16
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How about this.. If you're in an intersection, in second gear, ready to shift into third, do you:
A)Shift just incase you get T-boned and accidentally slam your foot onto the gas causing unnecessary fuel cutoff
B)Clutch in so you don't stall if you get T-boned
C)Turn the music down so you can hear the car that's going to T-bone you trying to stop?
A)Shift just incase you get T-boned and accidentally slam your foot onto the gas causing unnecessary fuel cutoff
B)Clutch in so you don't stall if you get T-boned
C)Turn the music down so you can hear the car that's going to T-bone you trying to stop?
D) Leave it in 2nd so you have more torque available when you punch it to get out of the way of said vehicle that's gunning for your door...
#19
Registered
I'd go with C.
More important: if you realize you're going faster than you'd like, brake before you hit the bump but take your foot off the brake just before hitting the bump.
Ken
More important: if you realize you're going faster than you'd like, brake before you hit the bump but take your foot off the brake just before hitting the bump.
Ken
#20
Huge hole is huge
How about this.. If you're in an intersection, in second gear, ready to shift into third, do you:
A)Shift just incase you get T-boned and accidentally slam your foot onto the gas causing unnecessary fuel cutoff
B)Clutch in so you don't stall if you get T-boned
C)Turn the music down so you can hear the car that's going to T-bone you trying to stop?
A)Shift just incase you get T-boned and accidentally slam your foot onto the gas causing unnecessary fuel cutoff
B)Clutch in so you don't stall if you get T-boned
C)Turn the music down so you can hear the car that's going to T-bone you trying to stop?
#21
Registered
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: California, Chula Vista, Otay Ranch
Posts: 772
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
1 Post
I had to take note of this on the drive this morning.
Seems like the best thing to do, is just keep the same gear. Maybe not tap the brakes, but just ease off the gas at the right time.
And don't just speed off the bump or there will be too much spinning and serious, serious damage everywhere.
Seems like the best thing to do, is just keep the same gear. Maybe not tap the brakes, but just ease off the gas at the right time.
And don't just speed off the bump or there will be too much spinning and serious, serious damage everywhere.
#25
If you have to stop and think about something like that, I can't imagine how you manage to drive a stick in the first place.
You shouldn't have to think about when to shift or when to push in the clutch or when to pop it in neutral and let the clutch out etc...at least not often. You have other things that you need to think about while driving, like the guy who's about to merge into you across two lanes of traffic while you're worrying about pushing in the clutch to go over a bump in the road.
Do whatever, it's fine, shifting while going over a bump is not going to kill your car. And yes, you are overthinking things, to a ridiculous degree.
You shouldn't have to think about when to shift or when to push in the clutch or when to pop it in neutral and let the clutch out etc...at least not often. You have other things that you need to think about while driving, like the guy who's about to merge into you across two lanes of traffic while you're worrying about pushing in the clutch to go over a bump in the road.
Do whatever, it's fine, shifting while going over a bump is not going to kill your car. And yes, you are overthinking things, to a ridiculous degree.