kiem Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 do you usually downshift or put on neutral and use brakes to slow down the car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deneb Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 I usually downshift as much as possible, I tend to decelerate gradually whenever possible, and downshifting does this nicely, plus it reduces wear on brakes. Obviously when the situation calls for it, I'll get on the brakes as hard as necessary. My last car the front pads lasted 100K miles, rear shoes still had material left after I sold the car with 130K, dunno if the LGT pads will last that long or not, I figure they might be made of a softer material and thus not last as long. Plus, downshifting is one of the reasons why I enjoy the MT, nothing like a perfectly executed downshift! I assume you're referring to a MT car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTCanada Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 My advice is to leave it in gear and use your brakes. Downshifting to come to a stop just causes unnecessary synchro wear. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiem Posted June 9, 2005 Author Share Posted June 9, 2005 My advice is to leave it in gear and use your brakes. Downshifting to come to a stop just causes unnecessary synchro wear. Tom But then you just cant leave it in the same gear all the way to stop, unless youre already engaged on 1st or 2nd gear... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcbaohio Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 I think alot of it has to do with personal driving style. Regular downshifting, that is engine braking, to stop results in quicker wear of the synchro and clutch material, but using the brakes wears out pads and rotors quicker. Pick your poison, stuff wears out. I enjoy working the car and downshifting to stop, rowing is my favorite hobby. - "I've worked with better, but not many." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTCanada Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 But then you just cant leave it in the same gear all the way to stop, unless youre already engaged on 1st or 2nd gear... Even if you are coming off the highway in 5th gear, you use your brakes to slow down while keeping it in 5th until the RPMs drop to, pick a number...1000rpm, put the clutch in. Stop. Brake pads are one of the cheapest consumable components on the car. Rev matching or, ideally, double clutching / rev matching reduces transmission wear if downshifting to stop is you preference. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redline76 Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 If you double declutch and rev match you can significantly reduce the amount of syncro wear. That being said, it's cheaper to replace pads and rotors than clutches, transmissions and engines. If you plan on keeping your car for 8+ years, you're better off not downshifting to save wear on the $$$ bits. Otherwise, you'll probably not blow your engine or trans from downshifting, but depending on your style and how good you are, a new clutch is a strong possibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melayout Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 I think alot of it has to do with personal driving style. Regular downshifting, that is engine braking, to stop results in quicker wear of the synchro and clutch material, but using the brakes wears out pads and rotors quicker. Pick your poison, stuff wears out. I enjoy working the car and downshifting to stop, rowing is my favorite hobby. There is nothing to pick here, the choice is clear pads/rotors are much easier and cheaper to replace compared to your synchros. Plus, my 5EAT does this automatically even in manu-matic mode, eat DAT, I don't even have to shift. I keed I keeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcbaohio Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 There is nothing to pick here, the choice is clear pads/rotors are much easier and cheaper to replace compared to your synchros. Of course there is something to pick. I am not a proponent of wastefulness, but I prefer downshifting, and am therefore willing to "pay to play". Instead of spending 60 bucks on a new set of pads a few times, I'll have to spend closer to $1000 to replace tranny parts at somewhere over 100K miles. Of course by then, it will be some other schmuck's problem since I'll be trading the LGT in for a 2009 model. Eat DAT;) - "I've worked with better, but not many." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewthebassman Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 My buddy Norm here at the office says I'm better off ONLY braking, but even with my 5EAT I feel better downshifting, I just like the feeling of the gears helping out. Since my car is on a 120,000km lease "I guess I don't care what happens after that". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melayout Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 I think I know why you guys prefer downshifting to braking, it's because the LGT brake pedal takes a lot of force to push all the way down and it actually starts to tire your right leg out, compared to downshifting on 5MT where you just have to tip the clutch slightly or on the 5EAT with a click of a button. I keed I keeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcbaohio Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 I think I know why you guys prefer downshifting to braking, it's because the LGT brake pedal takes a lot of force to push all the way down and it actually starts to tire your right leg out, compared to downshifting on 5MT where you just have to tip the clutch slightly or on the 5EAT with a click of a button. Rrrrrrrriiiiigggghhhhttttt. - "I've worked with better, but not many." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magowin Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 I never down shift to slow down and always put it in neutral till the car is stopped, guess that's just my driving style. I drove this way ever since I got my license and I have yet to have a clutch or trans go bad on any of the cars I've owned. Brake pads are going to go anyway and most of you would want to replace them with better ones anyway so having them wear out is not an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deneb Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 In my experience, wear from downshifting (if done correctly, i.e. rev matching) isn't much more than regular syncro/tranny/clutch wear in a vehicle that wasn't downshifted. My last car was still on the original clutch at 130k. Dunno if the next 100k miles would reveal more than average wear or not, since it's not my car any longer, not my problem. IMO if one is 'tiring out their leg' with a lot of very hard depressions of the brake pedal, then they are possibly following too close and/or wearing out their brakes prematurely. In my experience, the LGT's brakes don't require much force unless you're making a hard stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deneb Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 I never down shift to slow down and always put it in neutral till the car is stopped, guess that's just my driving style. That's actually a potential safety issue. What if you were in neutral, slowing down, when all of a sudden something happened such that you needed to accelerate RIGHT NOW? You'd be stuck in neutral instead, possibly without enough time to put it back in gear before accelerating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melayout Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 That's actually a potential safety issue. What if you were in neutral, slowing down, when all of a sudden something happened such that you needed to accelerate RIGHT NOW? You'd be stuck in neutral instead, possibly without enough time to put it back in gear before accelerating. I used to drive manuals in the universe I came from, and the 2 biggest NoNos: 1. Always stay in gear, for safety issues as pointed by deneb 2. Don't rest hand on shiftknob I keed I keeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KegTapper Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 I use engine braking when getting off the freeway (5th to 4th); however, all other times I use downshifting with revmatching in combination with the brakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rony Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 That's actually a potential safety issue. What if you were in neutral, slowing down, when all of a sudden something happened such that you needed to accelerate RIGHT NOW? You'd be stuck in neutral instead, possibly without enough time to put it back in gear before accelerating. Um, ok, so you are in 5th and you slow down to 25... Tell me you can get going fast in 5th.... To many factors to really make a statement like that. My Car vBGarage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deneb Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 I should clarify: I was assuming in the scenario mentioned that one would be 1) Decelerating 2) Both brake and clutch depressed 3) Downshifting - as you decelerate, you'd put gearshift in appropriate gear such that you were prepared to accelerate if necessary. As opposed to: 1) Decelerating 2) Gearshift in neutral 3) Only brake pedal depressed No, you can't 'get going fast in 5th' at 25 mph, but you can get going a whole lot faster in 5th at 25 than you can in neutral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiem Posted June 9, 2005 Author Share Posted June 9, 2005 Even if you are coming off the highway in 5th gear, you use your brakes to slow down while keeping it in 5th until the RPMs drop to, pick a number...1000rpm, put the clutch in. Stop. Brake pads are one of the cheapest consumable components on the car. Rev matching or, ideally, double clutching / rev matching reduces transmission wear if downshifting to stop is you preference. Tom Yeah, sometimes it ratlles like hell if you're in the high gear - I probably waited too long to engage the clutch - but I see what you're saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTCanada Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 Yup, leave it in whatever gear you are in until the RPMs drop then engage the clutch. If it is rattling then you have let the RPMs dropp too low. There are always exceptions, of course. If there is the potential that you will need to accelerate before you need to come to a stop then make sure you are in the correct gear. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpinefun Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 I use downshifting (5-4-3-2) only at snow/icy/wet conditions or on really long declines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deer Killer Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 downshifting keeps you from messing up your rotor surfaces, especially when you get off the highway and have to stop at a light for 5 minutes. Synchro/clutch wear = nil with rev matching/double clutching. Yeah, I don't "have" to do that anymore, but I'm so used to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpinefun Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 downshifting keeps you from messing up your rotor surfaces, especially when you get off the highway and have to stop at a light for 5 minutes. Sorry, but I didn't get it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melayout Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 downshifting keeps you from messing up your rotor surfaces, especially when you get off the highway and have to stop at a light for 5 minutes. Synchro/clutch wear = nil with rev matching/double clutching. Yeah, I don't "have" to do that anymore, but I'm so used to it. I don't think our rotor/pad combo is at the level of race systems, which specifically forbid stopping in the pits right after a hot lap and require a cool down lap. If you just came off the highway, had to stop very fast in a short distance and in a light for 5 minutes, then in that specific case it may cause damage to rotors(hotspotting), but for most people using the brakes for what they were designed for is not gonna hurt anything. I keed I keeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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