Double-clutching Vs. Floating Gears

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by truckerswife9764, Jul 14, 2008.

  1. truckerswife9764

    truckerswife9764 Bobtail Member

    4
    0
    Jul 9, 2008
    florida
    0
    WAS HOPING SOMEONE COULD GIVE SOME INSIGHT INTO THIS QUESTION. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DOUBLE-CLUTCHING AND FLOATING THE GEARS???? MY HUSBAND IS ON THE ROAD NOW AND I WAS ASKING HIM. WONDERED IF ANYBODY ELSE HAD SOME ANSWERS AS FAR AS FUEL MILEAGE DIFFERENCE OR IS IT JUST A PREFERENCE BETWEEN DRIVERS? HE KNOWS SOME L/O THAT ONLY DOUBLE-CLUTCH SAYING IT IS BETTER ON FUEL. BUT ASSUMING YOU ARE FLOATING THE GEARS CORRECTLY THERE WOULD BE KNOW HARM TO THE TRANSMISSION???? CORRECT AND FUEL MILEAGE THE SAME??? :biggrin_2552:
     
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  3. ssbowles

    ssbowles Heavy Load Member

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    Sep 27, 2007
    High Desert,CA
    0
    I wouldn't think it would make a difference in your MPG. And as long as you're floating correctly, no it won't hurt the tranny. Had a mechanic tell me once that floating "overheated the bearing" in the transmission. Yes, he was a company mechanic. He couldn't come up with an answer when I asked him which bearing he was talking about though.:biggrin_25523:
     
  4. 2fuzy

    2fuzy Road Train Member

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    Jun 19, 2008
    Granite Canon,WY
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    Float if you do it right it will save your clutch as everytime you push the pedel you take some life off the clutch
     
  5. big dog from nyc

    big dog from nyc Bobtail Member

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    Apr 15, 2008
    bronx new york
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    When I Went To School C1 In Indian That Is How We Hand To Shift Double Clutching Never Hand To Before Now Can Do It With My Eyes Cloused
     
  6. Steve & Lo

    Steve & Lo Medium Load Member

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    May 22, 2007
    Tennessee
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    Imagine driving 500 miles....non-stop. 1 driver floats...he uses the clutch 2 times during the entire trip. The other driver pushes his clutch every time he shifts....both up and down.....this could be up to 100 times the clutch is engaged.....and dis-engaged....every time those springs flex it takes life out of them.....A mechanic friend of mine told me to get my wife floating as soon as possible......at 200K we have used approx. 1/4 of our clutch material.....this was all driven using the clutch for every shift. We're gonna go the next 200K floating and see what the clutch says then.....I know it is very easy when someone is new to wear down a clutch......Applying the fuel while letting out the clutch is one of the main culprits. Plus, a lot of people ride down the road with their foot resting on the clutch.....I know no one on this board would do that....but it happens.
    I almost never used the clutch until I had to teach my wife how to drive the truck.....well.....I GOT to teach her....:biggrin_255: In the week that she has been working on floating...she is catching on very quickly....some of those gears needed rounding off a little anyway!! LOL
     
  7. truckerswife9764

    truckerswife9764 Bobtail Member

    4
    0
    Jul 9, 2008
    florida
    0
    Thanks everyone for all the info. I thought floating was better in the long run and my husband says usually that is what he does. By the way Steve and Lo my hubby is on the road now and i called him to read him your post he had just stopped to eat and he laughed had to laugh when i read it all to him. He said he just got done driving 500 miles and only used the clutch 3 times. Thanks again everyone is so helpful and nice on here and my husband says great things about everyone he has met with the company so far. :biggrin_255:
     
  8. DiMeNsIoNs

    DiMeNsIoNs Bobtail Member

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    Aug 1, 2008
    Smyrna ,TN
    0
    ummm.... always float gears ?>
     
  9. postmandav

    postmandav Medium Load Member

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    May 18, 2008
    south portland, maine
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    I usually have no problem floating through the lower gears, but I tend to have trouble floating through the higher gears. Does it make a difference if the jakes are on? I also noticed that some of the gears are hard to come out of, so I used the clutch once just to get out of gear and then float into the next gear.
     
  10. driver4015

    driver4015 Medium Load Member

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    Jan 28, 2008
    Bend ,Oregon
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    I float the high side gears and clutch the low side because of the extreame stress to the driveline(not the clutch). once the truck reaches a little higher speed and gear ratio I'll float them every chance I get.
     
    mateynine Thanks this.
  11. rocknsand

    rocknsand Medium Load Member

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    Dec 28, 2007
    Tonganoxie, KS
    0
    When I'm upshifting thru the gears,I usually keep the Jake off. Its just easier that way. You just have to shift faster before the RPM's drop off too low.
    As far as floating on the upshift, you just have to kick it out of gear BEFORE you let off the foot feed. Nobody ever told me that and it took a long time before the "light came on" and I figured it out.
    When I get in my car and sometimes not thinking and forget about the clutch, it sure make for a nasty noise, both the gears grinding and my wife yelling. ouch...opps
     
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