Floating Gears

I recently learned to float on a 13 speed 550 cat.It seems if you change low end around 1200 , upper end 1400 it slides right in. I do have to watch the speed and rpm both obsessively when down shifting. Sixth to Seventh was the only quick shift I recollect. Loaded is a slower shift than empty i agree. Hill with low rpm, it doesn't seem to click to use the clutch to get out of gear. What else should I be cautious of, to avoid damage. I tend to prefer floating because of knee injury, and thought no damage would happen if you didn't force or snatch your gear
Thank you for any intell
Nefram

 

Exactly It's an experience thing. And right out of school, I do NOT have the experience needed to pick the right gear. Maybe in a year. Heck, maybe in 6 months. But after 50 hours behind the wheel (most of it backing)? I don't think so!

Sorry, the clutch is my friend, and will stay that way for some time.

 

50 hours... I've got less than 20 and no schooling and I can float like a pro but I bet everything that I can't double clutch to save my life. I tried dbl clutching once and didn't do so hot. I guess I got the seq. wrong because I know where the gears are.

GasHauler is right about banging a gear. My step dad did it a couple of times in the past and buddy will it send a harsh shock wave through your jaws and teeth. Plus if it's hard enough, there goes your coffee and everything else that wasn't tied down. To describe it, it's like hitting a curb at about 10mph with the steer axle and rim with no tire. It's rough and you'll surely know it when you do!

 

You really need to forget about shifting without the clutch and start using it. I say this because you'll need to know and but not all trucks are the same. You might be driving a truck where the gears fall into place then get a truck that's hard to shift. Anyone remember the KW K100's with the cable linkage? Some would shift ok and others you had to stand on it.

 

Yea. Well, I have a whole month/100 hours to learn how to do it before the test at Prime so should be plenty of time to get it figured out. If my instructor is late getting to the yard to pick me up then I'll be out on the pad everyday practicing until he does get there. I'm headed out Sunday evening.

 

Hubby writes:

Wow you must be pretty new. Well all floating gears means is that you change gears without using the clutch pettle. You change on the RPM. You have to be alot more percise when floating. It is easier to float upshifting than it is down, but you can float both up and down. Most all older generation truck drivers float. Some people will tell you it will mess your transmission up, but it won't, I been driving 8 years and floated probably 7.5 of those years.

 

I know I'm a newbie and all that, but I just can't see floating as 'harmless'. If it was so harmless, it seems to me thatFuller et. al. would not bother to add a clutch. The system is designed to be used with a clutch - going outside design parameters is never a good idea.

Of course, that's me now. In X months (if I ever learn to float) I may change my tune.

 

For myself l float at different time. I often use the clutch to just take it out of gear on a downshift but just "burp" the engine and get it into gear without the clutch to get in back on a lower one. Most of the tmie I just float on the upshifts.

 

I myself can only float rarely, I have a horrid time floating down, I can float up but I find the being 100% on the dot rpm crap really effin annoying. I have no desire oncesoever to master it, I've already decided its too much work. I don't double clutch either though. Mostly clutch out, er I guess float in... whatever... as long as it goes in with no scratching whats the harm though?

 

Well if floating were bad on a truck then i'm sure they would include a warning label somewhere. Floating is easy and takes a lot of the stress off your left leg for having to push the clutch so many times. I mean, in a straight 10, that a lot of times to have to push in and let out on the clutch. Double clutching mean's you would have to press/depress the clutch 20 times to get from 1st gear to 10th. That's a workout on the ol' leg. Floating is easy as hell. To me it's easier than driving a car. I've only used the clutch to start and stop. Once I'm out with my CDL after I go A seat and get off my trainers truck, I'm going to float.