Floating gears on a 13 speed, question

You said it yourself, you have to take the load off the transmission. Either with the clutch, or by snapping the throttle a little bit. You are doing it right, just practice and you'll learn how it sounds and feels when the transmission is under load and when it isn't. Going downhill I still use the clutch if I don't feel like I want to bump my RPM any higher.

 

I drive a 10 speed. Most of the time I just float but I do use the clutch sometimes since some of the gears (primarily on the low side) get "sticky" around 1500 rpms. Every truck is different, but this one seems ok with shifting at lower rpms in the sticky gears. If I'm light or don't have a load it's pretty easy to shift at 13-1400 rpms or lower without using the clutch.

 

Progressive is not shifting at 1700.

Progressive would go something like this if you were empty, first gear out of there at 1300, into second, then 1350 into third then 1400 into fourth etc. Next thing you know you are at highway speed in top gear without moving that engine rpms so high up unnecessarily and are at cruise. Progressive done right, you will walk away from the other slob winding out his engine before shifting.

The transmission has to have a load taken off it, that means getting off that hammer and using that clutch. Im pretty sure floating was discovered when someone finally decided that clutch is too #### heavy for kicking on that GWB all day. Floating done right is addictive and easy. IF you scratched a gear you are trying to get into up or down, the tractor is telling you to either wait a #### minute for that gear to match engine speed or find another gear. If you remember schooling there is at least one dumbkoft leaning into one gear on a long grinding episode and it will never drop into that gear because he complicates his problems by overrevving that thing.

Which is why we had instructors back in the day punch people like that. he he. They need that positive reinforcement to quit doing that.

 

You simply have to find a sweet spot in the throttle, I run an 18 with 550 cat pulling 105 and float every gear. The more you do it the better you get.

 

Seems like every road test or trainee I take out runs it up to the governer in every gear, all the time. When I suggest they try shifting at 13-1400 in the lower gears and wind the high side up a little more, 99% of the time they say they don't look at the tach, they shift by they engine sound. To which I reply 'it sounds to me like the thing is screaming for help.'

Clutching it out of gear is okay. I'm pretty sure we all do it. It's usually a low speed thing for me. At road speeds a blip of the throttle is usually enough.

And I don't know about anyone else, but I brake with my left foot. Leaves my right foot free to manipulate the gas pedal. Maybe more drivers do it than i think, but almost everyone that gets in a truck with me thinks it's weird.

 

Ya I noticed that with some drivers. It's a default move to float gears instead of using the motor/gears correctly.

 

You drive on the pavement. Some conditions need different tactics.

 

I tend to use both the brake and hammer with the right foot. Left foot handles the clutch pretty much all the time, There have been very special problems presented to me once or two times where I used the left foot on the brake. Keep in mind the trolley at the trailer was used as well.

You are right at road speed a swipe at the hammer will blip the engine into where it is wanted to get you into a gear etc. I follow you well on that.

Trainees say they shift by the engine sound, I agree that sometimes it's howling in pain. It's unnecessary. I also suggest they should discover what the tractor wants with their seat as well. You would think a tractor is a pretty good teacher, beating up the trainees doing something wrong. Maybe this was a old iron non air ride thing from long ago but er... I would like to think it still does.

If a trainee is given instruction, the same as given to millions before him or her and that trainee does not listen, what does that make you? Im not trying to pick a fight but I would imagine inability to accept instruction that is given in the most simple and explict manner is a problem as well. Most of the common conflicts between trainee and tractor will be solved if they would just not only listen, but also do what they are told.

 

I'm fairly new to this forum, so this is a reply to okiedokie I drive 50/50 on the pavement and quite a few Hills in the the Badlands up in North Dakota off-road with 105 5 so I'm pretty used to odd conditions snow ice mud excetera