clutch question

I coast up to the light in neutral, sit there with the clutch out, then as I’m paying attention to my surroundings, i push the clutch all the way down to engage the clutch brake, come back up off the floor about a 1/3rd of he way until it slips in nicely. Then, as it goes green your ready to go. And for heaven sake take off in a slow enough gear that you never touch the throttle until the clutch is fully out and engaged. It drives me nuts when people try to take off in a semi like you do a car.

 

You would fail a driving test putting in neutral.. As long as you’re not pushing clutch into clutch brake ( the bottom part) you’re clutch lasts forever. Hardest thing on a clutch is starting in a higher gear when loaded. I had around a million miles on my t600 that had a juiced up cat pulling average weights of 98,000 lbs before it needed replacement by starting in the right gear and not burying the clutch every time I stopped.

 

On this site. "My trainers teaching me to start off in 4th", you realize you have 3 lower gears? As much as I would hate to be in an auto I see why 80% of companies have gone that route.

 

Meanwhile the "trainer" has 3 months more experience than the trainee.

 

I try to coast up, slowly, and slip it into gear before it stops. Push the clutch in when I stop, that’s if the lights going to change soon, otherwise I’ll hit neutral and wait till I see the yellow for cross traffic. One thing I’ve learned is if you have the clutch in ready to go, the light will never change. Simply release the clutch in neutral, and guaranteed it will change. Clutch brake isn’t always needed. Usually can time it into gear, from neutral without using it Still clutch brake should last as long as the clutch, about 1 mil or more. Like @Dino soar mentioned. I worry about the Linkage snapping, or clutch springs failing, I’ve had that happen, just not while it was depressed. I woke up once to that. Driving with clutch constantly engaged is a whole other thread. I did it, fully loaded backing up a hill, to the dock with a big drop off in front. No room for error. Once empty drove 600 miles home. Rather avoid the chance of that ever happening again.

 

I can’t stand to hear the grrrrrrr clunk!!!! Even some O/Os do it. Any fuel island, any day, it’s nothing but grrrrrrr clunk!!!! I once had a Tow Truck Driver drop the driveshaft on a brand new Peterbilt. He went from Billy Bad### to crying the blues about his Boss. Lol.

 

Anyone who has ever had their clutch wear down to the point where you can't adjust the clutch brake far enough to work will know you can run for years on that last little bit of clutch and no clutch brake. But when it starts to go you better be ready to replace the clutch ASAP.

The bigger issue is that people often hold the clutch in and end up trying to use the clutch brake or clutch as a parking brake.

As long as the clutch is completely dis-engaged and you are not abusing the clutch brake, you will not damage anything by holding in the clutch. Well you could have a sore leg for a while so I guess that could be called "damage" but the truck will be fine.

 

Better to downshift all the way to light and try and time it to turn green, never coming to a complete stop. Doesnt always work but dont remeber last time I was stopped at a light for than a few seconds

 

Always neutral for me if if can’t lug it down and catch the next green or if I know it’s a quick light. So much easier on the left leg when your clutch isn’t the best too

 

And how much of a load off my leg muscles, just stupid standing 2 to 5 minutes pushing that spring...

PS: I'm always trying to drift towards red light, when I can, so second, third will be sticked in and go again without stopping.