Shifting

i have a question about the safe gear as i call it...on a straight 10 speed 6th gear is what i like to call a safe gear in that if you cant find the right gear or you miss one you can stick it into 6th to get it into a gear...but what is the safe gear on a super 10 speed? i ask this because gears 1-6 are on the low side and 7-10 are on the high side...and can anyone tell me why the 6th gear is on the high side of a straight 10 and on the low side of the super 10?

 

I'll give it a shot. This may or may not help...

Remember 'Out at 1100 in at 1600/1700...'

Shifting is done on a 2 count.

For Upshifting, it's

Count 1: At 16/1700 RPM's press the clutch, pull it out of gear, release the clutch.
Count 2: When it gets down to 1100 RPM, press the clutch, drop it in gear, release the clutch.

For Downshifting, go backwards.

Count 1: At 1100 RPM, press the clutch, take it out of gear, release the clutch.
Count 2: Rev the engine to 16/1700 RPM, press the clutch, drop it in gear, release the clutch...

It helps if while getting the count down if you actually count out loud. It's hard to relate time on a forum, but try this. Saying the phrase 'One One Thousand' takes right at about a second. I usually do Count 1 then say One One Thous (minus the 'and') and that works out about right. Count out loud!

Some common errors I have committed (and still do, some):

Wrong gear obviously.
Not finding the gear. Sometimes it doesn't line up where you think it might. Try changing the angle you are moving the stick.
Wrong range (Hi vs. Low)
Wrong RPMs

Good luck!

 

You are so right, the more I try to speed shift the worse I grind the gears...you have to let the rpms come down to the right spot to shift and if I get in a hurry, I will grind the gears more than I need to.

I have now driven 25,000 miles and my shifting is pretty quiet and smooth now...of course pulling a tanker you learn to shift real smooth and touch the pedals real light.

Even tho I don't use the clutch now, it still takes the same amount of time to shift through the gears.....unless I in an 18 speed, then you only have to let the engine drop 300 rpms and sometimes only 200 rpms if you are not loaded.

 

I don't understand this counting of your speed to tell you what gear you should be in. Please explain. I mean if your doing 15mph 5+1=6th gear, 25mph 2+5= 7th gear etc... that does not seem correct to me. Also, what about doing 40mph? 4+0= 4th gear? 37mph 3+7= 10th gear? 55mph 5+5=10th gear?

Never seen or heard anything like this until I read it here on this thread...just looking for some clarity.

 

Boy, this is digging into the distant past in the old brain cells...

1) Let's say you are doing an actual 40 mph.

2) Then round that speed to the nearest 5MPH mark (which would make it 40+5 =45 mph).

3) Now add the two digits together and you get 4+5 = 9...

...so the proper gear is 9th...and you could go down to eighth.

Drivers, if I made a mistake, feel free to correct me...

The best advice that I can give is hold that shift knob with your finger tips (the vibration tells me all I need to know generally about gear shifting). SHifting should be should be like cutting butter, click-click.

 

It works on 10 speeds...but you only use the "5's"....1+5=6, 2+5=7, 3+5=8, 4+5=9, 5+5=10. If you are under the "5" a little throttle to get to the "5" for the up-shift.

The reason for the 5's is that speedometers are configured in 5's....15,25,35, and so on....it's a visual easy thing. But you also have to pay attention to the tachometer....you can get 9th gear up to 60 mph, but the tach is close to maxed out....with excessive torque playing against the clutch assembly (and gears) the shift is very difficult to say the least. The driver needs to pay attention and learn to watch and combine both tach and rpm's. So another component comes into play....what engine is under the hood....a Detroit or a Cummins, higher rpm's....the Maxxforce or Cat, lower rpm's.