Floating Gears on an incline? Missed a gear on an incline.

I've been told that grinding a gear when trying to float is considerably more damaging than grinding with the clutch in. Also told never to float during a job interview. Sounds like you got lucky.

 

I set the jakes to the lowest setting in a situation like that. If that fails then I double clutch. There are a lot of variables like weight, steepness of the incline, how fast the rpm drop, transmission ratios, you'll get the hang of it as you go along.

 

If the engine will not slow the input shaft quickly enough, use the clutch brake.

 

Yes there are a few that have done this as well although it's a lot easier to know the truck and catch the gear quicker. Use the 1.5-2 second rule flat land and a 1 second rule on hills. It all comes with experience and knowing your truck. Although that doesn't work if you slip seat or get a different truck all the time but if you drive the same truck day in and day out you get used to it and shouldn't have to jake shift. I've had a few times missing gears on hills weight has a lot to do with it. Had 10,000lbs of pipe on one day missed a split out of crown line plastics in Neb. City. I'll tell you what took me a good 30 seconds to find a gear to get moving again.

Worst miss I've ever had was locking my truck between high and low outside of Valparazo, NE on 79 south. Started up the hill didn't have my rpm right, went to pull the transmission out of gear got it out far enough for it to kick to the high side but it was still in 4 hole on the low side you talk about a cluster. 5 minutes to get it rolling again. Don't feel bad driver.

 

as others have said just didnt shift quick enough. it happens use it as a learning experience. i would suggest next time just use the clutch if you miss a gear on and rev it up to get the rpms where they should be the clutch is not your enemy but a close friend to your floating, always there when you need him to back you up.

 

No words. None.

 

You'll do good.

 

Are you saying you can't do it? There are times, especially on a super 10 transmission with it's wide ratio that a jake between gears is needed for a smooth take off up a steep hill fully loaded.

If using low jake, it's no problem at all if you are halfway coordinated and can hear what the engine is doing. When you're more used to doing it, medium jake up a hill is smooth. Much better on the whole driveline than jerking into gear and lugging the truck at too low an rpm. And, yes I use the engine fan if I don't have a jake.

You can also over rev an engine in the first 5 gears on the low side which makes it much harder to get into gear. A good driver can take off up a steep hill and change the first 5 gears and never lurch or lug the truck, and never get above 1500 at the very highest, 1000-1200 for the first three or four gears. That is harder to do on a series 60 Detroit because they don't like to pull below 1400.

 

These shifting/floating/jaking threads always end up at the same place