I hate double clutching!!!!

A couple of years ago, when I was selling my "85 359 daycab, a young man showed up, and was real interested in the truck, so I took him for a ride, and on the way back, he said can I drive it? I was a little hesitant, but he assured me he has driven trucks in his remodeling business. So I found a parking lot, with lots of room, this guy couldn't even shift it in the low side. I said, try double clutching it, that was worse. After I took over again and parked, he said, Well, I really like the truck, but the synchro's in the transmission are obviously worn, so I'm gonna pass. What an idiot.

 

[QUOTE="semi" retired;4205809]A couple of years ago, when I was selling my "85 359 daycab, a young man showed up, and was real interested in the truck, so I took him for a ride, and on the way back, he said can I drive it? I was a little hesitant, but he assured me he has driven trucks in his remodeling business. So I found a parking lot, with lots of room, this guy couldn't even shift it in the low side. I said, try double clutching it, that was worse. After I took over again and parked, he said, Well, I really like the truck, but the synchro's in the transmission are obviously worn, so I'm gonna pass. What an idiot.[/QUOTE]

You get that in all professions. Been a Certified Alpine/downhill Ski Coach for many years. Attempting to instruct people of all walks of life. The large aggressive male that already knows it all to a small shy women in the backround. We have an old saying in ski racing. It's the Indian not the Arrow. It's the same in trucking.

 

Yeah, Don't do it. - just joking. but if you want to have a left knee in a few years. Learn to float your gears. Only use your clutch for starting, stopping, and backing and an occasional moment when you are in an awkward situation. Pay attention to the sound of your engine and using your R.P.M and speed to know when to shift. The lower gears shift at a lower speed and closer together, because it does not take as long for the engine to reach it's R.P.M ( shift point ) in the lower gears, then spread the rest of the gears out a little more at a time as you go, because the engine takes a little bit longer to get the R.P.M's up at a higher speed in a higher gear. Once you learn to float your gears double clutching will be a long lost nightmare from the past. If you remember the sound of the engine, and the feel of the torque from the motor starting in the lower gears and progressing into the higher gears, it will become second nature to you. Just remember that when you double clutch, you want the clutch pedal pushed in as you are getting ready to pull the shifter out of your current gear, and you want it pushed in a second time as you are getting ready to go into the next gear. You need to do this all in one smooth motion. You just have to practice on your timing. When you are riding with your instructor, as he is driving, watch his clutch leg, his shifting hand, and pay very close attention to the sound of the motor at each and every shift and try to mimic that sound in your head as you are doing it yourself. And don't be afraid to crunch some gears until you get the hang of it. Maybe if you have an opportunity, you can sit in the truck and practice your timing of pushing in the pedal ( twice ) and pretending to shift the shifter with the engine off, just to try to get your timing down between the clutch pedal and the shifter. Again the clutch pedal should be pushed in when getting ready to pull it out of a gear, and pushed in again before going into the next gear, all in one smooth motion. when you are shifting out of your current gear, and the gear shift hit's the position of neutral, the clutch pedal should come out and right back in, ( all in one motion ), before going into the next gear, and then releasing the clutch again. So. push in clutch, shift out of current gear into neutral, ( while simultaniously letting clutch out, immediately push clutch directly back in all in one motion ), shift into next gear, smoothly let out on clutch again. When getting ready to shift out of gear- your clutch should hit the floor ( pull shifter out of gear just before, and as you let out on the clutch ), when the shifter is hitting the neutral position, your clutch should be hitting the floor again ( pushed in ), shift into next gear and let the clutch out smoothly. all in one motion. I hope this does not confuse you more. Practice your timing of working the clutch pedal and shifter while setting still in the parking lot if you need to. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and then once you pass the test, forget all about it and learn to float your gears. You will save yourself a lot of headache, and your knee. Good Luck. By the way, even though I can, and know how to double clutch, it is not required by law to pass the test. That must just be a company rule or something. Unless they changed the law since 2004. When I got my C.D.L, I got my C.D.L on my own by renting a truck to take the test in and it had an automatic. It only cost me 250.00 to rent the truck and if I remember correctly 80.00 to take the written test with all of my endorsements.

 

Just a little something that helped me.. believe me it was a headache for me at first also. Use the adams family song to help you. Its hard to explain typing but will try my best. da da da clutch in out of gear clutch in into gear get it? ask your instructor I bet he knows this trick.. Once I was able to get my foot coordinated to the rhythm it became a lot easier for me. Had it down in no time.

 

Lol...

 

Lol....not on the test right?

 

It's what I did.

 

Lol... whatever works I guess...