New to the 9 Speed...downshifting killing me

I drive one at school. Eaton Fuller 9 speed. When downshifting I bring the engine down to about 1300, hit neutral, rev to 1800, and shift. Works everytime. I haven't ground a gear on a downshift yet.

 

You probably shouldn't be making turns in 6th gear. Learn to downshift from sixth to fourth for your turns. 8th is the top gear in a nine speed try downshifting from eighth to seventh at around 45 mph.

Then try to go to sixth from seventh at around 35 mph from sixth to fifth around 25 mph and fifth to fourth around 18 mph and you really don't need to downshift any lower imo.

Around 1000 rpms, take out of gear rev up and go down to the next. RPMS aren't always a foolproof method of shifting as you probably know that different loads, weight and terrain seem to have an effect on shifting. You just have to learn the subtleties of your rig.

I learned in a Freightshaker FLD and a Volvo. Both trucks reacted similarly with the mph and when I went out on the road in the Columbia, it ws just like those two BUT when i got in the Volvo I'm in now, it likes for me to downshift from eighth to seventh around 50 to 55 mph as opposed to 45 as the other three. This truck may be geared a bit differently or it could be because it's the only cummins I've driven so that could be it too. But in general, from seventh on down, they're all about the same.

Learn how to downshift from eighth all the way down to first without turning the gears into dust and you'll have it down but you will still occasionally rake a gear or three from time to time lol.

 

If you're just barely moving but have a little momentum try 3rd. Revving also works for upshifting. Sometimes you'll go to shift up and maybe not have it high enough just give er a little rev and try again. 6th is a good panic gear if you're moving along a bit.

On the low side of the tranny I try to upshift somewhere around 1300 and on the high side 15-1600. again it does depend on terrain and load etc. Sometimes ya gotta get it up pretty high.

It just takes practice and you'll get it.

 

Don't do this... it is considered "out of control" of the vehicle. You can coast, just don't put it out of the gear you're in. Brake to the stop, wait for it to lug then put in the clutch. After you're stopped you can take it out of gear.

 

Dont forget you can have and eaton 9 speed in a truck and the rpms where you have to shift differ from engine to enginge.

 

Yep, I still don't think knowing the MPH will help though because it usually only stays the same in conditions that exactly match where you wrote them down at and doesn't account for how it tightens up when loaded down at various weights or when hauling various types of cargo either (i.e. liquids). The RPMs will be a better tell because they stay the same regardless when shifting. When I started out I tried using an MPH mark per gear as a gage but I quickly found out that it varied +/- as much as 7 MPH of the actual noted MPH depending on some items touched on above, but then I noticed that the gears would only grab and give at only a very particular couple of spots on the RPMs across the board.

 

hmm... well the object really is to match RPM's to ground speed, so both factors are just as important. I think what you're experiencing with different load weights or incline and decline is the amount of time you have to make the switch before the speed is wrong for the gear already.

Typically you must upshift quicker going downhill and slower going uphill, and vice-versa downshifting.

Either way, all these details prove that there is no substitute for experience.