Clutch riding

NEVER touch the clutch except when shifting or to cancel cruise-control NEVER. Do you want to walk home?

 

i floated the gears on my test too the instructor didn't say a peep about it.

don't drive with your foot resting on the clutch pedal

 

My truck does this as well, and I use the Jake most of the time.

 

Driving on cruise I am usually sitting in the seat like I'm riding a horse, otherwise right foot is used for fuel or brake, left foot on floor (clutch only used when necessary). There is a rest for my left foot next to the clutch.

In training my instructor said I could use my left foot for braking if it was easier, but my father had ingrained in me to never do that.

 

I only use the clutch starting or stopping,so No to resting on clutch.If you have legs like a Marathon Runner and you want to double clutch,then..by all means.I got away from double clutching after about 2 months.Tended to have severe calf cramps after 14 hour days.I would definetely double clutch for the "Road test and CDL driving test ".The trick is only clutch about "even" with the top of brake pedal.Are you familiar with double clutch.? First shift is to neutral,second to the gear.Different than a car because (the gears arent synchronized).So,dont clutch "too deep) pay attention to rpms and road speed and Dont "skip any gears".You should be fine.JMO

 

The real way to shift for the dot driving test is to double clutch. The real way to shift as a new driver is to double clutch. Plan on double clutching the first 20,000 miles you drive.....you want to be able to shift without excessive grinding of the gears while double clutching. If you can't, you are not ready to teach yourself how to shift without clutching. If you do mostly interstate driving, you may not have enough experience until you reach 50,000 miles. As a local driver I was shifting the 10 speed all the time, so I had lots of practice. I was driving gravel roads in Iowa hauling corn with a cat13 engine, so it would take me a mile or two to get up to 10th, and then I would have to turn and go through all the gears again. I could downshift, skip gears, roll up to a stop sign and hit 2nd gear with no clutch. Could go from farm to co-op without touching the clutch.

Driving interstates with an 18 speed pulling milk tanker, used cruise control, very little shifting until I got off interstate for delivery.

Once you are ready to learn clutchless shifting, you may find it helpful to practice using the clutch once when you shift. So just as you let off the throttle, pull the shifter to neutral without using the clutch, then push in the clutch so you can put the lever into gear. Then you are halfway to floating gears.

Also, you need to know which gears on your truck shift the easiest, so you can practice with those gears. It might be 7 to 8, or 8 to 9, or 9 to 10. The high range gears shift easier than the low range, plus you have momentum built up, so if you miss a gear, you can pop the throttle and try again.

Getting the lever out of gear can be harder than getting the lever into a gear. As you need to have as much torque off the tranny as possible to get it out of gear. Try pulling the lever out of gear while you are accelerating or decelerating and you will see what I mean.

And the final step is to go clutchless. After you have pulled the lever to neutral, lightly touch the gear you want as the rpms fall......once the rpms match up, the light grinding will stop as you pull the lever into gear.

Just remember, it takes about a second for the rpms to fall, whether you are double clutching or shifting clutchless. You cannot shift any faster without the clutch than with the clutch. And always have the jake brake turned off, as the jakes make the rpms fall faster and you don't want that as a beginner.

Once you are proficient floating gears, then you can teach yourself how to float with the jakes on, as you do shift faster with the jakes on. I never taught myself how to float with the jakes on, as the 10 speed I learned to float on did not have a jake brake.

 

Driving down the road with your foot on the clutch is a decent way to trash a throwout bearing.

 

The double clutch bus, the double clutch bus!