Double clutching described by Missouri: Is it accurate?

Dreamboat all this you need to know may seem difficult and overwhelming but once you get the hang of it its all second nature.

 

#3 occurs naturally when your foot comes off the accelerator, their wording suggests it is something you have to actively do to the engine...which you don't.

They probably put that in there so they don't get people blipping the accelerator inbetween shifts. There was a student in my class that always did that because that is the way someone showed him how to incorrectly change gears. The instructor gave him hell for doing it, but he always managed to fall back into that old habit.

 

I was reading step 1 and 2-- and not liking it. When you put it in neutral, it is only for a very brief moment while the rpms are actively dropping. Say you're in 3rd gear or something (could be any gear going to the next higher gear) rpms build up to say 1500 (there is a window like between 1400 and 1600 rpms for ideal shifting depending on uphill, downhill pothole whatever) so now you're ready to upshift. Push in clutch 1.5 inches (talk about later) pull gear shifter out of third and release clutch and push clutch one more time 1.5 inches-- all during this time the engine speed (rpms) is rapidly dropping, say 1300 rpms is the magic number to shift it now to 4th gear. If the rpms drop too much it won't go into gear, maybe feather the throttle to bring the rpms back up and shift til you get better.

1.5 inches on the clutch thing. I don't have the exact number and each truck is different but a good way to find out how much to press the clutch to disengage is to put the truck in gear and press on the brakes and slowly let out the clutch til you feel the torque take over. That's the high limit of the clutch so you press maybe another inch down for full neutral in gear say at stop signs and lights. This is required so the examiner knows you are in control of the vehicle at all times.

Avoid pressing the clutch all the way to the floor because that activates the clutch brake which helps get the transmission into low or first gear when starting out. Over time you will see these guys trying to start off with a huge clunking noise because they have no clutch brake left and have no choice but to jam it into gear without a kiss first.

I know mine is about gone at 750,000 miles, what I have to do is flip it up into the highest gear and try to gently put it in gear, when it is almost there I flip it back to the low side and slip it into Lo or 1st gear otherwise another trick is to have the truck already shut off then start up there is a small window of time with the clutch depressed that it will go into any gear while the rpms are still building up.

 

I know all this is a lot to read and understand the day before testing but its all stuff you need to know.Two other importants things to remember is DO NOT shift on tracks that's and AF(automatic fail) and do not coast more then a trailer length coming up to a stop sign or lite.DMV comsiders that losing control of your vehicle.

 

What @Redtwin said is right. How is your school going @Dreamboat

 

Please let us know how your testing goes.

 

I learned to float from the get-go. (Taught by an older driver that learned to drive right after the wheel was invented). Fortunately, my CDL examiner had a long day, and I was her next to last driver...so she was on a sight seeing trip. All I did was squeek the clutch pedal enough to make is appear I was double clutching (was actually just using the free-play in the linkage). Passed with flying colors, and haven't used a clutch to shift (in a big truck) since, and that was 22+ years ago.