DOWN Shifting

It'll come to you. Just takes practice like most things with trucks. I was backing into tight spots before I got proficient at downshifting. But it won't be long until you'll be dropping 2 gears at a time.

Do you drive a stick shift car? I found when I got mine, it really messed with my truck shifting. I'd be shifting at different rpm's, and forgetting where reverse was LOL. Then I'd get off work, hop in the car, and start double clutching, or worse, no clutching LOL.

 

Wow, you double clutch?

 

I learned on an old farm truck with a two speed rear end. It was double clutch or nothing. Actually for the top two gears I could clutch/float. Clutch to disengage the transmission and slide it into the next gear at the appropriate RPM.

 

forgive me for being ignorant but when you push the pedal to get it up to 1300 rpms' do you need to let off the gas before you engage the clutch again?

 

OK so far. But why sometimes do you do all this the 'right' way to downshift, to slow down -- and then it doesn't go into gear? I know sometimes I forget what gear I am in to start with. But, in theory, can't you skip gears anyway? Especially since all this takes time, if you want to pull into a rest-stop. I had a trainer who told me that in his whole career (years of experience), he just never downshifted at all to slow down to get off on an off-ramp, just used the brake and the clutch, and rolled. How's that for a teacher? He trained for Werner.

 

Yes you can skip gears and after you've been driving awhile you'll most likely do that all the time. The trick is to know the gear for the road speed. Your trainer sounds like a real idiot. I wonder what he would do if he was city driving slowing down for a traffic signal and the light change to green?

 

I think he was in front of me just the other day, the light turned green just before he got to the line, but it took him several moments to find the right gear and go, and then he was dumping the clutch so hard the truck was rearing up to almost be doing wheelies. LOL

 

I cheat don't tell say your in 7 going for 6 gently pull back on the stick and let off the FUEL (not gas) it will fall out of gear than hold it over the 6 hole gently pull back and ease on the FUEL you will feel it start to grind don't force it keep easing on the fuel and it will fall right in