Is Double-Clutching "Bad"?

Watch this, then go out and practice

 

Thats funny I'm almost 70 years old , started driving as a teen. My uncle , the man who taught me to drive , taught me to use that 3rd pedal. Once I mastered that I figured out myself how to float. Done right each is an acceptable way. But a smart driver knows how to tell when using the clutch is needed. As far as my knees , both are fine , using the clutch won't do you any harm at all , actually it helps you keep the circulation going good.

 

Some people's knees don't last as long as others. Mine are still in good shape after +30 years driving and 50 years alpine skiing. Worst thing for your legs is jumping off of trucks and trailers.

 

The clutch only breaks torque, it does nothing for the actual shift. Guys that can't float is because they are likely making the shift to fast, if you are able to do it when double clutching its because of the extra time spent pushing in the clutch to go back into gear. The shift will only go when road speed and input shaft speed match clutching or not.

 

I had one teammate who i had to kick off my truck because she was tearing up the gears like crazy. I told her and my boss she cant drive and has no business on the road. It turns out she DOES know how to shift but she kept grinding the gears because she was "floating" and absolutely refused to dc.

Last i checked she was working at Target now...

 

I can float going up the gears, but still haven't got it on downshifting. Lately I've found myself just barely pushing in the clutch and shifting to the next higher. Just one single shallow push on the clutch. Almost like driving a ford ranger.

 

Uh, the first clutch breaks the torque, to pull the coupler off the gear. The second clutch brings the countershafts back up to speed to sychronize the splines with the coupler. Two heavy countershafts with no sychros is why the manufacture says you must double clutch.

You can float fast or slow, but indeed to learn to float, many make the mistake of going to fast when they cannot even go slow.

to the op - Double clutching doesn't hurt nor "wear out the clutch." All clutch wear happens on the starts not on the gear shift. Ignore the supertruckers that boast about their ability to 'float.' Good skill to have, but you need to be able to use that clutch when needed. A lot, not all, of the supertruckers floating out there are just in the processes of tearing up there boss's gear box.

 

I find it rather amusing how some seem to put forth the notion that if you don't float the gears you're not a real truck driver, and/or floating 100% of the time is a pre-requisite to being labeled a "super-trucker".

This question comes up 6 times a year, and the responses never change. So, truckers are a consistent lot if nothing else.

Want to make a super-trucker go crazy and be committed to a psych ward? Take him out of his manual tranny truck and put him in an automatic.

 

Is that so? Try sticking your hand in the engine fan sometime with the fan coupled. Now imagine your fingers are gears.

 

That little video is a joke... it's a 13 or 18-speed with a "conversion" kit... one stick is running the range-change, one is running the splitter... it's a fake set of sticks...



The truck I run has a proper set of boxes, 6-speed main and a 4-speed auxiliary.

Regarding double-clutching and floating, to the OP...

Learn both. Double-clutching is a good skill to have, it doesn't hurt to know how to do it, and there are instances where it can be better for the truck. Heavy starts in soft ground and the like.

Floating is easier on you the driver, and it is easier on the clutch assembly, as well.

If you're more comfortable with double-clutching right now, use double-clutching. But, don't feel scared to practice floating.

I probably float 85% of my shifts.