jerking truck while shifting

Your problem may be wrong RPM and Wrong gear for take off!

I would be interested to know what RPM your at when you engage the clutch.

high idle and Jake, turn it to off

I never start off in third unless empty

1. use granny for over 75,000 gross
2. use 2nd to get the truck fom stop to 1300 prm then shift to 3rd
3. floating the gears is good if you are flat and straight all the way to top gear.......
4. (floating) let the truck gear speed match the rpm then slip it out and then back in the next hole....
5. the clutch is there when you need it just don't feather it, relax and let the tourque do all the work..... meaning do not over rev high rpms are for top gear.

just my two pennies.

 

the biggest thing to smooth shifting is smooth throttle control, use light preasure on the gear shifter so your not jamming it into gears, if your up shifting and catching the gears on the downward side your going to load the drive train one direction and then hitting the gas then reverses the load on the drive train causing a jerk. you want to use the fuel pedal to match rpm to road speed rather than trying to catch the gear as it trys to fall past it. im sure guys know more about it than i do but iv been driving a tanker so you certainly know when you don't shift smooth and iv got my shifts down like glass 99% of the time now. when you back out of the fuel to shift up the point where the drive train unloads and allows the shifter to slide out of gear is the point where the engine would rev to the current rpm in neutral i would say you then back the fuel pedal off mabye a 1/4 inch from that point to where the rpms would be for the following gear. when downshifting its the same but with applying the throttle to the point of unload and then raise the rpm just a touch for the following gear. try sitting at a stop in neutral with the parking break set and raise and lower the rpm from 1000 to 1600 and back down several times very slowly to get a feel for how much movement of the pedal it takes to go 500 rpms, its not much. it may seem like this way of shifting would be slower but once you get the feel for it its much faster and smoother, just remember not to force anything or jam on anything its all about smooth fluid controlled movements.

also try not to watch the tach listen to the motor instead, iv noticed in my 06 volvo that the tach reacts slower than the engine does, it seems like the tach is probably a half second behind the engine rpms you make a quick fluid shift and all ready be in the following gear and the tach is still dropping for a slight moment as your already back in the fuel picking up speed. if it dose not slide right in gear your rpms are off a little keep very light pressure with your fingers on the shifter and adjust the fuel pedal and it will fall right in.

not claiming to know everything just letting you know whats working for me to make my tanker trailer go down the road nice and smooth. from one new to class A driver to another.

don't get discouraged, it took me about a week of driving on my own without someone telling me what to do before everything really started falling in place (no pun intended) also in the low set of gears dont try mashing the pedal the gears are so close together and low you wont get rollin any faster putting the hammer down, there there to get you Rollin from a stop the first 5, (ill try to pay attention today but first is like 2mph 2nd is like 4mph 3rd is like 8mph ect... gears will only get you up to like 15-20 mph.) fully loaded i normally start out in 2nd or first if up hill or on soft ground. you should be able to get the clutch all the way out quickly (not just dumping it but foot completely off the pedal within 2 seconds) if you cant do that your starting in too high of a gear, as the clutch hits the very top inch or so of travel is about where you start rolling on the fuel. you never want to ride on the clutch or it will start hopping on you and wear it out prematurely.

sorry if my post is jumping around a bit and mumbled up just Rollin outta the bed for the morning getting ready to get going.

 

Just an oddity; the "truck" I'm currently driving has the "automatic" innit. It shifts all the low side gears at 17 to 1800 rpm no matter what you do with the throttle. PITA slowing down for scales and suchlike without huge slosh and rock. Reverse takes 1/3 throttle before it even moves the truck.

Sure wouldn't want to be putting a greenie on this rig.

 

Hup, I know this may sound goofy but here goes. If you have your seat set up to "glide" back and forth try locking it in place and see if that helps.

 

Nothing goofy about that at all. That was a problem I had as well.

 

I was going to say maybe a loose nut behind the wheel...

 

If you have to use throttle application to start off your doing it wrong. Select the right gear for the right application. It's not a dirt bike.