New to the 9 Speed...downshifting killing me

What disturbed me the most here was seeing tranny and beer in the same post... lol j/k

The trick with downshifting is knowing the rpm where your lower gear likes to be hit at. Sometimes you have to tap the accelerator to get the rpm to match right other times you just listen for the right sound and let it fall in. There is both a high RPM and lower RPM shift point as well as what is known as a dead or ghost shift (which is no RPMs or not very many usually only the really low ones when taking off at stop lights etc). Also, with clutching think of the Adams family song particularly the, "dunt-dunt-dunt-dunt-snap-snap," part because that is exactly the same as the rhythm that your clutch likes to pop-out and pop-in at so it helps to have the song do that in your head. On the first snap you come out of gear and on the second go into it. It will at least get you sensitized to how your shifting should go. The RPMs can be different on each various set up and truck, but the clutching rhythm and concept is the same.

 

When getting ready to downshift, slowdown (break urself if u have to) to 1000 rpm, then start saying to your self outloud : "CLUTCH" (shift to nuetral), "FUEL" (step on the fuel enough to get u bout 1500 rpm), "CLUTCH" (downshift to wanted gear). If u practice saying these 3 steps outloud (CLUTCH, FUEL, CLUTCH) you should pick up downshifting pretty quick..repetion and coordination is all it takes, as u probably already know...Hope this helps, it did for me.

 

9th gear 45 mph, 8th 35, 7th 25, 6th 15, 5th 10. around 11 rpms could also be an indicator, and rev up to around 15.. Instructor said you can use the method of minus 4. Ex: say you top end at 15rpm in 5th gear. your now in 6th. to down shift back to 5th you have to be within 4 rpms of that top end of 5th which is 12,13,14,or 15 rpms, and each gear accordingly.

just tryin to help.

school boy.

 

9 Speeds, next to an auto shift is prolly the easiest tranny to drive. Youll get the hang of it.

 

Turning into drives in 6th gear... Maybe. Maybe not. Gear selection is the first step. I know this is obvious, but I've done it myself. Tried endlessly to get the gear I thought was right, only to discover it wasn't my timing at all. Usually moving too fast, and picking too high a gear for down shifting. When I tried tapping the brakes to slow way down,and moving down to say 5th, sometimes even 4th... she practically shifted herself.

If you timing and method is sound, it's just a matter of pickin' the right gear ...

 

When downshifting from 7th at that speed I would try revving it up 800 and going to 5th. 10mph may be too slow for 6th on a 9 speed. Grabbing 2 gears on the downshift always seemed to work best for me at school.

 

next time you're in the yard, hit 6th gear, run it up to 1500 rpms and hold it there, and write down the speed.

next time you want to downshift to 6th, brake down to that speed, shift to neutral, rev it up to 1500, and shift into 6th.

you should really do it for every gear though, and memorize it.

 

Now THAT is the exact right way to know.