Shifting Concerns

BEST ADVICE I had heard yet Hubcap!

I have found my KW (Eaton 13) likes the RPM around 1000 or BELOW. Little throttle to slip it out of gear, once in neutral, slight burp and she'll pop into the next lowest gear within that range.

I was having a rough time, UNTIL I let the RPMs drop. Problem seems that if your RPMs are still too high, you need to raise it EVEN higher to grab the lower gear in the lineup. Hell ya, it's work and practice.

I got my upshifts w/o the clutch virtually perfect..but downshifts are work-in-progress for me. Most of the time when you have issues downshifting your RPMs are still too high. If I *think* about what I am doing, I will screw up. If I try and let it come naturally, I do much better...

It will get better..each mile that passes and one day you will wonder why you ever had an issue...

 

When you raise the RPM up for the down shift, try floating it up like you have a rotten egg between your throttle and foot and you don't want to break it! most down shift mistakes are made from trying to "punch it" into gear rather than floating it, that usually causes an over rev that results in scratching it in on the way down.

Shifting really is an art! I taught both of my son in laws how to drive and both shift just like me. My uncle Sea Dog taught me back in 1976 and that man could drive, he was what I like to call "A Truckest". He passed away many years ago and still drives better than me!

I'm driving a 2002 Mack who's transmission has been slammed around so much it will pop out of gear if you don't get it perfect. Poor old thing has been abused but I swear that old dog loves me. I call her "Old Maud" to my boss. He doesn't understand.

 

Then came Maud!

 

I bet she had a few rough miles on her too. LMAO

 

Rode hard and put away WET?

OMG the visual images!!!

 

You are so right. I will get a little grinding going into the top gear, cause I shift at the same pace all the time...I am trying to practice giving a little more time on that shift.

I have now been on the road for 5,000 miles, vs the 500 miles I had in school. I now drive mostly 18 spds vs. the 10 speeds we had in school.

For DOT we had to learn double clutching. My boss wants me to drive without clutching...so I first had to unlearn double clutching, and then I had to unlearn clutching...I still use the clutch as coming out of some of the gears is easier wtih the clutch and clutching helps my timing so I don't shift too fast. I use the clutch all the time, just to help me with my timing...maybe some day I will stop using the clutch....


Fast shifting will grind the gears unnecessarily, unless you shift at a lower rpm which you can do. We shift at 1500 rpm on our Peterbilts with 475 hp and 18 spd trannies. If you have other tranny you will shift differently...every truck is different.

This truck shifts nicely, and the other day I was practicing shifting without the clutch...and it didn't want to go into 13th gear unless I used the clutch...it would go in part way, but not all the way....7th gear was the same way...it is the same gear on the low box and the high box.

Also, I tend to NOT use the clutch on downshifting...a light touch of the gear and if it matches, slide it in...although 7th and 13th need the clutch to go in once it goes part way in....isn't this fun stuff!!! The more you do it, the better you get....I can't wait to see how I am shifting after 50,000 miles.

With a full tanker, we tend to downshift through all the gears in the high box, using the jake brake to slow us down...as that is what the boss wants us to do to reduce wear on the brakes. We take a mile to slow down off the interstates, letting the jake slow us down...good practice on downshifting!!!

 

I will never criticize any one about how they shift.
My boss put me in a '95 KW with a super 10, because the truck that i drive was in the shop. All i know about super 10's is that you have to split every gear. When i think i have it righti forget what gear i'm in. With a few more days of practice i just might get it.

 

I been driving 2 yrs otr and 6 local tankers, well this will work its way out, I did the same as u are now. I know my spped and rpms by heart 7th -25 6-15 ect low range 800 high range 1100, these rpms ranges are not text all trans shift differntly, It just started working one day like magic.....

 

My school is not teaching double clutching and says trucking companies don't demand people know it..

Is this true? I can't float either but I shift good up and down no prob and can skip gears easly ( when the instructor is busy flirting with the students )