Shifting Concerns

Yeah, you definitely have to shift quicker with the jake on. I, personally, feel like an idiot when I forget and leave it on up shifting. My brother says he leaves it on all the time. Says you just have to feather the throttle but I prefer it off.

 

Try lacing your fingers together and flexing them while you are trying to pull them apart. That is similar to trying to get a truck out of gear while the synchronizers are under pressure from bumping the throttle. You might get lucky 50% of the time, but any time you have to force the transmission out of gear it is going to add to the wear.

I am guessing from the info you provide that it is a simple 8 speed? It is amazing that there seems to be a huge disparity between double clutching and floating....They are the same theory except that the clutch is used to take the gear out and put it in. Some have made it a huge mystery. You need just enough clutch at the top to engage and disengage, any more will get you lost.

I understand that you are trying to get through a test and whoever is instructing you may only have two weeks to get you passed so you may have to get by with good enough for now, but it is amazing how much longer a truck will last with an artist under the wheel.

Remember what I said earlier: RPM, MPH and the right gear. If all three are at the right place at the right time the shifter will nearly fall into gear itself. But it is pretty tough teaching that over the net, it is easier to show you to tell you.

I used to get students to take it out and put it in over and over again while naming the RPM that it went in. One asked why it seemed to go in at a lower RPM every time. Simple, we were slowing down so our MPH was altering the RPM required to put it in. If we slow down enough, it will require a lower gear.

Does that make sense?

 

You're not alone there! Seems I did that a lot on I 77 and I 80!

 

That's horrible advice. Are you suggesting to a newbie they throw the truck in neutral and let it coast down? You are also suggesting throwing away the trucks ability to control road speed by use of trans. This is direct abuse of the trucks braking system. You are knocking life of the brakes, and the brakes will always remain hot, They may very well be unavailable when you really need them. All because "its toooooo tough" to learn to downshift?

THIS is HORRIBLE ADVICE!!! Bad bad bad advice, and a horrible habit to get into

So which is it? Does the DMV require 1 downshift or 2? Facts?

Downshifting isn't tough, matter of fact its extremely simple. Requiring nothing more than time in the drivers seat to perfect.

 

I just learned how to drive a tanker and my trainer told me forget downshifting (note i have 2 years of dry van experience!). The surge makes it very difficult.

trucking schools teach lots of horrible habits anyway. I remember being told not to ever ever start slowing down before being completely on the off ramp on the highway!

So you seriously want me to downshift all 13 gears before stopping, every time? Most of the time i'll downshift 3 or 4 gears and thats it. Guess what brakes are made for? Stopping!

 

very nice,, I have always double clutch, seem to listen to the engine and look at my speed, and shifts flow like butter, but when I use tack or try the rmp shift, its gets a little rough, funny I listen and it works well but look at the tack I am tripping all over my self.

 

What synchronizers? Last i checked i drive an unsynchronized transmission.

Then again its a 13 speed so its got something weird going on in there. I never did understand why if i flip the splitter back, let off the gas but then never rev it (cancelled shift, forgot about splitter), it starts grinding the #### out of the gears..

 

Look at the tach and listen then. Shift when it sounds right and look at the tach to see what rpm you're at. you'll figure it out in time.

I have the opposite problem on my motorcycle.....if i shift it by ear i end up revving it up to 10k on every gear and i get on the highway in 3rd gear instead of 6th LOL...

 

most Transmissions have a Synchonizer in them, not many without them.