Shifting Concerns

Slow down then down shift, speed up then up shift.

Stop worrying about what gear your in. WHat matters is that its the correct gear for the speed. Listen to your engine. Speed up 4000 rpm's and shift.

Don't make this tougher than it is. And leave your Jake OFF.

 

If you downshift every gear then you need to be taught by some one that knows how to shift. I hardly touch the brakes and I skip gears all day long. That's because I know what gear to be in at any given time. Sounds like you race to stop sign to stop sign.

 

Uhmmmm 400 maybe? 4000 might be a tough shift!

 

What the hell are you talking about, I said downshift when slowing. I didn't say anything remotely implying that I was racing to a stop sign. Another poster said don't worry about downshifting learn to upshift and just be in the right gear when you turn. That means that he is using his brakes only and choosing the gear to turn with. Why abuse your brakes when you have a perfectly good motor to help you slow down with.

 

I have been watching this discussion closely and glad to see there is no set correct answer. Allow Me summed up my experience with this issue to a tee. My Dad taught me how to drive his pickup it had a standard H. He had one very strict rule I was never to skip a gear either upshifting or downshifting and i follow this when I drive a big truck today. My Dad was a truck mechanic for IH and he said a truck needs to go through its gears its good for it ( I was maybe 8 years old and a girl and this is the only explanation I was given and I knew if i wanted to drive his truck I would do as he said or I would have to learn on Mom's car when I was maybe 14 at the earliest lol ).

This site is great!

 

I better clarify, I dont start out in granny gear when light but other than that I dont skip gears.

 

Hi, i like this post , the lesson i learend that day was too never borrow my freind truck again, mainly i wasnt used to it, when i drive, i really pay close or how the engine running tells me when too upshift-downshift, dad said never mind the gauges, tach, too, they could be off , after all they dont call them idiot gauges for nothen, there very few trucks anymore thats has a a real cable too tach anymore, so i just listen too the engine, most time its works pretty good, my instructer like they said earler in this post is go by the speedometer , and thats what gear you should be in, now thats allright, but for me i like too play with the shifter, meaning if i have a super light load ill start out in high side miss the lowers en just use the high ends, dad used too call it the lazy shift ,if im somewhat heavy i kinda missed a few as i go thru em , its all about your truck and you, if your comfy with your truck and know what it can and can not do, dont force it ,jamming into gears, i hear that so many times , sitting at the light , grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr grrrrrrrrrrrrc wont go in come on get in grrrrrrrrrrrr , im just thinking there goes a tranny ,so for me downshifting is about the load behind you, your brakes and the person in the truck driving it, Everett.

 

i'd hate to be behind you while your hitting 9 gears to a stop sign!!:smt015

 

lol you dont hit them all to get down to a stop, you just dont skip a gear.