Shifting Q's

10 speed suck, u would be better off with a 13 speed.

 

Yer preaching to the choir here. Let's go find some sinners.

 

Yes transmissions in the US have been synchronized for many years. But not in your typical OTR equipment. Like I said before you will find them in Eaton's 5 and 6 speed models but as far as the 10 13 and 15 speed in OTR equipment only the range box is synchronized. The main part of the transmission is not synchronized. Thats why you have synchronize it yourself by floating or double clutching. As far as the link that was posted for sandstruck.com it shows part numbers for a variety of transmissions. It lists a synchronizer kit for 5 and 6 speed eatons (which are fully synchronized) and also a different synchro kit for 10s, 15s and 13s which are for the range boxes of those transmissions.

If you're at a stop in neutral with the engine running and you try to push the stick into gear without using the clutch and it grinds, the transmission is not synchronized. If it simply won't go into gear without a grind, then its synchronized.

I need to apologize to danc694u for the statement I made at the end of the previous post. It was not appropriate.

 

You guys are just playing word games now.
A synchronized trans is one (usually) of the constant mesh type.
Gears area selected by sliding together dogs (Syncro's).
Some have Syncro blocker rings (clutches) that help match the speeds (this is the non-grinding type).
A non-syncro trans would be one where the gears themselves are slid and the gear teeth are what engages, like a compound low or reverse in most light duty maunal trans.

 

Synchronized and nonsynchronized are both of the constant mesh type. Thats how they operate. The difference is what medium and heavy duty transmissions are synchronized and which arent? Eaton's 5 and 6 spd models are fully synchronized. 9, 10, 13, 15 and 18 speed models that you will find in OTR equipment are not fully synchronized. No word games here.

 

Back to the OP. First off if you can accelerate you're not lugging. That changed years ago when Cummins and the rest started to come out with fuel squeezers and formula engines. However, 800 is a little low if you were loaded. But empty it can be done. To save fuel the object is to get in the highest gear as fast as possible then cruise.

The instructor is NOT teaching you progressive shifting. In fact I'm not sure what he's teaching you. Progressive shifting is generally like this. Select the gear that will move the truck with out any throttle go to 1200 shift then 1250 shift then 1300 shift and so on until you reach 200 to 300 rpm below the rated speed of that engine. Like a 1900 engine would be cruising at 1600 to 1700 and a 2100 engine would be at 1800 to 1900. Use the clutch. You're not good enough to float yet. What is a violent shift? I've only seen a transmission bang when the clutch is not used and the driver does not make the shift right. After you get a truck and gain some experience you'll start to know exactly what gear to be in at any given time. That's when you match the road speed with the engine RPM's.

Leave the engine brake off. It's there for going down grades to save your brakes. Some guys like to use them all the time but we don't because we want them to work when we need them. And anybody that drives a company truck will tell you they go out all the time. Once you learn to shift perfect all the time and want to use the engine brake then go ahead, I just think it's a waste.

You don't have the best of attitudes to get by in school or on the job at first. You may know more or think you know more but the instructor or the trainer is the one that has the final say. Your first day with this guy and you're in an argument. Come on this board and tell us what's going on so you can vent and you'll be much better off. Be courteous to the instructors and let his head swell a little and you'll do much better. You don't need to kiss ### but just understand that this guy has the final word. Do what they say because in a few months you can do what you what anyway. Good luck and keep us entertained.

 

Well thanks for your thoughts. Most of my troubles were due to my impatience wanting to split gears and go since the trucks were empty and it did not feel comfortable to plug along hitting all the gears. The rest of my troubles were with the trainer and that got resolved.

State license examiner was impressed with my driving and kept saying that he thought I had driven somewhere before. I aced the pre-trip and backing. He only dinged me on not keeping both hands on the wheel during turns.

I am now officially licensed and have all my endorsements just waiting on TWIC confirmation. Looking forward to see where this adventure leads me...

 

I'm in my second week of school and our instructor started putting my classmates and I on the driving simulator. I AM TOTALLY CLUELESS!!! Maybe its the double clutching(I totally hate it) part that I'm having a hard time grasping. It just feels like such a chore to use all of that energy to go 10 mph in 5th gear! It is just the second week (out of 8) in school, so maybe my expectations are too high,but shifting up or down just feels like the toughest thing in the world right now. Have any of you more experienced drivers ever felt as helpless as I do right now? Or is it one of those "gets better with time" type of things?

 

Hang in there. For me, I just float the gears only using the clutch to start out from a dead stop. I also have an 18 speed so not sure what you are using? I think some schools still prefer to have you double clutch. Once you get out on your own, you can shift your own way. It's also easier when no ones watching you!

 

The first bump of the clutch you take it out of gear and the second bump of the clutch you put it in the next. Usually shift around 1200 rpms on the low side and 15-1600 on the high side. Some poster here mentioned the rythm of the "Adam's Family" theme song when they snap the fingers, that's the kind of rythm you use. Doesn't have to be quite that fast but you get the gist of it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVDJvrBFDDc

You get better with time and it's really easy to get the hang of. What tranny are they using in the sim? 10 speed?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwcPr8F1xRo


www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfsyZQAjKvM&feature=related

Downshifting is easy too. Get it down to around 1000 rpms then clutch, neutral rev to around 1500 clutch and down to gear. You'll get it.