Trouble downshifting on an 8-speed

isnt the rule, or a good starting point is 400rpm from whereever you are on the tacho?

 

I learned how to up/downshift by myself. It sucks if you have someone grading you. Now I only sometimes need a quick glance at my speedometer to quickly select a gear. RPM mishaps are a thing of the past for me.

Take your time and relax. Once you get it right a few times in a row, you will be less worried about it and you will improve further.

 

Fair enough.....When I took my road test...The examiners went "By the book".....I "tapped" the clutch pedal to make it look I was "Double-clutching".....When I learned how to drive...."Double-Clutching" was not in the curriculum......That technique doesn't work well with a "Brownie".....

 

Not really...Depends on your tranny types.....Some of the old RTO's paired with the older engines had very tight "Sweet Spots".....

And also remember engines are different too...They're closer now but back when I started.....Cat's....You'd best not screw around shifting otherwise.....They fell and you just blew the shift.....
Detroits....You could wind them up and they sit there all day for you waiting on you to shift.......

 

Bingo!!!!!

I understand for you Noobies this whole deal of driving a rig is a new and sometimes challenging experience....
And that's what it is.....Experience.......

By this time next year with a few miles under your belts.....You all will look back at this and wonder why you thought it was a huge deal....The more you do this....Shifting.....Backing...Turning....Chaining up....You get better.....
Give yourselves a break and understand this all takes time and experience.....

Good luck out there....Be safe....

 

That is the best piece of advice I think I have read since I have been on here! Nails it for all of us newbies! Thank you VERY MUCH!!!!

 

Please allow me to make a few suggestions.
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.1-If you can easilly depress the clutch pedal all the way to the floor, you need to adjust your seat farther to the rear so that you have to stretch to depress the clutch to the floor.
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.2 - The only time you depress the clutch pedal to the floor is when the vehicle is completely stopped and motionless.
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.3 - To downshift, you depress the clutch halfway, shift to neutral, clutch out, blip the throttle to raise the rpms, as the rpms BEGIN TO DROP, half clutch, shift to lower gear and clutch out.
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EXAMPLE: on a 10 speed [not your 8 speed], at 1000 rpm I would half clutch, shift to neutral, blip the throttle to raise the rpms slightly above 1300 rpm, as the rpms begin to drop, half clutch, shift to lower gear and clutch out.
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If your trainer tells you that you will get the hang of it, it did not work that way for me. It is not you. It is the explanation that you are given. Sometimes different wording is what you need and the light will come on in your head and you will get it.
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Nothing about driving a truck came easy to me especially shifting and backing. I feel your pain.

 

Very good tip .

 

Simplest way i learned to downshift is brake gently to around 10-1100 rpms, float or clutch to neutral. blip the throttle up to about 1500 rpms and float or clutch down a gear

 

I would love to ride(or maybe hate) to see how some of you shift. I've been driving truck since before i was 18 and i'm 30 now. Was i an expert back then, no i needed experience too, But I think you are all going about this wrong. Don't bother memorizing speeds in gears or formulas (25 is 2+5 = 7th gear. I also will never know why anyone would want to dubble clutch, maybe upshifting it gives you the idea that it works, but to down shift double clutch seems silly, you still have to use the throttle to mesh the gears. But then again i know 70 years old dudes that only know how to double clutch i guess its what works for you. If i had to retest for my cdl and Actually double clutch, i'd probably fail. I don't understand why you have to test on both ways.

But here is how i shift, not that you really have to think about it once you get the hang of it. I pay no attention to tach or speedo, i listen. first gear till it goes no faster, second gear till it goes no faster and so on till you hit high gear. down shifting. If i'm in 10th gear and i wanna stop, 10th gear till rpms get low, 9th gear till rpms get low, 8th gear and so on and so on. I usually skip gears down shifting(4 actually but i drive an 18 and rarely split. you just gotta fiqure out what works for you. Its probably different for everyone, but its not rocket science. don't force it into gear, its gotta slide in and it will when you match your rpms right. Also i drive truck like a race car, left foot on brake and right foot on clutch

Now feel free to tell me how bad my spelling and grammar is