Stick shifts...?

[roka64]

Hey, does anybody down shift to assist in breaking, or is this bad for the clutch?

[crazyred]

I wouldn't think it would be good for the clutch or the gears....maybe even the engine. I simply always put it in neutral when coming to a complete stop. I also use neutral when turning a corner and then judge what gear I think I need based on how fast I took the turn (usually 2nd).

[justrelax]

i always downshift when slowing. of course, i drive a german auto which is has an engine more capable of handling higher rpm's and oil pressure. if you look at transmission trends in new auto's (especially higher end) you will notice that the automatics now rev higher and downshift sooner. as far as engine or clutch abuse goes, i'm 4g's away from 100k, and my engine runs top notch. not to mention i haven't had to replace my brakes yet!!

[roka64]

I mean I downshift and let out the clutch, to slow down, but use the break as well. I am not too worried about RPMS, unless I drop it from 6th to 4th....

[justrelax]

yeah, i hear exactly what you're saying. i do the same thing... for instance, coming off the expressway i generally go down through 3rd before i even touch the break. works just fine.
the one time it can be an issue is if your tires need replaced and the roads are slick! if the resistance at the clutch is greater than at the point where the tire meets the road, you could end up in trouble...

[fishfreek]

Its fine to do this as the motor acts as a break. Now if you where to down shift from lets say 60mph to first gear you will blow the motor as the motor will rev high. If you sequentally shift down from lets say fith, to fourth, to third, etc. Your fine. I will downshift this way when I need to break and I need extra breaking power. IE some fool pulls out in front of me in the city or something like that. Its also good for going down a steep grade as you dont have to ride the breaks.

Large trucks do this very frequently.

[evercl92]

I much prefer to ride the breaks rather than downshift. Transmission issues generally cost more than a new set of brakes / rotors. Unless you race your car (as I do), there's no point to downshift before a turn, use brakes to slow before the turn, and shift down (from 5th to say 3rd or 2nd) 75% through the turn. You can also hold the clutch in through the turn (not recommended if you are already going way too fast, or conditions are slippery). Though not a huge gain, this will also help save on gas.

[plecoperson]

I've heard the arguments for both sides before, just as above. Engine braking is very handy if you need to slow down fast in an emergency. I do it when exiting the highway, too, but try not to be too enthusiastic. We've had to replace the clutch twice and the brakes twice on this vehicle, with only 89,000 miles on it, which sucks. My husband drives stop and go all day long, though, so I guess it's fair.

[Purrbox]

Of course you should never shift from 5th to Reverse unless you want to leave your transmission scattered across the road. Heard a story of a guy that did this to avoid piling into a couple of other cars that had already colided and managed to stop in time. Lucky for him the Police Officer mentioned in the accident report that he had avoided making it much worse, otherwise the insurance wouldn't have paid for the repairs.

[plecoperson]

Of course you should never shift from 5th to Reverse...

I would definitely put that in the "too enthusiastic" category under most driving conditions!