I also agree with whoever said using the engine to slow you down during downshifting instead of braking. It works so good. If I am approaching a red light, i almost never use my brakes unless I have too. It sometimes pisses people off who want to race to the red light. I like when they fly by me right before the red light and I gently cruise and slow down to a stop, maybe just tapping my brakes from 2nd gear. One time I told this lady who blew by me to the red light "oh blowing by me right there just got you really far ahead" as she looked so aggravated (talking on her cell phone).

I also have the privilege of driving stick on my Evo. It was once said that the gearbox shifting quality in an Evo is similar to the gearbox of a tractor. This comment would really offend tractors if you knew how bad the whole 4wd 4g63 transmission setup is. The truck gearbox shifts like gold compared to my car, only i like a hard to press clutch with short throw.

 

Best way to shift like a ricer is to slam on the breaks when shifting so it looks like you have so much power you are spinning the tires going back into gear.

 

Sure, downshift to slow down works well, and saves gas as it can shut the injectors off.
But like Shane said, the ranger manual transmissions are POS's compared to most. Lots of people break them even in stock form.
I still used to downshift to slow down, and do often in the Jetta. In the Jetta I rarely downshift lower than 3rd when coming to a stop. Brakes are cheap.

 

yeah, thats one of the best parts about a manual, plus if you have a loud exhaust it will rap when you use your engine to slow down :)

 

Only tricks with shifting that i can do is the dreaded 5mph engine cold downshift into first. Try doing that seamlessly.

I downshift the track ***** from 5th to first at every light. Its kinda fun

 

Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Down, B, A, X, X.

Makes you go sooooooooo fast!!!!!!

 

Brakes are alot cheaper then clutches

 

But how often to you replace a clutch? I have about 130,000 miles on my stock clutch. I should get atleast another 30,000 out of it. When do you do brakes? every 30,000?

So a clutch will cost $1000 bucks lets say. Brakes, about 300-400 depending on the job (Front and rear) each time?
Math says you are wrong sir

 

let me correct you
i can almost guarantee you that my trans has taken a lot more beating than yours has.. the syncros and or slave are getting jacked up.. but i haven't blown up the trans yet.

if you know how to drive, using the engine to slow you down shouldn't hurt the clutch.

 

I must have skills then matt. lol. You have skills breaking other parts of the truck...

 

I use the engine to brake. I always downshift. Just make sure you rev match when going into a lower gear.

 

i know its coming.
lots of guys with built up trucks on TRS have been breaking the output shafts

thats gonna be a bad day.

 

So how exactly does one downshift to slow down? I just push the clutch in and use the brakes. This is my first manual that ive owned, so I just drive it like my dad taught me. Id imagine that when you downshift it would over rev...

 

umm.....if you have to ask that, then you dont know how to drive a manual....sorry to say.....



uh...drviing along.....push in cluch, go down a gear on the shifter, let go of clutch = downshifting to slow down. rpms go up yes, but it's also slowing the vehicle down.

 

Don't drop down to first to slow down when you are getting off the freeway at 80. It will slow you down but in a not so nice way.

 

When slowing down...make sure you aren't too high in MPH for the gear you are going to. It takes practice to remember what revs in what gear at what MPH for downshifting. Eventually it comes second nature.

All you do is down shift, with the clutch still in, rev up to the RPM where the MPH and gear match. Then let out the clutch and viola.

Edit...all you gotta do is tap the skinny pedal real quick.

 

yea, go down one gear at a time..

get to know your truck and about how fast you go in each gear.. then you'll know when you can down shift.

 

here...I'm gonna go 80, then throw it in to 1st to slow down. SUPA BREAKS YO!

 

Hmm... so are yall talking about slowing down for a stoplight to come to an eventual stop? Or just going from 75mph to 40mph?

 

slowing down, or slowing down to a stop light.....of course we are going to use the brakes to completely stop the vehicle.....it's just downshifting to slow the vehicle down, I generally go from 4th to 3rd, and sometimes to 2nd, but never into 1st, if i'm going slow enough for 2nd gear, it wont take much braking to slow it down. not going very fast. lol.

 

Like when I'm getting off of the freeway at 70 I'll hit the brakes and drop down to about 50 then I'll shift to third and slow down the rest of the way in that gear. If it a steep area then I'll go through all the gears except 1st to slow down. I really don't know notice how fast I'm going because I do it all by sound. It becomes second nature.

Don't drop the clutch either. You will bark the tires and could possibly lose control and/or damage the tranny/clutch.

 

Ah, well now that makes sense. I do that too. I thought yall meant that you dont use the brakes at all and go all the way into 1st. But yea, I go into 3rd all the time when Im getting off the highway.

 

I like the little game of never touch the brakes at night. lol.


exactly. lol. completely right there with ya Cdogg.

AHHH MANNNN!! That sucks....that's the only way I could get my chevy to drift.....4th to 3rd clutch drop, yank the wheel one way, then foot to the floor! open rear on race truck FTL. lol.

 

Back in my drifting days I used to pop the clutch to get the back end of my RX7 out. So much fun but I'm surprised I never broke anything.

 

I always downshift as I'm slowing down. I downshift to slow down as much as I can before neeing to use the brakes. I might tap the brakes a couple times as I'm in 3rd gear to scrub a little speed, but I dont really start braking til I'm in 2nd gear and I'll usually be letting off the clutch in 2nd gear and braking at the same time as I roll up to the stop. Stop with it in 2nd gear, pop it in first and take off again. Nice smooth way to slow down and save your brakes.