When you come to a stoplight do you leave the gear in first holding the cluch down, or do you put it in nuetral and chill?

Basically we are trying to determing what is the best way to drive with the least amount of wear. If you guys are anything like we are then you will deffinetly have a strong opinion.

Edit: "We" refers to me and my friends sitting around drinking and talking about cars. Man I love Beer


Modified by mattmw88 at 11:13 PM 1/28/2007

 

I go nuetral at stop lights. That is unless of course its starts to roll again I will get it into first and go. I have a stage 2 clutch in my car and im kinda new. It seems really hard for me to balance the thing at all. With a stage 2 either you give gas or stall lol.

 

i bang the shifter so hard it throws the tranny out of alignment and makes me smile

whats the point

and who is this "we" you speak of

voices on teh intarweb are not statistics for wear and tear on a tranny. the results will be inconclusive since driving conditions are different for each car and driver.....how engagements are done, shifting, ease of using the transmission to break, rather than the brakes themself

 

holding the clutch down is supposed to put more stress on things as compared to just being in neutral. Ask the DSM folks why they don't and why they get rid of the clutch safety switch.

 

Putting the clutch in and holding it down only puts stress on the clutch hydraulics and the pressure plate.

Taking it out of gear, then going back in, requires two pushes of the pedal, and 2 gear changes as well.

My vote goes to holding the clutch down, though that can get old at long lights.

 

i'm pretty sure putting it in neutral is the best route for the least wear. i'm on my 3rd throwout bearing

 

i usually pop it into neutral way before the light and coast to a stop.
id say i chill in neutral most of the time at a stop because of my clutch.

 

yeah same here. i'm also running a stage 3(no fun in traffic)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by spOolin97 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i usually pop it into neutral way before the light and coast to a stop.
id say i chill in neutral most of the time at a stop because of my clutch.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I agree. Seems like this is the majorety opinion, or at least my leg agrees with it.

Thanks all.

 

wow your running a stage 3... can you balance the thing at all? You shouldnt be at stage 3 with an n/a or with near stock hp

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bb4ever &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Putting the clutch in and holding it down only puts stress on the clutch hydraulics and the pressure plate.

Taking it out of gear, then going back in, requires two pushes of the pedal, and 2 gear changes as well.

My vote goes to holding the clutch down, though that can get old at long lights.</TD></TR></TABLE>

whats the pressure plate connected to? the flywheel. What's the flywheel connected to...

 

i would say that leaving it in gear is worse for the clutch.

plus you don't have to leave your leg all flexed pressing the clutch for 2 mins straight.

of course i usually hold it down when i expect the light to change quickly.

whatever works for you

 

yeah i know. i just got the stage 3 because i plan on boost in the months coming up. its not bad though

 

I pop it into neutral way before the light too!!!

 

its prob just because im a newb at stick. Only been drivn stick for about a month. Dont you guys down shift when comn up to a stop lights. I go 5,4,3,2, N

 

Naw, I never downshift

 

sometimes i downshift, sometimes i don't. i like doing the heel-toe thing. its just fun to practice it.

 

lol I have already broken my front mount. I had to get an insert ordered from phantasm. Maybe I will chill with the whole downshifting thing unless im just talkn a corner or somthing

 

i put it in neutral never downshift waste's gas and i have a stage two 6 puck and chill cuz im a chillin kinda guy ya know lol

 

at short lights i leave it in gear long lights i put in N. i usually dont downshift. just stay in gear until i get close to car and clutch in

 

I dont recommend downshifting when coming to a stop.. I drove like that for a year and 1/2 or so, my first year of driving stick. I either downshifted smoothly at low revs, or rev-matched downshifted pretty well. I never really put too much stress on the clutch, no jerks, etc. I just put in a stage 2 ACT clutch though, and now that I'm thinking more about clutch wear and tear, I downshift only when I need it in a lower gear because I'm about to lug the engine or because I need the revs higher for when driving fast. Looking back I think that downshifting all the time is just wasting your clutch, and using the brakes and keeping the clutch pedal in is smarter. Its not like it will ruin your clutch, but its a bit unnecessary. Well thats my view, being in a similar situation when I started driving stick in june 05.
good luck, nice choice of first mod! You should be proud that you put that ahead of everything else.
mike.

 

most people will downshift in the winter time when there is snow on the road...keeps the car from going sideways...of course unless you want it to

 

i usually downshift n just revmatch

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by M2B4 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">at short lights i leave it in gear long lights i put in N. i usually dont downshift. just stay in gear until i get close to car and clutch in</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

Putting a car in neutral at a light is less wear on your throw out bearing, slave cylinder and master cylinder. also the clutch damper. Also if your pedal height isn't adjusted correctly if you just push in the clutch and leave it in gear you are wearing your clutch when you shouldn't be.
Just make sure you aren't resting your foot on the clutch pedal when you are in gear or neutral at a light. Resting your foot on the pedal can cause throw out bearing failure.