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Originally posted by todras:
This post makes my head hurt. What's the point of downshifting in normal street driving if you're coming to complete stop? It sure as hell is a lot cheaper to replace brakes than a transmission or clutch. I've always dropped it in neutral. What's the point of tranny braking if you're not autoxing or on a road course.
Read my post again. Safety.
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HOW IS IT SAFER? If anything you would get on the brakes HARDER! "Look theres a kid in the street, I'm in gear and I can accelerate to hit him!" Originally posted by ODC:
Originally posted by todras:
This post makes my head hurt. What's the point of downshifting in normal street driving if you're coming to complete stop? It sure as hell is a lot cheaper to replace brakes than a transmission or clutch. I've always dropped it in neutral. What's the point of tranny braking if you're not autoxing or on a road course.
Read my post again. Safety.
Ryan
Trollin!
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Originally posted by RTStabler51:
HOW IS IT SAFER? If anything you would get on the brakes HARDER!
"Look theres a kid in the street, I'm in gear and I can accelerate to hit him!"
You obviously know nothing about defensive driving.
And emergency manoeuvers are not isolated to just kids jumping out of cars.
Every DMV book states that it is illegal to coast in neutral for good reason. If you lack the comprehension of an adult, I cannot help you.
ps. your stopping distance increases when you are not in gear.
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Originally posted by RTStabler51:
HOW IS IT SAFER? If anything you would get on the brakes HARDER!
A car in gear is almost always safer than in Neutral. There are a number of circumstances. His example may not have been the best, so I'll throw this one out there.
Imagine you're in neutral. Now imagine someone hits you, hard. Fuel cutoff will kick in, and the car will stall. However, you're now unaware of what's going on as your car rolls into oncoming traffic. Bam. You get hit again.
If your in gear, you've got a much better chance of being stopped by a stalled car.
This example is also the reason you never turn your steering wheel while waiting to make a turn. Always turn it as you're ready to go.
- Zack
WANTED: T-Red HEATED Side Mirrors
FOR SALE: 4 14" Alum Alloys and Nearly New Avid H4s Tires w/ Center Caps
2000 T-Red SVT
1995 LX V6 MTX (RIP)
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Did I say it was isolated to just kids jumping out in front? Your right, I drive my car wrong, and thus I should have my drivers license revoked! Its weird, ten years of driving and no accidents. Hmm, what am I doing wrong? How many emergency manuevers does your average driver actaully hit the gas? Hmm, probably very few. And your right. I had to throw everything I know about defensive driving out the window, or else in DC I would still be in my driveway. Originally posted by ODC:
Originally posted by RTStabler51:
HOW IS IT SAFER? If anything you would get on the brakes HARDER!
"Look theres a kid in the street, I'm in gear and I can accelerate to hit him!"
You obviously know nothing about defensive driving.
And emergency manoeuvers are not isolated to just kids jumping out of cars.
Every DMV book states that it is illegal to coast in neutral for good reason. If you lack the comprehension of an adult, I cannot help you.
ps. your stopping distance increases when you are not in gear.
Ryan
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How 'bout:
Slowing down for a red light, checked the rearview mirror and see some [censored] on her cellphone driving a caravan not slowing down. Car is in gear so quick jab the gas and swing into an open lane to avoid the collision.
This one actually happened to me.
My Cars
1999 Silver Frost SVT - 80,000km #2603/2760 Aug. 10, 1999.
1996 Mercury Mystique LS V6 MTX - retired @ 323,151km.
1995 Ford Contour V6 MTX-sold @ 214,000km
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This thread sure has turned into a pantyfest. I'm with Todd, when it comes to city traffic driving, I go into neutral when slowing and stopping. But when I'm on the highway engaged in some serious mobbing, I often use the motor to slow me down.
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b0x @dm1n
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b0x @dm1n
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Bottom Line!
$2K-3K for Trans and/or Clutch!
or
$200-300 for brakes!
Racers downshift so that they are in the correct gear when they come out of the corner. Rarely do the use them to slow down the car much.
-Andy
Andy W.
The problem with America is stupidity.
I'm not saying there should be a capital punishment
for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety
labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?
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Interestingly enough...I have posted this question on a few different makes forums. It seems the more performance oriented the car (WRX, EVO, 330, 350Z), the more people downshift. Also the more expensive the car, the more people seem to favor downshifting. I dont know what this suggests, or if it suggests anything at all. It's just interesting. Maybe the people driving more expensive cars are simply older, and stuck in their ways, i dont know.
Consesus seems to say taht slowing down your car in neutral is just blatantly wrong. You should never disconnect power from the drive wheels for any extended period of time. That isn't opinion, you are right or wrong. As far as downshifting, I always rev match, so clutch wear isn't a factor. Brakes can overheat and glaze if abused, especially if you are maybe hauling 3 200+ lbs buddies and going down a hill.
I really expected the majority of people to be in the favor of downshifting, im kinda suprised actually. I think some people have a lot to learn about how a car works, dynamics-wise. If in fact there is any credibility to saying that the Duratec, or MTX-75 can not handle "downshifting" well then i guess we have digressed quite a bit in the last 40 years. Since this was common practice back in the day. I will actually be placing a call to SVT tommorow and asking them. I don't know if they can or will give me an answer, but i'd like to know if im doing damage to my car by driving it the right way. Might be time for something new.
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Originally posted by tbirdjayc:
I will actually be placing a call to SVT tommorow and asking them. I don't know if they can or will give me an answer, but i'd like to know if im doing damage to my car by driving it the right way. Might be time for something new.
Damn dude. Are you losing sleep over this?
I'm not sure what "disconnecting power" to the wheels has to do with anything. My brother has 108,000 miles on a Zetec manual Contour. The thing hasn't had any kind of mechanical difficulties, though the "power has been disconnected from the wheels" probably half a million times.
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