Does gear shifting wear a transmission?

[PlasmaBomb]

Only if they're inflated to sidewall, though.

Is there a Godwin's law regarding fleabag?

ATG Law - the more posts in a thread, the greater the likelyhood that it will need to be "inflate(d) to sidewall" to support the load...

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

My LS has a tendency to gear hunt around 45-50 if left in D5. So I just drive in D4 for in-city driving.

 

[Viperoni]

This thread hurts my head

 

[thomsbrain]

it could also be the lock-up clutch engaging and disengaging

This.

 

[Doppel]

Did someone just post a thread asking about automatic transmission wear...and then, in the space of the very same thread, suddenly become an expert on the subject?

:hmm:

lmao, this is pure internet awesomeness right here

 

[Jeff7181]

You assumed that is what I said, it is not. Not even close...

In an automatic transmission the clutches control what parts of a planetary gear set move, and what parts do not. They are only responsible for stopping the inertia of small pieces of metal and holding them in place.

In a manual transmission the clutch connects the engine's output to the transmission and slips until the engine and wheels match speed.

Clutches in an automatic and manual transmission function in a fundamentally different way.

That's incorrect. You have a driven member and a driving member, just like with a manual transmission. The load is still there, and it's exactly why aftermarket clutch packs for automatic transmissions sometimes include extra frictions and steels - to put up with the abuse of a higher output engine or a heavier vehicle. Not because the planetary gear set is heavier in one transmission vs. the next.

 

[kalrith]

My 2001 Mazda Tribute was horrible with gear-hunting. I'd have the cruise set anywhere from 65-80 on the highway and it would downshift to 3rd for the very slightest incline or even if there was a gust of wind on a flat road. Driving from SW Missouri to Tulsa would probably result in 50+ downshifts with the cruise set to 5 over the speed limit the whole way. When I drove my other car ('92 Mercury Cougar) to Tulsa, it would only downshift 2 to 3 times with the cruise set to the same speed as the Tribute.

What's really sad is that my new 125hp Suzuki Forenza seems to have more gumption in 4th gear than my 200hp Tribute. It doesn't downshift to third much more than my Cougar does.

The Tribute tried to be resourceful and fixed the gear-hunting problem on its own. It broke the intermediate band, so now it only has 1st and 3rd gears, so there's no gear hunting on the highway anymore

 

[hanoverphist]

i love these threads, they amuse me.

i have a dodge truck with a 5sp manual trans in it, 4 months after i got it i had my clutch pretty much explode. it had 84k miles on it. ive since gotten the mileage up to 225k (in 4 years) and am still on the same clutch. my old datsun wasnt as lucky, it lasted about 120k before i trashed the clutch. i tend to drive it like its stolen, but i have fun.

my older cars that had auto transmissions lasted a long time as well, my 76 impala had the original at 190k just like my 79 stepside 4X4. both transmissions outlasted the engines. there were many other cars, but those two had the most miles. 190k for the impala and 195k for the truck. im surprised the truck lasted that long, about 90k of that mileage was hard, offroad destruction. i sold it with a busted cylinder, 2 frame cracks and a messed up suspension.

 

[IcePickFreak]

So are you guys saying that using reverse to slow down isn't a good idea? It really saves on having to replace my brake pads.

Which reminds me, I need to go pick up my transmission where I left it.

 

[Raduque]

My 4-cyl with no O/D on the 5-speed manual has never bothered me. Gas mileage could be a little better, but it's still got passing power on the highway.

Actually, you DO have an overdrive, only it's not called that; It's called 5th gear.

Overdrive means a higher (numerically lower) top gear ratio than an acceleration gear.

In most manuals, 5th is somewhere around a .8-.6 ratio.

Just one example, from a ZF S5-42 5-spd manual:

Close Ratio
1st Gear: 4.14
2nd Gear: 2.37
3rd Gear: 1.42
4th Gear: 1.00
5th Gear: 0.77
Rev Gear: 3.79

 

[simonizor]

Clutch in a manual only wears when you're releasing it. Once the thing is in gear, there's no slip, no wear, no clutch damage of any kind.

So you're saying that riding the clutch while the vehicle is moving does absolutely no damage?

Why the hell haven't the admins banned this fucking idiot garage troll yet?

 

[skyking]

So you're saying that riding the clutch while the vehicle is moving does absolutely no damage?

Why the hell haven't the admins banned this fucking idiot garage troll yet?

Because the half-wit is only half-serious.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Clutch in a manual only wears when you're releasing it. Once the thing is in gear, there's no slip, no wear, no clutch damage of any kind.

So you're saying that riding the clutch while the vehicle is moving does absolutely no damage?

Why the hell haven't the admins banned this fucking idiot garage troll yet?

If you ride the clutch you will cause it to slip... thus making it wear.

Edit: You have enough pressure on the clutch pedal to partially disengage the friction plate on the clutch, allowing it to partially slip.

Unless it means something different in the US...

 

[LTC8K6]

Clutch in a manual only wears when you're releasing it. Once the thing is in gear, there's no slip, no wear, no clutch damage of any kind.

So you can take off in high gear with your trailer full of boulders then? If you get it in high gear, there'll be no clutch wear?

If you're in high gear and come to a long, slow, steep, grade, you can just climb the grade in hgh gear then? The clutch won't slip because it was already in gear?

 

[skyking]

If you ride the clutch you will cause it to slip... thus making it wear.

Edit: You have enough pressure on the clutch pedal to partially disengage the friction plate on the clutch, allowing it to partially slip.

Unless it means something different in the US...

I believe your sarcasm detector needs new batteries.

 

[Howard]

Well, if your car is in a situation where engine power is not required to make it maintain a constant speed, technically even if you ride the clutch it won't wear since the frictional surfaces are not moving relative to one another.

 

[Meghan54]

Shawn....you need to quit using treble hooks. They catch too easily.

 

[LTC8K6]

Well, if your car is in a situation where engine power is not required to make it maintain a constant speed, technically even if you ride the clutch it won't wear since the frictional surfaces are not moving relative to one another.

If engine power is not required to make the car maintain speed, then you can shut the engine off and save wear on that too, and fuel...

 

[Jeff7181]

Well, if your car is in a situation where engine power is not required to make it maintain a constant speed, technically even if you ride the clutch it won't wear since the frictional surfaces are not moving relative to one another.

Only if the transmission is in neutral. Otherwise the output shaft of the transmission is being driven by the wheels and will be driving the input shaft of the transmission which would be spinning the pressure plate and unless you're VERY good at rev matching WHILE riding the clutch, there's still going to be an RPM difference between the flywheel and pressure plate, and thus slippage and excessive wear.

 

[Jeff7181]

If engine power is not required to make the car maintain speed, then you can shut the engine off and save wear on that too, and fuel...

And you could have hydraulic suspension installed and manipulate it so that you're driving with only three wheels on the ground, reducing rolling resistance and saving wear on one of your tires.

 

[Howard]

If engine power is not required to make the car maintain speed, then you can shut the engine off and save wear on that too, and fuel...

Brilliant!

 

[ShawnD1]

Brilliant!

The engineers responsible for the Toyota Prius thought of this over a decade ago, but it's good that ATG is still enthusiastic about new ideas