stick shift drivers, how do you deal w/stoplight on an incline angle?

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: BD2003

Eh, to me, involving another pedal/brake is more of a hassle than psychologically signaling to the people behind me to not be a dick.

Besides, when it comes down to it, its all academic. If there is an inch of room behind me, and I bump into the car behind me, it isnt even going to so much as scratch it. If theres enough room for me to roll and gain enough speed to do damage, then I had more than enough room to slow foot it.

You've already said you'd go into reverse (bringing your hand and shifter into the mix), and rev the engine to "psychologically signal" the other driver to back off. That's much more hassle than using the handbrake, no? Why would you even want to risk rolling back into the driver behind you?

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: BD2003

Eh, to me, involving another pedal/brake is more of a hassle than psychologically signaling to the people behind me to not be a dick.

Besides, when it comes down to it, its all academic. If there is an inch of room behind me, and I bump into the car behind me, it isnt even going to so much as scratch it. If theres enough room for me to roll and gain enough speed to do damage, then I had more than enough room to slow foot it.

You're already said you'd go into reverse (bringing your hand and shifter into the mix), and rev the engine to "psychologically signal" the other driver to back off. That's much more hassle than using the handbrake, no? Why would you even want to risk rolling back into the driver behind you?

Because it makes me feel good about myself, and its fun.

 

[edmundoab]

Originally posted by: senseamp
Handbrake. Give it a little gas, slowly release clutch when you feel it start to catch, release the handbrake.

thats the proper way.. but in actual practice I end up just balancing between the clutch and the gas pedal
or worst come to worst, hit the breaks

 

[Eli]

For fscks sake, BRAKES.

 

[ta8689]

Originally posted by: Eli
For fscks sake, BRAKES.

exactly. think about it like a motorcycle. do you balance the clutch and gas? hell no u just pull the brake. at least me and everyone i know that rides a motorcyale does. i dont see the point in wearing out the clutch. especially when brakes do such a good job of stopping you....seeing as thats what they were designed for.

 

[imported_Phil]

Originally posted by: ta8689

Originally posted by: Eli
For fscks sake, BRAKES.

exactly. think about it like a motorcycle. do you balance the clutch and gas? hell no u just pull the brake. at least me and everyone i know that rides a motorcyale does. i dont see the point in wearing out the clutch. especially when brakes do such a good job of stopping you....seeing as thats what they were designed for.

He's making the point that no-one is able to spell brakes in this thread. Or on these forums, come to think of it.
Also, ridiculous, just in case anyone thinks about jumping in there with "rediculous".

 

[Witchfire]

It boggles the mind how so many people insist on making something so simple this damn complicated. Is it REALLY that difficult for people to manage an incline with just the service brakes???

Originally posted by: domsq

Originally posted by: Phil

Originally posted by: Witchfire
Sorry... No, it doesn't add safety. It adds unnecessary steps to a simple process. Using the handbrake is actually one of the more serious errors that can be done. It has the potential for locking up the brakes, due to the mechanical locking mechanism built into them.

The handbrake is to ONLY be used for parking. Other uses are a common misconception. The correct terminology for the 'handbrake', as you put it is Parking Brake, not 'handbrake', or 'Emergency Brake'.

This information is actually part of the Commercial Drivers License test.

Wow, you wouldn't last five minutes with a UK driving instructor.

[Edit] Oh, and I'm fairly sure that the manual for my Focus refers to it as a handbrake.

Exactly... here, in South Africa, if you don't use your handbrake while getting clutch control, during the driver's test, you WILL fail. Even if your car rolls back a couple of mm's worth, that's classed as an instant failure.

I agree that you do, with time, get a feel for the accelerator\clutch relationship, but I still use my handbrake when starting off up a hill with a reasonable incline.

No, I wouldn't last 5 minutes with a UK driving instructor. I work with a few people from the UK, and not one of them can drive worth spit. Most likely in about three minutes, I'd strangle him & leave him on the side of the road dead... thus doing a great service for all truly safe drivers in the world.

As far as South Africa... Yes, indeed, I see South Africa as the great drivers nirvana, where all the worlds drivers should take heed from... Right after the South African instructor spends a few weeks dealing with San Francisco streets or just about any Appalachian Highway.

When anyone else here can show me where they have over 750,000 miles documented with no accidents, I might actually buy that you know what you're talking about.

Oh, and by the way, 2004 Ford Focus Owners Manual on p.112 has an entry for use of the PARKING BRAKE. There is no entry in Driving or Driver Controls for a 'handbrake', nor any reference to a 'handbrake' in the index.

Ford Fleet Website for Downloadable Owners Manuals

 

[imported_Phil]

Originally posted by: Witchfire
No, I wouldn't last 5 minutes with a UK driving instructor. I work with a few people from the UK, and not one of them can drive worth spit. Most likely in about three minutes, I'd strangle him & leave him on the side of the road dead... thus doing a great service for all truly safe drivers in the world.

And by "truly safe drivers" you mean someone who doesn't use the handbrake, yeah? :roll: Also, I still put it to you that you wouldn't last five minutes with a UK driving instructor, not a regular driver.
Keep digging, you're doing a great job.

When anyone else here can show me where they have over 750,000 miles documented with no accidents, I might actually buy that you know what you're talking about.

That just proves you're lucky, nothing else. I did 26,000 miles in six months with my last job without anything resembling an accident. The rest of my 100,000+ mileage since learning has also been entirely accident-free. Do I qualify for your oh-so high and mighty pedestal of good driving? Didn't think so, because I guess my e-penis isn't big enough to deflate your capacious ego.

Oh, and by the way, 2004 Ford Focus Owners Manual on p.112 has an entry for use of the PARKING BRAKE. There is no entry in Driving or Driver Controls for a 'handbrake', nor any reference to a 'handbrake' in the index.

Ford Fleet Website for Downloadable Owners Manuals

I'm amused you actually took the time to go and look that up. Like I said, I was fairly sure, but I may well be wrong. Incidentally, that manual's from the US site and I'm not in the US.

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: Witchfire
Oh, and by the way, 2004 Ford Focus Owners Manual on p.112 has an entry for use of the PARKING BRAKE. There is no entry in Driving or Driver Controls for a 'handbrake', nor any reference to a 'handbrake' in the index.

I thought parking brake = hand brake, no?

 

[imported_Phil]

Originally posted by: randomlinh

Originally posted by: Witchfire
Oh, and by the way, 2004 Ford Focus Owners Manual on p.112 has an entry for use of the PARKING BRAKE. There is no entry in Driving or Driver Controls for a 'handbrake', nor any reference to a 'handbrake' in the index.

I thought parking brake = hand brake, no?

Yep. We call the trunk a boot and the hood a bonnet. Doesn't make them any less of a boot and a bonnet.

 

[imported_Phil]

Oh, one more thing.

Using the handbrake is actually one of the more serious errors that can be done. It has the potential for locking up the brakes, due to the mechanical locking mechanism built into them.

Correct. However, there's this little button on the end which release the brakes.

 

[thedarkwolf]

SHUTUP SHUTUP SHUTUP GOOD GOD MAKE IT STOP


and handbrake users are gay

 

[imported_Phil]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
SHUTUP SHUTUP SHUTUP GOOD GOD MAKE IT STOP


and handbrake users are gay

Ah, Captain Maturity has arrived.
Here's an idea; if you don't like the thread, don't read it.

 

[thedarkwolf]

maturity left about 200 posts ago

 

[imported_Phil]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
maturity left about 200 posts ago

And you're helping with that by calling handbrake users "gay", aren't you?

 

[thebigdude]

Originally posted by: senseamp
Handbrake. Give it a little gas, slowly release clutch when you feel it start to catch, release the handbrake.

:thumbsup:

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: thebigdude

Originally posted by: senseamp
Handbrake. Give it a little gas, slowly release clutch when you feel it start to catch, release the handbrake.

:thumbsup:

yes, this is correct. as for you two that are arguing, whether something is in a handbook or not if you know what you're talking about and so does the other person, that's all that matters.

to me, handbrake = parking brake. if there is any difference, then this is what i think it is: parking brake is that brake you use in an automatic to put your car from "D" (or drive) into "P" (or park). hand brake is the thing you pull up for HAND BRAKE maneuvers (notice it's never referred to as "parking brake maneuvers") and to aid the parking brakes in holding the car in place

 

[domsq]

Originally posted by: Witchfire
It boggles the mind how so many people insist on making something so simple this damn complicated. Is it REALLY that difficult for people to manage an incline with just the service brakes???

Originally posted by: domsq

Originally posted by: Phil

Originally posted by: Witchfire
Sorry... No, it doesn't add safety. It adds unnecessary steps to a simple process. Using the handbrake is actually one of the more serious errors that can be done. It has the potential for locking up the brakes, due to the mechanical locking mechanism built into them.

The handbrake is to ONLY be used for parking. Other uses are a common misconception. The correct terminology for the 'handbrake', as you put it is Parking Brake, not 'handbrake', or 'Emergency Brake'.

This information is actually part of the Commercial Drivers License test.

Wow, you wouldn't last five minutes with a UK driving instructor.

[Edit] Oh, and I'm fairly sure that the manual for my Focus refers to it as a handbrake.

Exactly... here, in South Africa, if you don't use your handbrake while getting clutch control, during the driver's test, you WILL fail. Even if your car rolls back a couple of mm's worth, that's classed as an instant failure.

I agree that you do, with time, get a feel for the accelerator\clutch relationship, but I still use my handbrake when starting off up a hill with a reasonable incline.

No, I wouldn't last 5 minutes with a UK driving instructor. I work with a few people from the UK, and not one of them can drive worth spit. Most likely in about three minutes, I'd strangle him & leave him on the side of the road dead... thus doing a great service for all truly safe drivers in the world.

As far as South Africa... Yes, indeed, I see South Africa as the great drivers nirvana, where all the worlds drivers should take heed from... Right after the South African instructor spends a few weeks dealing with San Francisco streets or just about any Appalachian Highway.

When anyone else here can show me where they have over 750,000 miles documented with no accidents, I might actually buy that you know what you're talking about.

Oh, and by the way, 2004 Ford Focus Owners Manual on p.112 has an entry for use of the PARKING BRAKE. There is no entry in Driving or Driver Controls for a 'handbrake', nor any reference to a 'handbrake' in the index.

Ford Fleet Website for Downloadable Owners Manuals

What is your problem? Of course we do things differently to you guys, what a surprise! I didn't say South Africans are the best drivers in the world, did I? :disgust:

 

[Topplayer]

Originally posted by: senseamp
Handbrake. Give it a little gas, slowly release clutch when you feel it start to catch, release the handbrake.

FTW.....

 

[shoRunner]

skillz

 

[Reckoner]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
maturity left about 200 posts ago

Oh, and calling handbrake users "gay" is mature?

 

[Gherault]

Ok, I'm 26 and haven't really driven a stick shift in 10 years. I learned to drive in a stick truck and hated the crap out of it. I just now called my dad and asked his advice, as he's driven stick his whole life (he's 66 years old) and he says, "It depends on how steep it is, but it never hurts to use the breaks if someone is behind you." Wear and tear aside that seems like the sensible way to go, would save you from a lawsuit or insurance rate hike. So on one side you've got fuel loss, clutch wear, possible damages with the pro being able to get off the line faster- and on the other side you've got saftey, fuel savings, less chance of an accident with the con of not being as fast off the line (aka: not the first to get to the next stoplight. ). I'd definetely look into the breaking routine, personally.

 

[illusion88]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Just go out somewhere where there is alot of hills and no traffic and practice. Holding the car with the clutch or handbrake is the lame way to do it. You just need to get the feel of the clutch and get quicker coming off the brake pedal to the gas.

The handbrake isnt a bad way to learn until you can be quick enough to go fromt he break tot he clutch. Especially if you are having troubles doing it without rolling back.

 

[thebigdude]

I think it's funny that people are getting so upset for something like this.

 

[jkersenbr]

It's quite obvious the answer is neither clutch slipping or handbrakes....It's being faster between the brake and throttle with just a moment on clutch slip while you move your right foot. One smooth, easy motion.

Want to know why it's obvious?

Trucks have no handbreak. And if you tried to hold the vehicle motionless by slipping the clutch only and not breaking under heavy load, you'd fry the clutch in no time. Thjat might work in some dumb little car, but not serious driving.

I learned to drive a manual in a truck at age 8. So that means I've been driving manuals for almost 20 years and I've never once touched a handbreak to start on an incline.