This article was published more than 12 years ago. Some information may no longer be current. With all my previous cars, I would always downshift while coming to a stop - at least as low as second gear. However, I'm beginning to wonder if the major purpose of downshifting to save brakes makes sense in a world where gas is expensive and maintenance for brakes is far less costly than potential wear-and-tear on the clutch. One argument is that you bought a car with a manual gearbox because you enjoy the interaction between man and machine, the involvement and control.
For those, executing a smooth downshift is a part of the enjoyment. In this same school of downshift, believers are those who remember when we had unassisted drum brakes. Downshifting was useful in slowing more effectively and saving the brakes.
The other side of the coin is the one I subscribe to - don't bother downshifting unless you are going down a very long and steep grade and want to give the brakes a break. Today's brake systems are more than capable of doing their job under all but the most adverse conditions. Downshifting a manual gearbox places extra stress and thus wear on a number of drivetrain components, not the least of which are the throw-out bearing, clutch and the gears themselves.
Thread starter ViperBond Start date Jul 12, What's the proper way to rev match while downshifting and braking? I don't have enough feet. When I need to slow down, I either use engine braking to do it or I clutch in and apply the brakes. I then coast through the corner and clutch out while rev matching after I made the turn, or if I'm being an idiot, then I do it mid-corner. Both of these are obviously not ideal for track purposes, especially letting the clutch out in the middle of my corner, more so on my car.
So what should I do? Brake early, shift and rev match, and then turn in? ViperBond said:. Click to expand Last edited: Jul 12, Continuing on the subject of dumb questions, why do this? Won't you slow down faster with the clutch in? Or is it so that you can switch to accelerating at a moments notice if need be?
You slow down faster while in gear because the engine's compression is slowing you down. Sure, you can also accelerate at any moment if you need to. That was actually something I had to teach myself in the last couple of years, because during my first years of driving I was improperly taught to let the car coast when going downhill.
Taking a corner downhill in neutral is actually a big mistake. Keep the car in gear, no gas, but always be ready to either step on the brakes or accelerate.
If you are coasting, you are only relying on your brakes and the steering wheel. LeVeL Forum Addict. Joined Jun 16, Messages 13, You also want to be able to accelerate quickly when the Prius in the next lane starts drifting over often braking isn't an ideal option and you don't want to waste time fumbling around trying to find the right gear.
In fact, you should always be in gear unless, like equi said, you're stopped or mid-shift. I'm also of the opinion that every single downshift requires a rev-match, no exceptions. Say I'm on a road with a 55mph speed limit, cruising in 5th, when the light up ahead turns yellow I rev-match into 4th, then rev-match into 3rd, then rev-match into 2nd, and finally go into neutral as I come to a stop. In addition to the above, rev-matching is just plain fun and, in the right car, can scare pedestrians and passengers :lol: Also as equi said, you should brake before a corner, then rev-match down through the gears, turn-in and go around the corner in gear with some throttle application, and power out at corner exit.
Last edited: Jul 15, LeVeL said:. In addition to the above, rev-matching is just plain fun and, in the right car, can scare pedestrians and passengers :lol:. One can always rely on the maintenance tips provided by the experts.
People think that the process is liable of damaging the drivetrain, when in real it does not. When done in the right manner, downshifting has a lot of benefits in store. It gives a driver the much-needed control when one wishes to slow down. The process is also helpful when one wishes to mitigate the effects of jack-knifing that comes as a result of applying mechanical brakes.
As an add-on, engine braking aids in maintaining the life of brakes when driving down a hilly slope by preventing it from overheating. This is all about downshifting that you should know about. Now that someone says that downshifting is bad, you would know better.
Always follow the mentioned practice, when smoother driving is what you seek. Driving Tips. Maintenance Tips. Car Review. Car Comparison.
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