Downshifting into second...new Camaro owner/standard driver

[ckaram]

I must be a dope. I don't follow what the the problem is with downshifting. It's probably the simplest part of driving a stick shift vehicle.

CamK18, if you downshift with the revs too high, the engine will aggressively gear down. If you pop the clutch when downshifting (releasing the clutch pedal too fast) it may jerk, and if the revs are too high you will also chirp the tires.

Try lowering the revs before downshifting from 3rd to 2nd. If you're going too fast it usually won't let you put in second gear anyway.

[lee]

Originally Posted by lcmc

What's with double clutching. Haven't had to do that since the Model T was out!

im young so i never heard of double clutching untill "that movie" came out i dont even know what its for

[nemosgt]

Originally Posted by 55Designs

I feel the same way and experience the same jerkiness.

For one I am not used to this driveline and I have other cars that Rev to 9000RPM and I can downshift at 4-5k RPM safely because the engines RPM will spike higher and not be a huge deal. The Camaro is a not happy doing that.

I tried downshifting on the Camro from 3-4500 RPM and it locks the rear up and skids dangerously. Going from 4th to 3rd, or 3rd to 2nd and were talking speed below 60MPH

Driving this car is an entirely new experience because its so unrefined compared to other cars I have and owned. I do hope things get better.

Unrefined yeah. "zebra" is pretty much right on with his advice.

You are obviously used to European or Asian cars with their "cut through butter" manuals. Welcome to the world of the muscle cars.

Now you know why you have to rev-match on the downshifts. If you don't the rear end locks up and loses its traction. It can come around on you very quickly. That is also why you don't downshift in a turn. If you miss the correct blip the car will spin out. Conversly, if the revs are too high when you let the clutch out, the car will try to jump forward and you lose traction on the front end. Also keep in mind the rev limiter may not save you if you release the cluch while shifting at super high revs.

Rev-matching is an art, as is heel and toe, which you will want to try soon, and requires practice to become proficient. Your car has lots of torque down low so don't keep shifting-down at high RPMs. The imports have their torque higher up. That's why they have to shift at higher revs.

Try down-shifting around 3000 RPM and blipping the throttle to around 4500 RPM. Clutch should be e released reasonably quickly before the RPMs drop too far and you lose the rev-match. This should put you right in the power band in the lower gear and you are all set to rumble.

Again, double clutch requires two pumps on the clutch pedal, between which, while the gear lever is in neutral, the throttle is blipped to rev-match, before releasing the pedal for the second time. Wastes time and is not required with synchromesh gears. Also, avoid downshifting into first, unless you are just crawling along. The gear is just too steep to do it comfortably. You will just stand the car on its nose. As long as the car is moving, second gear will give you lots of acceleration.

Cheers.
Happy blipping.

[Standard]

Originally Posted by JHart

i usually hold my shifter next to the gear when i drop down, push the clutch in until it falls into the lower gear, and slowly let off the clutch. just takes practice man, hell i'm 17 and i've got this thing about down pat. took me about a month.

That isn't optimal - you're just spreading out the error over a period of time.

Blip the throttle and get it just right. Especially if you doubleclutch, the stick seems to be "sucked" into the gear when you get the revs just right, i.e. if you revmatch not only does the car not lurch but it goes in easier.

[zebra]

just don't double-clutch these transmissions.


there ain't no need

[Standard]

Originally Posted by zebra

just don't double-clutch these transmissions.


there ain't no need

No need but
A: It's fun (gratifying to time it all right)
B: It IS reduced wear (albeit on something that will not wear out anyway)
C: Tactile aid in finding the revs when revmatching - you can feel it and do final corrections while pushing in the gear on the second clutch-in.

By *need* - there's no *need* to use a clutch at all in 4-5-6 if you can match the engine/drivetrain load in and out of gear and get the timing perfect - double-clutching provides another dimension to the driving experience, that can practically aid revmatching if you're not after the absolute in speed on the shift (and that becomes moot too if you're doing a wide jump like 6th to 3rd)

[zebra]

point noted

[bumbl-b2ss]

i got my 2010 ss about a month ago, iv put 2400ish km on it and the syncro in second went. iv been driving stick all my life and actually drive a rig for a living and know how to shift. has anyone else had tranny problems like this?