Re: Vehicle Dynamics...Another shifting Question ?
Brian,
Welcome to manual driving ! Once you've tried the increased control you have with a manual transmission, you'll never go back (as long as you get over all the embarrassing bits, like stalling the car at a light.... no wait, I still do that [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] )
I can answer specific questions better than I can give you a whole tutorial in manual transmission shifting, so fire away !
Here's a couple thoughts:
Always use the clutch. Some guys like to "bang shift" without using the clutch to save a couple split seconds. It always costs you lots of money in the long run, because you'll be replacing transmission parts. I've been racing for over 13 years, and I ALWAYS use the clutch. It might cost me 1/10 second per shift, but my car always crosses the finish line. (Okay, well not always, but never because of gearbox failure.)
Generally, you'll accelerate up to the point that you want to shift to the next higher gear, shift and keep right on going. No hesitation prior to shifting. The point at which you shift completely depends on what you're doing - racing, or driving quietly past a police officer ;-), and the surface conditions (shift up at lower rpm on slippery surfaces, snow/ice, but often don't shift into higher gear at all, keeping the engine at a rev range where there is useful power to quickly react to skids)
Daniel is correct, you will get to feel where the power band is in all the gears, and you will naturally shift when you've got adequate power in the next higher gear to continue to accelerate, or maintain speed.
One of the hardest things on an engine and gearbox is to try to accelerate with the car in too high a gear. The car will feel sluggish, because the engine isn't revving high enough to use the gear ratio of the that gear. In that case, shift down a gear before accelerating.
My biggest problem learning to drive manual was smoothly starting off up a hill from a stop. Go out and practice that one lots and lots when there's no traffic around. Just keep starting and stopping and starting and stopping, until you can smoothly go from brake to gas and smoothly letting out the clutch without jerking or stalling or over-revving the engine and slipping the clutch. Maybe other people are more coordinated than I am, but I had a particularly bad experience on a hill when I was first learning to drive a manual, and it almost stopped me from driving manual transmissions ever again.
Daniel is also correct that your shifts will be relatively quick, as opposed to long, slow shifts and slipping the clutch out to engage the gear. As you get better, the clutch will go in and out quickly, and believe it or not - you'll shift without even thinking about it. It will just become part of driving the car. That's why I can answer questions better than explain how. It's so natural, that I don't think about shifting at all anymore.
Good Luck !
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