View Poll Results: How do you shift your manual transmission?
By feel everywhere, always
18
75.00%
By feel up to 4th, 5th rare/as needed
0
0%
By RPM displayed on tach everywhere, always
1
4.17%
By RPM on tach up to 4th, 5th rare/as needed
0
0%
I follow the shift indicator on the cluster
0
0%
I drive an automatic, it does the thinking
4
16.67%
Other (comment below)
1
4.17%
Voters: 24. You may not vote on this poll
How do you use you manual transmission?
#1
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Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee(XJ)
Engine: 4.0L I6
How do you use your manual transmission?
I'm curious to know how people use their manual transmissions under various conditions and circumstances.
For me, I shift 100% by sound/feel, and I only use 5th on the highway. City driving never goes above 4th gear.
Do you shift by feel? By RPM as shown on the tach? By the little shift indicator arrow? Do you use 5th gear all the time? Only under certain conditions?
Votes/Comments?
(Note that I'm not trying to get **** about my driving or change my ways. I'm going to keep doing exactly what I'm doing. I'm only curious how others operate and why.)
-T.
For me, I shift 100% by sound/feel, and I only use 5th on the highway. City driving never goes above 4th gear.
Do you shift by feel? By RPM as shown on the tach? By the little shift indicator arrow? Do you use 5th gear all the time? Only under certain conditions?
Votes/Comments?
(Note that I'm not trying to get **** about my driving or change my ways. I'm going to keep doing exactly what I'm doing. I'm only curious how others operate and why.)
-T.
Last edited by Thernlund; 04-23-2018 at 04:18 PM.
#2
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Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0 L6
That depends. If I'm in cruise mode, just shifting up through the gears, I go by sound and feel. If I'm rev-matching on a downshift, I might glance down at the tach briefly to see that I've brought it up to the proper RPM before engaging the clutch, but usually I go by feel there as well. I use 5th gear in city driving frequently (40-45MPH or higher), if I'm on level ground and not accelerating. The 4.0 has plenty of low-end grunt to do that all day. It saves gas and if I need to accelerate or climb a hill, I can quickly downshift.
My Jeep is an auto, but the other three vehicles I own are manuals, and that's how they're driven. The only other time I really look down at the tach is if I'm running the RPMs up toward redline, which really wouldn't apply to the Jeep, because it's something I just don't do with it. I've disabled the annoying idiot shift lights in all the vehicles I've owned that had them.
My Jeep is an auto, but the other three vehicles I own are manuals, and that's how they're driven. The only other time I really look down at the tach is if I'm running the RPMs up toward redline, which really wouldn't apply to the Jeep, because it's something I just don't do with it. I've disabled the annoying idiot shift lights in all the vehicles I've owned that had them.
Last edited by Tbone289; 04-23-2018 at 04:33 PM.
#3
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Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Since where I live it a bit on the hilly side, there is no normal shifting for me. I do it all by feel and sound. Some hills I hold it to 3500 rpm and some 2000 rpm and then shift. I use 5th whenever I can. The factory shift light is just wrong IMO. Comes on way too early for every gear unless I am going downhill.
#4
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Year: 97
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
As a commercial driver it is always by feel. And I don't use the clutch except for starting off and coming to a stop. Slight pressure on the stick and it will fall in when it's ready, RPM's down or RPM's up it will find it's own sync to slide into.
#5
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Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee(XJ)
Engine: 4.0L I6
I could be wrong. I'm just imagining the inner workings of a transmission in my head and it seems like that'd be more expensive wear and tear. Maybe not though, I don't know. I'm open to being educated on that.
-T.
#6
Seasoned Member
Also used to drive commercial so I have shifted more gears in a month than most their entire life. It’s all bout low end for me...get it rollin then as soon as possible go to the next gear. I love low end torque of a diesel and would have one in everything I own if possible. Can’t remember the last time I wound out a gear before changing. If you are in 1st then I’m probably in 2nd or 3rd but due to the high gearing of the XJ (3.07), it never sees 5th wit 33s.
#7
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Year: 97
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Does that not wear on the synchronizers? Is not a clutch cheaper than syncros?
I could be wrong. I'm just imagining the inner workings of a transmission in my head and it seems like that'd be more expensive wear and tear. Maybe not though, I don't know. I'm open to being educated on that.
-T.
I could be wrong. I'm just imagining the inner workings of a transmission in my head and it seems like that'd be more expensive wear and tear. Maybe not though, I don't know. I'm open to being educated on that.
-T.
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#8
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Year: 1997
Engine: 4.0
Does that not wear on the synchronizers? Is not a clutch cheaper than syncros?
I could be wrong. I'm just imagining the inner workings of a transmission in my head and it seems like that'd be more expensive wear and tear. Maybe not though, I don't know. I'm open to being educated on that.
-T.
I could be wrong. I'm just imagining the inner workings of a transmission in my head and it seems like that'd be more expensive wear and tear. Maybe not though, I don't know. I'm open to being educated on that.
-T.
#9
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Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee(XJ)
Engine: 4.0L I6
#10
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Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L HO
That depends. If I'm in cruise mode, just shifting up through the gears, I go by sound and feel. If I'm rev-matching on a downshift, I might glance down at the tach briefly to see that I've brought it up to the proper RPM before engaging the clutch, but usually I go by feel there as well. I use 5th gear in city driving frequently (40-45MPH or higher), if I'm on level ground and not accelerating. The 4.0 has plenty of low-end grunt to do that all day. It saves gas and if I need to accelerate or climb a hill, I can quickly downshift.
My Jeep is an auto, but the other three vehicles I own are manuals, and that's how they're driven. The only other time I really look down at the tach is if I'm running the RPMs up toward redline, which really wouldn't apply to the Jeep, because it's something I just don't do with it. I've disabled the annoying idiot shift lights in all the vehicles I've owned that had them.
My Jeep is an auto, but the other three vehicles I own are manuals, and that's how they're driven. The only other time I really look down at the tach is if I'm running the RPMs up toward redline, which really wouldn't apply to the Jeep, because it's something I just don't do with it. I've disabled the annoying idiot shift lights in all the vehicles I've owned that had them.
X2, I generally shift by feel/memory (after driving a vehicle for awhile I get "familiar" enough with the transmission to know instinctively what gear I need to downshift into, etc. for a given situation), I occasionally glance at the tach or use the shift light when pulling to the red-line for quick acceleration, but not for most "normal" driving. My XJ is also auto, but my Mustang and Motorcycle are both manual (and only the Mustang has a shift light, both have tachs, though I have owned other motorcycles in the past that did not have tachs and had to go completely by feel/sound).
#11
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Year: 97
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Yep... And grabbing a gear is a serious operation too. If you miss you could be in serious trouble because you ain't just sliding it into the next one, it will not go no matter how hard you push or pull on the stick until they sync, clutch or not.
#13
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Year: 1999
Engine: 4.0
I start in the second gear and float the gears only once when I had a really bad back injury that prevented me from using my left foot too often. I had to do it in this method for about a month.
Otherwise I usually look at the tach before changing gears.
Otherwise I usually look at the tach before changing gears.
#14
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Year: '98
Engine: 4.0 I6
I don't like floating gears on a synchronized trans, I feel that it is more harmful to the synchros than depressing the clutch pedal. But I honestly don't really know long term effects
I always go by feel, most of the time I could forget that I'm even driving a manual. Never owned an automatic vehicle personally. I think driving old motorcycles with no tach or speedo is a pretty good way to make it 2nd nature
My question to all of you is:
Do you find the gas pedal positioning to be too low to properly heel-toe and blip the throttle for a down-shift? I always engine brake and it would be nice to have the gas pedal sit basically in line with the accelerator
I can only do it with bulky hiking or work boots on, and it's not very precise.
I always go by feel, most of the time I could forget that I'm even driving a manual. Never owned an automatic vehicle personally. I think driving old motorcycles with no tach or speedo is a pretty good way to make it 2nd nature
My question to all of you is:
Do you find the gas pedal positioning to be too low to properly heel-toe and blip the throttle for a down-shift? I always engine brake and it would be nice to have the gas pedal sit basically in line with the accelerator
I can only do it with bulky hiking or work boots on, and it's not very precise.
Last edited by investinwaffles; 04-24-2018 at 08:23 PM.