when i'm on level ground (or even better- downhill) I often shift 1-3-5 & just skip 2&4. Or, I'f im on a downhill start, i'll start in 2nd & just go to 4th.My truck drives great, clutch is good, & i always make sure the engine is spinning fast enough (i make sure i'm not lugging the engine) My theory is that it puts less wear on my gears & my clutch, possibly even uping my MPG.

so am i doing any harm in the long run? what adverse side efects coudl i be causing? any extra wear? if so, on what parts?

 

Seems like faulty logic to me, but im no expert, so i will see what everone else says
Skipping gears and starting out in 2nd will wear your clutch more though.

 

You're wearing out the clutch a lot more. Considering clutches are a wearable part and transmissions usually last longer than the engine (so basically they outlast the truck) you're only increasing your cost of ownership.

Also, you're not saving any fuel by using fewer gears. The engine is designed to operate in a narrow powerband, strecthing that powerband to stay in gear longer is only hurting the engine and your fuel consumption.

Bad idea.

What you want to be doing is accelerating just slow enough to piss off the people behind you, that's how you save fuel. Try to use the right gear so you stay around 1500-2200rpm with the accelerator barely depressed.

 

Yeah i have been driving between 2k and 3k rpms and i have saved quite a bit of gas. I wouldnt even skip gears if i could. My worn out 22re wouldnt like it much.

 

I have done this all the time as you state you are not putting undo strain on the clutch.

I don`t know if you will save gas maybe.

When you drive a manual trans long enough you know when you can get away with skipping gears

to each there own

 

You said it perfectly!

 

use the Gears, ya clutch n motor likes it that way.

 

try that on a bicycle, see how you feel.

 

I like this...

But yeah I am for not skipping gears really. Seems that low rpms dont really save you that much fuel is you are just having to push the pedal down more to get the same ultimate result. But like the down hill rolling starts in second I think those are fine and will save you a little being that you only use 1st up to like 10mph anyways, if gravity will do the first gears speed for you, let it.

 

cool. thanks all. points taken.i think i'll stop skipping gears- except when i'm starting/ going downhill. when i do shift 1-3-5 on level ground, i don't press the gas pedal down any further than normal, i just keep it in gear longer, before i shift up.

 

DOwnhill is fine- gravity is doing the acceleration.

 

So you have 5 speeds, but you only use 3 of them......

 

I Like this for some reasone

Funny

 

What about a 13 speed or 15 with double overdrive with 600 horse power would that be bad to skip gears also.

 

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