Down shifting or neutral braking?
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Down shifting or neutral braking? I'm farely new to the performance scene and was just wondering if down shifting when slowing down is "best" for my car rather than just throwing it in neutral and braking. I heard downshift can F up yer gears, but then again neutral braking wears out your brakes faster, right? I'm an idiot, so please enlighten me 
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You can't mess up your drivetrain if you know how to downshift. Its just the reverse of upshifting. Clutch, shift, gas to match revs, let off the clutch, then take your foot off the gas and let momentum slow you down. Won't do anything bad if you do it right, use the engines momentum with the brakes and you'll slow down smoother and waste less brakes. Now, in short stops and panics, by all means use just the brakes and kick it in neutral, but if you've got a light you know is red, just downshift and coast. Go down on the 5's....
4th at 55, 3rd at 45, 2nd about 35 (go a little less)... should drop you right about 4K RPM.
4th at 55, 3rd at 45, 2nd about 35 (go a little less)... should drop you right about 4K RPM.
Last edited by Boilermaker1; Jan 18, 2004 at 04:12 PM.
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From: Las Cruces, NM
Rep Power: 0 dude with how lite our cars are, it is basically pointless to downshift i mean how much can it wear on our brakes. downshifting is basically for 18-wheelers or at least something heavier than our cars.
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Rep Power: 0 yeah serious, downshifting is pretty pointless unless if you are in a race situation. if anything downshifting will waste more gas because of the higher rev enduced, never mind about the enviroment part yet.
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Rep Power: 328 The point is to have complete control over your car at all times. It's not good to be rolling in neutral especially in inclement weather, or in hilly areas. In emergency situations, you need to be able to move the car in less time than it takes to go back into gear. I've downshifted and rev matched all of my cars ever since I had my 1985 Nissan Maxima, and have not had a single engine or transmission blow up on me. And my Nissan had 220,000 miles on it when I wrecked it.
Last edited by nookiemonster; Jan 18, 2004 at 06:15 PM.
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Rep Power: 424 Originally posted by Philip
yeah serious, downshifting is pretty pointless unless if you are in a race situation. if anything downshifting will waste more gas because of the higher rev enduced, never mind about the enviroment part yet.
yeah serious, downshifting is pretty pointless unless if you are in a race situation. if anything downshifting will waste more gas because of the higher rev enduced, never mind about the enviroment part yet.
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Rep Power: 424 Then kill your brakes... what do I care. It doesn't cause any abnormal wear or stress if you know what you're doing. If you suck at it, its a great way to kill your car.
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Rep Power: 0 well my point is you don't need to clutch in and out....that's another action remember....than rolling to the stop sign/stop lite. what you gonna do? clutch in 1st gear and wait for lite change? I could understand downshifting on a lite about to turn from Red to Green or rollin stops on stop signs at a quite street.
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Rep Power: 0 Originally posted by nookiemonster
The point is to have complete control over your car at all times. It's not good to be rolling in neutral especially in inclement weather, or in hilly areas. In emergency situations, you need to be able to move the car in less time than it takes to go back into gear. I've downshifted and rev matched all of my cars ever since I had my 1985 Nissan Maxima, and have not had a single engine or transmission blow up on me. And my Nissan had 220,000 miles on it when I wrecked it.
The point is to have complete control over your car at all times. It's not good to be rolling in neutral especially in inclement weather, or in hilly areas. In emergency situations, you need to be able to move the car in less time than it takes to go back into gear. I've downshifted and rev matched all of my cars ever since I had my 1985 Nissan Maxima, and have not had a single engine or transmission blow up on me. And my Nissan had 220,000 miles on it when I wrecked it.
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From: Woostah
Rep Power: 413 I always downshift on every vehicle ever owned...
I have 90K miles on original stock brakes, original stock clutch, original stock tranny.... Not one problem on all three and they work like the day I bought the vehicle with 3 miles.....
Downshifting gives you much more control over the vehicle also... It is much more effective to slow the vehicle if you know what you are doing...
I have 90K miles on original stock brakes, original stock clutch, original stock tranny.... Not one problem on all three and they work like the day I bought the vehicle with 3 miles.....
Downshifting gives you much more control over the vehicle also... It is much more effective to slow the vehicle if you know what you are doing...
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Rep Power: 380 because most of our time is spent shifting from 1st to 2nd back to 1st then to 2nd and maybe 3rd back to 2nd down to 1st.... ect ect ect..... 
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From: Edwardsburg, Elkhart, Granger, Mishawka, South Bend
Rep Power: 0 another plus for downshifting... what if you are coming up to the light and then it changes... don’t you want to be in a gear you know you can safely accelerate in should there be an event that would required to you get up and moving quickly????
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From: Edwardsburg, Elkhart, Granger, Mishawka, South Bend
Rep Power: 0 Originally posted by nookiemonster
I noticed that most of the people arguing for downshifting are auto X guys...now why is that? (sarcasm)
I noticed that most of the people arguing for downshifting are auto X guys...now why is that? (sarcasm)
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Rep Power: 0 I downshift to slow down and when entering corners. It gives me more control, better stopping distances, and then I can power out of the corner. I find that it keeps my car very stable. If it wears the car out a little more... too bad so sad. Nothing lasts forever anyway.
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From: houston(humble), Texas, US
Rep Power: 0 i would have to say its mainly up to you and the situation. if its a nice sunny day.. you can drop it into N. and coast and brake to a stop.. but if its snow or raining you will have more control over your car if you downshift.(if you do it right) you downshift too soon it will be just as bad as Slaming on your brakes. so yeah.. since you are saying that you are new. i would try and find a crap car to mess with in heavy rain, snow or ice (in a open parking lot with no cars or things that will mess your car up if you hit them) but i would not try this out on your new car untill you are sure you have it down.
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From: Palmdale, CA
Rep Power: 0 I dunno about your states, but If you coast to a stop in claifornia they mark points off your test...
You are supposed to down shift, breaking and coasting in is just retarted. If you are really worried about your drive train then double clutch when you down shift. This will save some wear on your syncromesh.
You are supposed to down shift, breaking and coasting in is just retarted. If you are really worried about your drive train then double clutch when you down shift. This will save some wear on your syncromesh.
Last edited by trashguy; Jan 19, 2004 at 03:45 PM.
ya gotta match the revs! I have been guilty of coasting in to a light a couple of times, but to do it right you should downshift. Not to mention that it sounds so much cooler that way. The only thing cool about coasting is doing gravity runs. And no I dont autox. Yet
