at which RPM should i shift my MT to increase synchro life?

Even I said you can't do this in heavy traffic, go back and re-read my post. The line was:

"...Only during panic stops or commuting in heavy traffic should you be using the brakes hard..."

Ted

The method that I suggested is not considered proper by any driving school, if only on the basis that I do not set the car in 1st till after I have stopped, and then I sit with my foot on the brake pedal and clutch depressed.. but I have been doing the same for over thirty years now and unlikely to change habits.. I also keep my hand on the stick so that I am ready to either downshift quickly to assist braking or upshift to take on the challenge of who gets to the next set of lights first.. lol.. I pride myself on never holding up traffic because of some silly practices taught at the very beginning of my driving career.. I might also add that I have never suffered a worn out clutch or broken synchros..

And yes, Bill.. the noise of engine brakes is more than ppl in cities and villages can stand..

-- History is > > Truckers downshift in cities because they need to keep control and because

All traffic that has the potential to kill me is my main responsbility.

I never said there wasn't a trade-off. You seem to have a hard time reading what I write.

I never said anything about a "stall." I said you wouldn't have much capacity to accelerate once you get less than about 30 MPH, depending on what kind of car you drive obviously.

I believe you said you stay in high gear until you are at a very slow speed.

Most will tell you that you should maintain situational awareness at all times ... and this includes what is going on in your mirrors as well as windshield.

Read it again. I never said anything about braking in a turn. I said I wanted to always be in a gear that allows me to accelerate at any time I might need to, and this might include while being in a turn, but I was thinking more of the case of aborting the turn and deciding to go straight because of some obstacle or a car running a red light, etc. I take back my recommendation for you to call a driving school, you need a reading comprehension class more urgently.

I don't know why you brought up the point of weak clutches. My last three standard shift vehicles were: 1979 Chevette, 1985 Jeep Comanche, and the 1994 Chevy K1500 that I still own. The Chevette had the original clutch when totaled at 145,000 miles. The Comanche is owned by my father-in-law and has about 150,000 still on the original clutch. The K1500 has only 83,000 but going strong on the original clutch. I guess I've never had a "weak clutch" vehicle. Maybe the Japanese econboxes aren't as robust.

I'm not saying there aren't any cars with undersized clutches, but I think most "weak" clutches are really "weak" driver problems.

Because your brain seems unable to figure things out from logic alone. I thought maye some expert opinions would be enough to correct your thinking. Apparently you enjoy your ignorance too much to do a little research.

If you are so confident what they will say, why not risk a phone call or two?

It is clear that you do, and it is also clear to most people proficient at driving standard shift vehicles, be they cars or motorcycles or trucks, that you are wrong.

I never said one size fits all. I posted a short time ago three quite different scenarios and what might be reasonable approaches. If you were as intent on learning something as you are on trying to twist the words of others to fit your current erroneous beliefs, you'd be much better off.

Matt

I tend to sit at long lights with my transmission in neutral and the clutch engaged so as to minimize wear on the throw-out bearing. However, I don't do this unless there is either nobody behind me or at last two cars behind me. If I think I may have to try to get out of the way of someone who doesn't see me or the red light, I will sit in first gear with the clutch depressed.

I've never suffered a worn out clutch or transmission either, nor a worn out throw-out bearing. Then again, I've never accumulated more than

150,000 miles on a standard shift street vehicle, but I put well over 300K on an OTR tractor on the original clutch and tranny.

Matt

No, I never said that unless you define 30Mph as a slow speed. I said that as you approach a stop, don't disengage the clutch and race the engine so you can shift down then reengage the clutch. Instead, if your in a situation where you are going to use engine braking, take your foot of the gas and leave it in high gear until you approach engine stalling. Not many cars on the road will let you go below 30 in 4th gear without the engine stalling.

Yes, obviously. But the question isn't whether you are maintaining situational awareness, it's whether your changing things you do on account of the guy behind you. In most situations you should be making driving decisions based on what is in front of you that your going to be driving into, not what is behind you that your going to be driving away from.

Where this applies to braking is that you should brake according to what you see in front of you that you need to stop for, you should not brake to make things easier for the guy behind you.

You may have posted 3 or even more different braking scenarios. But your answers for all of them were the same - use engine braking in all gears and throttle blipping. That is a one size fits all solution.

Now, if your reversing yourself and saying that engine braking and throttle blipping isn't the answer in all scenarios - then I have actually accomplished something here.

Ted

Yes, I consider 30 MPH a slow speed for high gear in all but a few very high powered vehicles. Slowing to near engine stall speed in high gear is bad practice.

I change all sorts of things I do in response to the driving situation, be that other drivers or road conditions. That is a sign of a good driver, not a poor one. I base decisions on all that is around me, not just what is in front of me.

Baloney. Do you actually think about what you are writing?

Read it again. I didn't propose that for an emergency stop.

If I'd ever said that, then you would have accomplished something. I didn't and you haven't. Have you signed up yet for that reading comprehension class?

Matt