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Do You Even Shift? - MT Club

Simulacra

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Let's talk about manual transmission for those who drive stick shift.

I'm a big fan of shifting and I've got some questions I've always wanted to ask other people who drive manual. Here's a list:

Do you leave your car in gear when you park?
When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park?
Do you do the 'jiggle'? - when people put their car in neutral and jiggle the shifter.
Do you coast in neutral? Do you coast with the clutch in?
At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?

I'm really interested in what other drivers are in the habit of doing or not doing. Please let me know!
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Let's talk about manual transmission for those who drive stick shift.

I'm a big fan of shifting and I've got some questions I've always wanted to ask other people who drive manual. Here's a list:

Do you leave your car in gear when you park?
When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park?
Do you do the 'jiggle'? - when people put their car in neutral and jiggle the shifter.
Do you coast in neutral? Do you coast with the clutch in?
At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?

I'm really interested in what other drivers are in the habit of doing or not doing. Please let me know!
Hi...
  • I don’t leave it in gear when I park, in neutral with handbrake
  • I do jiggle when I put it in neutral, but out of habit more than anything
  • As far as coasting in neutral, I do both, depending on the situation
  • At a stop light, I put in neutral and just apply the brake, not the handbrake. However, if the light is changing quickly, I would put it in first and get ready to go
 

JoeValkIS

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My responses:
  • Do you leave your car in gear when you park?
    • I always park in gear.
  • When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park?
    • I rarely use the handbrake when parked. I had an issue with the rear pads (drum brakes) sticking to the drum after leaving the brake on for an extended time (several days) on a past vehicle. let me just say...getting them unstuck wasn't work the effort put into it...but I had to do it in order to drive again. What a PITA!! I will still set the parking brake if I am stopped on a hill...but again, the vehicle is in gear.
  • Do you do the 'jiggle'? - when people put their car in neutral and jiggle the shifter.
    • What guy doesn't jiggle their sticks?? :giggle: Yes, it is habit for me to check that I didn't accidentally slip it into a different gear when shifting to neutral before letting out the clutch.
  • Do you coast in neutral? Do you coast with the clutch in?
    • Clutch out, vehicle in gear. I am a firm believer in compression braking so I downshift to slow down and rarely touch the brake until I am going too slow to use compression braking. I very rarely will coast but when I do, it is clutch in, vehicle in gear (one that matches my current speed in case I have to maneuver quickly).
  • At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?
    • I sit at the light with the clutch in, vehicle in gear, ready to pull away when the light changes...or...out of the way in case something is going on around me. You don't want to be fumbling with taking the brake off, putting it in gear, and then trying to move out of the way of the 18-wheeler that ran the light and crashed into cross traffic...right?

Since the Wranglers have ESS and with the manuals, you have to be stopped, with the clutch out, and in neutral before the ESS will activate, I will probably never activate my ESS. And I am good with this.
 

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Let's talk about manual transmission for those who drive stick shift.

I'm a big fan of shifting and I've got some questions I've always wanted to ask other people who drive manual. Here's a list:

Do you leave your car in gear when you park?
When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park?
Do you do the 'jiggle'? - when people put their car in neutral and jiggle the shifter.
Do you coast in neutral? Do you coast with the clutch in?
At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?

I'm really interested in what other drivers are in the habit of doing or not doing. Please let me know!
1. I would always leave the vehicle in gear while parked, usually 1st or 2d gear and have the parking brake applied.
2. I always use the parking brake even with an automatic transmission, I don't fully trust the tiny little pawl to stop my vehicles. (Especially the Ram 5500 work truck or the Chevy Dump truck I sometimes drive for work)
3. Of course I would do the jiggle. When I first learned my Dad told me to ensure I was in neutral by doing the jiggle.
4. Engine braking to regulate speed going down hill, but when coming to a stop I would pull the shifter into neutral when I was below speeds of the gear I was in.
5. At a solid red stoplight I would leave the vehicle in neutral foot on the brake. I've never heard of anyone using their parking brake at a stop light... too many steps to get the vehicle moving and you're holding up traffic.
 

auxSwitch

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Let's talk about manual transmission for those who drive stick shift.

I'm a big fan of shifting and I've got some questions I've always wanted to ask other people who drive manual. Here's a list:

Do you leave your car in gear when you park?
When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park?
Do you do the 'jiggle'? - when people put their car in neutral and jiggle the shifter.
Do you coast in neutral? Do you coast with the clutch in?
At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?

I'm really interested in what other drivers are in the habit of doing or not doing. Please let me know!
1) 1st or 2nd gear - one New Year's Eve I learned the hard way that on some cars in certain circumstances, the parking brake may not hold. Nothing quite like knocking on neighbor's door and saying "Happy New Year, btw, my car just rolled into your brand new SUV". For the record - SUV's bumper was smashed, foglights gone. Saabaru's rear bumper - barely a scratch.
2) Handbrake on - out of habit
3) Jiggle I must - a habit acquired while learning on cars with... shall we say - less defined and positive gear engagement
4) Varies by circumstances
5) Footbrake. If at a long light, ground is flat and there is a couple of cars behind me (i.e. noone is going to go flying into me from behind), I may even release the brake
 

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I prefer MT over anything else. I have a strong belief that every new driver should do their road test with a manual transmission car.

1.) When I park handbrake in neutral
2.) Nope handbrake stays where it is
3.) Jiggle jiggle
4.) Coast in neutral unless, I'm coming to a corner where heel-toe fun is about to happen, then its clutch in
5.)I go into neutral and no brakes applied, unless I am on a decline then its neutral + footbrake. On an incline red light I'm usually on my clutch and gas airing for fun. Bad habit from my wanna be racer days...
 

OldGuyNewJeep

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Do you leave your car in gear when you park?
Yes, unless I’m parallel parked and in danger of being bumped.

When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park
No.

Do you do the 'jiggle'? - when people put their car in neutral and jiggle the shifter.
Who doesn’t?

Do you coast in neutral
If it’s a long hill, sure.

Do you coast with the clutch in?
No.

At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?
Footbrake. It would never occur to me to use the handbrake at a light unless I was on some steep hill (like in San Fran) and some buttwad was a foot behind my bumper. Maybe the JL’s new “hill start” feature eliminates that need... I’ll tell you if my order ever gets out of D status.
 

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Do you leave your car in gear when you park?
If I'm parking on a hill, I always leave it in gear with the handbrake pulled. Not sure if it matters, but I leave it in first when facing up hill and reverse when facing down hill. On level ground, I usually just use the handbrake and leave it in neutral.

When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park?
I drive a lot of auto rental cars. Generally, I do the same as above, though my wife doesn't like when the car does that final lunge after putting it in park and shutting off the car, so I'll often apply the handbrake (er, foot brake, in many cases these days).

Do you do the 'jiggle'?
Yes, and I think it's a good habit to have, just so you know it's in neutral. It's better than accidentally putting it into a gear and pulling out the clutch, which causes the vehicle to jerk forward unexpectedly, strip gears, lug the engine, or stall the engine.

Do you coast in neutral? Do you coast with the clutch in?
I only coast in neutral (with the clutch out) when I've almost approached stopped traffic at a light AND I can't foresee any need to have to accelerate out of a situation. While driving on downgrades, I usually just leave it in a gear (if it's a high enough gear, it's essentially the same as coasting in neutral), and I often use compression braking to either hold a steady speed or decrease my speed.

At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?
Most of the time, I just step on the foot brake with the shifter in neutral. If I'm in complete gridlock traffic with no movement for long periods, I might apply the handbrake and take my foot off the brake. I rarely sit at lights with the clutch in and the shifter in first, unless I know the light is about to change or I sense a need to have to quickly accelerate. Sometimes I stay in gear until the car behind me stops. Years back, I was stopped at a light and I saw this car in my rearview mirror coming up quickly. It didn't look like it was going to stop in time. At the last second, I quickly popped it in first and floored it into the other lane, then watched that car rearend the car that had been in front of me. Now I always keep an eye on cars coming up behind me at a light, and I always leave enough room in front of me to be able to pull out.
 

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Do you leave your car in gear when you park?
When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park?
Do you do the 'jiggle'? - when people put their car in neutral and jiggle the shifter.
Do you coast in neutral? Do you coast with the clutch in?
At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?
  • Always.
  • Always.
  • Yes.
  • No and no.
  • Yes and no.
 

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Let's talk about manual transmission for those who drive stick shift.

I'm a big fan of shifting and I've got some questions I've always wanted to ask other people who drive manual. Here's a list:

Do you leave your car in gear when you park?
When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park?
Do you do the 'jiggle'? - when people put their car in neutral and jiggle the shifter.
Do you coast in neutral? Do you coast with the clutch in?
At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?

I'm really interested in what other drivers are in the habit of doing or not doing. Please let me know!
I do put the car in gear. If your emergency brake cable ever snapped your car would roll away. The only negative to leaving it in gear is if someone runs into your car while parked you can get trans or drive train damage.
As far as coasting I only leave it in neutral if in traffic on a down hill. It’s actually not good for your trans to coast in neutral.
The clutch I use to engage and shift only. Holding it down for long periods of time put extra wear on your throw out bearing.
 

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Let's talk about manual transmission for those who drive stick shift.

I'm a big fan of shifting and I've got some questions I've always wanted to ask other people who drive manual. Here's a list:

Do you leave your car in gear when you park?
When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park?
Do you do the 'jiggle'? - when people put their car in neutral and jiggle the shifter.
Do you coast in neutral? Do you coast with the clutch in?
At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?

I'm really interested in what other drivers are in the habit of doing or not doing. Please let me know!
Do you leave your car in gear when you park?

Yes. Always. Just the way I was taught. In reverse if I am pointing downhill and in first gear otherwise.

When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park?

Yes. Force of habit. Drives my wife CRAZY. So when I drive her car I try to remember not to set the brake but sometimes I forget.

Do you do the 'jiggle'? - when people put their car in neutral and jiggle the shifter.

On my YJ I always did but for some reason on my JLU I rarely do.

Do you coast in neutral? Do you coast with the clutch in?

Usually no. I usually coast in gear using the brake and then before it lugs I apply the clutch. I used to downshift a lot more so sometimes I fall into that habit as well.

At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?

I am one of the few who likes ESS. For longer lights I put it in neutral, release the clutch, and use the brake to engage ESS. For shorter lights I stay in gear with the clutch in. I never pull the handbrake I have never heard of that. I think it is safer to stay in gear (though it will wear the clutch a little) so without ESS I generally do that.
 

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Do you leave your car in gear when you park?
  • Of course! It might roll away if I don't.
When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park?
  • Yes always. My wife thinks it's anal. She never does and her car has never rolled away so maybe she has a point.
Do you do the 'jiggle'? - when people put their car in neutral and jiggle the shifter.
  • Yup, always jiggle to make sure you're really in "N".
Do you coast in neutral? Do you coast with the clutch in?
  • Yes, but never with the clutch in. I've heard that's bad for the clutch
At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?
  • Keep foot on the footbreak - it's already there, and put in neutral. Handbrake is only for parking and occasionally hill starts.
 

stevepoz

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Let's talk about manual transmission for those who drive stick shift.

I'm a big fan of shifting and I've got some questions I've always wanted to ask other people who drive manual. Here's a list:

Do you leave your car in gear when you park?
Yes.
When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park?
Generally yes

Do you do the 'jiggle'? - when people put their car in neutral and jiggle the shifter.
Pretty much always
Do you coast in neutral? Do you coast with the clutch in?
Never. Always in gear in case need to go
At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?
Generally footbrake. Maybe at a really long light or train I might use the handbrake

I'm really interested in what other drivers are in the habit of doing or not doing. Please let me know!
 

Rogues Gambit

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Let's talk about manual transmission for those who drive stick shift.

I'm a big fan of shifting and I've got some questions I've always wanted to ask other people who drive manual. Here's a list:

Do you leave your car in gear when you park?
Depends on where I park it
When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park?
Naw, I forget too
Do you do the 'jiggle'? - when people put their car in neutral and jiggle the shifter.
All the damnntind
Do you coast in neutral? Do you coast with the clutch in?
Neutral it
At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?
Just neutral and rest my foot wherever

I'm really interested in what other drivers are in the habit of doing or not doing. Please let me know!
I also have a lead foot, and I try to teach my friends stick.

Also don't get the whole "I can't drive it, I work in (insert town/city)"; I drove my Audi in the 5 boroughs when it was my Daily, and sometimes got stuck in NY rush hour traffic, and my only regret was my CD player wasn't working and I had too loud an exhaust.

Also, people around the world daily manuals into big cities and in traffic for work since they can't afford the extra cost of an auto, so what's our excuse?

Screenshot_20190722-015811.png
 

rogisilva

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Let's talk about manual transmission for those who drive stick shift.

I'm a big fan of shifting and I've got some questions I've always wanted to ask other people who drive manual. Here's a list:

Do you leave your car in gear when you park?
When you drive auto cars, do you use the handbrake when you park?
Do you do the 'jiggle'? - when people put their car in neutral and jiggle the shifter.
Do you coast in neutral? Do you coast with the clutch in?
At a stop light, do you step on the footbrake or do you put it in neutral and pull the handbrake?

I'm really interested in what other drivers are in the habit of doing or not doing. Please let me know!
Yes, always park in gear, 1st when facing up a hill, reverse when facing down. I also use the handbrake.
Yes, Manual or Auto I always have the handbrake on.
Yes, though I don't do it often as I am not in neutral often and when I am I am slowing down so it is normally pretty evident that I am in neutral, you can feel it in the car pretty quick. But the habit is still there.
I don't tend to coast. I am normally driving in gear. I have always been taught that coasting is not as safe and the car does feel looser when in neutral.
At lights I just use my footbrake, When I see the other light turning red I prep by clutching in. But until then I don't bother, its just more effort. Having the handbrake up at lights is unsafe.
Normally I keep clutch use to a minimum as it is a quicker wearing part, I only use the handbrake when I am parking and I secure the car as much as possible when I do park.
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