Driving Instructors 5578N has brought this to us : Rather kidnapping your thread here, however... The problem I have seen with driving schools, is that the hour...
Using the gearbox causes wear right? Every gearchange causes wear right? It doesn't matter how small that amount of wear is, the wear is there right?
Statement: "using gears to slow down wears the g-box". Proved.
Now, is that important? When compared to NOT using the gearbox to slow down and therefore NOT causing wear, then yes, I think it is important because the wear is completely unnecessary.
Is it the most important reason to NOT use the gearbox to slow down? NO, it is *another* reason to NOT use the gearbox to slow down.
Gear changes summing up! 5574is you you As an excuse to not to use the g-box to slow down. Disproved. AFAIR no one has said that it doesn't cause any wear at all. So neglible wear that doesn't...
That was actually referring to changing down through the gears whilst braking but since you insist on taking it out of context let's start there.
Using the gearbox *instead* of the brakes for large reductions in speed means that you are putting all your braking effort through the driving wheels only rather than it being distributed between all four wheels1. That is cutting in half the amount of contact patch that is working for you. It also affects the weight transfer in such a way that the car is far more likely to become unstable. It is 'by definition' less safe than using the brakes.
Meanwhile, back in the proper context, changing down through the gears whilst braking results in one hand being removed from the wheel, breaking the drivetrain and risking a snatch of the clutch release for each downshift. This also causes extra wear (however small) see above to the gearbox and clutch for each downshift and it gives no measurable gain whatsoever.
Braking, in one smooth movement down to the correct speed for the hazard and *then* selecting the appropriate gear for the speed, ONCE, with the vehicle already stable *after* braking has none of the previous disadvantages, is smoother, more efficient and is in no way slower.
Changing down through the gears whilst braking is, by definition, less safe.
I *HAD* already answered the questions. I refused to answer them AGAIN and this is the last time that I am going to answer them AGAIN. The information I have posted above is a repeat of the same things I have posted several times before. Go back and look again and don't sit there telling me I haven't answered your questions just because you're too f***ing lazy or too stupid to read it properly.
1 Even in a 4WD car the distribution of effort will not be the same as using the brakes. There will be too much effort applied to the rear wheels and not enough to the front.
-- Mark Foster, Brighton, Suslove, UK PGP Fingerprint: 3342 C02C 7BE8 3FE4 AAC5 8BB2 03B7 9263 DDF2 04C1 -------------------------------------------------- "There are no such useless words as, 'I didn't have a chance.'" Driving, HMSO
