Explanation please? stick shifting

[1970judge]

ok ive driven a stick 2 times. first time when i was younger in a 95 gt. Second time in soem dudes riced out sentra. And i stalled every time. The take off is what got me. Will someone explain how to drive a stick form the take off? I dont mean luanching i jsut mean regular driving.

[Turo]

Try letting go of the clutch slowly UNTIL you feel it start to grab, then hold it there until the car gets rolling. That is what I used to do when I was first learning (kinda had to figure it out by myself because my dad would just say 'let the clutch out slowly' and then I would just stall it out). Once you get first gear you're good to go, there's nothing to the others.

[1970judge]

Yah i just wish i had a stick ti readily practice on. I dont bother asking buddies cuz i dont wanna mess their shit up. But i dunno in the stang i was decent in the sentra i felt like such an ass cuz i had done good in the stang and in the sentra it was liek i forgot or something.

[Chris 96 WS6]

Don't feel bad, I suck at it too.

The best way I have figured it out is that you bring the revs up off idle some, maybe 1500 rpm...then you slowly let the clutch pedal out. too low rpms and it will stall, too fast on the clutch engage and it will stall.

Try having a McLeod Twin Disk as your first clutch (that's what I'm dealing with now). After driving autos for 15 years its a whole new ballgame.

I've driven sticks before, but they were OEM clutches....a whole lot easier to slip.

[Vendetta]

I was the same way a few years ago, I desperately wanted to learn how to drive stick but didn't wanna borrow any of my friends' rides in fear of ruining the clutch. All it takes is practice, once you get the feel for it it starts to come pretty easily. I drive without even thinking about it now.

It's easy as hell to slip OEM clutches as Chris said. When you get into the aftermarket clutches they become a whole lot grabbier and it's tougher to drive them. You gotta get used to it.

[Chris 96 WS6]

Doesn't help I only drive mine on the weekends, sometimes I'll go a couple of weeks w/o driving it.

So I have to re-learn the sweet spot in the clutch pedal every time I drive it.

[Vendetta]

Doesn't help I only drive mine on the weekends, sometimes I'll go a couple of weeks w/o driving it.

So I have to re-learn the sweet spot in the clutch pedal every time I drive it.

That's tough, especially on the Street twin. I went on vacation earlier this summer for 10 days and had a few rough shifts the week back.

[johntom]

i learned on camerons t/a and i was scared of taking it through a wall or something so i stalled it alot cause it sounded like i was revving it way too high but i was really just above idle. once i bought my 4 cyl ranger i just sorta made it work so i didnt get embarassed in front of everyone. after about 2 days i had the hang of it. its somethin id probably only learn on a car that was mine or a family members just in case somehting does happen but if you can get ahold of a car just hit up a parking lot and experiment

[baddogz28]

The point in which the clutch starts to grab is called the "friction point." All you have to do is moderate the throttle enough to keep the car from dying. When the revs start to drop, give a little more gas. And try to release the clutch slowly with even pressure.

[Vendetta]

I still remember the first time I drove stick... I was horrible. Stalled the car 5-6 times before I started to let the clutch out slow as hell. Then I gave it too much throttle, got scared, let off the throttle totally, and stalled again. Don't worry man, nobody is an expert right away.

[Karps TA]

F-bodies are one of the easier cars to learn stick on IMO. When I worked at a dealership is when I was taught how. They put me in a Pontiac LeMans econo box. The Ford Aspire looking jobs. It took me forever to figure it out. Then customer brought in a 91 Trans Am 5 spd and it was ridiculous how easy it was to drive. I think you get more feeling with a real shifter then a cable like you do in FWD cars.

[gettinthere]

The easiest thing to remember is once you hit the friction point, put in as much as you take out. Meaning your feet should directly counteract each other. Imagine there is a rod connecting your feet and the brake pedal is the mid point.

[1970judge]

So your pushing gas as much as your letting off clutch?

[gettinthere]

In a sense yes. Untill you get moving to the desired speed in 1st gear.

[MJK]

Very true in that it isn't a big deal once you get the hang of it...

F-Bodies are one of the easiest cars to learn stick on in my opinion.I think its the big torque these cars have that make it more difficult to stall....doesn't take much to get them moving......

I have always had A4 (autos) F-Bodies through out my life and finally in June I got my 1st M6 (6spd manual) and wouldn't trade it for anything....

I just LOVE the sound of the exhaust as your riding down a gear....sounds soo awesome...Or going up an entrance ramp,that point right before you shift up sounds soo goooooooood...(I think I'm getting a just a bit too excited... :D )

Just looking to get a louder sounding exhaust set- up though..


-Milt

[Vendetta]

I too have never driven an M6 F-Body before. Hopefully that's fixed before soon though.. ;)