manual trans

[VINNIE]

i have a 4 speed. i guess 1st is a granny gear for a big truck. i do not nedd it. my question is can i shift this truck without using the clutch? thanks,vinnie

[dave2953]

I have seen people shift gears without using the clutch, but if you don't do it at exactly the right time you'll hear the awful grinding noise. I'm not really sure how you know when you're supposed to shift, though.

[67-72williso]

vinnie
You shoud be able to shift with a clutch if you are familiar enought with the vehicle.
Willis

[mvfd70]

I used to drive a 68 with a granny low 4 speed. I never drove using 1st gear. As a matter of fact, more than once, I took off froma dead stop in 4th gear. You can shift without a clutch but if you don't hit the next gear at just the right RPM, it sounds like you're going to rip the teeth right off the gear.

[retodd7711]

I drive a semi truck and I "float" gears constantly. I do this in my personal vehicles also, It just takes a little getting used to the vehicle then it comes naturally. I have never had a problem with tearing up my tranny. It's interesting that truck driving schools teach double-clutching but no one can tell you why.

[69TowRig]

Used to be double-clutching was necessary to slow down the input shaft in the transmission before the next gear selection was made (no synchronization). Modern light trucks and autos are all synchronized so there's hardly a need for that anymore. I would suspect that for big trucks that have big transmissions it is more a matter of wear on the transmission components, I would figure that they are synchronized but when you figure all that mass of the large gears and shafts spinning you would want more than just the synchonizer cones to do the work of speed-matching the transmission components? Anyone else have any theories?

I agree with the above that once you get used to a vehicle you can "float" gears no sweat. I have been able to do it with just about every stick shift I have ever driven.

[Moneypit]

None of the "big" trucks I drive at work have a synchronized transmission. You can either float the gears or double clutch. As retodd7711 said most of the truck driving schools still teach to double clutch but hardly anybody touches the clutch except for starting and stopping once they leave the schools. You can ask most any driver if they float or dbl clutch and they will say float. My question is though: Why would you want to do so in your personal vehicle. It is harder to do on a synchronized transmission because you have to take into account the synchronizer working and you run for more risk of tearing something up. Just my $.02