4. Using the gears......

[Pauly75ts]

Anticipate the road and the conditions; be in the right gear at the right time for good response.

 

When stuck behind a slower vehicle be in the right ratio to overtake quickly - not necessarily your lowest available gear; you don't want to be caught having to shift cogs while passing.

 

Don't hold on to low gears too long; you might sound as though you're going fast by always being on the redline but changing up can make the car better balanced on a twisty road and you'll often find you are going through bends quicker too.

 

Avoid slowing the car on the gears (it unsettles the driven wheels);use the brakes - that's what they're for.

 

Rgds

 

Paul Yong

[Renegade]

Very sound words of wisdom there, Sir Paul, esp on slowing the car with the gears. Thank you. However, you are referring to stick-drivers here, aren't you ? - however, lots of ppl I know very much prefer not using their brakes too much, for one reason or another....

Edited October 1, 2002 by Renegade

[Presea]

I agree with you, especially when overtaking.

And the overtaking vehicle should be acceleratin the moment they start to come out of the lane.

All too often I'd see a vehicle (especially Taxis) come out of the middle lane, and start to accelerate only when they are in the overtaking lane. And they'd slow to 70 or less, because they lost their momemtum.....and all the vehicles coming from behind have to slow down unnecessarily.

 

But regarding slowing down using gears......

 

....for me.... downshifting helps me not only to slow down, but it allows me to get up to speed when the lane starts to move on.

 

And for corners, a lower gear gets me from the apex to the exit with faster acceleration, and more stability too.

 

 

 

....just my 2c worth...

[Super7]

pssst, shhhh, LFS 1045pm? or later?..... shhhhh

[Presea]

....TV freak = ME

 

so every night will have some show to watch

 

...I'll switch on my server....I'll put in an AI driver (PRO )

 

and I'll join you guys at ....uh..... midnight ?

 

cheers

[5204s]

Bro ysfoo,tonight me cannot leh coz my sis in law is here,sorry.Just now I try the mod Gti with 1500 HP,wah lau than fast man,can hit 450 km/h than shiok man

[Super7]

can can.... mid nite rider/racer..... no probs

[Civic]

how to mod the car leh !!! My the most 170km only !!!

Edited October 1, 2002 by Civic

[Super7]

>>>>>Gti with 1500 HP,wah lau than fast man,can hit 450 km/h than shiok man ..........

 

huh? 1500hp???? ..... can fly man

 

cheers

[Presea]

LFS! join us. 11:30,

I'll give you tips

 

My server is already running

 

I'll be in after The Practice ends at 11:30

[Pauly75ts]

"you are referring to stick-drivers"

 

Hi! there, Renegade,

 

This is taken from a supplement, not necessarily reference to manual or auto tranny. Either way, both can be driven the same way, just more load on auto tranny, as there's no control of the clutch.

 

Currently, I'm training on driving without shifting gears, or using brakes, with one hand on the steering wheel when cornering.

 

Rgds

 

Paul Yong

[Pauly75ts]

"start to accelerate only when they are in the overtaking lane"

 

Hi! there, Presea,

 

I'm guilty of of using engine braking, but it was a habit that I use when I was driving heavy vehicles at the work-sites, where brakes are not effective when it rains.

 

Now, I'd drop gear and blip the throttle so the revs are at the correct range for the lower gear, it'd give me the same approach speed on the correct gear for the turn or for overtaking move. It's very taxing for my gearbox as it's behind the car, so it also includes double de-clutching, especially to 2nd & 1st gears.

 

Overtaking was taught to me by my brother, when we go for drives in MY. He can do it very well, so much so that he moves out the moment the on-coming car just pass, and he'd be at full-throttle. To do this, you'd have to keep a good distance away from the car in front, approx. 2 car length, so that you have a good view of the convoy in front & the on-coming convoy. This took me all of 3 years of driving with him, but still I can't do it as well as him, as I get lazy and lose concentration easily. I'd get affected by the on-coming lights, and I don't go for drives as often as him & his friends & family.

 

Rgds

 

Paul Yong

[Presea]

...hey...that's what I do....and my wife keeps screaming at me because she thinks I am going to slam into either the vehicle I am overtaking or the one that just passed

 

It's all about timing....and knowing your car's acceleration curve intimately

 

I do it all the time in Singapore, and there must be hundreds of drivers who have seen my Presea suddenly in their rear view mirror, when a moment before, it wasn't there

 

 

 

cheers....

 

never driven a heavy vehicle before....

..heaviest "vehicle" I've driven is a 13 tonne Turbocharged Mobile Howitzer.

...max speed 16kmh (1 gear only)

[Cardinal]

Basically the idea is to maintain the engine in the powerband while negotiating a corner right? Whether to downshift before a corner or in mid corner depends on the entry speed in the first place..

 

Eg if you are screaming at 150kmh towards a corner from a long straight, and you intend to be in 2nd gear on exit, you pretty much can't downshift until mid corner unless you want to bust your engine..

 

But yeah, downshifting should never be used in place of brakes. It's 2 wheel braking basically...

 

But Paul, what's your take on the fact that if you downshift and maintain the revs so that you have more power on exit, there is still going to be significant engine braking that can upset your brake balance? is it better to do your braking before trying to downshift?

[Pauly75ts]

"Turbocharged Mobile Howitzer"

 

Hi! there, Presea,

 

You in Arty too, I've finished my time a few years back.

 

Your wife screams? Mine says to sell the car to-morrow.

 

Rgds

 

Paul Yong

[Pauly75ts]

"maintain the engine in the powerband while negotiating a corner"

 

Hi! there, Cardinal,

 

All braking & shifting must be done before the corner up to the time before you start to turn.

 

For better control. use toe-to-heel braking while you shift gears, done well, it'd be like a perfect duck-gybe on your shortboard.

 

Know the revs limit on each of your gears then you won't kill your engine, I was offered a chip without rev-limiter, but I decline as it won't serve it's purpose other than a short engine life. I've made many U-turns in 1st gears, when I drop 2 gears at once, but before that, it's change down 1 from 5th to 3rd to have a look at the amount of braking needed to change to 1st. Once the revs in 3rd is within range, either through braking or other, I'd down-shift with double de-clutch, blip throttle, engage, then execute the U-turn, had the tail wagging once when I power away.

 

During the turn, it's progressively accelerating past the apex before going pedal to the metal.

 

Rgds

 

Paul Yong

[Presea]

Artillery..."Once a Gunner, Always a Gunner!"

 

I finished my NSF 5 yrs ago, 8 more years of NSMan duties.

5 overseas LF already...and 2 more left

 

Did you go to Starlight and Crescendo? I hate Typhoon season in ROC!

 

 

 

My wife....it's actually her car (Cheaper Insurance because I am younger than her) so she can sell it if she wants.... but because I drive it 99% of the time... "it's mine!"

 

But I drive it "like I hate it", as I go screeching around corners ....my 205 ZIEX tyres tend to screech as they approach the limits of adhesion.

Nowadays, I do it when she's not in the car

[Pauly75ts]

"I hate Typhoon season"

 

Hi! there, Presea,

 

I did Crescendo once when attached after my unit stand-down, so always Starlight, didn't get to enjoy much then, as I'm usually on extra for the exploits of my gunners. I'd prefer ROC, there's ice-cold water everywhere, unlike dusty conditions in TG.

 

Rgds

 

Paul Yong