fast shifting vs. stock clutch

Pretty straightforward question: can fast shifting prematurely damage any stock clutch related parts? Is it even designed to handle fast shifting?

For instance, do you guys shift faster than this guy:

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Or do any of you shift nearly as fast as this guy:

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] [/ame]

This guy's car has obviously lost of mods so we may not be able to shift like that, especially without a short throw shifter. Anyways, just curious to hear what you guys think..

I'm just saying, these tranny don't like to be beat on lot. They are not like a old domestic 4 speed.

What I am trying to get at though is someone doing 'normal' driving and simply shifting gears fast. Is that bad?

The trannys don't like shock, load isn't as bad.... shifting fast is ok as long as you're smooth... I've been shifting mine like example 1 for 100k miles..

example 1 is fairly normal. example 2 is what mine sees a few times a day.

 

Those are nothing like abuse.

shifting fast is ok as long as you're smooth

 

^I see.

 

example 2 is what mine sees a few times a day.

 

^ wow, you do this every day? So you'd think it does nothing to the clutch, fork? Somehow me thinking pressing and releasing the clutch pedal so fast may negatively affect clutch related parts . I have no idea though; just based on a gut feeling.

My Sti 6MT don't mine EX.2 But mostly drive EX. 1

Mines not the fastest in the world but mine sees this kind if shifting a few times a week with no issues.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eSnlUxU9Aw]Outback XT vs G35 Drag - YouTube[/ame]

Neither of those videos are really abnormally "fast" shifting.

 

Ex. 1 is what I'd consider normal "fast" shifting if you were trying to merge onto the highway or something.

 

Ex. 2 is only marginally faster.

 

Can you break things by shifting that fast? That's up to the clutch. When shifting that fast, the clutch WILL slip (even if you don't necessarily feel it). That slip saves transmission parts. Upgrade to a clutch that WONT slip, and that's when loads on the gears increase into the breaking zone.

 

Is that amount of slip going to cause more wear than a normal amount of slip wile shifting slowly? Probably not. I'd say anything beyond 70k miles is pretty "good" clutch life for aggressive driving.

Mines not the fastest in the world but mine sees this kind if shifting a few times a week with no issues.

 

 

^ nice run man. I would have loved to see the face of the G35 driver..Do you have a short throw shifter and aftermarket clutch, or is everything, trans wise, stock?

 

Neither of those videos are really abnormally "fast" shifting.

 

Ex. 1 is what I'd consider normal "fast" shifting if you were trying to merge onto the highway or something.

 

Ex. 2 is only marginally faster.

 

Can you break things by shifting that fast? That's up to the clutch. When shifting that fast, the clutch WILL slip (even if you don't necessarily feel it). That slip saves transmission parts. Upgrade to a clutch that WONT slip, and that's when loads on the gears increase into the breaking zone.

 

Is that amount of slip going to cause more wear than a normal amount of slip wile shifting slowly? Probably not. I'd say anything beyond 70k miles is pretty "good" clutch life for aggressive driving.

 

^Very good feedback. thank you.

78,000 miles on my Spec 2+ clutch. The thing still grabs and shifts as it did 70,000 miles ago.

Clutches typically grab the same through their entire life, until the VERY end. Pedal/engagement used to change with cable clutches, but hydro clutches are mostly immune to that.

Im all oem bushings/shifter with a exedy oem replacement clutch

Im all oem bushings/shifter with a exedy oem replacement clutch

 

^props to you to be able to shift pretty fast without a short throw shifter. At times, I want to shift fast but it feels like i am going to break something. Engaging gears on that car (even with my previous outback) is just not smooth IMHO.

This might be alittle of topic but i just got a 5 speed 09 legacy 2.5i and im still getting use to shifting. I know i mstill learning but everytime i change gears especially from 1st to 2nd i sometimes hear a clanking noise, im not sure if im letting the clutch out too fast of is omething is wrong.

 

and another thing is how fast should i release the clutch for a smoother shift. and should i use any gas before when the clutch is like 75% engaged?

 

It's tough because i commute to school everyday in a high traffic area andtheres alot of stop and go i just dont want to harm the car anymore than i should.

OEM clutches all have springs in them, partly, so that the driveline shock when releasing the clutch is reduced by the loading of the springs.

OEM clutches all have springs in them, partly, so that the driveline shock when releasing the clutch is reduced by the loading of the springs.

 

99.5% of all aftermarket clutches have sprung hubs as well.

 

Non-sprung hub clutches are VERY violent.

Of course. I only stressed that OEM uses sprung as my experience has been that a higher percentage (not the majority though) of forum goers choose an unsprung clutch because ZOMG its like racing!11!!!11!!

No one here ever goes with an unsprung clutch, at least that I've seen.

Mines not the fastest in the world but mine sees this kind if shifting a few times a week with no issues.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eSnlUxU9Aw]Outback XT vs G35 Drag - YouTube[/ame]

 

Nice run! Do you go out to Sacramento Raceway often?

 

As for the subject at hand shifting fast when done properly is not too much harder on you car than driving "normal." What really shortens life of components is excessive slipping the clutch or missing shifts.

 

Also a short throw shifter won't necessarily shorten shift time. Many have increased effort because the lever is shorter, simple physics. The best thing I've ever done for quicker shifts is a light weight flywheel (on my maxima) everything else was OEM.

What really shortens life of components is excessive slipping the clutch or missing shifts.

 

^missed a shift last week (going from 3rd to 4th real fast) which I am still mad about.

This might be alittle of topic but i just got a 5 speed 09 legacy 2.5i and im still getting use to shifting. I know i mstill learning but everytime i change gears especially from 1st to 2nd i sometimes hear a clanking noise, im not sure if im letting the clutch out too fast of is omething is wrong.

 

and another thing is how fast should i release the clutch for a smoother shift. and should i use any gas before when the clutch is like 75% engaged?

 

It's tough because i commute to school everyday in a high traffic area andtheres alot of stop and go i just dont want to harm the car anymore than i should.

 

 

This has happened to my car since mile 2 all the way to mile 107K. When I do shift hard (rare) i get the clunk. There have been many topics and discussions on that issue I've heard everything from rear diff bushings being too soft to delayed drive line loading. I get the clunk the most btwn 4th and 5th when shifting hard.

 

If this is your first all wheel drive car stop and go traffic can get jumpy at times. My philosophy: use the clutch as little as possible when possible(coast from breakaway points to stopped traffic). I think the worts traffic conditions ive been in, im my legacy, is when the traffic is stop and go at quick pace. I hate having to creep along in 1st then stop but never getting up to a pace to shift to 2nd.

Clunk is usually rear diff mount bushings. Was really bad in the old Impreza's, was why we sold so many rear t-mount bushings for back there. My first Legacy, a 1997 twin turbo RS, would whack the rear diff against something under there like a mofo under hard shifting.

 

Regards,

 

Paul Hansen

http://www.avoturboworld.com

http://www.facebook.com/avoturboworld

Nice run! Do you go out to Sacramento Raceway often?

 

As for the subject at hand shifting fast when done properly is not too much harder on you car than driving "normal." What really shortens life of components is excessive slipping the clutch or missing shifts.

 

Also a short throw shifter won't necessarily shorten shift time. Many have increased effort because the lever is shorter, simple physics. The best thing I've ever done for quicker shifts is a light weight flywheel (on my maxima) everything else was OEM.

 

 

No o dont go to often. If it was a bit closer id be out there more.

not tryin to sound like a raced or anything but shift like example 2 more often than anything else, i dont run to redline every gear, its just a smoother shift when i shift fast like that. trying to shift like a "granny" is when i drive like a never learned stick. ive been driving like this for 50k miles with no problems what so ever, shifting fasst and smooth is different from shifting fast and hard. when you shift fast and hard like the rear diff is kicking you in the ass, is much more likely to yield some broken parts eventually