[Music]
downshifting is pretty much like
upshifting it's just a matter of taking
your time doing it slowly and practice
practice practice and it'll come to you
and then it's just like riding a bike
after that you'll never forget it's just
a matter of using the clutch uh in
conjunction with the gear shifting
getting the feel of it and uh if you
just put light resistance on the stick
you'll feel when it wants to slide into
the gear and uh other than that it's
just a matter of doing
it I find when I'm downshifting that I
always use the clutch I just find it's
easier to hit your shift every time now
they all they all shift differently this
is this is a big uh big caterpillar this
truck and it likes to shift really low
so I throw it out about 900 bring the
revs up to about 12 double clutch and
slide it in and that's this motor likes
that so there again down to about nine I
rev it to about 12 and I just use finger
pressure on the gear shift I you don't
have to force it you'll feel it uh want
to go in when it hits the right spot so
just just just lug it right
down pull it out give it some revs to 12
shift it back in and that's that's all
there is to it as I say I always use the
clutch and
uh that just that just hits the shift
every time you'll find when the
transmission's cold that it's it's a
little less Cooperative than when it's
warmed up but uh and and you know some
guys
can shift it without the clutch down
shift it without the clutch but I never
I never saw the advantage in it you can
do it but it's a lot of fooling around
with uh pressure on the fuel and
everything like that it's just it's just
easier for you and it's easier on the
truck if you just use the clutch when
you downshift every time and that way
whether the Jake's engaged or whether
it's not you're going to hit the shift
every time and a lot of times when
you're downshifting you're using a for
braking so that's not when you want to
miss a shift is when you're trying to
slow down so that's that's the best
formula I found
anyway so
again I like to Lug it lug it right down
and that way you know the shift's going
to go
in and it has the same braking
power at lower RPMs
and that way you're you're slowing down
gradually too and you're using the gears
and the Jake and the engine to slow the
truck down I haven't touched my brakes
at all and and generally I don't until
I'm pretty much at the stop sign the
truck that saves uh that saves wear and
tear on your
equipment downshifting is a little bit
harder than upshifting because it's a
little bit harder to get the feel of it
in the
gears and uh it's always a good idea too
when you're learning to downshift
probably not to use the Jake initially
not that it'll make a difference if
you're using the clutch but it might be
just enough to to throw the sensation
off for you it shouldn't matter but try
it both ways um The Secret the secret
again to downshifting one of the secrets
is is not to be in a rush not to be in a
hurry not to put yourself in the
position where suddenly you you need to
drop five gears because you haven't left
enough room out in front of you to allow
yourself the time uh good
downshifting
starts far far back from where you
intend to finally stop give yourself
lots of room out front when you start
downshifting so that the room isn't an
issue the time isn't an issue you've got
time to work your way through the gears
slow it down it's easier on the truck
you won't have to use the brake break if
if you find you're using the foot brake
in conjunction with your downshifting
it'll throw the timing of your
downshifting off sometimes so give
yourself lots of room lots of time take
your time take it easy do it slowly and
methodically and give yourself all sorts
of room to do it
in for the new drivers downshifting is a
little bit harder than than
upshifting but uh it's just a matter of
doing it it's just a matter of practice
you'll get it
[Applause]