ihavefat

This is another newbie shifting question. I've always thought there was a specific RPM to shift, but a friend of mine told me I don't really need to look. I just have to listen. Also learning to skip shifts has confused me as well.

So my question is, does it matter which RPM I shift? I'm not really talking about DD here. I usually shift either 2k or 3k depending on the situation. But now I'm talking about stepping on the gas. I know if you are going to WOT, you would shift right at 7k, but what if I shifted at 5k rpm? I tried it at 4k, 5k, and even 6k. I can't really tell the difference. Am I hurting the engine by shifting at any rpm I want to?

JCON

If you're going for acceleration, I would shift when torque drops off. That point will change as you modify the car. A dyno graph or just feeling the car out will let you know when you've reached your peak torque. Using up the rpms after your peak in most cases will be a slower way to reach a higher speed.

In my opinion, torque gets you there, horsepower keeps you there. (down low-mid range speed)

If you downshift too far (which shouldn't happen in a 6 speed) you can damage the engine but I have never heard of anyone hurting anything by going a gear to high.

take note of gear, rpm, and speed and learn all three together to know when and where to shift. too much of a difference in rpms when shifting could be tough on the car.

Smoother shifting is easier on the car of course.