orion6g

183 in 3rd? I've hit 160 and by glancing at the gauges the tacometer needle is right next to the redline (or supposed redline.... never tested it in 3rd).

blackfoot

my needle bounces off 6500rpm..

lol its not exactly 183, but its fookin close lol, 4th gear, really what tops it off lol..

3rd gear, gearing is just retarded,it just pulls and pulls, 4th is just a 1:1 ratio

BlkonBlk

Since we are on the subject of shifting technique, I have a couple of questions. This is my first manual and I'm actually learning as I go with this car, so bear with me. Up until now, when coming to a stop I just throw it in neutral and use my brakes, bad idea? Also, sometimes I try and down shift to second going about 30 mph and I feel a sudden jolt and sometimes I can hear the tires chirp. I still haven’t attempted power shifting yet as I want to get a better feel for the manual. Besides these issues I'm feeling a lot more comfortable driving a manual, although steep hills still can get tricky for me. Thanks in advance from a Mustang and 5-speed newbie.

workshop4ever

throwing it into nuetral and slowing down is a bad idea. Although its not extremely bad for the car, it creates no tension on the driveshaft. Thus it "bounces" around, causing bad wear and tear on all parts of the vehicle. Its best to downshift while braking.

FearMyMatrix

I wouldn't power shift if you like driving your car, it's pretty hard on it

TempleOfDog

I've never heard of this before and I have always done this method to stop. Would someone else please give their input on this. No offense workshop4ever, just I have done this for 17 years of driving manual trans and have never had a problem.

Diabolical!

Hate to revive this thread from the dead, but it's perfectly fine to brake without downshifting, unless you're driving a big rig.

07 Stang

For manual transmissions, I've always put it in neutral and let it coast and then apply the brakes. On my old GT before I sold it, I never had a problem with the brakes or the transmission by doing this.

dmhines

Iusually onlydownshift if I know I won't be coming to a complete stop .... If I know I'll be stopping at a light or for traffic ... I slide the tranny into nuetral and apply the brakes as necessary. I'd rather be putting the wear and tear on easily and cheaply replacable brake pads than on manual transmission components ...

07 Stang

Yep, that's what I do too.