What are safe MPH downshifts in each gear? 3.42, 6spd. 1995 car 245/50/16 tires

http://www.f-body.org/gears/

I was using that, looks like maybe

40 in 1st
60 in 2nd
80 in 3rd
110 in 4th

sound good? what do you guys use as a guideline?

 

Won't help you any..but for Auto Owners...

3:42s, A4

1st - 40mph
2nd - 75mph
3rd - 135mph


Just make sure you are giving it gas to keep the Rpms up to match the gear your going into into.

 

I use whatever I feel is right, never fails.

 

I don't know if id put it in 1st going 40mph!

 

Do you own stock in AAMCO?

 

You're dang near 5000 rpm if you drop to 1st from 40 mph. I don't even like to drop it to 60 in 3rd, which is around 3500 rpm, but I do it once in a while when I need to get on it. I hate the sudden rpm change. Feels like I'm going to spin something off.

Carefull with the downshifts.

Dan

 

60 in third! Stereoman, You never take your car above 3500? As long as you rev match your not doing any harm downshifting. Now putting it down a gear and dropping the clutch would not be the best thing. So safely your right, but more practically:

33
50
68
89

is what I'd go by, it makes no sense to downshift if your gonna end up over ~4250 rpms. You'll just wind out the gear and shift back up.

I have 3.73s so it's a lil different for me, but I never look at the speedo anyways, i only ever concern myself with the tach. If I'm in between 3-3.5 getting ready to race someone i'll drop it another gear.

unless your asking how to make the most racket cruising around with a bunch of ricers at 6500 rpms in that case downshift at 40 ect.

 

The best way to find out is to go up to 5000 RPM's in each gear and look to see what MPH you are doing. Last time I checked at 40 in 1st my car was redlining so I wouldn't recommend downshifting into 1st unless you are going 30 or slower.

Myles

 

don't worry so much about the mph as you should be worrying about the revs. rev match the shift and you're good to go. if you're just pushing in the clutch, dropping the gear and hitting the go pedal, you're shocking the crap out of your tranny and other components. that's a no no. so, rev synch your shifts.

JB

 

Heh, heh. Oh yeah, I take it over 3500 , but I wasn't talking about rev matching. I was talking emergengy go time, as when someone tried to race you out of the blue. If I rev match, I drop it at higher revs.

Dan

 

between 20 and 50 you hit second. freeway speeds you hit third from 60-75. Anything above that is fourth and hopefully you are not downshifting into fifth... Downshifting is harder than upshifting on the tranny synchros especially if there is a large rpm difference, so downshift wisely danial san.

 

Yeah, every time I've ever just dropped it and nailed it from highway speeds, it's been to 4th. Even going 60 mph, I'm scared to drop it and nail it in 3rd. To be honest, I've never needed to drop it to 3rd. Anything that tried to race me was too slow to worry about(Grand Prix, Probe...). There aren't too many guys around here that like a good race it seems. At least not on my way to work and back, which is almost all highway and interstate.

Dan

 

i put it in 2nd at 60 with 4.11s in the back This post is a REALLY good example why some time a slower car is able to keep up or beat a car that should be a lot faster. Some of you guys need to grab yours ***** and downshift to the right gear when racing

 

Amen, Brother.

 

SHHHH!! I rely on that kind of stuff. Evens up the disadvantage I have from a roll.