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Re: Curves and manual transmissions



Our E-mail system has been flooded with messages containing viruses. I
sent the following post over 7 hours ago and it seems to have
disappeared. If this is the second post you've received from me on this
topic, delete it because it is the same as the first.

* * *

When I was driving manual transmission cars, I often liked to downshift
on curves because it seemed to give me more control with the
accelerator.

If I let off the accelerator I got more engine braking than I would have
gotten if I had stayed in the higher gear. If I depressed the
accelerator I got quicker acceleration than I would have gotten if I had
stayed in the higher gear.

I suspect this feeling of having more response from the accelerator
could be making the person think
the car "handles better." I think I might have used those words myself.

However, one has to be careful doing this on slippery roads with
front-wheel-drive cars. Downshifting on slippery roads can cause a
skid. If this occurs with rear-wheel drive you probably still have some
steering control with the front tires. If this happens with front-wheel
drive you have lost steering until you recover from the skid. If you
have time and a good touch on the accelerator you can match the wheel
rotation to the road speed and come out of the skid fairly well. If you
have no time, or if you do the wrong thing, downshifting can get you
into some pretty serious trouble (on slippery roads).

When my son was learning to drive on slippery winter roads with a
manual-transmission front-wheel-drive car, I suggested that he not
downshift because I believe in those circumstances you lose more control
than you gain.

Aside... right now my area of Ohio is getting some pretty nasty weather.
The local school was cancelled both today and yesterday. Last night I
was driving and my daughter was with me. She has little driving
experience on slippery roads. On a wide stretch, with no traffic, and
going pretty slow, I did a little skidding on purpose. "Dad, what are
you doing?" "I'm getting a feel for the road conditions and how the car
is responding to the road conditions." "Well, I would be more happy if
we didn't feel the road." I told her she should drive and do some of
the same type of experimenting. But she would have no part of it. Too
bad... I think that's a valuable part of learning to drive.


Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
Professor of Physics and Chemistry
Bluffton College
Bluffton, OH 45817
(419)-358-3270
edmiston@bluffton.edu