Need a possible myth dispelled. Is it true
that if you keep your hand on the gear shift on a 5 speed it wrecks your gears? I love keeping my hand on the gear shift.
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hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
No resting your hand on the gear shift does NOT wreck the gears or the synchronizing rings or the gear shift linkage or anything else. So long as the gears are fully engaged you could do a tap dance on the gear shift and do no harm. The person who told you that likely was concerned that you might disengage the gears without depressing the clutch except that even that does not harm the gears. I drive a standard transmission all the time and almost never use the clutch to shift the gears and have never wrecked any gears.
Jeephikelove · 46-50, F
@hippyjoe1955 I do know that you can shift gears without using the clutch. Had a broken clutch plate once and had to get my car from work to home (20 Km’s). That was interesting.
hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M
Amusing story. A few years ago I was driving some of my crew to site. The truck was crowded and the fellow sitting beside me was an old truck driver. My cell phone rang so I answered it. However it is a handheld device so while I had one hand to steer I did not have another to shift the gears. The old truck driver put his hand on the gear shift so I took it as a sign that he would shift the gears. I talked on the phone and let off the gas when it was time to shift and the truck driver selected the gears. I didn't tell him when and he didn't give me any clues. We made it safe to our site and never ground a gear on the way.
Jeephikelove · 46-50, F
My old bf and I used to do that in my car, I’d push in clutch and he’d shift. 😊@hippyjoe1955