"Riding the clutch"

[paranoidxe]

This is a n00bish question, but what exactly is it? Is riding the clutch when you hold in the clutch at stops or is it when you don't pull the shifter out of gear when you stop?

I've been driving manuals for 3 years and never really figured out exactly what it ment.

 

[RicesP5]

i think its where you hold the clutch down all the time to stop.. but i could be wrong .. it could also be letting the clutch out to slow while trying to take off and shift gears...

 

[ForceFed]

Riding the clutch is actually when you keep your foot on the clutch pedal at at all times while driving.Whether you think you are pushing it or not,you are riding the clutch and causing un-needed and premature wear on your clutch and its components.This problem is one of the reasons why the "DEAD " pedal was created,to give your foot a resting place between uses on the clutch.If you are not stopping or "PRESENTLY" shifting,your foot should not be touching the clutch pedal. Your foot should be at rest beside the clutch pedal until it is needed.

 

[RicesP5]

that was my next guess

 

[hyperboarder]

Forcefed for the win!

 

[BeNegative]

Pretty much what ForceFed said. It's really not good to ride it. You wear the clutch out prematurely along with other components. Usually someone who is learning will tend to ride the clutch or a learned bad habit as well. Peace out.

 

[Lord_Zath]

just like people who rest their foot on the brake are riding the brakes. in addition to premature wear, they usually piss the hell out of the people behind them.

 

[clicknext]

Don't mean to thread jack, but now that your question is answered, though I'd ask, what exactly is slipping the clutch? Anything where the clutch is only partly engaged? If so then wouldn't that happen to varying degrees on pretty much all shifts unless you drop it down perfectly? At least that's what I do, but I've only been driving standard for a few months.

 

[RicesP5]

<----- dislikes old people that drives wiht 2 feet.. always have their taillights up and going .. not able to tell when they are going to over react and slam their brake on so they dont hit that adorable kitten.. sorry for the threadjack

 

[RicesP5]

are you asking if your clutch is slipping?? i havnt heard of slipping your clutch. sounds riskay ask forcefed.. he smarter then i

 

[NoRotorNoMotor]

if you let out the clutch and hit the gas and your rpms go up but the car doesnt move real fast, thats slipping


if your sliding into home and your pants are full of foam, thats diarrhea

 

[RicesP5]

it sounded like he was asking like it was some sorta intail d driving technique

 

[NoRotorNoMotor]

ya maybe he means double clutch

 

[clicknext]

Haha, wtf?

I've heard people say it's bad to slip the clutch because it causes wear, just wondering.

 

[RicesP5]

havnt heard of slipping your clutch.. i have however heard of your clutch slipping.. its what no rotor no motor says .. you let off the clutch and hit the gas and your rpms climb like crazy but your getting no where fast.

 

[NoRotorNoMotor]

if by "slipping" the clutch you mean letting it out really slow while you keep the RPM's really high then yes, but a "slipping" clutch is what a described above when the clutch is fully out and hitting the gas causes the rpms to go up, if that happens its time for a new clutch

 

[RicesP5]

are you following me no rotor no motor??? lol

 

[NoRotorNoMotor]

its the only active thread

 

[RicesP5]

not very much interesting stuff going on tonite

 

[paranoidxe]

"slipping the clutch" is sort of a racing term, it means you SLOWLY release the clutch (at the same time you are putting moderate to high throttle) when you launch your car, it helps with traction problems (by slowly delivering power to the car, instead of giving the car a jolt) with FWD/RWD vehicles but it burns the hell out of the clutch for the most part.

the alternative is "dumping the clutch" in which you hold the clutch in, rev your car to a certain range (3.5K-4K) and QUICKLY release the clutch.

Then you have the "honda drops" in which you push the clutch in, rev the car to the point its bouncing off the rev limited, then dump it.