A. Pushing the clutch in too far
1. Think. Tap to neutral, vroom,
Tap to gear (3 steps)
Tap the
clutch-----Shift to neutral
Hit accelerator
to 1500 rpms and let come down to 1000 rpms
Tap the clutch
and shift to the lower gear
2. Imagine a
balloon under the clutch. It will bend when the clutch is pushed in a
Little, and
break when pushed in too far.
B. Not revving the engine the correct amount in neutral
1. Practice the
correct amount when parked
a. Watch the
tachometer and rev the engine to 1400 rpms several times
b. Listen to
what it sounds like
c. Close your
eyes and try matching the sound
C. Downshifting too fast or too slow
1. Find the
rhythm of Tap Vroom Tap
2. Practice air
downshifting. Sit with the truck parked and the engine running.
Hold your
hand above the gearshift and pretend to downshift while actually using the clutch
and the accelerator.
D. Not slowing down to downshift
1. USE THE
BRAKE Waiting for the truck to slow
down on its own takes too long. Use the brake
Slow down
to around 1000 rpms, then downshift. Slowing down is part of the slowing down
process.