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Old 26-06-2006, 11:36 AM   #16
Trevor 57
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Victoria Australia
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Ahh, a subject I know something about. I have been a heavy vehicle driver trainer since 1987, so:

As has been said there is 200 rpm between gears, but....

The double clutch process is very much a hand-eye co-ordination thing.

The best advice I can give on double-clutching is to move the gear lever and the clutch at the same time, do not push clutch and then move the gear lever.

Always use the clutch

Always only push the clutch in about half way, unless you are engaging 1st gear, and then only when the truck is stopped.

When up-changing go to about 1600-1700rpm, then when you change a full gear movment it should drop about 4-600 rpm, so you pull it in the next gear at about 1200. (not half gear, which with the button on the side. 18 speeds have 2 knobs on the gear lever, one knob is the range change, it will the black one underneath the gear knob, the other is a blue knob on the side, this is for half gear changes, it splits each gear in 2 if you like)

Sorry to go against what you are saying superpursuit, but the new engines don't need to be revved up that high unless you are in hills, and yes I have driven B-Doubles at 62.5t with a 420 hp Series 60 for a living.

You should note that there is 3-400 rpm drop between each full gear change, this principle works when down changing as well.

With this next part I am only talking about full gear changes, not half shifts, when you first start off in a new truck to you, you should note the rev drop between gears (this goes for all you pro's as well), take off in first gear, go to 1600 look at your speed and note it, then change gears, then go to 1600 in 2nd, note the speed and then change, do this all the way up to 8th - remember full changes only,

So know you should have a list of each gear at 1600 at a certain road speeed, for example, 4th gear - 1600 - 20 km/h, 5th gear - 1600 - 28-30 km/h and so on.

You use these numbers when down changing, for example if you want to down shift to 4th gear from 6th, you should slow down to 20km/h, clutch in, neutral, rev to 1600, clutch in and pull it in to 4th gear, this takes some practice but it does work, so be patient, 4th gear in a road ranger is the gear you go around most left and right corners in.
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