Driving stick

[CasterTroy]

I was a "switcher" at UPS when I was 20. I could back the shit out of a 28ft double and drop it between two other trailers into a blind 90 using the mirrors and looking out the side window.

I don't think any of my kids have ever backed a trailer I gotta get on that!

[azoomm]

Originally Posted by LeeNetworX

Best advice I got for backing up a trailer - either look back over your shoulder or use you mirrors. Just one or the other, not both. When you mix the two is when you make it more difficult on yourself than it is.

Put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. If you want the trailer left, turn the wheel left. If you want it right, turn right. Most people get hung up trying to think opposite.

Big trailer easier than little trailer.

[njchopper87]

Heh, thanks for the advice. If I see something worth while for a decent price I'll pounce on it and just learn as I go. My commute is just a long straight road. The only time I run into "traffic" is when some slow ass is hogging the left lane.

[Rangerscott]

The good thing about manuals are they only break if they were poorly built or you abuse the hell out of them. The only thing you need to worry about is the clutch and have money stashed away for when its time to replace it if you cant do it yourself. Usually around $600 or so for a mechanic to swap clutches, plus some if they need to resurface the flywheel or replace it.

Depending on how the vehicle is driven you can get a ton of miles out of a clutch. 100k miles is doable.

[Adeptus_Minor]

Originally Posted by Rangerscott

Depending on how the vehicle is driven you can get a ton of miles out of a clutch. 100k miles is doable.

For someone just learning stick, particularly if there are hills in his area, I'm betting a lot less than 100k.

[askmrjesus]

My dad taught me when I was 13.

We were in Duluth of all places, (because dying on a cross wasn't enough punishment for your sins) and there was nine feet of snow up to my nipples.

On the first go, I plowed the old man's Plymouth Fury III into a hedgerow (not ours). It wasn't my fault. I was wearing a pair of Army "Moonboots" and three dozen pairs of socks, because it was one hundred degrees below fuck you it's cold out here.

"Hey" I said.

"I have an idea. If I take these boots off, I could feel the pedals better."

He looked at me like I was a complete idiot.

"So, when you go to drive a broad back to your place, you're going to take your boots off?"

The man had a point. I learned to drive with my boots on.

JC

[Krypt Keeper]

Been driving manual since 12. My Charger was auto and never felt the need for it to be manual. Did enjoy the slapshifter though to use instead of braking every 2 seconds in traffic. Now I got paddle shifters in my Hyundai and they are lame.

Its great knowing how to drive them, 3 on the tree is a personal favorite though.

I generally teach everyone how to drive manual in the family. Go to a school parking lot and run a whole bunch of real world scenarios of parking and driving. Good times.

[derf]

It took me 2 hours to get really good at a manual trans, then I drove one for the next 10 years. Now that I am on year 6 off an automatic I realize how much I miss it. Next car will be a stick.

Also I'm fairly awesome at backing up with trailers, at my best I could back an 18 wheeler and park it within 3 inches of where I wanted it

[Rangerscott]

Originally Posted by Adeptus_Minor

For someone just learning stick, particularly if there are hills in his area, I'm betting a lot less than 100k.

Ill have to check my odometer, but Im sure ai got over 60k on my cheapo clutch Iearned on when I was 15 and that was 12 years ago. Changed it it two months ago.

[Adeptus_Minor]

Originally Posted by Rangerscott

Ill have to check my odometer, but Im sure ai got over 60k on my cheapo clutch Iearned on when I was 15 and that was 12 years ago. Changed it it two months ago.

If you weren't driving in a lot of traffic and were in a flat area where you weren't having to do a lot of stop & starts on hills, I'm sure it can last quite a bit longer.