My First Attempts to Drive a Stick

[YJwonderboy]

WELL!!! It started out great. I was ready to tackle my wrangler with a manual transmission! Yup, got it moving around town pretty easily. AND then I got out in the county, and at first was doing fine. I dunno if it was the pressure of my dad in the car with me or what...but after a few minutes of driving in the county I sorta went blank. Like everything I did was wrong. He'd tell me to shift and downshift and blah blah blah, when I KNEW to do it, and it just made me nervous and I choked, I batched it. And now I think I dissappointed my dad...and it makes me feel bad.

[paulhead]

Give yourself a break, you can't be an expert from the start.

[YJwonderboy]

I'ma go out an practice again today. See if I can't get starting and stopping on an incline. Thaat's where I had my biggest flop, cause I dropped the clutch and spun the wheels.

[swbooking]

I'ma go out an practice again today. See if I can't get starting and stopping on an incline. Thaat's where I had my biggest flop, cause I dropped the clutch and spun the wheels.

Wait till you have a jeep in front and behind you and you have to stop in the middle of an 80 degree uphill on the trail and your on dirt and crawling over ruts and rocks, thats where its really fun haha hope to wheel with you someday!

[cbremer]

don't feel bad- the salesman that sold me my first car (a YJ, no less) was the one who had to teach me to drive stick of course, that was after the YJ was paid for my first drive home was on the freeway at night, so i just had to get it in 5th and i was home free. interesting learning experience... but it's like learning how to ride a bicycle- once you learn, you never forget.

[maddmike]

took me about 2 weeks to 'get the hang of it' when i bought my first stick shift car (honda accord aka EASY AS PIE clutch), even though i already knew how to drive one...it'll take a bit to get to the point where you can talk and shift at the same time or go up hills without thinking twice. you'll get used to it, no one is a pro from the beginning. although i have to say a jeep clutch is a bit tight and stiff...not the best for learning!

you reach the next level when you can shift without using the clutch

[YJwonderboy]

shifting without a clutch....Um....powershifting noramlly doesn't strike me as a good idea...

[blackZZR]

I was doing a hill climb saturday and there was a sharp turn in the trail that was blind, I got to the place and there was a ford coming downhill, well I shoved in the clutch and stopped. I was on a hill, with a 2 foot rut under my suspension and the guy in the ranger stalls out trying to get into reverse and get out of my way. I waited for around 5 minutes untill I decided it was easier to just lock my wheels into the rut and wait as he figured out how to drive a stick in reverse.
I think my next 4x4 will be a auto. the auto in my FJ Cruiser has a different program for 4 low, that would be nice in the jeep, now why did I buy another jeep manual?

[cbremer]

you reach the next level when you can shift without using the clutch

speaking of rev matching: i had a car where the slave cylinder took a :poop: and I had no clutch for a 10 mile drive on surface streets... that was interesting at traffic sugnals: roll to a stop in neutral, shut off the engine, put it in gear, start the car to get moving again. stop signs: California rolling stops all the way

[Jason]

shifting without a clutch....Um....powershifting noramlly doesn't strike me as a good idea...

Not at all. I think it is a good way to learn how and when to shift when you have problems. I used to have a Plymoth Arrow that used a cable to operate the clutch. The cable broke and I was 50 or so miles from home. Fun stuff getting home.

My advice for any parents of girls, teach them to drive a manual tranny. You never know when they may be out on a date with a guy that only drives manual. Your daughter may need to drive home.
Just my :2:

[Old Fart]

Teach the sons too, never know when the "designated driver" might turn into the "designated drinker". Andy learned on the jeep (in 2wd low range), problem is - now he want's to borrow the Boxster

[YJwonderboy]

I'll just stick to the clutch. Dun wanna tear up a tranny...

[maddmike]

My advice for any parents of girls, teach them to drive a manual tranny. You never know when they may be out on a date with a guy that only drives manual. Your daughter may need to drive home.
Just my :2:

...had that happen before...takes all the fun out of everything

[steelman]

...had that happen before...takes all the fun out of everything

Your daughter was on a date and had to drive home???