On a manual tranny, how hard is it on the tranny and motor to downshift to help slow down?? My friend's dad might be gettin a new bass boat, and said my buddy could take it to the lake whenever he wanted...problem is he has a lifted jeep wrangler w/ the 2.5L 4 cylinder and 5 speed...i know it can pull it...but im worried about it slowing down a boat that heavy...I would imagine that the boat will be about the same weight as the jeep itself, so im guessin it would be hard on the brakes...so im sure there will be times he has to downshift to slow it down within a decent distance...is it gonna be that hard on the motor and tranny to assist slowing it down this way??
Downshifting to slow down
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Yeah, i don't want him to really drive it like that...i know he will need to slow down earlier, but sometimes with stupid drivers in this world, they like to turn right out in front of people towin heavy loads and not even attempt to get back to the speed limit within the first mile...ive towed my boat with my dads truck and my truck before, and its not too hard to slow it down, but it does take more pedal...
there's no problem in using engine braking...hell thats what the allison tranny does on grades. as mentioned above, make damn sure you are in the right rpm range for that lower gear or something's gonna break.
And about slowing down earlier, I don't think that is relegated to just this jeep. I have towed in my dad's full size sierra and it's got what 4 wheel 13" disc's??? pretty stout for breaks, anways, even when just towign a small popup camper there is def. a BIG difference in braking distance.
Also, you could always consider a trailer with it's own brakes.
And about slowing down earlier, I don't think that is relegated to just this jeep. I have towed in my dad's full size sierra and it's got what 4 wheel 13" disc's??? pretty stout for breaks, anways, even when just towign a small popup camper there is def. a BIG difference in braking distance.
Also, you could always consider a trailer with it's own brakes.
i guess trailor brakes could be another idea...and even tho i know its just a bass boat...behind a light ass jeep it kinda scares me. ill prob end up towing it with my truck some, and split the gas costs or something...i know my truck can handle it.
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i downshift to slow down with my honda...im not towing obviously but i hardly use my brakes when slowing down...i know my civic is no jeep, and i dunno anything about jeeps but i know my civics been just fine.
i can see how it would be alright in a civic...they weigh all of what, 2500 lbs? I figure a 4000 lb jeep with 33s, and a 4000 lb boat can create a lot of momentium...so i dunno if they weak lil tranny and motor can hold up to it. oh well, its my friends jeep, not mine...
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yeah, my civic is about 2500lbs haha. and yeah it is a jeep, it is a chrysler and my god chrysler has made some shitty cars lately. my gfs parents 2000 caravan is possesed. the wiring harness is fucked up so something out of no where every light on the dash will go on and off, the lights will go on and off and the locks will lock and unlock, its nuts. and last but not least, damn straight its not yours, if it breaks oh well haha...sorta? haRedneckDude said:
If it breaks again...it might give him just enough reason to go to GM...he has thought about sellin the jeep a few times and gettin just about every GM truck ever made...lol...blazers, old half tons, newer silverados...all of them...but i guess i did learn that as long as its in the right RPM range that its not too bad on stuff...and i guess as long as he uses his brakes along with engine braking he should be ok...
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You can decelerate using your engine as long as your careful about your rpms....
Where it will get exciting is when those butt head drivers do something that leave you no time to engine brake...jam on the brakes...light vehicle, short wheel-base, heavy load= jack knife...just like the big rigs when they get jammed by someone doing something stupid...
IMHO...jeeps are not the best tow vehicles...especially if you are going to do any freeway or highway driving...round town basically fine.
But all that said driving to the conditions and the load will save you in 99% of those "exciting" incidents.
Where it will get exciting is when those butt head drivers do something that leave you no time to engine brake...jam on the brakes...light vehicle, short wheel-base, heavy load= jack knife...just like the big rigs when they get jammed by someone doing something stupid...
IMHO...jeeps are not the best tow vehicles...especially if you are going to do any freeway or highway driving...round town basically fine.
But all that said driving to the conditions and the load will save you in 99% of those "exciting" incidents.
:word: It's hell on the clutch if you don't do it at the right rpm. I disintegrated a clutch doing jamming it into to low a gear on my first car. :slap: It really sucks when you are about 100 miles from home and your car sounds like somebody is shaking rocks in a coffee can when you let off the clutch.kryptonite said:
:nono:
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Stopping will wear a part no matter what you do. Downshifting is twice as many shifts on the clutch. Braking wears out the brakes.
Personally I'd probably downshift to help keep some load off the brakes so you have more brake available with some jackass pulls in front of you.
Personally I'd probably downshift to help keep some load off the brakes so you have more brake available with some jackass pulls in front of you.
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at the lake...
there is this big road hill we go down.. i will get going 25-30 mph..throw her down in 1st gear and listen to my pipes sing to me :head:
there is this big road hill we go down.. i will get going 25-30 mph..throw her down in 1st gear and listen to my pipes sing to me :head:
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I did it all the time in my old volvo, never really hurt anything as long as you're in the right RPM range. Heck, we do it all the time out here in the hills, with alot more than a bass boat.
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no offence but this seems kind of a dumb question to me.. thats how tons and millions of big rigs with 18, 13, 10spds and even tandem trucks with 4 or 5 speeds. Just make sure your engine isnt guna rev to 8 grand when you let off and your fine.
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very true, but its pretty much the same principle.... if you keep the RPMs within a managable range for the engine, there should be no problem.
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