Struggling Double Clutch Downshift

Driving the tractor, handling trailer, backing, etc has been zero problems as well as upshift. For some reason I can't get this downshift double clutch together . Now I missed many days of school from moving houses,new furniture being delivered, new storage sheds coming,and changing everything over etc. Also have been out on road once with friend that owns his truck and he said I can drive amazingly as no experience. Right up until I had to downshifting problem. I just can't get it figured out 3 times in truck total. Not grasping it for some reason. Help please. Test next week. Can't float on test. I just can't get a gear on downshift for ****.

It wasn't until my late 3rd week to early 4th week of OTR training did I FINALLY START to get the downshifting down...to the point where I wasn't going to be bothered if they had issued me a manual instead of my requested automatic.

Prior to that threshold being crossed, I couldn't downshift to save my life.

Something just clicked and I wish I could tell you what that was. I know my exit/off ramps were a double downshift from 8th to 6th and my turns I would stop trying to GET to 3rd gear BEFORE the turn, and just get the speed down to 10-12 mph and then while making the turn give some revs and THEN shift into 3rd to complete the turn.

Prior to that, I was trying like hell to get into 3rd PRIOR to the turn, and that was not making for an easy/smooth deceleration/turn.

Try 1000 rpms, rev to 1300 if that doesn’t do it try 1400 or 1500.

RG, I also had trouble with the downshift. I almost had it down pat when they put me into an automatic.

I take it you are in private school. I found out that downshifting is not that critical for the test, you can grind gears a lot and still pass. But you still have to get it in gear even if you grind.

Do you have the charts for synchronized shifting, matching RPM with speed? You gotta memorize those. Ask your school for additional help

Bruce K, I have nothing for the shifting. I have been blown away by the struggles I have downshifting only. Nothing else phases me. I drove my friends truck and trailer from outside lake city Florida last week to Bainbridge Ga,and he was impressed until I couldn't downshift properly. I'm so keen on being perfect,but here I am getting frustrated. Damn automatic looks better by the second. But,I'm no quitter,and will see to it that I get this. 20 people to one truck isn't exactly helping on yard.

Hi... i know people who took 2 mos to downshift properly. you arent alone. Before you know it, it will be sec9nd nature. I am occassionally grabbing for.my stick and clutch on my automatic lol.

The biggest mistake made is taking too long to get it in gear, by the time you get find 9th, the speed dropped so now you need to go to 8th, but trying to jam it in 9th wont help. Now you have to rev again to get the RPMs up. Most newbies will just keeo trying it jam it into 9th all the while.losing speed. By the time you realize it, rhe soeed coukd have dropped to 7th. So they are always chasing gears. The more frustrated you get, the more you are a sitting duck and not in gear.

Before you shift think of it as a puzzle and ask youself "Where does the shifter need to be at what speed".

Then "clutch neutral rev clutch shift". No lie, i would say it aloud. If it doesnt go in, prepare to go to the next lower gear and rev again then slide it in. If you need to, consider 2 gears down.

The point is to recover. It is true what Bruce said. The test only gices you 5 points max for grinding. They want to be sure you can recover.

Hi... i know people who took 2 mos to downshift properly. you arent alone. Before you know it, it will be sec9nd nature. I am occassionally grabbing for.my stick and clutch on my automatic lol.

The biggest mistake made is taking too long to get it in gear, by the time you get find 9th, the speed dropped so now you need to go to 8th, but trying to jam it in 9th wont help. Now you have to rev again to get the RPMs up. Most newbies will just keeo trying it jam it into 9th all the while.losing speed. By the time you realize it, rhe soeed coukd have dropped to 7th. So they are always chasing gears. The more frustrated you get, the more you are a sitting duck and not in gear.

Before you shift think of it as a puzzle and ask youself "Where does the shifter need to be at what speed".

Then "clutch neutral rev clutch shift". No lie, i would say it aloud. If it doesnt go in, prepare to go to the next lower gear and rev again then slide it in. If you need to, consider 2 gears down.

The point is to recover. It is true what Bruce said. The test only gices you 5 points max for grinding. They want to be sure you can recover.

Absolutely perfect advice.

Add the two numbers of the speed together to figure what gear you need. For instance 35 is 8th, 25 is 7th, etc. But RPMS also need to be down to around 1000, then clutch neutral rev clutch gear just as Rainey said.

RPMs can differ with the truck. My first Cascadia would slide in at 1100... my second needed 1300.

That is what guys call the sweet spot. Find it and remember it for thr truck you will test on.

Pros please weigh in here but my trainer got me to realize it is BOTH RPM AND MPH!

If the vehicle is going too fast (MPH) for the intended gear RPM doesn't matter much... it won't go in. Think of failed attempts in the past where speed continued to drop and no amount of revving worked until maybe a helpful trainer put it in a lower gear for you or told you what gear to use.

Taking it out at the right RPM AND MPH and not over-revving were the keys when I got it right!

It's actually more than just rpm and mph.

In a car the transmission is synchronized. If you choose the wrong gear you may cause the car to bog down or over rev, but it will go into gear.

These trucks use unsynchronized transmissions. The driver must manually match engine, transmission, and wheel speeds. If they aren't in sync, it won't go into gear. You can measure engine speed with your tachometer, and wheel speed with your speedometer, but you have no means to measure transmission speed.

This is why you double clutch.

As you press the clutch and pull stick out of gear you disengage the engine from the transmission, and the transmission from the wheels. All 3 components then start losing speed at their own pace, getting further out of sync. You can still control engine speed with your throttel, but you have no control or measure of transmission speed. To fix this once we pull the transmission out of gear, we release the clutch to reengage it with the engine. Now that the engine and transmission are connected you can apply throttle to spin up both the engine and transmission in sync to your required rpm. Now that everything is in alignment you briefly press the clutch again and push the stick into next gear to connect engine/transmission with the wheels. Take care not to hold the clutch in to long, or the transmission will again lose speed and be out of sync.