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The Fastest Ways to Destroy Your Clutch

Writer's picture: The Gearbox SpecialistsThe Gearbox Specialists

If you drive a manual transmission, you know that you have to take care. One of the first things people do when learning to drive manual is mistreat the clutch. We see a lot of the damage that is done when you drive incorrectly, so let’s take a closer look at the top ways to ruin your clutch.


High RPM Before Taking Off

Who hasn’t tried this before? Revving your engine like a race car before you ease up on the clutch and leap forward, ready to do battle with the road. Unfortunately, while the idea is fun, the wear and tear on your clutch system is terrible. It’s definitely a rapid way to destroy your clutch, so if you do try this method, you can expect to see us quite soon.


Slowly Changing Gears

This is particularly common for those new to driving. It can be scary to change gears, so you may end up holding the clutch down and then slowly easing the vehicle into the next gear. This is actually not great for your vehicle, so try to speed the process up so you can press the clutch and then let it up again rapidly as soon as you shift. This does get easier over time. 


Resting Your Hand on the Gear Shift

Do you keep your hand on the gear lever? This isn’t the best idea, because it can put extra pressure on the gear forks. This excess pressure causes the rotating collar to struggle with rotating like it’s supposed to do. It doesn’t take long to reduce this to a disaster situation.


Keeping the Car in Gear While Stopped

City driving can be rough on a clutch, but it’s even worse if you keep the car engaged at stoplights or even in the street waiting for someone. As soon as you stop, shift to neutral. You can use the brake if needed, but avoid leaving the car in gear and stepping on the clutch while you wait. This can result in some damage as well as excessive wear and tear on the clutch. 


Riding the Clutch

Much like our last point, this is when you have your foot on the clutch too much. It should only be on that particular pedal when you shift gears. Otherwise, remove your foot completely. Resting your foot on the clutch pedal while driving wears down the gears quite rapidly. 


Want to avoid costly repairs? Be careful with how you drive and you’ll do much better. It takes time and practice to remember these mistakes and how to avoid them, but it’s time well spent.


Is it too late for your clutch and transmission? At Gearbox Specialists, we’re ready to help you get your vehicle back in driving condition. Contact us for an appointment. 

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