I leave my hand on the shift knob pretty much all the time when I'm driving. I just read a post about this being bad. What's the big deal about it?
I hate to say it, but your hands should be on the wheel. And there is some discussion about how the weight of your hand can effect the trans. Look at the UUC site of Rouge for more info.
From personal experience, resting your hand on the knob under heavy acceleration and adreneline (trying to kill a smart-ass in a SHO Taurus in my case) can cause the transmission jump out of gear, second gear in particular but I've also had it happen in third when accelerating hard out of a sweeping right hand on-ramp. This is, I was told, because the engine/transmission/shifter is moving around both laterally and radially under load. Your hand will hold the knob in a fixed place and the transmission/shifter movement creates the same effect as if you pushed/pulled foward/backward slightly on the shift lever, hence it pops out of gear. That's what I was told, may be total BS but in fact, since I was told this I've kept my hand off and have not had it pop out of any gear again.
The other reason is posted on RE's site, you can read it for yourself:
http://www.rogueengineering.com/Merc...gory_Code=SNNN
Mike
Last edited by 98///M-DROPTOP; 09-14-2002 at 12:07 PM.
I drive an auto so sometimes I do just rest my hands on the knob, but most of the time, when I am driving on the freeways or busy streets, I keep both hands on the wheel. It feels safer because I have two hands to help me steer the car instead of one.
All about safety
~Chris
I always drive with 2 hands on the wheel, thumbs ready on the horn. I drive too fast to f*k around.
Imagine what would happen if someone swerved in front of you and you had one hand on the wheel and had 0.2 seconds to respond ... *crash*.
Lee
i do (w. auto), and I've been in tight situations. I can actually respond faster with just left hand on the wheel
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You can put your hands up you ass when you are cruising if you want. :-)
But if you ever drive on a track, which I doubt you would ever do, you want to always keep both hands on the wheel except when you shift.
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Steadying your hand on the shifter to change the radio is one thing but to keep it resting on the shifter...would imagine that over time this could be a bad thing as you are providing resistance to the shifter's normal movement. Both hands on the wheel or one up the butt when cruising should be the norm, IMHO.
sometimes I rest my wrist on my knob (auto), but its usually when i'm stopped at red lights or changing radio stations.
I usually drive with both hands, right hand on either 3o'clock (spoke) or 2o'clock (thumb rest), and my left elbow resting on the door handle with two fingers just touching the 7o'clock position. In this position, I used my right hand as a corse adjustment (turns and such), and my left hand as a fine adjustment (keeping the car from drifting to one side of the lane etc). During high risk situtations (heavy rain, tight spaces) I'll drive with both hands on thumbrests (2o'clock and 10o'clock).
Always 2 hands on the wheel. That is how I race so that is how I drive.
Yeah, I watched an e30 M3 rally video a few years ago where the dude kept shifting, then putting his hand back on the wheel for another 3 seconds, then shifting...it made me realize that it is worth it to have your hands on the wheel...both of 'em...
I drive with both on the wheel and like XOC said with my fingers on the horn button. Especially when I'm in the fastlane or in someone's blind spot or over 100mph...just not enough time to react and I'd rather them help me out by swerving back the other way...
And I thought I saw Simeon talking about how having your hand on the knob can cut off an oil passage under the shifter...on manuals that is...
I'll rest my hand on it @ stoplights, but when I'm driving I always try to have two hands on the wheel.
"It never hurts your eyes to look on the bright side." - Charles Manson
nope....both hands on the wheel for me.
Oh.....and forgot to mention in my first post. When you keep your hand off because you're trying to keep it in gear under acceleration or your letting the lubrication flow correctly or the metal shift knob you liked sooo much just burned/froze your hand..... that free hand belongs on the wheel with the other one:clockwise
Mike
To those with AUTO...this does not apply. Leaving your hand on a stationary auto shifter has no bearing on the tranny whatsoever....just an FYI!Originally posted by filip75
i do (w. auto), and I've been in tight situations. I can actually respond faster with just left hand on the wheel
And to say you respond faster with one hand on the wheel, is pretty much an impossibility. You may THINK you do, because you're more comfortable that way, but I assure you, you do not actually respond faster!
<font face="century gothic"><b><font size="2">2003 Alpine White M3...</font></b>
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also resting you hand on the knob and create an aweful rattle. Us with M3's already know that there are too many damn rattles, and that can just add another one. Yes when i am cruising at like 15mph, i have my left hand on the steering wheel, and the other on the radio or computer, but anytime im REALLY driving, my hands are both being occupied by the steerwheel. Plus when im on the HW, its a lot more comfortable in my opinion to have both hands on there.
Wes
- Wesley T. Camping
And here's yet another reason to keep your hand off of the shift knob............to hold the free stainless steel coffee mug from Mobil 1 that you'll get for purchasing a case of SuperSyn.
Of course, that free hand will be trying to keep the damn mug from flying all over the car since it certainly won't fit your cupholder but that's a different problem.
http://www.mobil1.com/supersyn/offer.jsp
Mike
Good advice as always on this board :
WEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHen im driving around town i have my hand on the shifter (auto)
or right hand on the wheel left hand out window. when i get to an intersection or another place that is busy or has a lot of people i put both hands on the wheel. on the highway iusually have both hands on the wheel.
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This is how I drive too... kinda eliminates the need for a center armrest. Sometimes if I know I'm not going to be doing many turns (on the highway with light traffic for example) I'll put my elbows down in my lap and have both my hands on the bottom of the wheel, I can still make minor adjustments but its alot more comfortable for long rides.Originally posted by AlphaLead
sometimes I rest my wrist on my knob (auto), but its usually when i'm stopped at red lights or changing radio stations.
I usually drive with both hands, right hand on either 3o'clock (spoke) or 2o'clock (thumb rest), and my left elbow resting on the door handle with two fingers just touching the 7o'clock position. In this position, I used my right hand as a corse adjustment (turns and such), and my left hand as a fine adjustment (keeping the car from drifting to one side of the lane etc). During high risk situtations (heavy rain, tight spaces) I'll drive with both hands on thumbrests (2o'clock and 10o'clock).
And with the shifter, I'm always holding it, but not resting any weight on it, while in stop and go situations (I see little point to letting go of the shifter between the 1, 1-2, and 2-3 shifts around town
You should NOT leave your hand on the shifter and here's why. The parts inside the tranny that connect the shifter to the individual gears are made of brass (the reaon why is yet another long story). By resting your hand on the shift lever, you cause these parts to be in constant contact with the gears, and therefore they wear faster. Now, this won't cause any really nasty problems, but it will make your shifter more sloppy faster. So, if you like a sloppy shifter, by all means continue to rest your right hand on that shifter, but if you like a nice tight shifter, put that right hand on the wheel.
-Bungy.
1999 323ti
2005 530i 6-speed
2020 X5
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ditto on the first two counts. and as for the third, i do the same, but am trying to wean myself off of it, because I know it is bad.Originally posted by Kyle K.
This is how I drive too... kinda eliminates the need for a center armrest. Sometimes if I know I'm not going to be doing many turns (on the highway with light traffic for example) I'll put my elbows down in my lap and have both my hands on the bottom of the wheel, I can still make minor adjustments but its alot more comfortable for long rides.
And with the shifter, I'm always holding it, but not resting any weight on it, while in stop and go situations (I see little point to letting go of the shifter between the 1, 1-2, and 2-3 shifts around town
I am really most of the time with my left elbow on the armrest, and right arm at 12o clock. and also with left at 6:30 and right at 5:30.
If there is any spirit in my driving, though, it is 9 and 3.
I drive with one hand on the stereo, one hand resting out the window:
Resting hand on manual shifter = tranny mid-life sloppyness.
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