Wednesday, December 23, 2015

why are there clutch pedals, instead of a grip lever on the shifter?

Wouldn't shifting a stick be better if it was all operated with the right hand, and not the hand and left leg?

I imagine shifting would be faster and smoother, if you used your right hand to operate the clutch, then pull the shifter to the gear you want, then released the lever to enable it.

Maybe a trigger on a pistol grip shifter, or a thumb button on a t handle

Just a random thought that occurred to me while driving, as both of my cars are stick shifts

8 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. Porsche, on early 911s, used to have a semi automatic transmission,called Sportamatic. When you grabbed the shift knob, it would disengage the clutch. It had no clutch pedal, and you shifted like a normal manual transmission. However, you could not rest your hand on the shift knob like you normally would on a regular manual with a clutch pedal.

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  3. Would make hill starts where you use the handbrake / e-brake to stop rolling backwards rather difficult.

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    1. I cuurently have 2 stick shift cars, and have been driving stick shifts since 1989, and have never used a hand brake like that. That is what the foot brake is for. So... footbrake with the left foot, gas with the right, and use one right hand to clutch and shift. See? You proved my point.

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  4. It takes a tremendous amount of force to overcome the springs in a clutch assembly. Your leg has much more power than your hand, plus a clutch pedal can move much further than any type of hand clutch (like on a motorcycle) ever could, giving more mechanical advantage. One other thing, the driver's back leaning against the seat backrest gives him more clutch depressing power than the squeezing of his hand could ever produce. I'm sure you could make a hand type clutch work in a car, but it would be a work out for the driver's hand.

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    1. The Sportamatic had an electronically operated clutch. You didn't squeeze anything, you just grabbed the shifter. Also, you didn't have to use the e-brake or handbrake when you came to a stop. You applied the brake as you normally would with a full automatic transmission. Sorry for the double post above; I didn't realize the first one went through.

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    2. No, it doesn't take a tremendous force to work a clutch. It takes physics. Leverage, mechanical advantage, hydraulics, pnuematics, vacuum assist... you know of all of these things. Just incorporate them into the design, and you can do anything with a feather touch. you know this. Power steering, power brakes, electronic steering... paddle shifters... all of these use something other than brute force to accomplish mighty things.

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  5. Hi Jesse,
    Using a hand to operate the clutch works well on bikes (there might be an issue when you're trying to operate the clutch on some 500hp 4 wheel monster of course), but as a regular motorcyclist who doesn't drive a car so much I've always wondered why they don't have a sequential gearbox like bikes. The action is so much slicker - flick the lever one way to go up, the other way to go down. No wandering round trying to find the right slot in a gate.
    Have a great Christmas.
    Tony

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