Question about driving with hand on shifter

958 Views 27 Replies 23 Participants Last post by 240_Bullitt, Sep 18, 2008

dennisbaker

Discussion Starter · Aug 21, 2008

I was talking recently to a Ford mechanic about the 3650. He said I should not drive with my hand resting on the shifter. I did a google search to see if I could find some discussion about this. I copied the text from a thread (not from this site) that said, "You can but it can damage the transmission. By having the weight of your limb pulling on the shifter handle you in turn are putting pressure on the shift fork and the slider. This will cause premature wear on those components. After a while you will start to notice that you get a little bit of a rake when shifting. Or start to get hard to put into gear. It's a shifter not an arm rest." What do you guys think about this?

1 - 20 of 28 Posts

RayS

· #2 · Aug 21, 2008

Sounds like complete nonsense. I'd think you'd have to have a significantly heavy arm to cause any sort of damage, and even then you'd have to be pulling it in some fashion. When my hand is resting on the shifter, my arm is usually on the arm rest, so the only weight on the shifter is the weight of my hand. The weight of your hand, or even your arm, wouldn't be enough to overcome the mechanical forces keeping the shifter in place. That's why there's a clutch.

On the other hand (ha!), you should generally drive with both hands on the wheel. But you knew that already. :smile:

JrzyBullitt

· #3 · Aug 21, 2008

I agree with RayS. However I've heard this theory since the 70's. (Gosh am I really that old??) Anyway, as long as I've heard the theory, I've never heard any proof.

Karl Rodg88

· #4 · Aug 21, 2008

its the same thing about resting your foot on the clutch pedal and putting stress on the throwout bearing.

DavidMidgley

· #5 · Aug 21, 2008

I have owned several manual transmission vehicles. I have never had to rebuild, replace, repair any part of the transmission as a result of my hand resting on the shifter. I have never replaced anything more than a clutch, and that was in my first car that was beat when I bought the thing in the first place. I vote that such advice is best taken with a grain of salt. That's what I figure it is worth.

steelfalcon29

· #6 · Aug 21, 2008

I agree. I've owned tons of Manuals and have always drove with my hand resting on the stick...except for the 3 on the trees. :lol:

Now driving around with your foot on the clutch is something I've always stayed away from. Good or bad, wrong or right I've just stayed away from it and everyone is going to have their own opinion but I believe it can't be good.

Kempesh

· #7 · Aug 23, 2008

I've been told by no less than a professional Porsche Racing mechanic not to rest my hand on the shifter. Two reasons; first, it really can prematurely wear the transmission components because even though your arm only weighs a few pounds, the leverage action of the arms and forks multiplies this force many times; second, if you aren't actively shifting, your hand should be on the steering wheel controlling the car. Ten and two guys.

K

Ezekial

· #8 · Aug 23, 2008

can't go wrong with not leaving my hand on it

I've just taken the advice and follow it about 99.9% of the time.

54deuce

· #9 · Aug 24, 2008

I never rest my hand on the shifter. I agree with Kempesh.

jeffs89gt

· #10 · Aug 24, 2008

i agree with it... makes sence to me just like keeping your foot on the clutch petal... ur putting more pressure on it than if you werent resting on it so it is gonna effect something... over time not overnight

Pestlnce

· #11 · Aug 25, 2008

I think the alum. shifter ball pretty much serves to save my tranny then. All summer I've been thinking about wearing an oven mit on my right hand cause this thing gets so damn hot!!

2 hands on the wheel? wtf?lol.

a50ina50

· #12 · Sep 1, 2008

If it were a problem wouldnt an aftermarket shifter with the stops (bolts) prevent that. Or does the stock shifter have the stops Ive nver looked at mine.

DiZzyBonne

· #13 · Sep 1, 2008

Pestlnce said:
I think the alum. shifter ball pretty much serves to save my tranny then. All summer I've been thinking about wearing an oven mit on my right hand cause this thing gets so damn hot!!

2 hands on the wheel? wtf?lol.

If you're racing, it's the ONLY way to do so.

redbaron

· #14 · Sep 1, 2008

Aftermarket shifter with stops would eliminate the worry factor. They are designed to stop the ****er from placing undo stress on the forks during a hard shift when you are racing, so street driving would be a cake walk.

Tony Alonso

· #15 · Sep 1, 2008

Kempesh said:
... second, if you aren't actively shifting, your hand should be on the steering wheel controlling the car. Ten and two guys.

K

I agree, except for 9 and 3 for performance driving on a course.

BlckBullitt01

· #16 · Sep 7, 2008

Unless your actually putting some force on the shifter, just resting your hand isn't going to hurt anything.

240_Bullitt

· #17 · Sep 8, 2008

i've been told by our manual trans tech not to do it so i dont. it takes little to no movement to put pressure on the forks and plastic guides on the synchros

onefastbob

· #18 · Sep 8, 2008

Message deleted, Seems I cannot read and have stumbled into the 2001 forum. OOOPS!

Hand on shifter in the 2008's will have NO effect on the transmission.

VIC-TIM

· #19 · Sep 8, 2008

Sorry but I don't believe it. The weight of your hand would have to be transmitted thru the shift ball, then thru the shifter stick to shifter mechanism, then thru the ball and socket type of set up that is in our tranny and then to the internals. The whole thing is not without some play in the entire mechanism no matter what shifter you have and even more so in the stock shifter with the thick rubber insulator/isolater of the stick to the shifter. Sounds like an urban legend to me.

Jimmy Ray

· #20 · Sep 8, 2008

I just don't drive my car, so it should never wear out.....

1 - 20 of 28 Posts

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