Can't stop riding my clutch when reversing
 

I have a bad habit of riding my clutch when I back out (reverse gear). I know Im doing it but I can't seem to stop, I do it because I want to backout very slowly as to not hit anything. If I just go into full gear I feel like Im backing up too quickly. I was wondering if anyone else does this or has some handy advice to help get myself to stop doing this. I dont have a reverse camera, I have the basic '13 pinoeer HU which I love and don't plan on replacing. So that isn't an option.

Riding it a little to backup a couple feet is not the biggest deal in the world, BUT: Try using no throttle, and practice in a flat parking lot. Back up using only the clutch, and let it out fully, then slowly apply throttle gently.

It will help you learn how the engagement feels, and what input will give you the desired output.

Also, this is the marketplace. For future reference, there are technical topic boards where you can ask questions.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=8

:)

I never use throttle when backing up, just clutch. It's fine!

I never tried backing up without using any throttle great tip. I always figured I would just stall and I gave it gas. Totally works and doesn't stall.

Also my bad about creating this thread in the wrong place. If an admin wants to delete it is okay with me.

I always have this problem when reverse parking up hills and sydney has plenty of hills.
The reverse gear should have been a lower ratio from the factory.
Who wants to drive backwards fast anyway?

Totally agree. I feel like they did that so the car could execute good j turns, which also helped for commercials and ads. In the real world no one needs to do a j turn unless they are hooning. This gear should be lower ratio.

My driveway is uphill and I have to hit the top at a 45 degree angle, so the car won't hi center.

So, I have no choice except to slip the clutch quite a bit, backing out.

I've been doing this for over four years with my FR-S and the clutch still works just fine.


humfrz

At less of 1500 rpms i will not worry about it

I ride the clutch all the time too, don't feel bad. I put the car in reverse and just give it throttle and once I start moving I press the clutch pedal back in, and repeat as needed until I need to go into first.

I might try some other people's method but the way I do it has been working fine.

My car is at 62k miles over 4.5 years, I almost always ride the clutch to reverse (quite similarly to @Alltezza in fact), it's rare that I'm moving enough distance backwards to let it out fully and I have no signs of slippage despite hundreds of autox launches on top of me being a knucklehead that's slow to learn. I've stalled it at least dozens of times (don't think I'm at 100+ though) and I've smelled my burning clutch a handful of times as well.

Clutches are tough, the fact that you care and are cognizant of what you're doing means you're probably not doing anything terribly wrong. Yeah, try to be better, but don't sweat it, as long as you can't smell it you're probably not doing any noticeable damage to it.

try backing up on an incline...

Yeah, I've done that and it's a bit more finicky. OP wasn't asking about inclines in his original post though.

I thought this was normal

If you're just reversing slowly you'll be fine feathering it. Blip and engage/slip the clutch and then clutch in to roll. A few feathers you'll be rolling speed.
If you're going backwards up and incline that's another story, i imagine you'll need to fully engage the clutch to avoid slipping it alot.

I ride the clutch a bit too when reversing, especially uphill as some have said, but the more common issue ive run into is bumps or bumpy parking spaces. Especially in the city, even in some older self-park garages around here.

Pain in the ass trying to maneuver my car between two other cars and not stall.

This. I beat the hell out of my clutch (although no hard launches on a regular basis) and i'm even supercharged -- No issues at all. Clutches are strong... the guys who are destroying them are REALLY beating on them.

Riding it a little is perfectly fine. The important thing is not to F up and hit something. Avoid that and you're gtg.

What's with the paranoia associated with using the clutch? It's designed to allow smooth running at very, very slow pace. The danger time for the clutch is sitting at the biting point for a long period or riding the clutch at normal speeds and/or doing lots of standing starts to show your friends that the Twin really isn't a slow car.

imho because at this point everyone knows someone who had to pay >$1k to replace a clutch or got stranded when it failed spectacularly and swears off them for life 'never had a bill like that with an automatic'

(unless you've had a Chevy or Honda AT shit the bed)

So there's this big stigma about MT maintenance that people think they're more expensive in the long run than AT's, x fluid flushes vs. x clutch replacements, not taking into account all the factors. Therefore for those less experienced it seems like they're taking a big gamble by buying a MT with the looming threat of a >$1k repair bill (remember, 60% of Americans don't have >$500 in the bank, but a lot of those people can afford a modest car payment, but could be stuck unable to fix a large problem and face serious repurcussions). Gen Y has grown up with Baby Boomers whispering in our ears 'don't make my mistakes' and we're fucking terrified of all the little things that could end in disaster like losing a job when you're paycheck to paycheck because you smoked your clutch last weekend and can't make it to work on time to file your TPS reports.

I think in the UK there was a similar stigma associated with ATs as we had more MTs in the "affordable" range with ATs occupying the luxury car market. Big bills with big luxury barges.. MTs a penny a dozen and a mechanic on every street corner who can deal with a "simple" MT car.


Its changing now as more and more "affordable" cars are getting ATs so I'm sure a time will come hen MTs will be occupying the car collectors domain with prices to match.


As for cash in the bank, I think the UK is heading/or is down the same slippery slope, 'hand to mouth'.

The best thing about MT here , is no one wants it , and the car yards are full of secondhand MT cars going out the door for a song.
I just picked up a MT zook grand vitara for only $3700 au , with a low range transfer case that has no problems reverse parking up steep hills.
Riding the clutch when reversing might cause a little wear and tear , but i get more than 100000kms between clutch replacements and that is a lot cheaper than fixing and servicing AT cars.