Resting your hand on the shifter?
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From: McKinney, TEXAS
Resting your hand on the shifter?
My first vehicle was a 5-speed Rabbit (at least it was a diesel 8)). When I was taught the art of shifting (can still smell the buring clutch), I was told to never rest my hand on top of the gear shift. Was told that "pressing down" on the gear shift, while in gear, with my right hand could ruin the gearbox. Is there any validity to this statement?<br><br>TIA
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From: Sealy, TX
Re:Resting your hand on the shifter?
As long as you are not pulling it against the synchronizers, I don't think it will do any damage. If it is pulled against the synchros, you will either wear out the shift forks or the synchronizer rings (depending on which is softer).
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From: McKinney, TEXAS
Re:Resting your hand on the shifter?
me4osu,<br>Thanks, that is what I remember my father telling me now, something about the synchros (was kinda hard to hear him at the time due to all the noise my gear grinding made).
It's my pot and I'll stir it if I want to. If you're not careful, I'll stir your's as well!
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From: Central Mexico.
Re:Resting your hand on the shifter?
As me4osu said. It is never a good idea to rest your hand on the shifter.
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Re:Resting your hand on the shifter?
I frequently rest my hand gripping the shift **** just firmly enough to steady it - it's at a convenient spot for that, since I always drive with the center console in the down position - and it sorta stabilizes the whole shifter from the shaking and vibration of the Cummins and road irregularities - no, I *don't* force it in any way, but provide more the support of a shock absorber - actually to AVOID inner gearbox stress to shifting forks and associated parts that would otherwise be exposed to the shifter thrashing around loosely due to the above mentioned vibrations and road irregularities...
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It's my pot and I'll stir it if I want to. If you're not careful, I'll stir your's as well!
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From: Central Mexico.
Re:Resting your hand on the shifter?
Gary, sorry but I do not think you are right on this one. To my way of thinking by stopping any vibration you are inducing a strain on the componants rather than the other way around. The shifter mechanism on top of the tranni is designed to hold the gear shift lever firmly in place and allow it to move with the inherant vibration of the engine/ transmission assembly. Restricting that movement now means that the ball and spring plate on top of the tranni are forced to move a lot more than they were designed to do. Not to mention inadvertant momentary forcing the forks etc to move when you go over bumps and whatnot.
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Re:Resting your hand on the shifter?
I guess it boils down to a judgement call as to whether the shift lever is more, or less likely to thrash excessively if MODERATELY restrained as I do - another of those "time will tell" issues... 
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It's my pot and I'll stir it if I want to. If you're not careful, I'll stir your's as well!
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From: Central Mexico.
Re:Resting your hand on the shifter?
Agreed. Just remember this thread and if you ever have to repair or overhaul your tranni in a few years, give us an update.
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From: Sealy, TX
Re:Resting your hand on the shifter?
The forks only move axially (along the axis of the input shaft) on the round shafts that are set in the shifter housing assembly. The end of the shift lever is merely a peg that fits in slotted pieces that are part of each shift fork. Depending on how far right or left you move the lever lines the end of the lever up with one of the three forks' slotted piece.<br><br>Restricting lateral movement of the shift lever probably prevents wear on the shift lever, but has zero effect on the forks or synchros. <br><br>I think that only axial force on the shift lever will be detrimental to the life of the transmission components. I would include a scan from the manual, but I cant attatch pdf files.
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Re:Resting your hand on the shifter?
Truth is, and bottom line, probably won't make a dime's worth of difference to the lifespan or operation of the tranny whether you leave your hand on, or off the shift lever as you travel down the road - as long as you don't try to restrain its motion in a death grip that places additional unnatural stresses on it - and that was never what I was referring to anyway...
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From: Branchville, Alabama
Re:Resting your hand on the shifter?
I have to agree that it is a bad habit that can wear the shift forks etc. That being said, that is where my right hand is always. Used to wear the chrome of the roadranger shifters. Five speed had 187,000 on it and nothing was loose or giving a problem, now I'm testing the six speed. I'll let you know in 2 or 3 hundred thousand
