double-clutch and clutch wear

[grosbucheron]

When downshifting, I always double-clutch (and, if braking, I go for heel-toe braking) and I was wondering if it had anything to do with the premature wear of clutch components.

Last spring I had my 05 Echos' clutch bering replaced because it was sliping on highway acceleration.

It did it again, hence my dealer replaced (under garantee) the whole thing -- clutch, pressure plate and bearing-- no later than yesterday.

Should I *not* double clutch? Hope this is not the problem : gears go in much easier this way!

I did pull a Vermont forest ranger's Ford Explorer out of the ditch last winter , but that was before the first bearing replacement : I do not think it should explain the problem coming back.

[Tommy]

You're not driving a 1930's truck, you've got a synchronized modern transmission. Double clutch and you're using the clutch 2x as much, of course its going to wear faster.

foot off gas, clutch to the floor, pull down/push up, release clutch, resume gas. Clutch last long time.

[Rdizzle]

^exactly. We have syncromesh stuff. No double clutching in this day and age.

[touringcamry]

I have a question along the same lines.

When down shifting sometimes, I'll hold the throttle down, clutch in, RPMs surge slightly, down shift, and let the clutch go. When I get this right, the engine RPM will surge to within about 100-200 RPMs of the input on the transmission.

Another thing I do sometimes is clutch in, shift while blipping the throttle, and then releasing the clutch.

How does down shifting this way affect wear of the clutch. My understanding is that when the clutch pushed in all the way, the engine is seperated from the transmission so it should be ok right?

[timebuilder]

Whenever the clutch is in the process of being engaged or disengaged, the disc, pressure plate, and throwout bearing are giving up a little bit of their lifespan.

Holding the clutch in does separate the engine and transmission, but the throwout bearing is spinning under load the entire time the clutch is held in, pedal to the floor. When the clutch completes its engagement, pedal up, there is virtually no wear unless the torque created by the engine exceeds the ability of the pressure plate to maintain a lockup with the clutch disc. If the pressure plate and flywheel cannot keep the disc locked between them due to excess torque, the clutch will have its greatest wear while the disc slips. Continued slippage leads to mechanical failure.

If you spend any time with a large truck, you may double clutch by force of habit.

[Grayguy]

Or you might want to double clutch if your synchros are going bye-bye. Hell once your moving, why bother using the clutch. Much smoother without it.

[Evo_lucian]

Thanks guys i learnt alot through reading this thread. Now i know why my clutch only lasted 4 months on my levin.