How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

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How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by MidnightInGotham »

Good evening all,

Not sure if you've heard of The Smoking Tire (I'm guessing many have). They have a popular YouTube channel as well as a podcast and some of the members can be found on network car tv shows.

I was recently watching this video where Matt Farah, member/head of the smoking tire, teaches how to drive a manual.

A lot of this is very basic, but one thing I noted was the slow clutch release/engagement between gears. I like the idea of smoothing out upshifts but I'm wondering if this tactic is corr ft or if one should be getting off that pedal quicker.

Below is the link to the video, take a look and maybe skip ahead a bit to see what I mean.

Also please point out any other things that are dead on or dead wrong from this video.

Thanks!
[youtube]https://youtu.be/waeOibnmuJk[/youtube]

https://youtu.be/waeOibnmuJk
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Re: How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by tankinbeans »

Honestly, I think 7 seconds is a bit excessive to be coming off the clutch from a dead stop, but otherwise the video was pretty good. It was a bit better than the videos from Joe Schmo down the street who has his rice rocket and is glossing over everything. As far as the informational bit, it felt like Cow's meta-sig in live action.

I've never been in an RS, but the ST was very definitely bouncy if not finessed in 1st gear, but that's a minor quibble.

For absolute beginners I wouldn't even recommend the blipping downshift and would instead focus on controlled clutch release. I know when I first started driving a manual full-time I had too much else that I was trying to get down without futzing with learning a blip.

I would be curious how he would teach hill starts in that car. I don't know if the hill start assist is fully defeatable as it is in the ST. For a video that is the barebones basics, I feel that the lack of a mention of hill-starts is pretty glaring, even if just to provide some tips on dealing with them in the beginning. I still have a little anxiety around them and I understand that the car doesn't go that far even if you're not Johnny on the Spot with your transition. Bubonic Freddie has hill start assist that can't be defeated.
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Re: How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by Rope-Pusher »

NO, not the shoe guy video again!!!
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Re: How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by tankinbeans »

Rope-Pusher wrote:NO, not the shoe guy video again!!!
I was driven almost ro distraction looking at those hideous shoes.
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Re: How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by MidnightInGotham »

tankinbeans wrote:Honestly, I think 7 seconds is a bit excessive to be coming off the clutch from a dead stop, but otherwise the video was pretty good. It was a bit better than the videos from Joe Schmo down the street who has his rice rocket and is glossing over everything. As far as the informational bit, it felt like Cow's meta-sig in live action.

I've never been in an RS, but the ST was very definitely bouncy if not finessed in 1st gear, but that's a minor quibble.

For absolute beginners I wouldn't even recommend the blipping downshift and would instead focus on controlled clutch release. I know when I first started driving a manual full-time I had too much else that I was trying to get down without futzing with learning a blip.

I would be curious how he would teach hill starts in that car. I don't know if the hill start assist is fully defeatable as it is in the ST. For a video that is the barebones basics, I feel that the lack of a mention of hill-starts is pretty glaring, even if just to provide some tips on dealing with them in the beginning. I still have a little anxiety around them and I understand that the car doesn't go that far even if you're not Johnny on the Spot with your transition. Bubonic Freddie has hill start assist that can't be defeated.

He actually has a second session to answer a few commented questions and talks about hill start. Uses a different car for that and teaches the handbrake method for beginners.
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Re: How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by MidnightInGotham »

Rope-Pusher wrote:NO, not the shoe guy video again!!!
Is there a backstory here? In this vid the shoes are just plugging the sponsor...
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Re: How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by potownrob »

MidnightInGotham wrote:
Rope-Pusher wrote:NO, not the shoe guy video again!!!
Is there a backstory here? In this vid the shoes are just plugging the sponsor...
midnight, meet rope :mrgreen: :lol: 8)
ClutchFork wrote:...So I started carrying a stick of firewood with me and that became my parking brake.
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Re: How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by MidnightInGotham »

tankinbeans wrote:Honestly, I think 7 seconds is a bit excessive to be coming off the clutch from a dead stop, but otherwise the video was pretty good. It was a bit better than the videos from Joe Schmo down the street who has his rice rocket and is glossing over everything. As far as the informational bit, it felt like Cow's meta-sig in live action.

I've never been in an RS, but the ST was very definitely bouncy if not finessed in 1st gear, but that's a minor quibble.

For absolute beginners I wouldn't even recommend the blipping downshift and would instead focus on controlled clutch release. I know when I first started driving a manual full-time I had too much else that I was trying to get down without futzing with learning a blip.

I would be curious how he would teach hill starts in that car. I don't know if the hill start assist is fully defeatable as it is in the ST. For a video that is the barebones basics, I feel that the lack of a mention of hill-starts is pretty glaring, even if just to provide some tips on dealing with them in the beginning. I still have a little anxiety around them and I understand that the car doesn't go that far even if you're not Johnny on the Spot with your transition. Bubonic Freddie has hill start assist that can't be defeated.
Also I agree, 7 seconds is a long time. How slow do folks release the clutch between gears beyond 1st? I can see this smoothing out the shift and is obviously easier than a perfectly timed clutch release, but if you have a gap for the revs to drop, is it better to do this slow release or a quick drop?
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Re: How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by MidnightInGotham »

potownrob wrote:
MidnightInGotham wrote:
Rope-Pusher wrote:NO, not the shoe guy video again!!!
Is there a backstory here? In this vid the shoes are just plugging the sponsor...
midnight, meet rope :mrgreen: :lol: 8)
:lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by tankinbeans »

I usually go 2 seconds tops. Moving up through the gears my timing is more on the throttle side meaning I'll let of the throttle for a couple counts and then will do all my clutch work and shifting.
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Re: How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by MidnightInGotham »

tankinbeans wrote:I usually go 2 seconds tops. Moving up through the gears my timing is more on the throttle side meaning I'll let of the throttle for a couple counts and then will do all my clutch work and shifting.
Agreed, I try to keep it around 2 or less as well on launch. And going through gears do you come completely off the throttle or just reduce throttle input for a few counts?
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Re: How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by tankinbeans »

MidnightInGotham wrote:
tankinbeans wrote:I usually go 2 seconds tops. Moving up through the gears my timing is more on the throttle side meaning I'll let of the throttle for a couple counts and then will do all my clutch work and shifting.
Agreed, I try to keep it around 2 or less as well on launch. And going through gears do you come completely off the throttle or just reduce throttle input for a few counts?
I'm completely off the throttle. That way the revs can fall and the synchros don't have as much work to do.
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Re: How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by Teamwork »

I'm guilty of referencing this exact video in the community forum (with the disclaimer of the horrid product placement + even worse looking shoes). I think this video is pretty spot on for beginner basics though (though the 7 seconds is probably a bit exaggerated). One of my issues starting off was clutch anxiety with various internet sources claiming "you better get off that clutch 1-2 SECONDS MAX". I don't really count but I could attribute a lot of my bouncy/jack rabbit starts to getting off the clutch too quickly while not adding a lot of gas. His strong points being made is if you are going for a no gas launch approach to do stay in it (even pause) slower and controlled and not to use a ton of gas if you are going for leisurely smoothness.

The only gear change where I am noticeably slower releasing the clutch is 1st to 2nd as it is temperamental. I add a bit of gas to transition these changes also. You could wait for days with the rev hang between this transition and get rear ended too if you don't accept a bit of a jerk or supplement it with throttle. I've openly expressed this concern when I was new here...

Matt Farrah took a lot of unwarranted crap (warranted for the shoes) for this video saying he has a car that cheats (has a car with hill start assist, a car that automatically rises the revs in a no throttle launch situation) and rebuttaled the elitists by doing it in a Mazda 2 for part 1.5. I love his one-takes and as a journalist I think he's great and gives reputable input relative to his own experiences.
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Re: How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by tankinbeans »

Vehicular assists are a double edged sword. Purists hate them, but the general public can use all the help it can get. I actually greatly appreciate the hill start assist in the Mazda3. Then again I learned in a car where the clutch was wonky and didn't react the same in all cases, at least I didn't feel as though it did.

*many stories can be found in these fora. Cow and Rope can vouch for how irritated I was getting with that car.
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Re: How to Drive a Manual Video - The Smoking Tire

Post by Rope-Pusher »

There are a plethora of methods available for removing the epidermis from a feline.

Same goes for driving Amish.

People's beliefs on how to drive Amish are really very much like religious beliefs: "Do it my way, or your clutch/synchros/release bearing/mounts/gears/fluid/hydraulics/cables/back-up lamp switch/etc. will be going to Achey-Double-Hockeystix!"

I bet that a true set of 10 simple guidelines could be proffered that would cover all that one, or two, would really need to know in order to get down the road without causing any extreme wear/damage.

We could meet at the finish line of a hill-climb race to coagulate our opinions and carve them into a piece of sheetrock using a dremel tool. Anyone who made it up the hill without burning out their clutch is already half-way to Hebbin, right?
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