How often do you use FIRST GEAR?

[Parnelli Bone]

....as the topic says, how often do you use first (1st) gear? Is it something you avoid? Or do you employ 1st often?

I only bring this up because I've been driving a '94 STi in some special condition races at Citta di Aria and Capri, where you NEED first gear. And then I started thinking about how often I use first, which I usually avoid (other than testing ) as much as possible.

 

[Rotary Junkie]

It depends on the drivetrain and how I've geared the car.

FWDs I stay out of first as much as possible, only using it for things like the Amalfi tight hairpins.

RWDs I generally gear first long enough to be useable, and most tighter hairpins will be taken in 1st.

AWDs I throw as much 1st gear multiplication as the tires can handle without excessive wheelspin; I'll use 1st MORE in high-powered AWDs than lower powered AWDs just because I run a longer first with more power.

 

[Lucas]

Well, I can't vote for many options, so I will just describe them:

-Only when it seems absolutely necessary.
-I use it during the start of the race (Which pretty much is the same as the first one).
-And for tight, tight corners.

Other than that, I barely use it. Second gear is like my first gear
Next thread will be called "How often do you use TOP GEAR?", or maybe "How often do you see TOP GEAR?"

EDIT: I just realized I could vote multiple choices

 

[Parnelli Bone]

RJ, you're right! I also use first a bit more often for AWD cars than I do for front or rear-drives, mostly because AWD cars aren't as prone to losing torque to wheelspin. I'm gonna see if I can add a couple more topics to this thread.

CodenameL: that sounds like a good idea. You should start a separate "top gear" thread. Could you include these topics if you do?

1). I often use stock trannys. Sometimes top gear is not an option.

2). I always set my tranny so I can make top gear.

 

[Lucas]

Sure, if you think it's okay! I will give you credit for it Perhaps I will come up with some extra topics

 

[TheBook]

I voted for start of the race and in the tight hairpins (Amalfi). Then again, it depends on the car; if it has a small powerband, then I'll try to keep it there as often as possible, which means shifting to 1st. If I know the car can make it fine without it, then I'll usually use second.

Example: I'm running the Sarthe 24h right now, and I'll usually use 2nd in Arnage. If I had longer gears than what I'm running, then I'd probably use 1st.

 

[FLK]

Rarely, most cars from my experience don't need to use 1st once you've got some form of rolling speed, except perhaps for the last couple of hairpins at Costa di Amalfi I never seem to use it.

 

[Slick Rick]

With my more powerful FF cars I dont use 1st at all, start off in 2nd and dump the clutch. It works very well.

 

[Skygrasper550]

I use 1st gear on a hairpin in Citta di Aria, right next to the back straight, and also on the super-tight hairpins on Costa di Amalfi, right next to the home stretch. GVS?? on the second hairpin.., I think I use 1st gear only on super-tight hairpins..,

 

[Rotary Junkie]

The 2nd GVS hairpin I take in 2nd most of the time; Then again when I'm testing at GVS I'm usually driving something with a shortish first gear.

 

[PF]

The 2nd GVS hairpin I take in 2nd most of the time; Then again when I'm testing at GVS I'm usually driving something with a shortish first gear.

Same. There aren't many decent tunes that don't take it in second.

I voted 'Always' because all I really do these days is setup and review other tuners' cars, almost always on GVS. As the 'free run' or whatever-it-is option has a rolling start, we quickly realised we needed to stop the car and start it again in first to get a balanced result. We only ignore this if the tuner explicitly states not to use 1st.

Amalfi is of course an exception, and I would suggest that if anyone tunes a car for that circuit (Ren 5 is my fave, avatar related) you put a lot of effort into the first three gears, calibrating the gears to the important corners on the course.

 

[mcsqueegy]

I voted 'only when absolutely necessary' because it all depends. With my Mini Cooper you cannot use first gear on launch, or any corner that requires it. But some cars, especially ones with high powerbands, really benefit from it. I use second gear a lot though.

 

[MadMax]

I voted: "I usually set my f/c transmission so that i never use it."

Exeptions are Chapparral 2D and 2J.

And cars that have max 5 gears or less.

Especially in drag racing I try to avoid using 1st gear in FR's and 4WD's ,
but sometimes it's more benefitial to use 1st gear at launching.

 

[Andy GT]

I NEVER EVER use first gear.

PS: WOOT! I FINALLY OWN A PS3 AND GT5P!

 

[Austin343]

I do try not to use first gear because of the time lost to wheelspin and the shift, but I do use it a fair amount in cars like the Ford GT and Mercedes McLaren SLR, which both have very tall first gears. I also use it a lot in cars that have narrow powerbands and would practically stall out below, say, 30 mph in second gear, like when I'm using Elises on dirt. Generally, when I get full-customize transmissions, I make the gears closer to make the top speed match the track, and that is sufficient to keep me out of first gear, simply because of the closer ratios.

 

[Paulie]

I rarely use 1st gear, but it depends on the car.... The F40 with stock gearing in GT5 needs 1st gear at really tight corners for example, because the turbo lag is horrible and 2nd reaches 200km/hr! Yeah, you try hitting 2nd gear at low speeds. Most cars are in 4th or 5th even by that speed.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Wow. Only 3 people have ever used first as an engine brake?

1st has saved my life as I occasionally don't brake enough for corners! (oooh, that mega-tight hairpin at Hong Kong comes to mind) Rather than tap the brakes additionally, sometimes I'll throw it in 1st to slow me down, go back up to 2nd (if the car has some decent torque) and take off in 2nd.

 

[waggles]

You must remember putting sand-trap offs into the poll.

Because that's where I use 1st the most.

 

[Skygrasper550]

what's engine brake??

 

[waggles]

Engine braking is slowing from the engine's compression in the combustion cycle.

It's one of the forces in effect that slow you down if you lift off the accelerator pedal, and that's why the clutch lets you freely roll.

 

[Skygrasper550]

Engine braking is slowing from the engine's compression in the combustion cycle.

It's one of the forces in effect that slow you down if you lift off the accelerator pedal, and that's why the clutch lets you freely roll.

oh I see, I get it.

BTW, there should one more choice in the poll: When I park my car. lol

 

[TheBook]

oh I see, I get it.

BTW, there should one more choice in the poll: When I park my car. lol

Yeah, but who in their right mind would park in the middle of the track during a race?

 

[PARAGON GT]

Even in tight turns I will hold second for a long as I can before dropping to first.

Depending on the car that is.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

You must remember putting sand-trap offs into the poll.

Because that's where I use 1st the most.

I can't change the poll, but I know where you're coming from. Maybe a mod could change it, but I don't feel like bothering any of them. I tried thinking of as many different scenarios one can face for the poll..but there's always one or two that I'll think of after the poll is up!

what's engine brake??

It basically means you shift into a lower gear, and allow the faster revs of the engine to slow you down, rather than relying on brakes. Sometimes, additional brake-taps late in a corner will slow your momentum too much. A quick engine-brake can be a solution, perhaps.

 

[Skygrasper550]

so.....this happens when you let off the gas, right?? a lighter flywheel makes for better engine braking, right? because a lighter flywheel AFAIK helps in acceleration AND deceleration.., please correct me if I'm wrong..,

 

[Parnelli Bone]

so.....this happens when you let off the gas, right?? a lighter flywheel makes for better engine braking, right? because a lighter flywheel AFAIK helps in acceleration AND deceleration.., please correct me if I'm wrong..,

Yes..no gas...all you do is drop from one gear down to a lower one...it helps keep momentum if you do it right, and you can get back to accelerating faster since no brakes were applied. And yes, a lighter flywheel helps. If that lower gear (first or second or whatever) happens to be too-short, you'll wind up ramming your revs up to the RPM limit, which I don't like because this sometimes causes erratic slowing...it always messes up my cornering if I shift down too early and hit the RPM too strongly. Altho some others may do this.

 

[Tornado]

Look at it this way: If first gear is only good for 35 MPH, you can use the transmission to slow down the car by shifting into first (which will lower the car's speed to 35).
I've personally never found much use in doing it in GT4, because I usually downshift far enough that the game auto-activates the clutch; but others swear by it.


To the topic at hand, since the car I use the most in the game is the big burly Dodge with a supercharger, I use 1st constantly. I use a 10 MPH toss up when deciding to downshift (if my current speed is more than 10 MPH below 1st gear's top speed, I downshift to first), but considering the torque the Dodge has I probably don't need to downshift at all.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

Look at it this way: If first gear is only good for 35 MPH, you can use the transmission to slow down the car by shifting into first (which will lower the car's speed to 35).
I've personally never found much use in doing it in GT4, because I usually downshift far enough that the game auto-activates the clutch; but others swear by it.

Oh, I never said I swear by it. If I'm using first as an engine brake, it usually means Ientered the corner too hot, and don't want to use additional brakes. Sometimes, downshifting into 1st (or 2nd or whatever) is a quick solution.