Block changing

Author
Discussion

p1esk

4,914 posts

195 months

Monday 12th January 2015
quotequote all
davepoth said:
It was down through the gears when I learnt in the '90s.
That's how it was with me when I was learning in the 1950s. I don't think the question of block changing arose at that time.

It was only when I bought a 3.8 Jaguar in 1968 that I started to block change, usually going straight from 2nd gear to 4th.

LordGrover

33,531 posts

211 months

Monday 12th January 2015
quotequote all
R_U_LOCAL said:
R0G said:
try it
I've tried it.

It limited my options.
hehe

SK425

1,034 posts

148 months

Tuesday 13th January 2015
quotequote all
davepoth said:
It was down through the gears when I learnt in the '90s.
Ed Moses said:
I agree, when I passed my test in 1995 using the gears was the way.

Regards,

Ed
Interesting. I learnt in 93/94 and it was block changing down that I was taught.

Mopar440

410 posts

111 months

Tuesday 13th January 2015
quotequote all
So no one knows why it's called "block" changing, then?

mph1977

12,467 posts

167 months

Tuesday 13th January 2015
quotequote all
Mopar440 said:
So no one knows why it's called "block" changing, then?
becasue you cahnge 'blocks' of gears vs going through sequentially ... as was explained in an early reply

woodyTVR

622 posts

245 months

Friday 16th January 2015
quotequote all
I was taught block changing when I did my test in '93 and in '96 when I took my bike test, despite bikes having a sequential box. It'd seem weird touching every gear when slowing or getting up to traffic speed.

V8forweekends

2,481 posts

123 months

Friday 16th January 2015
quotequote all
I learned to drive in the late 70s and I was taught to change up and down sequentially, with the proviso that block changing wasn't frowned upon, but also wasn't required or particularly desirable in terms of taking the standard test.

I don't think we used to get so excited about that stuff then - many bread and butter cars had such meagre performance and feeble brakes that it didn't make a lot of difference. It's easy to forget how much better (and how different) cars are now.

Many cars (like my previous Audi A3) have a 6 speed box for no apparent reason - the ratios were quite close and top gear was still no higher than the top in a five speed box - there was a lot of overlap between gears. I think its to do with marketing and emissions rather than performance and/or economy.

R_U_LOCAL

2,676 posts

207 months

Friday 16th January 2015
quotequote all
I was taught to change down the gearbox sequentially when slowing down when I was first taught to drive in the mid-1980s.

Block changing, however, is a fundamental principle of Roadcraft systematic driving, in that when you use the 5 phases information-position-speed-gear-acceleration on the approach to a hazard, you should adjust your speed until it is appropriate before selecting the appropriate gear.

That might mean you'd lose 10MPH with the brakes, come off the brakes and then change down from 5th to 4th.

It might also mean you'd lose 50MPH on the brakes, before coming off the brakes and changing from 5th to 2nd.

It might also mean you'd brake to a complete stop in 5th (pressing the clutch when the engine drops to tickover speed), before either handbrake & netral, or first gear if you're about to set off again.

Block changing was also one of the four "Rules for gearchanging" in the old blue Roadcraft...

"The first class driver should aim always:

(a) To be in the correct gear for every road speed and traffic situation.

(b) To make all gear changes quietly and smoothly.

(c) To be capable of engaging a particular gear without first using an intermediate gear.

(d) To know the approximate maximum road speed in each gear of the vehicle he is driving."

In my day-to-day driving, I block change frequently when slowing down, but only occasionally when accelerating. For instance, I'll occasionally keep a flexible 4th gear when joining a motorway, as it gives me a little more response in both deceleration and acceleration when matching the speed of other vehicles on the motorway. Once I'm up to a speed I'm happy with, I'll then go straight to 6th to maintain the cruise.

SK425

1,034 posts

148 months

Sunday 18th January 2015
quotequote all
R_U_LOCAL said:
Block changing, however, is a fundamental principle of Roadcraft systematic driving, in that when you use the 5 phases information-position-speed-gear-acceleration on the approach to a hazard, you should adjust your speed until it is appropriate before selecting the appropriate gear.
That's true, but one doesn't even need to be a Roadcraft proponent to see the benefit of block changing (or at lest, the benefit of not restricting yourself only to sequential changing). It just gives you more freedom.

It's your car. You're the driver. It's your gearbox with your gears in it. They've been put there for you to use. When you've finished using one of them for now, there's no reason not to permit yourself to now select whichever of the others best serves whatever it is you're going to do next.

rodpress

3 posts

114 months

Tuesday 20th January 2015
quotequote all
When I took the I.A.M. driving test in 1967 the examiner said that it was better to use the brakes to slow down than the transmission. His argument was that replacing brakes was cheaper and easier than replacing/repairing transmission.Therefore block changing was an acceptable method back then!

titian

55 posts

118 months

Tuesday 20th January 2015
quotequote all
Snap, IAM test 1967 and block changing for as long as I can remember, it makes sense.

Are you keeping up with the AD rodpress?

7db

6,058 posts

229 months

Tuesday 20th January 2015
quotequote all
But sequential changes sound sooooo good.

996GT3 going 6 to 1:-

http://youtu.be/73MvmT5C-ik?t=47s

martine

67 posts

210 months

Wednesday 21st January 2015
quotequote all
It's stunning driving but apart from sounding superb why do it even on track?

StressedDave

839 posts

261 months

Wednesday 21st January 2015
quotequote all
martine said:
It's stunning driving but apart from sounding superb why do it even on track?
In order to control brake bias as you slow down and the aerodynamic downforce changes the loads on front and rear axle differently. In short, car is set-up to need it.

rodpress

3 posts

114 months

Thursday 22nd January 2015
quotequote all
titian said:
Snap, IAM test 1967 and block changing for as long as I can remember, it makes sense.

Are you keeping up with the AD rodpress?
I am Still driving "The System"

7db

6,058 posts

229 months

Friday 23rd January 2015
quotequote all
StressedDave said:
martine said:
It's stunning driving but apart from sounding superb why do it even on track?
In order to control brake bias as you slow down and the aerodynamic downforce changes the loads on front and rear axle differently. In short, car is set-up to need it.
Shift some braking effort to driven rear wheels and also less likely to over-rev the engine if you screw up the timing of the big block shift, and to develop options for the situation changing outwith the plan. He's clearly not settling his speed before selecting his gear...

Did I mention that it sounds good?

davepoth

29,395 posts

198 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
quotequote all
StressedDave said:
martine said:
It's stunning driving but apart from sounding superb why do it even on track?
In order to control brake bias as you slow down and the aerodynamic downforce changes the loads on front and rear axle differently. In short, car is set-up to need it.
No, it can't be that. The engine provides different amounts of braking in every gear at every RPM. Added to that, any modern racecar will be able to lock the wheels using the brakes alone, so engine braking isn't really desirable in that situation - much easier to shift the bias using the bias valve and just push the clutch in while slowing.

I believe the reason is actually to avoid putting any further braking effort into the driven wheels other than that provided by the brakes.


Bigends

5,412 posts

127 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
quotequote all
rodpress said:
titian said:
Snap, IAM test 1967 and block changing for as long as I can remember, it makes sense.

Are you keeping up with the AD rodpress?
I am Still driving "The System"
Same here - advanced Police course in 1981 - select the gear you need -when you need it - if that means a 'block change' then so be it. Ive never changed down through gears sequentially.

martine

67 posts

210 months

Sunday 25th January 2015
quotequote all
7db said:
StressedDave said:
martine said:
It's stunning driving but apart from sounding superb why do it even on track?
In order to control brake bias as you slow down and the aerodynamic downforce changes the loads on front and rear axle differently. In short, car is set-up to need it.
Shift some braking effort to driven rear wheels and also less likely to over-rev the engine if you screw up the timing of the big block shift, and to develop options for the situation changing outwith the plan. He's clearly not settling his speed before selecting his gear...

Did I mention that it sounds good?
No...sorry...I don't understand Stressed or your posts...please explain. It seems like a lot of hard work with continually changing braking forces on the driven wheels rather than nice, solid, deceleration using the brakes only and right to the threshold of grip. But I'm obviously missing something.

p1esk

4,914 posts

195 months

Sunday 25th January 2015
quotequote all
martine said:
7db said:
StressedDave said:
martine said:
It's stunning driving but apart from sounding superb why do it even on track?
In order to control brake bias as you slow down and the aerodynamic downforce changes the loads on front and rear axle differently. In short, car is set-up to need it.
Shift some braking effort to driven rear wheels and also less likely to over-rev the engine if you screw up the timing of the big block shift, and to develop options for the situation changing outwith the plan. He's clearly not settling his speed before selecting his gear...

Did I mention that it sounds good?
No...sorry...I don't understand Stressed or your posts...please explain. It seems like a lot of hard work with continually changing braking forces on the driven wheels rather than nice, solid, deceleration using the brakes only and right to the threshold of grip. But I'm obviously missing something.
Yeah well, you're now in the presence of HPC dudes and they tend to know a thing or two. Hell, some of it even foxes me. rolleyes