StandardShift.com

zenfiz6 wrote:Understood. Could you be a bit more specific? What are some common things people neglect that might not be on the maintenance schedule?

That'd be specific to your car, so keep reading the Audi forums. There may be nothing, the schedule may cover everything that's important.

theholycow wrote:

zenfiz6 wrote:I think I did a lot of clutch "feathering" to smooth out 1->2 transitions that could have been done with proper throttle control. I also never quite got the hang of the 90-degree no-stop right turn from high gear.

On a car with cable throttle or good DBW you can do a lot of it with throttle control, but smoothing shifts with the clutch need not be verboten. How many times did you have to replace the clutch in the Legend?

In the 90k miles I drove it, I think I replaced it once. But it was replaced right before I got it.

Oh. Yeah, you'll want to improve on that...90,000 miles isn't a deplorably short clutch life but there's no need for it to wear out so early. You'll do better now, based on how much reading and analysis you seem to be doing.

ClutchDisc wrote:Not sure what you mean by the "90-degree no-stop right turn from high gear". Could you explain? Sounds a little scary to me!

You're barreling down a two-lane road at speed (at, let's say, 55MPH ) and you're coming up on your turn. You do have to slow down a bit before entering the turn and need to come out of fifth into, say, second gear.

Because of my coasting habit, I tended to pop out of fifth *way* early and coast to the turn applying the brake once I got there, but I never found the right place to put it in second and let up on the clutch the right way. And I know I never rev-matched. I think my neck muscles are stronger for it.

Oh, I was wondering what that meant too.

I coast up to those too, then shift into second and engage the clutch when I'm ready to accelerate. Sometimes just for fun I'll heel-toe double-clutch into second while braking instead.

You never found the right place to put it in second before because you didn't rev-match.

zenfiz6 wrote:

ClutchDisc wrote:Not sure what you mean by the "90-degree no-stop right turn from high gear". Could you explain? Sounds a little scary to me!

You're barreling down a two-lane road at speed (at, let's say, 55MPH ) and you're coming up on your turn. You do have to slow down a bit before entering the turn and need to come out of fifth into, say, second gear.

Because of my coasting habit, I tended to pop out of fifth *way* early and coast to the turn applying the brake once I got there, but I never found the right place to put it in second and let up on the clutch the right way. And I know I never rev-matched. I think my neck muscles are stronger for it.

Oh, thought you meant that you take the turn in 5th! Now I know what you mean.

theholycow wrote:You never found the right place to put it in second before because you didn't rev-match.

Not necessarily true. I find the right place to put it in second all the time without rev-matching.

zenfiz6 wrote: Because of my coasting habit, I tended to pop out of fifth *way* early and coast to the turn applying the brake once I got there, but I never found the right place to put it in second and let up on the clutch the right way. And I know I never rev-matched. I think my neck muscles are stronger for it.

With your car, you really don't need to turn in 2nd gear. For most turns, 3rd is just fine and some turns are fine in 4th gear. You'll also find that you can cruise on the back roads in 6th gear, even if you're just doing 35 mph or so...

TL:DR

Welcome!

Shadow wrote:

zenfiz6 wrote: Because of my coasting habit, I tended to pop out of fifth *way* early and coast to the turn applying the brake once I got there, but I never found the right place to put it in second and let up on the clutch the right way. And I know I never rev-matched. I think my neck muscles are stronger for it.

With your car, you really don't need to turn in 2nd gear. For most turns, 3rd is just fine and some turns are fine in 4th gear. You'll also find that you can cruise on the back roads in 6th gear, even if you're just doing 35 mph or so...

Well, remember, this was with an '87 Acura Legend. I never knew the torque/HP curves with that car, so I couldn't tell you if I could have had it in 3rd or not when I rounded a 90 degree bend at 20-25 MPH (that car did *not* have the handling the A4 has ) With the A4.... Being *nice* and taking the turn at 20 MPH I probably would like to keep it in 2nd as that's 2000RPM and it's nice and torque-y and I can pull out of the turn with some power.

But, yes, I could be even as high as 4th gear at 20MPH and still be at 1000 RPMs....

tankinbeans wrote:TL:DR

Welcome!

Thanks!

Although, you're sounding like my students. "TL:DR..." sigh...

zenfiz6 wrote:

tankinbeans wrote:TL:DR

Welcome!

Thanks!

Although, you're sounding like my students. "TL:DR..." sigh...

I primarly stopped trying to read it because my phone was acting up and I didn't feel like starting the computer.

What little bit I did read sounded interesting though.

tankinbeans wrote:

zenfiz6 wrote:

tankinbeans wrote:TL:DR

Welcome!

Thanks!

Although, you're sounding like my students. "TL:DR..." sigh...

I primarly stopped trying to read it because my phone was acting up and I didn't feel like starting the computer.

What little bit I did read sounded interesting though.

Lazy.. TnB.. that's just lazy.

But welcome! Sounds like you've done enough random thread reading to be caught up on the basics. We might be talking like Iverson but it's all about practice...

Squint wrote: But welcome! Sounds like you've done enough random thread reading to be caught up on the basics. We might be talking like Iverson but it's all about practice...

Muchas Gracias, Vielen Dank, Duomo Origato, Shyih Shyih, Todah Rabah, etc...

Indeed, I've even got a rough handle on personalities already, and I'm ashamed to say that I probably fit in .

ClutchDisc wrote:

zenfiz6 wrote:

ClutchDisc wrote:Not sure what you mean by the "90-degree no-stop right turn from high gear". Could you explain? Sounds a little scary to me!

You're barreling down a two-lane road at speed (at, let's say, 55MPH ) and you're coming up on your turn. You do have to slow down a bit before entering the turn and need to come out of fifth into, say, second gear.

Because of my coasting habit, I tended to pop out of fifth *way* early and coast to the turn applying the brake once I got there, but I never found the right place to put it in second and let up on the clutch the right way. And I know I never rev-matched. I think my neck muscles are stronger for it.

Oh, thought you meant that you take the turn in 5th! Now I know what you mean.

At first I was picturing him barreling along at 55, depressing the clutch and slamming on the brakes, throwing it in second while jerking the wheel hard right, then once the car turned sideways, popping the clutch and flooring it to complete the turn. Think it is called the Moonshiner's Turn.

InlinePaul wrote: At first I was picturing him barreling along at 55, depressing the clutch and slamming on the brakes, throwing it in second while jerking the wheel hard right, then once the car turned sideways, popping the clutch and flooring it to complete the turn. Think it is called the Moonshiner's Turn.

I grew up north of the Manson/Nixon line. So nobody taught me these kinds of maneuvers. However, I did play Car Wars and was pretty good at the Bootlegger Reverse.

zenfiz6 wrote: I grew up north of the Manson/Nixon line. So nobody taught me these kinds of maneuvers. However, I did play Car Wars and was pretty good at the Bootlegger Reverse.

Would that be like the J turn where you do a 180 and keep going without ever coming to a stop?

InlinePaul wrote:At first I was picturing him barreling along at 55, depressing the clutch and slamming on the brakes, throwing it in second while jerking the wheel hard right, then once the car turned sideways, popping the clutch and flooring it to complete the turn. Think it is called the Moonshiner's Turn.

That sounds like a TON of fun.

InlinePaul wrote:Would that be like the J turn where you do a 180 and keep going without ever coming to a stop?

I know from experience that that one is fun. (I've tried it in snow, bet it's even more fun on dry pavement.)

theholycow wrote:

InlinePaul wrote:Would that be like the J turn where you do a 180 and keep going without ever coming to a stop?

I know from experience that that one is fun. (I've tried it in snow, bet it's even more fun on dry pavement.)

I did a J turn on a 10-speed bicycle (10 not 18 or so because this was in the 1970s) once when a big dog came running towards me. It was not intended, but somehow I spun the bike 180 and kept pedaling and went back the way I came. Oh, if only someone had been running video of that.

But when I tired a j turn in my 71 full sized Ford in a snowy side street I smacked the curb hard sideways with the rear wheel and bent the axle shaft! I was 18 and a bit wreckless at the time. 70s again.

InlinePaul wrote:

theholycow wrote:

InlinePaul wrote:Would that be like the J turn where you do a 180 and keep going without ever coming to a stop?

I know from experience that that one is fun. (I've tried it in snow, bet it's even more fun on dry pavement.)

I did a J turn on a 10-speed bicycle (10 not 18 or so because this was in the 1970s) once when a big dog came running towards me. It was not intended, but somehow I spun the bike 180 and kept pedaling and went back the way I came. Oh, if only someone had been running video of that.

But when I tired a j turn in my 71 full sized Ford in a snowy side street I smacked the curb hard sideways with the rear wheel and bent the axle shaft! I was 18 and a bit wreckless at the time. 70s again.

Well, given that the J-turn is a Bootlegger Reverse, it's a D7 hazard, so I'm not surprised you took some damage the second time (but kudos on doing it on a 10-speed on dry pavement!)