How to Double Clutch a Car

A manual transmission requires a clutch.

Many people who drive vehicles with manual transmissions might ordinarily shift gears without much thought. However, for older vehicles, trucks and racing vehicles, double clutching might be necessary. Double clutching allows the gears and the engine to synchronize speed, which helps avoid a jerking motion that might occur from shifting in a single motion.

Instructions

1. Stop accelerating the vehicle and depress the clutch.

2. Put the gear in neutral and let the clutch out. The gear should be in neutral for less than a second so the gears and engine can synchronize speeds.

3. Press the clutch and shift into the next gear, while giving the vehicle the correct amount of gas so the car does not jerk.

Tips & Warnings

• Double clutching will reduce the amount of wear on the clutch plates because the speed of the gears and the engine will be in sync; therefore less grinding will occur. Single clutching results in more grinding pressure on the plates, causing them to wear out more quickly.

References

• Electronic Design: "Double Clutching"