I find myself granny shifting allot in my 8 due to how close the ratios are and how willing it is to accelerate, especially skipping fifth and going directly into sixth. Can this cause problems with the transmission later down the line? I realize it's fairly forgiving due to the CF drive shaft but still...

 

generally speaking, it should not matter.
but if you skipping too many gears with huge rpm difference like 2nd 9000rpm to 6th straight away, you might wear out the syncro faster because 6th gear at 60mph is about 3500rpm, the 6th gear syncro has to slow the input shaft by 5500rpm. but if you go 3rd>4th>5th>6th, each syncro only takes away 1200rpm at a time.

 

What's the other way of shifting?

Yes. I'm a complete and utter noob, still, with manual transmissions. My first manual is what I'm driving

I've seen here, and felt the difference when I engaged the clutch slightly ahead of releasing the gas. I'm afraid of wearing the clutch, or worse.

 

That's what happens if you slam from one gear to another. But the subject line is "granny shifting," where you let time rather than the synchros match speeds.

Skipping gears is not granny shifting - it's just skipping gears. If you skip gears, definitely take it slow and granny from one to the next.

Ken

 

The term for the other type of shifting is double-clutching (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_clutch) and it comes older vehicles and trucks that require this procedure (video example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI3cHXnGEx4). The technique helps smooth gear shifts, but the 8 transmission and corresponding (stock) parts are better than most vehicles so granny shifting is still very smooth.

 

Double clutching is as unnecessary as fighting in a phone booth.

I skip gears quite often. As long as you aren't trying to power it into gear, you'll have no issues. Hell a lot of cars force skipped gears for better gas mileage (GM v8's with a 6speed)

I consider granny shifting when you shift slowly at low rpm's and never wind it out at all.

 

But when you find a phone booth (not so easy these days) why not?

Ken

 

I could fight the bum in the phone booth

 

Double clutching (correctly) saves your synchros but wears out your clutch disk [linkage] faster, obviously. Not necessary for practical purposes.

 

No wear on the clutch if you do it right. Wear on the clutch linkage, sure.

As far as practical goes...we're driving RX-8s.

Ken

 

You're right.
Rate of spin of flywheel and disc would be approximately the same on the second clutching, so no real wear difference. Only significant wear is linkage. Release bearing would wear out faster too, wouldn't it?