I had a friend pose a question to me the other day. My question is who would be in the wrong if you bumped somebody behind you on the rollback while you get going in your manual transmission?

I told him that they ought to be far enough off your bumper that you can have a bit of "play" but he ought to be good enough that he can launch with somebody right on his tailgate. Anybody know any specific laws? Or what?

 

Oh..and it also REALLY torques my bolts when people do this, I usually roll back just to see the look on their faces. Women honestly seem to pull this more often then guys do, as well. And then they give YOU the look!

 

The best I can do is say that in GENERAL, most states with at-fault accidents have "rear-end" laws--the person with damage to the front is at fault over the person with damage to the rear. I imagine that if you could demonstrate that the rollback was excessive, the fault would go the other way, but I was taught in driver's ed to leave enough room that I could see the bottom of the rear tires of the vehicle in front of me, which ends up being about a dozen feet or so. Anyone who rolls back that far shouldn't be on the road in a stick.

Jason

 

People *always* get too close to me when I'm on a steep hill, and usually, as they're pulling up, I let myself roll back (especially if it's a distracted-looking mother/father, or someone who looks to be mad or in a hurry) just to signal that I'm driving a manual. Usually, they stop a little shorter and I pull up again, but sometimes they'll inch right up with me. I've resolved that, in the event that I roll back onto somebody's front bumper, I'll say, "I don't believe you saw backup lights, do you?" Generally, if you're going to roll back onto them, they're moving forward anyway... not to say I'm always the most ethical person...

 

Generally, I only roll back a few inches, so if they are that close, they deserve to be hit, and likely, the damage would be minimal if at all. I have the engine revved a bit before I let the clutch out, and then "slip" the clutch a bit to get going without straining the engine.

 

Check the state motor vehicle statutes. Most states have laws regarding how closely you can stop behind another vehicle at a light/stop sign, etc.

 

I know you're taught in drivers ed to stop so you can see the person's wheel's. Amazing how few people listen. I told him that..and since that's what's taught - wouldn't it be about impossible to roll back far enough to hit somebody if you know how to drive the stick.

 

when your starting on a hill, how do you do it?
i do it like this

hold brakes, push clutch in put in 2nd, then use my heel to give it gas and my toes on the braks, then i let the clutch out and when i feel it start to grab i let off the brakes and give it gas and let the clutch all the way out.

i'v heard of like using the clutch as a brake to keep you up there, but that sounds like death to the clutch.

 

I've been doing it so long I had to stop and think about it. I think the way I do it is similar to what you said, but I go to the gas off the brake quickly as I let the clutch out, it's all a matter of coordination.

 

This only seems to come up for me if I'm driving in San Francisco, with those hills. If there's no one right on my butt then I can simply let off the brake and get on the gas and only roll back a few inches, but if someone's right on me, then I have to heel-and-toe the brake and gas to get going without rolling back at all. Either way, it's no big deal. -TD

 

bah you people who think you have 3 feet.

step one. truck is in neutral, one foot on the brake, truck is, obviously facing uphill...

step two. push clutch in half way

step three. slowly pull foot off brake until you hear the brakes groan, (barely enough press to hold truck from rolling back)

step four. slowly let off the clutch until you feel the frame torque up, (clutch is grabbing now) You can now completely remove your foot from the brake and the truck will stay in the exact same spot without having to apply gas, as long as your left foot does not move or shake on the clutch

step five when the light goes green, apply a bit of gas and pull out a bit on clutch, feather out the clutch while applying more gas and WA-LLA you are on your way with absolutely NO roll-back.

when you get this down you can stay parked in the same spot using only the clutch and no brake for 10-15 minutes at least...until that leg starts to quiver. This also ensures that there will be no wheel spin whatso ever, I also find it easier to use this method when pulling a boat out of a ramp, to minimize the chance of wheelspin on wet cement, and also to prevent that funny thing when the moron hops back in his truck, pulls the e-brake back off, his wet boots slip of the brake before he can get the truck into gear or anything....and his truck rolls back into the water and yes I have witnessed such an incident, me and my dad got a good laugh....I was 12 and was pulling a family boat out the docs in my dads..and later my...92 ranger 2wd 5 spd

 

Well, that's fine if you don't mind replacing burned-out clutches. I like to make mine last a little while, personally! -TD

 

thats just it your not burning it out. the only time I have burnt out a clutch with less then expected mileage, the meachin pulled the tranny out, and found remnants of the ORIGINAL clutch still in there, along with the clutch that had been put in by another shop only 25,000 miles before. My current truck, has got 50k miles, gets abused...I drag race it constantly and do some wicked burnouts (not on public streets) I have towed twice her recommended weight, and done alot more...and she still does not show the slightest inclination of slipping.

 

It's not going to kill the clutch to do that on occasion, leaving it engaged just enough to not let the truck roll. I do it as needed. I don't mind letting my wheels spin a bit..I don't like using alot of clutch.

EDIT: Not through a stop light though! That WOULD heat up a clutch. I only do it if I can't afford to roll backwards.

 

Kinda what I was thinking, it would get quite a bit of heat going, sitting all that time through a light with the clutch grabbing enough to hold you there, and yet not moving,. I have seen the results of such, the flywheel turns purple, has dimples in it, and is very difficult to machine. Did a job for a guy once, the kid had been torching the tires on a dually, smoking the clutch in the process. The machine shop wouldn't do the pressure plate because they had chewed up so many bits resurfacing the flywheel. I myself, have only replaced one clutch on my vehicles, and that was because I already had it apart anyway to replace the motor. My sister's and other family members, the story is a bit different. I ran 5 years on the same clutch, had more motors than clutches.