Do you shift when it hits redline or shift when you feel the peak hp is produced on the gear?

Sorry, don't have the car yet.. so can't try it out. Currently have a boring automatic Honda.

 

Usually at the Redline is best.. However there are exceptions... You need to make sure that after you shift you drop to an rpm tha maximize the torque... Cartest 2000 is a good program to compute such optimum shifting points.

 

i have found, especially after i installed headers, that if i shift at redline, there is still a lag time before the actual shift and i end up hitting the damn rev-limiter....so i shift just a TIT HAIR before redline to avoid hitting the rev-limiter. hitting the rev-limiter will cost you alot of time in a race.


wait, i have an automatic CL-S, so disregard my comment, hehehe:P

 

i've usually always shifted just under redline...

i've done the same in my integra and now my cl, never ever had a problem in my integra for 5 years of doing it like that.

 

wats the point in shifting below the redline?? Isnt that WAT AUTOS DO?? wats the diffenrence then between an auto and a manual?? Honestly..i shift at the redline..jus below the rev limiter...its perfect..and u get that much extra time to accelerate.

 

the only reason why i shift just a tad below red line is to play it safe, only reason. if this were a track only car that i just toyed with, i'd go all out with it, but i have to play it safe since it's my only way to work

you can shift at redline, i just play it safe, and i haven't noticed a significant difference between just a tad below redline and at redline.

 

I'm not sure I've ever seen a tit hair!
I think if you've ever noticed when the automatic shifts itself, it will shift a "tit hair" before red line problably for the reason stated above regarding the rev limiter. I, personally have always powershifted my Corvettes at the red line, but they didn't have any rev limiter in those days. Now everything is "high tech." Oh, and by the way, a "tit hair" in the old days was called "orange" on the tach.

 

Here's your answer:

In general, cars with more low end torque than horsepower (like a 5.0L Mustang) get their best acceleration shifted BEFORE redline. A lot of 5.0L Mustang drivers shift just after their torque peak, which is well short of redline.

And cars with more horsepower than torque (like the CL-S) get their best acceleration when shifted at redline.

But the best way to know for sure about ANY particular car is to test it at different shift points while timing it at a track.

 

if i'm gate shifting, i usually move the lever over at like 6900-7000 rpm's and it dont switch till like 7200, but i miss it sometime and hit the rev limiter, i've prolly hit it like 30-40 times and i only got like 5500 miles.

 

i shift at 6900 rpms aka redline and i shift really hard...i'm still waiting for the day i break my shifter

 

Try to get a feel for the car and then make adjustments from the results you get.

 

Pre-headers I used to shift @ redline without a problem. Now after the headers I can't seem to shift @ the same place without hitting the rev limiter. Weather + the added traffic hasn't really given me the opportunity to play around with it more.

 

shift at 7200rpm