The Great Gearstick Debate: Is Holding the Shifter Bad for Your Transmission?

In the world of cars, there's been a long-standing debate about whether holding onto the gearshift while driving is bad for your transmission. Some say it can ruin the gearbox over time, while others claim that it makes no impact whatsoever. In this article, we'll explore both sides of the argument and get to the bottom of what's really going on with your transmission.

For those who don't know, holding onto the gearshift is a common practice among drivers, particularly when driving a manual transmission vehicle. The idea behind it is that having one hand on the gearstick allows you to have more control over the car, especially when driving in heavy traffic or navigating through tight corners. However, many petrolheads will tell you that this practice can be detrimental to your transmission's longevity.

According to those who believe that holding onto the gearshift is bad for your transmission, it's because the gearstick is connected via linkage down into the gearbox. The end of the linkage lies a semicircular ring called a shift fork, which comes into play when you move the gearstick. When you press up against this shift fork with your hand, you're essentially applying pressure down through the linkage and onto the shift fork itself. This can cause wear and tear on the shift fork over time, particularly if you apply too much pressure or hold the gearshift for extended periods.

In extreme cases, this wear and tear can lead to a buggered (a British slang term for "damaged") shift fork, which could result in a loss of gears or even worse – getting stuck in a gear. This is not only frustrating but also potentially expensive to repair. For those who are concerned about the impact on their transmission's performance, this practice can be seen as a potential risk.

On the other hand, there's a growing movement that argues that holding onto the gearshift makes no difference whatsoever for your transmission. The thinking behind this is that modern transmissions are designed with numerous components working together in harmony, and even on brand new transmissions, these parts will naturally wear down over time due to normal use and aging.

According to proponents of this theory, the amount of pressure applied by holding onto the gearshift is so small that it's essentially absorbed by the give within the linkage. This means that using the gearshift as a makeshift steering wheel or resting your hand on it while driving won't have any negative impact on your transmission's performance.

To settle the debate once and for all, we enlisted the help of none other than Mr. Ed China, also known as the most famous TV mechanic of all time. We put this theory to the test and asked Mr. Ed to share his expertise on the matter.

Mr. Ed began by saying that holding onto the gearshift while driving makes no difference at all whether you're driving an automatic or a manual transmission. In fact, he pointed out that even if you hold the gearstick in gear, it's not bad for the gearbox – but there's one catch: you should always have both hands on the steering wheel. Without both hands on the wheel, you risk crashing and losing control of the car.

Mr. Ed further emphasized that while holding onto the gearshift may not affect your transmission's performance directly, it can still lead to issues if you're not careful. For example, if you box or cut off in traffic without having both hands on the steering wheel, you're more likely to lose control and crash. This is a situation we've all been in with our friends who seem to have a knack for getting into accidents.

In conclusion, whether holding onto the gearshift while driving is bad for your transmission or not depends largely on how you drive and maintain your vehicle. While it's true that modern transmissions are designed to be more robust than their older counterparts, proper maintenance and care can still go a long way in preventing wear and tear. So, the next time you find yourself cruising down the highway with one hand on the gearshift, just remember: use both hands on the wheel at all times for safety's sake.

Thanks to Mr. Ed China for his expert advice and help in settling this debate. If you have any thoughts or opinions on this matter, feel free to share them in the comments below!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enmr. Red China we are not worthy ice cream it was him feeling even more manly it's an argument that's been raging in the car world for decades and still strikes up a to be in an industry where manuals are becoming more and more rare should you rest your hand on the gear stick we've all been there you're cruising along one hand on the gear stick the other on the steering wheel having a good time but many petrol heads will scream at you telling you that that will ruin the gearbox over time more recently however people have been challenging that notion saying that resting your hand on the gearstick actually makes no impact whatsoever so who's right should you not be resting your hand on the gearstick let's start with the most popular opinion being that you shouldn't rest your hand there the gearstick is connected via linkage down into the gearbox and the end of the linkage lies a semicircular ring called a shift fork a shift fork when you move the gearstick presses up against a slider gear which along with a synchro contacts first second whatever gear you are selected now the popular train of thought is that by resting your hands on the gear stick you apply pressure down through the linkage and to the shift fork swishing a static shift fork against a moving metal component that's gonna wear down over time and could result in a buggered shift fork worst case scenario a shift fork breaks and you either lose a gear or even worse get stuck in a gear and now for the more controversial side of things many people don't believe that resting your hand on the gear stick actually has no effect at all on your transmission the thinking behind that is that the linkage is made up of numerous components and even on a brand new transmission is going to be a natural gift between all the parts of the gear linkage the amount of pressure you apply by placing your hand on the gear stick is so small that all it's really gonna do is be soaked up by the give within the linkage so to settle all this I've decided to enlist possibly the most famous TV mechanic of all time and also a personal hero of mine mr. ed China we are not worthy so you're gonna be the judge jury and executioner on this subject okay is it bad for your car's transmission to hold the gearstick while you drive it makes no difference at all whether it's automatic or manual if you hold it in gear even it's not bad for the gearbox but the thing is you should have both hands on the steering wheel otherwise you are likely to crash horribly in a ball of fire like one of our close friends does regularly when you box are cut off and there you go settled where can I get one this t-shirt restrung Keep Calm they are wonderful and Loomis thanks ed for helping us out there but do you agree with for Ed said comment down below with what you think youmr. Red China we are not worthy ice cream it was him feeling even more manly it's an argument that's been raging in the car world for decades and still strikes up a to be in an industry where manuals are becoming more and more rare should you rest your hand on the gear stick we've all been there you're cruising along one hand on the gear stick the other on the steering wheel having a good time but many petrol heads will scream at you telling you that that will ruin the gearbox over time more recently however people have been challenging that notion saying that resting your hand on the gearstick actually makes no impact whatsoever so who's right should you not be resting your hand on the gearstick let's start with the most popular opinion being that you shouldn't rest your hand there the gearstick is connected via linkage down into the gearbox and the end of the linkage lies a semicircular ring called a shift fork a shift fork when you move the gearstick presses up against a slider gear which along with a synchro contacts first second whatever gear you are selected now the popular train of thought is that by resting your hands on the gear stick you apply pressure down through the linkage and to the shift fork swishing a static shift fork against a moving metal component that's gonna wear down over time and could result in a buggered shift fork worst case scenario a shift fork breaks and you either lose a gear or even worse get stuck in a gear and now for the more controversial side of things many people don't believe that resting your hand on the gear stick actually has no effect at all on your transmission the thinking behind that is that the linkage is made up of numerous components and even on a brand new transmission is going to be a natural gift between all the parts of the gear linkage the amount of pressure you apply by placing your hand on the gear stick is so small that all it's really gonna do is be soaked up by the give within the linkage so to settle all this I've decided to enlist possibly the most famous TV mechanic of all time and also a personal hero of mine mr. ed China we are not worthy so you're gonna be the judge jury and executioner on this subject okay is it bad for your car's transmission to hold the gearstick while you drive it makes no difference at all whether it's automatic or manual if you hold it in gear even it's not bad for the gearbox but the thing is you should have both hands on the steering wheel otherwise you are likely to crash horribly in a ball of fire like one of our close friends does regularly when you box are cut off and there you go settled where can I get one this t-shirt restrung Keep Calm they are wonderful and Loomis thanks ed for helping us out there but do you agree with for Ed said comment down below with what you think you\n"