After reading several threads about how leaving your hand on the shifter can wear out the fingers and the synchros, ive been trying not to rest my hand on the shifter. it then dawned on me while driving, all of our s197 manual cars have "remote" style shifters, meaning that the shifter is bolted to the car and the actual shifting is done thru the connecting bar that is mounted to the shift point of the transmission, thus no pressure is being transferred to the internals of the transmission. my first gen MGW still shifts just as good as the day I bought (used) and installed BTW. not a real life changing thought, just thought id share. should have put this in the talk section tho, ah well.
Is there anything actually wrong with lightly RESTing your hand on the shifter (regardless of it being "remote" or not)? I don't understand how downward (towards the floor) pressure would be an issue. Is it just advice that's meant to keep people from HANGing onto the shifter like a grab bar?
Really, your right hand belongs on the steering wheel when you aren't actually in the process of shifting (and no, that does not include waiting for the next shift). You have more precise control over the steering this way, and you're less likely to have your steering wheel position (and the car's heading) affected by an unexpected bump in the road. Same goes for when you aren't (briefly) using that right hand to adjust the sound system or the HVAC. No matter how good you think your one-handed control is, it's never going to be as good as with your two hands.
If the direction of your hand pressure was such that zero force was being applied through the shift forks, lightly resting probably wouldn't hurt. But the truth is that nobody can truly guarantee that to be the case, every time (they just tell themselves they do).
My guess is that armrests were invented by somebody who didn't give a rat's ass about driving as a skill and a privilege and more about never feeling he had to get up out of his living room armchair. Not a real driver's attitude.
And with the invention of the TV remote now he doesn't even have to get out of his chair. This world is going to pot.
But yeah cars are more about going to point A to B these days vs the actual driving experience.
As to the original post. Just because the shifter is remotely attached doesn't mean it's not putting pressure on the linkage and transmitting that movement into the shift forks.
I will admit defeat, please delete. GET YER DAMN HAND OFF THAT SHIFTER!!!!!
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