it seriously is really bad for your clutch to be starting out in second gear all the time.
I see what your saying about 1st gear though, it is kinda short and makes you shift right away.

 

i used to do that, for that exact reason. but then i realized i might be putting excessive wear on the clutch. so i stopped.

 

theres a reason for first gear being there....USE IT

 

if you wanted to start in second gear and drive to 45 mph without shifting.... you shoulda got an automatic.

 

Starting in second gear puts not more stress on the clutch than having a spirited driver start in first. My friend has about 70,000 miles on his clutch in his Dodge Ram 3500 and he never starts in first, only when towing. Our first gear is short enough that second could be used as a starting gear, just only when used properly. Whenever I start in second, I'll usually let it bog down to about 600rpm, as opposed to using first which is around 1000rpm. I never use second when starting up hill, after backing up (still rolling back) or in traffic.

 

X2

 

You can't even compare those transmissions, they gear ratio is gonna be different as well as the capacity of the clutch, truck transmissions are beefier by standard I don't know why you even brought that up, no point

 

i dont think doing it once and a while is gonna hurt anything. but i certainly would not make this a habit.

i have started off in 2nd in slippery weather but use 1st 99% of the time. as others have already stated starting in 2nd is gonna cause excessive wear on your clutch.

edit: when i say "starting off" i mean from a dead stop. if a situation occurs where i am only slowing i will use whatever gear would be appropriate for the speed.

 

deffinetly not worth it. You will be buying a clutch alot sooner than if you started in first all the time. If you dont like shifting, buy an auto!!!!

 

dont big trucks benefit from starting in 2nd, thats wwhat i was always taught.

 

When I first installed my short shifter (dr. I) for whatever reason I accidentally started in 3rd. Didn't really take too much effort. Couldn't imagine starting in 2nd often being super terrible.

I must agree though, slapping through the gears with the short shifter is fun. 5 isn't enough.

 

our clutches are nothing like a truck clutch in any way...

 

I drive 18wheelers for work. Usually pulling large loads (Bulldozers and all).

You never start in first gear, when you dont have a load. I usually will start in 3rd on an 8speed transmission. 4th on a 16 speed.
But thats totally different. When not having a load the clutch and torque can handle it no problem. The lower gears are made for a 50,000lb load to get you moving. First gear probably only gets me to 8-9MPH. Enough to get the momentum going.

But this is no where near comparable to a car.

 

Ok in a non-race or spirited take off.... from 1200rpm I can take off with no struggle ... in 2nd gear

From a complete standstill on a flat surface



Also does it make a difference if you are making more HP/Tq at the wheel?

 

The more power doesnt help at all because the clutch will still be slipping until it gets up to speed for the geering.

Think of it this way. (I dont know the exact gearing ratio)
But say in first gear at 1200 RPMS you are going 5 miles an hour.
Now in Second gear at 1200 RPMS you are going 10 miles an hour.

Ok, now start off in 2nd gear. You say you start off at 1200RPMS. In second gear you should be doing 10MPH at that point. but you are building up to 10MPH. So that means the drive shaft will be spinning fast enough to make the clutch go 10MPH but the transmission will not be spinning that fast until you get to 10MPH.


THIS MEANS SOMETHING HAS TO BE SLIPPING!! Which means your clutch is burning and glazing over.

You CANNOT do the same speed in different gears at the same rpms, unless something is slipping in the equation. And launching at 1200 rpms in second means you will be doing the same speeds as launching at 1200rpms in 1st.

(note I have zero clue if the MPH examples I used are correct. Its just togive an example.)

 

I hope you want a new clutch soon, as well as your putting more stress on the motor. get a manual, your lazy!

 

..

 

exactly!

 

I think starting in second from a dead stop is lazy, and if you're too lazy to shift at 3k in first gear, then you might want to trade your car in for an automatic.

 

Starting in second is retarded all you are going to do is eat up your clutch.

I know our gears are really short but not that short.