Do you put trans in reverse or is this just an old wives tale??

I'm just wondering how many of you "park" your manual transmision in reverse when you get out. is it any safer than any other gear for a parked car to roll away???? or is this just an old wives tale also????

 

in the late 60's certain GM 4 speed cars had to be put in reverse to turn the key off.

other than that I've never done it.

 

I used to have to park on hill. It never rolled when I left it in reverse. However, in first it would. So, it can't completely be an old tale. I've heard it depends on which way the car is facing on the hill. If you car is facing uphill use first gear, and reverse if facing down hill.

-Danny

 

Fix the parkingbrake ....

 

My '62 Tempest has the 2-speed Powerglide automatic with no 'park'. If I'm ever in doubt regarding my parking brake, I do the 'turn the wheels into the curb' thing. If there's no curb, well "that's what the brick is for!"

 

In the 50's on my std shift car I always parked it in reverse just as a safety percaution and some times set the emergency brake. If we were in the car parked like a drive in movie or drive in eating place I would jusst put it in low.

 

Naw it is just like all that other old stuff like front wheel brakes, seat belts, mirrors. Just old people stuff and should be ignored to be cool.

Now that the sarcasism is out of the way, do it all, reverse, wheels into the curb, set the emergency.
Call your mom, be good.

 

I always have, and always will. Peace of mind.

 

I was taught facing uphill, 1st gear, facing downhill, reverse, always with the wheels to the curb, and the e-brake pulled tight.

 

I think 440RoadRunner Nailed it. Reverse tends to be the lowest gear if you are dealing with 3 or 4 forward gears. On a 5 or 6 speed, that may not be the case.

 

Maybe I'm the only one here who has spent quite a bit of time pushing different cars while in gear to set valves, points, etc., but ... they're harder to push in reverse because of what roadrunner said.

(As far as setting the parking brake, that makes them a real bitch to push. Tried that, too.)

 

on my 53 caddy with a hydromatic there was no park to lock the trans you were suppose to leave it in reverse

 

Whats a reverse?

 

overdrive cars will roll away unless you park them in reverse, which locks out the overdrive.

Set the park brake, also.

 

thats what the parking brake is for

 

Ford top loader has a extra part of reverse lever that connects to the column to lock it....Must of used that gear for a reason. As mentioned the car is more difficult to bump start in reverse and first. Fourth is usualy quite easy in comparison. So use reverse or first to park.....and park brake and turn into the curb if on a hill. (or just have crap for luck like me)
My nieghbor left a newer stick car with key on engine off. We are on a good hill. The car started to move forward and bumped started itself which then ran into my porch. So another lesson from the school of hard knocks.

 

Make sure your reverse lights aren't on when parking in reverse. I drove an older truck that had this "problem".

 

There are no hills in Houston, but if I am parked nose in on a driveway with an angle I keep it in first. If I'm on the street, I always turn my steering wheel towards the curb. That is a good idea anywhere.

 

Wheels away from the curb if you're parked uphill...

 

My little Ford Ranger rolls sometimes when i leave it first gear,and it's a little 4cyl.short bed!Hope this helps,now i leave it in reverse!

 

I park in first. semi-stock 1929 model-a.

 

Don't forget to brush your teeth!


Once I went to move a customer's car and it was parked in 1st gear and I clutched it and hit the key and it started and also started moving - the hydraulic clutch system had air in the lines and didn't engage the clutch - so before I got my senses back the car was moving forward and went through the overhead door it was parked in front of and went about 3 feet into the garage.

 

on my old 65 elcamino the parking brake cable was rusted solid. i just cut a broomstick handle and wedged it between the brake pedal and the bottom of the seat.

 

Concur, as using a gear opposite the slope of the hill makes more sense to me. Same for turning the wheels - as turning the front wheels out would back the front tires agains the curb if the car was parked facing forwards on an uphill grade. It would also make the car easier to drive away from the curb later. But if the car was parked facing forward on a downward grade, turning the wheels towards the curb should work - but departing would require you to back up to turn the front wheels before leaving. A little harder with a clutch. But then, it's been a long time since I took the driver ed test. Nobody from San Francisco or other hilly towns on the HAMB? Gary

 

I usually "park" mine in 1st. BUT, recently, in my 60 Pontiac, on a lesser grade than would've made me nervous (equal to a slightly steeper than average residential driveway), the car moved about 15 feet and safely rested against a cinder block wall. Musta hit it at a crawl. It really surprised the shit out of me, as I've been doing this for 40 years
I'll be using reverse from now on. It's all about the ratio, and I always thought 1st had enough ratio. Read the next post

 

The car/hill doesn't know the difference between a forward or reverse gear. It's about ratio. The lower the ratio (higher number), the less leverage the rear wheels have to turn the motor. Reverse, usually being a lot lower numerically than 1st would have the best chance on not allowing the car to roll. The less effort it takes for the motor to motivate the car (lower gears), the more effort to push that car against that same gear, regardless of direction

 

Aiming the wheels correctly is directional. But


The car/hill doesn't know the difference between a forward or reverse gear. It's about ratio. The lower the ratio (higher number), the less leverage the rear wheels have to turn the motor. Reverse, usually being a lot lower numerically than 1st would have the best chance on not allowing the car to roll. The less effort it takes for the motor to motivate the car (lower gears), the more effort to push that car against that same gear, regardless of direction

 

The owners manual with my 54 Olds 88 said pull E brake & for extended period or on hill put in R it had no P think that was called a slim Jim auto trans

 

We dom't park here,,we just leave our car somewhere handy.

 

I understand the ratio part... easier to back up a steep hill than drive up it in first. But for some reason it just doesn't make sense to use a gear that "encourages" movement in the worst possible direction (ie using first when parked up hill is TOTALLY working against the car rolling backwards down the hill) and would seem counter-intuitive to the idea of resisting movement! Oh well, I've been wrong before! Gary