For those who have a manual transmission, think about how you drive your car. Most of us like to put one hand on the wheel, and the other on the gearshift while we drive, especially while in traffic. However, according to Silver Sport Transmissions (SST) resting on your shifter could be bad for your transmission, and SST’s Misty McComas shares the reasons why in an article from the ShifSST blog.

At first you might think this is ridiculous, but when you hear the reason why you should never rest your hand on the shifter it makes perfect sense. As you’re aware, your transmission is spinning as you drive. If you’re moving forward or in reverse – it’s spinning, even with the clutch disengaged. As those gears spin, your shift forks are waiting to move the gears from one to the next and the synchronizers can come in contact with the gear and slowly wear on the teeth.

The synchronizers don’t need to be engaged in order for them to come in contact, and resting your hand on the gearshift can cause the shift fork to apply pressure to the synchronizers. For this reason, Silver Sport Transmissions suggests that you do not rest your hand on the shifter, and only grab the shifter when you’re ready to shift.

McComas says she has seen it before, and even though the transmission looked brand new, the culprit became clear as the technician began to look further and tear down the transmission. She stated, “The fork pads were broken and the 5th gear’s teeth were rounded.”

She also states that even though the brass fork pads are sturdier than the factory plastic ones on the TKO, the brass pads won’t prevent wear to the teeth, and that it is best to not rest your hand on the shift lever while driving. It’s a simple thing that most of us do – like riding the clutch at a stop sign or traffic light – that can create unnecessary wear on your transmission. Good advice! Check out the Silver Sport Transmissions website for more information on their products, and check out the Shift SST blog for more interesting and helpful tips and stories.