# Resting Your Hand on the Shifter **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** manual-transmissions\ **Created:** [March 11, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691 "2008-03-11T17:29:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bwmartens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bwmartens](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bwmartens)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/1 "2008-03-11T17:29:10Z")
On a recent show, I heard them mention that you shouldn’t rest your hand on the shifter of a manual transmission while you drive. They never explained why because they had apparently explained it on a show years ago. Does anyone know why you shouldn’t do this? Or even better, do you have a link to a download of that specific episode? ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/2 "2008-03-11T17:58:04Z")
The reason you should not do this is because the weight of your hand, and arm, is multiplied due to leverage. This can move the shifter rail slightly off the detent ball which holds the shift and fork in its proper position. The shifter fork fingers are then being rubbed against the rotating synchronizer sleeve (think of placing your thumb and forefinger inside the grooves of a small pulley). Over time the shift fork fingers and the sleeve will wear down. Once the gap is excessive the force applied to the gearset in question (1/2, 3/4, etc) will try to slide the synchronizer inserts inside the sleeve. There is a point of no-return here and the synchronizer hub/sleeve assembly will then try to place itself in the neutral position; a.k.a jumping out of gear. Hope that explained it anyway. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JTAMETHYST](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2acd7d/32.png) [@JTAMETHYST](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JTAMETHYST)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/3 "2008-03-11T21:18:29Z")
I believe it’s more of a safety issue. You are supposed to have both hands constantly on the steering wheel while driving, except to shift only. If you have one hand on the steering & the other on the shifter while taking a driving test, you will surely fail. ---
**Author:** ![Vogelfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@Vogelfish](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Vogelfish)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/4 "2008-03-11T21:27:33Z")
My experience is with a Subaru GL wagon - I used to “ride the shifter” - what happened is that the synchronizer mentioned by ok4450 wore out and the gears would clash when I shifted - after a while of gear clash, they finally went altogther and the transmission stuck in gear. Thankfully it was in 2’nd gear so I could trash my clutch and drive it to the dealer for a transmission replacement. ---
**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/5 "2008-03-11T21:49:50Z")
I agree that the concern is wearing the synchronizers by putting pressure on them. Besides, you need that hand free to talk on the phone. ---
**Author:** ![Jad2007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dec6dc/32.png) [@Jad2007](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jad2007)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 4:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/6 "2008-03-12T04:52:20Z")
Or eat. ---
**Author:** ![lprocter](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/lprocter/32/40_2.png) [@lprocter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lprocter)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 6:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/7 "2008-03-12T06:37:12Z")
Or drink some Tim Hortons coffee, and then use the same free hand to roll up the rim and win a new car! ---
**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/8 "2008-03-12T14:27:45Z")
…or try to do all those things at once while steering with left knee (like me). ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Russell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Bill\_Russell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bill_Russell)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/9 "2008-03-12T14:31:06Z")
I’m not disagreeing with the experts, but this seems to be something that can be fixed with the proper design. After all, the weight of the lever is a few pounds and that is pressing in the same direction. ---
**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/10 "2008-03-12T14:44:05Z")
The problem is that some people put sideways pressure on the shifter, it’s not the downward force due to the weight that causes the problem. You probably could design a shifter that was not susceptible to this problem. ---
**Author:** ![Jad2007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dec6dc/32.png) [@Jad2007](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jad2007)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/11 "2008-03-12T15:09:22Z")
Or the boat, I’ll take either! ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/12 "2008-03-12T16:08:06Z")
I’ve got a large pile of Subaru manual transaxle parts. Will see if I can take a pic or two later to show what I’m talking about in relation to shift forks, rails, and detent balls. The problem could be alleviated by installing stronger springs on the detent balls (which hold the shift rail/fork in position but the problem then will be that the shifter will be very hard to move and will feel like pulling a sandbag with a rope. ---
**Author:** ![meaneyedcatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meaneyedcatz/32/692_2.png) [@meaneyedcatz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meaneyedcatz)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 3:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/13 "2008-03-13T03:04:37Z")
It is required to put your hand on the shift knob while driving…to look cool ---
**Author:** ![Amunkaur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@Amunkaur](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Amunkaur)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 5:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/15 "2016-09-05T05:22:08Z")
after i read this post i see it applies to manuals…? ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 12:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/16 "2016-09-05T12:31:21Z")
I don’t think a scenario like that will hurt anything at all. If someone made a chronic habit of it for weeks and months on end then it could. The exception might be if this knee resting was heavy, went on for hours, and IF the transmission was very low on gear oil. That’s stretching it a bit and not something I’d worry about. Hope that helps. ---
**Author:** ![kurtwm1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/13edae/32.png) [@kurtwm1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kurtwm1)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 2:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/17 "2016-09-05T14:17:25Z")
and a Starbuck’s coffee in the other ---
**Author:** ![Amunkaur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@Amunkaur](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Amunkaur)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/resting-your-hand-on-the-shifter/11691/18 "2016-09-05T19:09:37Z")
Yes thank you