Resting hand on gear stick

I was watching a video about bad driving habits, and the guy said resting the arm on the gear stick, puts extra pressure on the selector or something, so transmission would wear our much sooner...I like leaveing my hand on the top of the stick, so shall I just stop doing it, or that kinda wear isn't too much?
Thanks

It depends how much weight you're putting on it. I do the same thing but it's just lightly rested so I've never been bothered about it.

I would have thought it was more of a 'bad driving habit' because you don't have both hands on the wheel rather than any damage you might do to the gear selector?

PhilLew said:

[post]359212[/post] I would have thought it was more of a 'bad driving habit' because you don't have both hands on the wheel rather than any damage you might do to the gear selector?

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Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cbZlhduYJY

It says that actually wears transmission parts out quicker

As well as being a "bad habit" it most certainly will wear selectors and linkages out quite quickly, check out any older lorry or coach where the driver has been resting his hand on the lever for whatever reason, as time goes on you have no choice but to hold the lever as it now rattles (yes I was a trucker!!)

zinc2000 said:

[post]359224[/post] As well as being a "bad habit" it most certainly will wear selectors and linkages out quite quickly, check out any older lorry or coach where the driver has been resting his hand on the lever for whatever reason, as time goes on you have no choice but to hold the lever as it now rattles (yes I was a trucker!!)

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That may well be but in my experience vehicles built in 50s 70s were built to such low tolerance on transmission and engines they all start rattling at lowish mileage compared to modern cars.

Sylvester said:

[post]359214[/post] Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cbZlhduYJY

It says that actually wears transmission parts out quicker

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Any guy who claims to be explaining engineering yet pulls the handbrake up on the ratchet, as he does, is just a talking head and you need to look for a better source for your information.

It's reading body language type thing and it's the things people do without realising that paint the true picture.

When I was overhauling my second hand bought gearbox and putting LSD in it, the 3rd-4th gear selector fork was worn on one side. Almost certainly was that caused by previous owner by resting his/hers hand on the gearstick. So it did wear a component inside the gearbox

Modern cars actually require you to NOT push the button in on the handbrake, my Transit and our C-Max being just two examples, so don't dismiss the guy as a talking head, he is most probably right.
Best advice...keep the hands on the wheel where they should be :grin:

zinc2000 said:

[post]359253[/post] Modern cars actually require you to NOT push the button in on the handbrake

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That's interesting to know. Seems that is indeed what some manufactures suggest these days - http://www.drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=330214#p330214

Hopefully it's still OK to put the car in first or reverse when parked or I'm stuffed.

zinc2000 said:

[post]359253[/post] so don't dismiss the guy as a talking head

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Too late for that, I'm afraid.

zinc2000 said:

[post]359253[/post]
Best advice...keep the hands on the wheel where they should be :grin:

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Yep, and don't drive along with your driver's door open either. But, you're right, some people seem not to know this stuff.

As for the gearknob, I change gear with my hand at the side of the knob anyway (wrist towards me for 1st to 2nd, wrist away from me for 2nd to 3rd, etc. etc) and to guide through the gate anyway, so there'd be no point resting my hand on the top of it, as that's not how I change gear.

But yeah, drive with all doors closed and both hands on the wheel,