Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
1-No, not at all.
2-I know a dear one with disc problem who drove an old car much. Physiotherapist said he has seen cases with drivers. That is why I asked.
3- Pressing clutch is not fun in jammed traffic which moves and stops by 2 inches.
I know. I had my share of manual vehicles.
You need to realize, that pressing on clutch employes hip extensors and quadriceps. That has no influence on lower spine, as they are not attached to it and as such, exercise no continuous force application.
Iliopsoas, on the other hand, being hip flexor, is attached to femur right below greater trochantor and then to lumbar spine. As a result, every time you lift your leg off the hip, that muscle fires and pulls downward and forward on lumbar spine.
I'd say, that likely goes more towards the leg overall weight, than anything else.
Double this with confined position; ilipsoas already at disadvantage, as it is shortened due to hip being flexed at 90, and likely a hip flexion contracture, if a person spends a lot of time sitting.
But, once again - this is minute effect, vs continuous seated position and vibration, professional drivers experience. Kidneys and lower back pain is standard pro hazard for them.
I'd worry less about a clutch pedal and more about the wallet in the back pocket - many people walk around with bricks in their pants and that causes a bad seating position and then strain.
"If it did, back and knee problems would be disproportionately and significantly represented in truck drivers."
Not necessarily, if you notice how quickly 18 wheelers pick up from standstill, some truckers are not always engaging the clutch through all gears, as seen here:
This is not necessarily a good idea, it depends on the class of truck and its transmission. It's definitely not a good idea to practice this in your household car or truck, as you can risk significant, and in the long term, catastrophic damage to your manual transmission if you don't know what you're doing.
I've driven both early 2000's Jettas/Golf manuals, and my present vehicle a manual Honda Insight (original 2-seater). The Jetta/Golf clutches (I drove the TDI's) have "longer throws" meaning the clutch pedal distance is greater to engage/disengage, as opposed to my Honda, which the clutch pedal travel is shorter, but to me the Honda clutch pressure seems a bit more firm, so that seems to be a tradeoff. Less travel, more pressure, or lower pressure but more travel. It's not good to have to stretch your leg fully extended to disengage the clutch, it may not bother you if you're in your 20's, but if you're older you're just not as flexible.
For me having the seat to be closer to the steering wheel for in-city stop and go driving helps, than if I'm are doing some long distance 5th gear driving for extended distances. During long trips down the Interstate I push the seat back for a little more leg room.
I find seat height is also important. After getting stuck in traffic in the Insight my hamstring and ankles will get achy and sore due to the repetition, but also because the seat height is so low relative to the pedals that it's like trying to do a leg press with your posterior on the floor - you're using more of your hamstring/calf and ankles to push the pedal. If you have seat height adjustment, so much the better for experimenting.
Also you want to be wearing firm shoes, with stiffer soles, wearing "too soft" shoes or sneakers is not good for me. Also make sure the rubber cover on the clutch pedal isn't too worn out, or worn out on one side, which may cause your foot and ankle to offset to the flat spot of the pedal cover when you engage it.
I have driven vehicles with manual transmissions since I started driving in the '60s, through traffic jambs in NYC, through CA. In a traffic jamb where the traffic is barely moving, what experienced "manual transmission" drivers do is to use the lowest gear that allows the vehicle to barely move at a steady speed without pressing the gas pedal.
If using the clutch would cause back problems, everybody would be suffering from back problems in most of Asia and other regions around the world. However, if you have a back problem there is a chance that using the clutch, or the brake, or pressing the gas pedal would make things word for you. But more than likely the position of your back on the car's seat is what is causing most of the pain.
I bought a new 2009 Subaru Forester for my wife, and she could not drive the thing for more than an hour or so because of back pain. She just could not get used to the front seats, so I ended trading the car for another. What I did was to take her to a couple of dealerships so she could drive other car models with different seats, and finally she found one she liked, a Rav 4. To me the seats make no difference, but to her they do.
my leg, know, foot all are is pain because of using a clutch for 12 years on my personal truck
there should be a warning from the manufacturer that long term use cause health issues
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,551 posts, read 81,085,957 times
Reputation: 57734
The first manual I drove was my fathers 1964 Chrysler Newport wagon with 3 speed on the floor. If I had to drive that every day I'd have one leg bigger than the other, because with that big V8 and cable/spring operated clutch you had to use some serious muscle. Add to that the traffic of the San Francisco Bay area and an occasion trailer tow and it was very tiring.
Since then with the many manual cars I have had it just isn't worth worrying about any physical effects. The modern hydraulic system is really no harder than tapping your foot to the music while sitting at a desk.
my leg, know, foot all are is pain because of using a clutch for 12 years on my personal truck
there should be a warning from the manufacturer that long term use cause health issues
I am a MD. Driven stick before. During the nightmare that was the hurricane Rita evacuation, I was luckily in a automatic. It was a 30 hour drive for me personally thank God I was an automatic then. When I got back on Sports Medicine service, there were several drivers who needed knee and IT band surgeries after being stuck in that crap with a stiff clutch.
Now I am forced to drive a piece of junk stiff clutch car in the winter so that I don't wrecked my fancy race truck where I live. Due to my job I drive approximately 800 miles a week in automatic (brand new company automatics) but man that stiff clutch is killing me. I think I have bursitis a tight IT band it is really bad. I'm going to have to change the clutch out in that car or just trash it all together. It's a cheap 02 Cavalier. Used it daily on 2 wk vacation. Now I'm limping and even my forefoot is swollen.
I am a MD. Driven stick before. During the nightmare that was the hurricane Rita evacuation, I was luckily in a automatic. It was a 30 hour drive for me personally thank God I was an automatic then. When I got back on Sports Medicine service, there were several drivers who needed knee and IT band surgeries after being stuck in that crap with a stiff clutch.
Now I am forced to drive a piece of junk stiff clutch car in the winter so that I don't wreck my fancy race truck where I live. Due to my job I drive approximately 800 miles a week in automatic but man that stiff clutch is killing me. I think I have bursitis and a tight IT band. Mind you I was an extensive hurdler, jumper when I was younger. Endured 4-5 hr sadistic track practice. Current pain is much worse than college track.
I'm going to have to change the clutch out in that car or just trash it all together. (Spent tons rebuilding my truck and will never sell it). Loans and wrecked classics are a b*tch).
I am a MD. Driven stick before. During the nightmare that was the hurricane Rita evacuation, I was luckily in a automatic. It was a 30 hour drive for me personally thank God I was in an automatic then. When I got back on Sports Medicine service, there were several drivers who needed knee and IT band surgeries after being stuck in that crap with a stiff clutch.
Now I am forced to drive a piece of junk stiff clutch car in the winter so that I don't wreck my fancy race truck where I live. Due to my job I drive approximately 800 miles a week (in company automatics) but man that stiff clutch is killing me. I think I have bursitis and a tight IT band. Drove the junker daily on 2 week vacation.
I'm going to have to change the clutch out in that car or just trash it all together.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
