Does anybody know how to heal-toe drive w/ a manual car and when is it useful?

Question

I drive a manual car and just was wondering how u heal-toe and is it usual in regular driving or just racing.

Answer 1

I use it all the time . I learned the hard way - my first car had bad brakes and no synchro (all worn out), and after 18 years, I doubt I could do it any other way. It saves your brakes and clutch, and makes downshifting very quick - even while on the brakes - meaning that you are ready at an instant's notice to brake, accelerate, whatever, and not coasting in 4th at 15 mph trying to slip the clutch before you can touch the gas.

Its pretty simple to understand, but takes lots of practice to do. Firstly, it is only used when downshifting. Let's say that your car does 40 mph at 3,000 rpm in third gear. Let's also say that, if you were in second gear, the same 40 mph would need 4,500 rpm.

NOTE: these speeds and revs are just numbers I picked out of my head. You will need to get a feel for what speeds your car does at what rpm in which gear.

So, let's assume you're doing 40 mph in 3rd (at 3,000 rpm, remember? If you want to shift from 3rd to 2nd at 40 mph, you would first push on the clutch pedal. As you move the shifter from 3rd to second, you push on the gas pedal and rev the engine to 4,500 rpm (which matches the revs you would need for 2nd gear.) As the revs peak at 4,500, and the shifter slips into 2nd, quickly get off the gas and let out the clutch quickly. If you have matched the revs correctly, you should have a perfectly smooth downshift, even though you got off the clutch real fast. You don't need to slip the clutch to bring the engine speed up to the road speed - you already did that when you matched the revs during the gear change.

Practice this whenever you can, making sure you are safe (since your right foot will be working the gas and not the brake) - at least until you feel confident that you can get it 4 times out of five, at varying speeds. Empty parking lots are a good place to practice - and the police will usually be OK if you're not doing donuts or some other stupid stuff. This technique is for serious drivers wanting to get the power to the road in the most efficient manner possible. Wheelspin is inefficient - and expensive.

OK, now comes the hard part - and the part that needs the most practice. Imagine doing this while braking - after all, that's the most common time to downshift. You need to work the brake, gas and clutch at the same time. Follow the same pattern as before, but start with your right foot on the brake - and leave it there. Your left foot still works the clutch, so your right foot must work both the brake and the gas.

Keep the ball of your foot on the brake pedal. Swing your heel over to the base of the gas pedal and give it a stab. If this is too hard, some people can use their smallest 2 toes on the gas, but this takes wide feet (people with small feet sometimes cannot reach the gas and brake solidly with one foot - you may need to shift the pedals closer together.) (It will take practice to get it to the correct rpm in this manner, but at least now you know what the engine should sound like at that speed.) Rev to the required rpm for the gear you want while selecting that gear, and get off the gas and clutch together. The hardest part of this is keeping the brake pressure smooth when your foot is having to hit the gas pedal at the same time.

The benefits are endless - longer life for brakes and clutch, much more control in slippery conditions, especially snow, since this avoids the dreaded compression lock-up that RWD cars are prone to. Better acceleration if you're approaching a red light, and it turns green before you stop (since you're already in the correct gear, with the clutch out and ready to give it the gas) All this, and it sounds great, too! Nothing better than heading towards a tight curve at speed and doing a series of quick downshifts, one after the other, as you approach the corner.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions - just click on my silhouette (can't seem to get my acatar to work yet...) :-D

Answer 2

Heel-Toe down shifting is the method of down shifting and matching engine revs for a quick smooth transition to a lower gear, keep speed and not blow up your clutch. to pull it off, when you push in the clutch with your left foot, begin braking with your right foot toe(or heel) and blip the throttle at the same time to bring the engine RPM up, quickly down shift and release the clutch. It takes practice and I wouldn't practice in traffic!! Not all car are set up to drive this way. But if done correctly your will see why racers do it. Good Luck

Answer 3

Heel-toe is used in racing but you can use it too.It may decrease your clutch wear and tear.This is the process: When you brake and downshift,with your left foot still pressing the clutch,with your right foot,you have to press the gas WHILE STILL BRAKING.That´s the hard part,you have to brake and gas with the same foot.That way,when you release the clutch,your car wont jerk,but it will accelerate very smoothly.It is hard,but try it!

Answer 4

That's heel-toe! It is a process whereby the brake and clutch are simultaneously used to shift, used in racing situations.