BTW- The posts/threads are getting a little slow lately. They all revolve around camoed turbos.So I'll spark up a different conversation.

What the hell is heel and toe downshifting? (excuse my french)

Has anybody installed headers on their "S"?
Any performance gains?

 

Have you ever been driving into a turn hard and knew you couldn't stay in the same gear? It's when you use your right foot simultaniously on the gas/brake so your other foot can disconnect the clutch (enabling you to downshift without losing time). The gas so you can rev-match.

It's hard to learn but when you're on a track you'll see the need for it.

 

I rev match almost everytime I downshift. I blip the throttle with the clucth depressed and then I let go. Is that it?

Im gonna crash tomorrow practicing this ish.

 

Yes, you're basically rev matching and downshifting ... and then add in the fact that you're turning and need to slow down. That's all.

 

If you want to see what heel/toe downshifting looks like, go to Best Buy and get one of the Best Motoring videos. They show the drivers feet in the bottom left of the screen while they show the car ripping through the turns. I never really understood it till I saw one of those videos.

 

Heel-toe downshifting is useful when you're decellerating hard into a turn (like, racing) and want to set yourself up in the correct gear for pulling through and out of the turn.

Right toes go on the brake to slow the car. Left foot works clutch. Right heel blips the gas to rev-match for the lower gear.

If you downshift without rev-matching it has the potential to upset the balance of the car, and when you're right on the edge of traction anyways, that can be enough to send you off the track.

article
other article

 

Great explanation, thanks!

 

Brief explanation ehre but gives the overall concept: http://www.nasaproracing.com/hpde/heelandtoe.html

 

Mostly, I use the left part of my right foot to work the brake, and the right half to blip.

Whatever works for you though, determined by the size of your feet, and the separation of your pedals.

There is nothing that feels quite as satisfying (whilst driving, anyway) as nailing a solid downshift to second under threshold braking.

 

Actually, I do too, but I've got size 12.5 feet. So for me it's big toe-little toe shifting, instead of heel-toe shifting.

 

I have size 9 shoes and I have to rotate over quite a bit! Even with my pedals adjusted closer together!

 

i learned the process a bit differently at Skip barber. Right foot on brake to slow car while left foot engages clutch shift to neutral while reving engine to higher rpm with right heel engage clutch shift to lower gear let out clutch while easing off of brake pedal to accelerate out of turn. A/K/A double clutching. Phew.

 

I have a hard time heel/toeing and frankly, I don't understand what the great advantage is. Most likely, because I never went to the track?

Here is what I do, and I would think most people would do when downshifting:

Brake as usual when entering a turn, depress clutch, shift down, keep clutch depressed, and when I am done with the braking, press on the gas to rev match and release clutch and accelerate out.

I often hear that the reason for heel/toeing is to not "upset" the car, but I don't see where the problem would be if you still match revs when you release the clutch.

I did hear that before the synchomesh days, you had to heel/toe just to get the gear to go in, but I really do not see the need with today's cars.

The only advantage that I can think of is with heel/toe you can be already in gear with the clutch fully engaged while still braking and therefor accelerate out a little faster? But I do not think I will be losing significant amount of time using my method.

Can someone let me know what I am missing here?

 

That little bit of time in the corner makes significant differences if you're the only one losing that time and everyone else has already taken off. The way you do it is fine, but the goal on a track is to be the fastest, and if you're already in gear you'll be faster than someone who isn't.

 

Heel and toe downshifting should occur under braking( on the track anyhow ie. near adhesion limits) to match revs under decelleration BEFORE one actually turns in at the turn in point. The goal is to simultaneously slow the car under braking and rev the engine as the clutch re engages a lower gear and not upset the cars balance. (Not to mention blowing a motor) The gear change (at speed) NEEDS to be completed before turn in, never in the turn. Once down to the lower gear, trail braking allows the driver to enter UNDER braking...slowing the car deep into the corner and letting the rear end slip if so desired to better point the car to apex and track out...then on the gas for adhesion again and go. Simple to describe, takes a lot of laps to get it down smooth...but what fun!