Heel toe driving?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Zip
  • Start date Start date

Zip

Zip

Zip

Soldato
Joined
26 Jun 2005
Posts
20,224
Location
Australia
Can sombody please explain what it is and how you do it?
Is it just engine braking where your brake goes in your clutch comes out?
 
:confused:

Ball of right foot on brake pedal heel rotated so that as your left foot puts the clutch in the heel can push the throttle to raise the revs for when your left foot brings the clutch up again.

Simple.
 
From what I understand, it's braking with your heel, while controlling the throttle with your toes of the same foot to get the revs of the engine high enough for the gear you are braking down to, making the process a lot smoother.

I believe it's only really necessary for track driving really, but I'm sure there may be a good reason/argument for using it on normal roads.
 
what nozzer said:)
i do this everytime in the mini. and only when i am trying in any other car and try and keep it smooth:)
 
It's where you use your toe on the brake and heel for the accelerator. The main advantage is that it allows you to brake for a corner whilst blipping the throttle on downchanges as you approach a corner in order to smooth the changes and balance the car. It's only really suitable for track driving, and has little or no use for road driving. A few show offs will claim to drive like this all the time, though.
 
NathanE posted this guide on one of my threads a few weeks ago. I had a good read through and whilst I didn't "follow the program" I managed my first perfect heel 'n' toe gear change under very heavy braking the other day. It felt brilliant and my car felt so much more stable.
 
The only applications i have found for it are...

1) Maintaining absolute maximum speed while taking a corner

2) Keeping revs up if you have a car with a autochoke problem


If you take a corner at anything less than max speed you will have time to take your foot off the brake and rev-match shortly after leaving the corner. If you really need to shave that much off, you can rev-match while breaking for the corner - which is where heel to toe comes in...

I have also heard rumour that it is good for certain methods of drifting...
 
cleanbluesky said:
The only applications i have found for it are...

1) Maintaining absolute maximum speed while taking a corner
Click to expand...

:eek: I like to get my braking done before the corner. Are you thinking of left foot braking?
 
If you need the extra tiny fractions of a second tricks like heel n toeing will give you on the road you're going *way* too fast.... Likewise if the small weight shifts it prevents matters on the road... too fast.

I will have to stop CBS quickly.... You should always change gear (and therefore rev match) before the corner, not after, and certainly not during the bend. :eek:

Your basic cornering movements should be to get your speed right for the bend, then turn in, then accelerate out. You brake then change down before the corner, normally in two distinct steps. Heel and toe shifting allows you to change gear and brake at the same time, but you should be back on the power slightly before you really start turning....
 
I use heel & toe quite often, sure it doesn't need to be done but it makes for a smoother drive when driving fast, especially when approaching roundabouts fast with clear visibility where you just want to scrub off speed and be ready right away to hammer it out, without any pauses or jerky downchanges.

The pedals on my car happen to be perfectly laid out for heel & toe, but I can't do it properly on most cars, usually due to either an overservoed brake (French cars are usually guilty of this), a deeply recessed (low) accelerator, or both, and not helped by my limited h&t skills :)
 
the corsa is poorly set out for heel/toe but its not needed anyway becouse it doesent go fast. lol but i do blip the throttle everytime i change down becouse it goes in much easyer i dont care what anyone says. and i do it on the mini regardles becouse i love it and dont want ot hurt it. lol

Dan
 
I do practice on the road, but not using hard braking.

The way the VX is set up the pedals are perfectly placed for it and I can comfortably spread my foot over both pedals without truly having to use heel and toe.
 
Zip said:
Is there a different program that would play it?
Click to expand...

DivX - http://www.divx.com/


I have tried heel-toe on 2 cars I have driven, and decided that the pedals are crap for it (obviously its nothing to do with me). When I press the brake, it doesn't go far enough down to get level enough with the accelerator to get them both at the same time, I could only hell-toe by emergency stopping! :D

Then I gave up.
 
NickXX said:
Never worked out why you'd ever need it on normal roads. :confused:
Click to expand...

The only time you would need it on the roads is if you left your braking very late just before a bend, it will help to settle the car through the bend, but generally it is a track only technique.
 
Muncher said:
The only time you would need it on the roads is if you left your braking very late just before a bend, it will help to settle the car through the bend, but generally it is a track only technique.
Click to expand...

Ah, I suppose so - I do stomp on the accelator occasionally to level the car - I guess sorting out proper footwork might make it a little easier.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom