Your driving...

[merlin]

no engine braking takes place surely?

Yes it does, as soon as you lift the clutch.

Heel & Toe will help you down change gear smoothly, and will avoid frying your clutch and stressing out engine mounts etc.

Heel & Toe will help you down change gear smoothly, and will avoid frying your clutch and stressing out engine mounts etc.

Ok, heel and toe - as simple as I can explain it :-

Left foot - stays on clutch. End of story.

Right foot :-

Let's imagine you're in 4th gear, coming up to a bend, you need to change down a gear to 3rd.

Come off the gas pedal
Move right foot onto brake and start braking
Press clutch in
Move gear from 4th to 3rd

DONT BRING CLUTCH UP

Instead:-

Keeping your toe on the brake, swivel your right foot so you can tap the gas pedal with the right side of the lower part of your foot - you wont be hitting it with your full heel, just the right side of your heel, and flick the revs up.

Do this - hit the gas and flick the revs up to match the engine speed you are going to get when you bring the clutch up and engage 3rd

Once the revs are up, bring clutch up.

That's a smooth change down - you've been braking all the time, and you've change gear, but because you've flicked the revs up before bring the clutch up - you've got the engine speed and transmission speed the same so the engine has not been lunging and rocking around in the engine bay or the clutch worn unnecessarily.

 

[Housey]

Obviously, except with heel and toe, you're supposed to slow down with the brakes whilst blipping the accelerator to match the revs of the engine with the gearbox, no engine braking takes place surely?

Or at least minimal, normal engine braking wears the clutch.

You will get engine braking as soon as the clutch disengages and prior to the accelerator pedal being pressed. The reason for a Heel and Toe change is to smooth that transition period, reduce the bulking in the gearbox and to allow for a faster transition.

 

[Skii]

Patience.

but seriously, probably reverse parallel parking, partly because I hardly ever do it , unless absolutely and totally necessary!

 

[Burned_Alive]

Yes it does, as soon as you lift the clutch.

Yeah, i mostly understand the process, cant say ive ever tried it. But again, although this will be less stressful than direct engine braking, its still going to wear more than just braking in gear. But i guess its a balance to provide performance whilst minimising stress/wear, right?

 

[Draeger]

Yep, patience here too.

Apart from that, nothing else.

As for my riding, I'll be going through the old "wobble about for a few weeks" after I dust down the Mille after her winter layoff, soon.

Going to do another track day this year as well and try and grab a Bikesafe course. Last year they were all booked up and I missed the boat.

 

[Tesla]

1. Forward parking: I can reverse (including parallel) into almost any space but going in forwards is probably worse than my Nan could park her little Micra.

2. Vehicle Length Awareness: I guess this is sort of related to 1. but ever since owning the Mondeo Estate (the Hatch was OK) I have had a real problem with judging the length of the car. You would think it easier as the rear is almost flat. I cannot explain why I have this issue.

 

[Lunatic Dreyfus]

In my own car. Well I probably drive it a little too quickly and see speed limit signs as more along the lines of advice... Not something I'm proud of. Other than that I tend to behave myself.

In my works van on the other hand, I become a completely different animal... I get impatient with virtually anything else on the road and my parking usually runs along the lines of 'that'll do' when at times it clearly doesn't!
Driving far too quickly on country lanes is another serious fault. Braking also usually occurs at the last possible moment, never a good thing on gravel or mud, sometimes both at the same time. Cue the ABS and a wince from the driver.
However, at least I now completely understand the term 'Drive it like you stole it!'

 

[Ken]

I've just started to play with blipping the accelerator whilst changing down so next on the list is to do that whilst braking (ie Toe Heeling!) - I hope the pedals allow me.

I've been blipping the throttle after braking for a while now. What's the advantage of doing it whilst braking?

The only thing I can think of is that you'll be able to engage the lower gear maybe a second earlier but other than that...

I'll give it a go but unfortunately the pedals are arranged so that I can't.

 

[PMKeates]

Yeah, i mostly understand the process, cant say ive ever tried it. But again, although this will be less stressful than direct engine braking, its still going to wear more than just braking in gear. But i guess its a balance to provide performance whilst minimising stress/wear, right?

The theory is that you would have had to change down a gear to come out of the bend anyway, but you are reducing your speed, smoothly engaging the gear with minimal clutch wear, and putting yourself in a much better position going in to and coming out of a corner with heel and toe

 

[Mackass]

Reverse space awareness... I still can't judge how close/far away I am from the car behind me, especially if it has a low bonnet... I'll think my rear bumper is right up close to car behind, but when I get out to check, theres always a MASSIVE gap left. Though I've never ever clipped another car safe to say.

Anyone have tips on judging how close you are to objects behind you whilst reversing?

 

[GT3]

Parking and need to stop using the phone at the wheel.

 

[megakid]

I've been blipping the throttle after braking for a while now. What's the advantage of doing it whilst braking?

The only thing I can think of is that you'll be able to engage the lower gear maybe a second earlier but other than that...

I'll give it a go but unfortunately the pedals are arranged so that I can't.

Well this is why its mainly suited to track use - If you come hammering it into a corner you'll want to be braking all the time to get down to the desired corner speed, but at the same time, AS SOON as you come off the brakes you probably want to be in the correct gear to accelerate and power out of the corner - clearly to do this you have to change down gears whilst braking. You *could* do it without blipping the throttle (as ** right foot will be occupied with braking) but again, if cornering hard, when engaging the clutch the car will lurch when the engine revs rise suddenly (and the wheels slow suddenly from the resistance of the engine) - something you dont want midcorner whilst braking hard.
Hence, you do everything at the same time and toe heel.

 

[EddScott]

I've been blipping the throttle after braking for a while now. What's the advantage of doing it whilst braking?

The only thing I can think of is that you'll be able to engage the lower gear maybe a second earlier but other than that...

I'll give it a go but unfortunately the pedals are arranged so that I can't.

IMO its to make braking and changing gear a lot smoother. With regards to circuit driving etc, it keeps the car more even whilst braking and reduce the sudden weight movement (front/back/side) which means the car is more under control = faster.

I've been teaching my GF to blip on downshift and shes getting there. Or just to use the throttle when going down the box to reduce transmission shocks.

My throttle pedal has a little extension so I can brake and then twist my foot so the outside edge of my foot catches the throttle. If you see what I mean anyway

 

[Ken]

Well this is why its mainly suited to track use - If you come hammering it into a corner you'll want to be braking all the time to get down to the desired corner speed, but at the same time, AS SOON as you come off the brakes you probably want to be in the correct gear to accelerate and power out of the corner - clearly to do this you have to change down gears whilst braking. You *could* do it without blipping the throttle (as ** right foot will be occupied with braking) but again, if cornering hard, when engaging the clutch the car will lurch when the engine revs rise suddenly (and the wheels slow suddenly from the resistance of the engine) - something you dont want midcorner whilst braking hard.
Hence, you do everything at the same time and toe heel.

I see - it just seems H&T is a bit over the top for normal day to day driving as the method I'm using right now is more than adequate.

 

[megakid]

Anyone have tips on judging how close you are to objects behind you whilst reversing?

Rear parking sensors?

On a more serious note, my instructor taught me to check over your shoulder at your car's rear-most side window before you start reversing and align that with a point you think you should be at when you stop... or something like that (it was some time ago now!)

 

[eidolon]

The standard of my normal driving is pretty good. I'm observant, aware, safe and capable of controlling my car in a most situations.

Where I'd like to improve however is in the twisties. I'm aware that with a powerful mid engined RWD car things can go a bit pear shaped so I'm always a little reluctant to push the Elise too hard in case I end up with a £20k paperweight. Once I get my seats back from Lotus I'm planning on a Walshy day or two and hopefully a couple of track days (if they'll let me with my exhaust). Once I've had a bit more experience of where the limits of my car are I fancy heading for Nurburgring to see if I can make it onto the OCUK table

 

[merlin]

The standard of my normal driving is pretty good. I'm observant, aware, safe and capable of controlling my car in a most situations.

Where I'd like to improve however is in the twisties. I'm aware that with a powerful mid engined RWD car things can go a bit pear shaped so I'm always a little reluctant to push the Elise too hard in case I end up with a £20k paperweight. Once I get my seats back from Lotus I'm planning on a Walshy day or two and hopefully a couple of track days (if they'll let me with my exhaust). Once I've had a bit more experience of where the limits of my car are I fancy heading for Nurburgring to see if I can make it onto the OCUK table

Just get it on track. You'll learn more about what that car is capable of in 4 laps than in 6 months on the roads.

It certainly won't fail to impress.

 

[eidolon]

Just get it on track. You'll learn more about what that car is capable of in 4 laps than in 6 months on the roads.

It certainly won't fail to impress.

That's the idea. I can't really push my car to its limits on the roads without endangering myself and others. I hit my own limit way before the cars .It just grips so well that you have to be doing some really silly stuff to lose it, but if I do lose it I'd rather be in an airfield and not the A420.

 

[thedazman67]

I need to stop putting the car into neutral too soon when im slowing down to take a corner. or traffic lights i'd be at 30mph then neutral use the brakes get my speed down the select the gear. Other than that my road rage i need to calm myself.

thedazman

 

[Lunatic Dreyfus]

IMO its to make braking and changing gear a lot smoother. With regards to circuit driving etc, it keeps the car more even whilst braking and reduce the sudden weight movement (front/back/side) which means the car is more under control = faster.

I've been teaching my GF to blip on downshift and shes getting their. Or just to use the throttle when going down the box to reduce transmission shocks.

My throttle pedal has a little extension so I can brake and then twist my foot so the outside edge of my foot catches the throttle. If you see what I mean anyway

My apologies for derailing the thread but the post above got me interested in something I've seen numerous times during ITV's F1 coverage, and only just now realised what I was seeing.
When they show the fancy live telemetry of two drivers racing for the lead, why is it only Michael Schumacher ever seemed to do the throttle blipping on downshift/braking thing?