total noob question. but curiosity is eating me.

leadtrombone

leadtrombone

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#1
i know that this will for some of you seal me as being totaly inept... But having been reading car mags and enjoying varous auto racing events some of the terminolgy has tripped me up.

I have always wanted to some autocross or scca type racing but havenever had the time to do it. Same for some of the driving schoools.

My question is... could anyone explain the "heel-toe" method that evryone talks about when they are race driving. and how does double clutching fit in with that. I know that double clutching is not really needed to speed up shifting any more due to synchros?? and other technology..

But this heel-toe shifting has me bugged. i have my own ideas of what it involes but when i tried it out (kinda sorta) it just didn't make much sense in regards to making driving any better.

I know this is like the most retarded question, but at the moment i don't have the cash to take a trip to skip barbers or similar venue to "learn"

rip on me if you must.. thanks for the explaination in advance.
 
leadtrombone

leadtrombone

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and driving today i was having the same question. in mine my heel is pretty much fixed to the floor. the closest i could get just trying it out briefly was leftside rightsiding it...
hmm
 
M

MrElussive2

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The method is helpful on a track because it allows you to perform a rev-match downshift while not having to let off the brakes. It also gives you a chance to slow down while making the shift so that once you engage the lower gear, you're not going super fast and at super high revs which could case under-steer or over-steer.

I personally cannot heel-toe. I always feel like the petals are too close together for me to bend my ankle that way.
 
echothreezero

echothreezero

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I do it every time I drive. Not because I think I'm an awesome driver, but simply because I LOVE the sound of my freeflow exhaust when throttle blipping up and down the gears, and popping on over-run.

I guess I'm just a petrol head.

It's easy on the BMW's BECAUSE of the closeness of the pedals - don't use your heel - place your right first couple of toes on the brake pedal, rotate your foot only slightly and use the right-hand-side of your foot to hit the throttle. Heel stays near the floor.

Takes a fair bit of practise, but after awhile its second nature and you don't even realise you're doing it.

I still can't do it properly at very high speeds under harsh braking, but normal day-to-day and spritied driving its all good, and a bit of fun to boot.
 
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