Heel & Toe Downshifting

[No.1]

I don't want to know what it is, but i was wondering if you use it.

I admit that i haven't mastered the technique yet, but i am getting better at it.

Anyhow post your heel-and-toe experiences and fill out the poll so we can see who uses this useful (but not strictly neccessary) technique.

[Shinigami]

I'm not very good at it. I've tried it, but it's hard to practice when you've got an automatic. This is one of the reasons why I wanna buy a second car, a manual with no ESP so that I can play around with flinging the car and mastering heel and toe.

Any car where the brake and acceleration pedal are at the right height and depth, even when you've pressed/depressed one of them entirely, should make for a good one, but I haven't built up a good list of such cars yet...

Here's to the future *lifts glass*

[black_magician]

Every once and a while. can't right now since I only have my bike. it's a lot easier

[gucom]

the only time when i sort of "heel and toe" is when im pulling away on an incline, to apply some throttle while still keeping the brake on, and with my left foot letting the clutch come up

[saadie]

i do it every once a while .. when im in driving fast pulling G's in the crner mood .... which happens, like evryday

[tuffguy]

Why do they call it "heel & toe"? I never use my heel.

[saadie]

its called heel and toe ... beacuse thats the right way to do it ....

i used to do it with just the toe .... and yeh ... my foot slipped off the brake ..... scaryy

[fsandys]

With modern cars you're normally able to do it with 'side-footing' instead as the pedals are fairly close.

[nthfinity]

yeh, auto transmissions dont lend to proper heal and toe.... but you can blip the trottle when moving the shifter, and left foot braking.... even with a Jeep, i think it does lend to help keep the car stable when thrashing about through corners

[tuffguy]

Originally Posted by fsandys With modern cars you're normally able to do it with 'side-footing' instead as the pedals are fairly close.

Yup, that's the way that I do it.

[ARMAN]

In tormal traffic its completely useless imho, just increase fuel consumption and if you dont drive just a little bit decent car it looks .. well childish 8) IMHO I was doing it just for the sound when the exhaust was rotten and it did gave some nice sounds but later realized how stupid it must have looked ops:
On the track its a vital thing probably Dani probably can cofirm it

[TNT]

well with my pedals not being close enough i can't saw i have ever really officially done hoe toe shifting. but what is the real point to just save the clutch a bit longer?

[tuffguy]

I use it when I take corners at intersections. The purpose being to lessen the wear on the clutch when downshifting into a lower gear.

[saadie]

^^ lol .... why dont you only use the brake then ? ... no clutch wear what so ever

heel and toe is the best way for powered breaking .. at the end when its time to floor it .. your revs are high .... sooo yeh ... thast what it is ... and if you have a turbo ... its keeps up the boost

[tuffguy]

If I slow down too much and the gear's too high, it feels like the engine's bogging down. At that point I need to downshift, and a quick blip of the throttle while breaking will match the revs and make everything nice and smooth when I downshift.

Nothing too aggressive. I'm well aware of the price difference between brakes and clutches, but a regular downshift feels more stressful on the clutch than heel & toeing.