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[QUOTE=lowdrag;879614]coolieman, have you ever used the heel and toe thechnique? To start with few cars today have the pedals set up for it so it is difficult and even in the day it required a considerable amount of effort and training to get it right. I NEVER even think of using it on the road, only on the circuit when every split second is important. Brake (toes), revs (heel), gearchange, and that if you have synchro otherwise it ain't gonna work no matter what you do since you haven't synchronised the clutch speed to the engine and gearbox. Old cars need the double-declutching technique.
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i use heel-toe daily. with using it every day on normal downshifts, when i am on the track it is a seamless transition. it is immediately comfortable, and i know exactly what foot position i need to have, and how much i need to blip the throttle. when i buy a car, the pedal position is a key factor in the decision. the mini had perfect position, the G35 is good, but not perfect. and that last bit is true, rev matching wont get you in gear nearly as easily as double clutching on an unsynchronized box.
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lf, once used to heel-toe then I find it is so much secodn nature I find I do it in all cars I drive.
However, NOT to "protect the clutch or gearbox" but to allow me to maintain the balance of the car.
It does have it's place in modern cars for safety and performance when desired.
And it's one of those techniques that never does harm.
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try do the heel and toe trick on a diesel car with a single fixed turbo...
turbo lag is there to say "easy dude".
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[QUOTE=lowdrag;879614]coolieman, have you ever used the heel and toe thechnique? To start with few cars today have the pedals set up for it so it is difficult and even in the day it required a considerable amount of effort and training to get it right. I NEVER even think of using it on the road, only on the circuit when every split second is important. Brake (toes), revs (heel), gearchange, and that if you have synchro otherwise it ain't gonna work no matter what you do since you haven't synchronised the clutch speed to the engine and gearbox. Old cars need the double-declutching technique.
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Since i am a young driver and have not driven many stick cars, i cannot say i am familiar with it but from what i have experienced, you are correct, most cars are not setup for it. The civic isn't at all. barefoot driving i can do it ok because i get more feel but with shoes, i have no room to do so. it works best under hard braking which i try to avoid due to excessive wear and it's unnecessary. its just annoying to rev match downshift going down a hill, especially letting off of the brakes which is where i'd like it. i do downshift a lot to slow down.