every time i try and keep the rpm's up during a downshift, while also staying on the brake, my shifts are shitty

i use the ball of my foot on the brake and the right side of my foot on the gas...

aside from more practice, can anybody give me some advise for quick, smoothe, effective, non-cluch-burning downshifting techniques?

 

heel toe is not easy to master.

 

With awd there is really no reason for heel toe, i can do it, but you need it most with rwd.

 

There is a good explanation of heel - toe technique on Edmunds.com

heeltoe


Anyone know why it is called heel toe??? I am guessing that on older cars pedal config you actually used your heel and toe...but I don't know.


I think the whole idea is to get the engine speed to match the wheel speed, so I would think this is useful for rwd, fwd and awd.

 

Yes, but it is more prevelent with rwd cars, unless you are doing some real form of racing, its not really neccesary( with awd). Think about it, awd owns in the corners, so most times ur rolling into them so fast u need all the brakes to u can get sometime. And you only on them for a short time before the pedals to the floor pulling out of it, where as 2wd has less traction, so you will need to slow down more(in most cases), but still want the speed when there approaching.

 

btw- its called heeltoe becuase your using you *heel* and * toe*.

 

yeah...but you don't use your heel or your toe...so what is the deal?

 

?

 

Normally you use the inside ball of your right foot on the brake, and the outside edge of your right foot on the gas....
so that being said, why does it go by the name of heel and toe?

 

because "inside-ball-of-foot-and-outer-middle-portion-of-foot-shift" is harder to say.

The reason you do it is because when you let the clutch out slowly to match revs, the torque it takes to rev the engine comes from the tires, and when you're cornering at the limit, that can easily mean that your tires break away, and you spin. When you have the clutch in and rev the engine, the tires aren't doing any more work than just braking and cornering. All cars have tires, so it's applicable to all cars.