Downshift help

i am a new manual driver, and i wanna know how to downshift properly, can anyone help please..

Practice, practice, practice.

Clutch in, blip throttle/down shift, clutch out.

It takes practice but you should blip the throttle enough that you dont get a jump or a stumble when you let out the clutch. Again it takes practice.

Once you get that down you can move on to heel-toe down shifting. Down shifting while braking. :D

I love heel and toe; almost have it mastered. I need to go to a track where I can be somewhat secluded. A little more to it than downshifting while braking, but close enough. Definitely not something a new MT driver should be trying.

What is a heel toe anyway? is it just a quick upshift? or downshift, I probably can do It I just dont know the term,
Help?

Originally posted by nis.k.a.
I love heel and toe; almost have it mastered. I need to go to a track where I can be somewhat secluded.
Heel-toe shifting on the street is a lot easier tha doing it under threshold breaking! You could try and find an auto-x club near you somewhere. It would be cheaper than a track and just about as fun.

Originally posted by G-Forces

Heel-toe shifting on the street is a lot easier tha doing it under threshold breaking! You could try and find an auto-x club near you somewhere. It would be cheaper than a track and just about as fun.
That's exactly what I mean, couldn't have said it better!:D

Originally posted by dropedlex1
What is a heel toe anyway? is it just a quick upshift? or downshift, I probably can do It I just dont know the term,
Help?

Heel Toe is basicly where you position your right foot to where it can press on the brake and blip the throttle at the same time, I'm sure people position there feet differently to what ever is comfortable to them but I use mostly the ball of my foot kind of half the foot on the brake and turn it a little to blip the gas enough for a down shift, it's a little difficult to describe. It's kind of tricky but can help you track times alot if you can do it right.

The heel/toe concept of driving standard sure do improve handling qualities as well as decrease "stress" on engine what not, if done correctly. The only way to perfect this concept is..PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and more PRACTICE. Admitedly, after 6 months of learning how to drive standard, I am becoming good with heel/toe but not PERFECT. The beauty of driving standard is that there is always room to perfect your driving skill. Take example, "clutchless" shift....

Anyway, George, in the link above, it mentioned something about "not to use engine compression to do the braking". Can you elaborate? When do you use engine compression for braking as oppose to downshifting? If I understand it correctly, is it the case when you are downshifting without braking and only revs matching? If this is the case then "clutchless" shift is not at all a good idea?

Originally posted by v_knot
Admitedly, after 6 months of learning how to drive standard, I am becoming good with heel/toe but not PERFECT.

I should hope not. I've been using heel & toe for 23 years and still don't think I do it perfectly.

Originally posted by v_knot
Anyway, George, in the link above, it mentioned something about "not to use engine compression to do the braking". Can you elaborate? When do you use engine compression for braking as oppose to downshifting? If I understand it correctly, is it the case when you are downshifting without braking and only revs matching? If this is the case then "clutchless" shift is not at all a good idea?

Compression braking is when you let the engine slow you down instead of the brakes. It has nothing to do with clutchless shifting. While I can shift w/o the clutch, it really shouldn't be done. Racing gearboxes are set up for it. Besides, they get rebuilt regularly.

out of all the MT drivers in my family/relatives, only one can do heel and toe. but then, he goes out to the track almost everyweekend and if not to the crazy-ass twisted mountian roads in japan.

me? will admit I cant. i can drive MT, but not heel and toe. there is a lot of talent involved in that 'art'.

Originally posted by P10DET


Compression braking is when you let the engine slow you down instead of the brakes.



I suppose this is bad?

Originally posted by v_knot
I suppose this is bad?

Well, it's not bad per se, but better to wear brake pads than drivetrain.

:D

Here's the best info I've seen on heel-toe downshifting - complete with diagrams. In fact, the whole site is pretty damn good.

http://www.turnfast.com/tech_driving/driving_heeltoe.lasso

Enjoy

Is this heel toe thing, the same as double clutching???

Originally posted by GoldP11
Is this heel toe thing, the same as double clutching???
I'll give you the Darth Roffe answer.


Nope. :D