What is ment by heal toe driveing?

I still haven't figured it out.

Also want are the advantages?

 

Excerpt from NASA Web Site
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Heel toe Downshifting
Why is “Heel toe” important? Remember, as you approach the traction limit of your tires, anything that takes traction can cause the car to slide. Have you ever downshifted and released the clutch too quickly and felt the car jump as the engine RPM’s were forced up to match the cars speed? Kind of like tapping the brakes. Think of this, if you are driving at 70 mph in 4th gear, at 4000 rpm’s and shift down to 3rd, your engine rpm’s will go up, to say 5200 rpm’s. You can accomplish this by easing out the clutch, until the engine is forced up in rpm’s by the car. This works, but it is slow, hard on the clutch and transmission synchros, and uses up some of your traction to force the RPM’s up. The alternative is to match the engine speed to the transmission speed (in the lower gear). This can be done by pushing in the clutch, blipping the throttle, selecting the lower gear and releasing the clutch. The problem is, downshifting is done at the same time we are braking. Guess what, we have two feet and three pedals to operate simultaneously! The Heel Toe technique solves this problem.

“Heel toe” is a misnomer. It can be done in many ways, depending on the pedals in the car, and the anatomy of the driver. Although it can be, it is not usually done with the heel and toe. The process is commonly done by placing the ball of the foot on the right side of the brake pedal, and while holding consistent brake pressure, the side of the foot rolls onto the throttle, “blipping” the throttle. Depending on your anatomy, and the pedals, it can be done any way that allows the brakes to be used while the throttle is blipped.

Heel Toe cannot be done smoothly unless two things are done:

1) The pedals must be matched. Normally this is done by adjusting until the brake and throttle are even in height, when the brakes are pressed on. The pedals must also be properly spaced. In my car it required adjusting and bending the gas pedal until I got the match I needed. In many cars, the pedals have some range of adjustment, making the process easier. One thing to remember, as you adjust the gas pedal, make sure that there is a mechanical stop for the pedal. If you rely on the stops in the carburetor or injection system to stop the motion, you will probably bend or break something as you try to squeeze a couple more horsepower out of the pedal. Also, make sure the linkage allows the butterflies in the carburetor to be fully open when the pedal hits your mechanical stop.

2) The technique must be practiced. Do not come to the track, with the intention of learning to Heel Toe. Learn the technique on the street, and practice it until it is second nature, before trying it at the track. If your street car is different from your track car, and your street car has a manual transmission, set its pedals for Heel Toe, and learn the technique. Try to get the pedal arrangement similar for both cars. If you must learn the technique in your track car, make it low on your priority list. When driving the line is second nature, you are comfortable in traffic, you’ve got all of the corner stations figured out, start working on it.


Heel Toe is not a required skill at your first event or two, as a matter of fact, you don’t ever have to learn it. It is a tool that will make you a smoother driver (ie. faster!), and you will be easier on your equipment. It’s a tool to add to your arsenal of skills as your high performance driving becomes more polished

 

Hey Vibrus,

I'm sure there are many here with personal experience to tell you about this, but I found this which may help a little.

Heel-toe Downshift

 

VU:

Try this link:
www.betterbodies.com

I scanned in a photo of the pedals from that company that are supposed to enable you to better execute a heel/toe manuver, but was unsuccessful loading it to the Rennlist. Anyway, you can buy pedal that help; at least they say they do. I simply roll the left side of my right foot onto the throttle if necessary. Of course, if you are sitting backwards, you would roll the left foot. And that also applies if you are driving in Japan or England.

 

VU:
Sorry about that!!

There must have been something subliminal going on in my head.

The correct link is:
www.BetterBodies USA.com

 

third times' a charm:

www.BetterBodiesUSA.com

 

Ron, just an FYI - rather than adding a new post with corrected information, you can simply edit an existing post by clicking on the little 'paper/pencil' icon located at the lower right of the post you want to correct.

 

I figured it was something like that.

Heck, I currently bip the throtal when I shift anyways. (out of need, no 1 or 2nd gear syncro, and limited 3rd...) I've just had trouble when I shift down.

Course there's no way I can do this the way my pedles are right now. The throtal is way down there and the brake is so much closer.

Anyways, thanks.

 

Similar to the 911 setup. Very annoying, and takes a lot of work to get used to.

 

Also known as Double Clutching or Speed Shifting (?)

 

Heel-Toe used to mean more back in the British days where the peddles are closer together... toe on the brake and heel or side of shoe blipping the throttle for a matched downshfit.

 

Three different things:

Heel/Toe - refers to using one foot on both the brake and the throttle at the same time to match engine speed to transmission speed to prevent a lurch or breaking traction during a down-shift. Also can be used for double-clutching, especially during spirited driving.

Double-clutching - refers to using the engine speed to adjust the transmission input shaft speed during either an up-shift or a down-shift.
Press clutch, shift to neutral, release clutch, use throttle to adjust transmission speed, press clutch, complete shift. Used with old non-synchro transmissions, or newer ones with weak synchros.

Speed shifting - Sometimes used to refer to any VERY fast shift, sometimes to refer to shifting VERY quickly without using the clutch. Can be an expensive habit...

 

I had to learn heel-toe on teh first day of driving, and long before I shifted to 4th gear

I was 12 when I drove (daily) my dad's 1974 British Plymouth Avenger that often suffered from rough idle or stalling problems. The forces applied through frequent use of all 3 (very VERY stiff) pedals simultaneously on the VERY hilly and twisty roads of the countryside with a size 5 (or may be 4) shoe since day one of driving, resulted in a funky and dissimilar calf and leg muscle development that is still very noticeable 22 years later!

Saves the day at shop parties when you've just about all talked out about cars, engines, and motorsports

 

Wally, thanks for the clarification.

 

A very good way to learn Heal-Toe driving is buy an Audi with a faulty ISV (idle stabilizer valve) and your too cheap to spend $300 to make your winter car idle right. Every time you put in the clutch the car will die if you don't give it gas, usually while breaking. Its fun in snow.