YvanAquino

I've finally acclimated to shifting UP in my 2010 RX-8 which means I can do an entire 'performance' of smooth upshifting, whether it's transporting my wife up and down the local highway or racing around the backstreets.

My one quip with this car is (and I don't think it's the vehicle, I'm pretty sure it's the driver) that I'm having a very difficult time mastering the heel and toe around town. My problems are probably caused my previous vehicle choices: a 2002 BMW 325i and a 2004 BMW 330i (both of which had heavy, dual-mass flywheels).

A quick search on heel and toe resulted in an interesting read where a lot of the posters have made the same conclusions I have:

1. Even with stock breaks, this car diffuses speed fairly well.
2. Heel-and-toeing for regular driving will require a lot more focus and practice than heel-and-toeing at the higher revs.
3. Try and heel and toe nice and clean (and on time), unless, of course, you want to go sideways.

I find that I'm over reving the engine for most of my heel and toe downshifts. Part of my brain tells me that the clutch has already engaged everything else and when I decide to 'drop the rest' because I'm confident everything's back together, I'm unpleasantly 'surprised' by that nasty UP-DOWN engine combo that defintely means you were all too late.

The BMW was a piece of cake to downshift, and as I mentioned earlier, I think it must've been the dual mass flywheel.

I try to time the "blip" as I've put some travel into the pushing the clutch petal down, I find that there's some synchronicity to the clutch petal going up and what's going on with the accelerator/motor.

There was one nice thing I think I'm going to try as soon as I get my hands on a screwdriver--I'm going to adjust my metal gas petal cover over a screw hole to see if this helps out a bit...

Aside from giving up heel and toeing around the street (which makes perfect sense), does anyone have any tips or tricks? I've tried a lot of things and I can't find something that works for me so that I can H&T without worrying I'm frying my clutch, which is still in REALLY good condition.

I also notice I'm over reving a lot of my downshifts, in general. I guess it's a timing thing? Still, I have to find a way to be consistent with those. It must be the light flywheel and the closeness of the gears.

burglar

I don't understand the problem exactly. The RX8 is pretty easy to heel toe.

You shouldn't fry the clutch because you are supposed to be matching engine speed to transmission speed - it should be seamless, that's the whole point.

A good way to practice on the street is to do it without using the brake. Give the throttle a small blip as you move the shifter down a gear, and let the clutch out when the rpms are correct for that gear and speed. Done right, you shouldn't feel the clutch engage.

Going from 6th to 5th is a small rpm change, and should only require a tiny blip. You could probably get good at this with only a few tries. Then work your way up to larger speed differences and bigger gear changes. Once you get really good at rev matching your downshifts, you should then start working the brake into the equation.

Proper heel and toe is a very difficult dance to learn. I, personally, suck at it. Under hard braking my right foot lacks the finesse to do both pedals at once.

Try a 370z with the rev matching on, it heel-toes for you. Pretty neat.

04Green

iTrader: (1)

A suggestion.. Mentioned here someplace I think. Roll your right foot so you hit the gas with the outside of your foot, not your heel. Works great at most any speed. I find that the harder I am on the brake, the harder I am driving, and the harder I am driving, the more gas to hit. The fact that more brake pressure had the pedal closer to the floor seems to make it all work out. Hardest thing is timing the blip. I finally got my mind to think of it as part of the clutch release process, not the shift gear process. Works around town, as well as on the 110 mph 5/4 downshifts as well as the 80 mph 4/3 as well.

EricMeyer

Reach down and grab the brake pedal and then Popeye bend it so it's closer to the plastic throttle pedal. Also, shoes make a helluva difference. Also get rid of any of that ricer pedal covers on your brake if you have them.

Lastly, I wouldn't chose this method of driving for low(er) rpms around town. If you are stopping nice and slow and easily the primary benefit of heel toe is not there. (I say this because of your wife comment).

Put on your driving shoes, bend the pedal and go drive that sucker and you'll get accustom to the free revving rotary.