Heel & toe downshifting :D

Supermarine Blues · Post by **Supermarine Blues** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:09 pm

Now that IS designed for left-foot braking!

I'm sure in the old days, they simply used to weld a tab on the side.

Post by **lewd lude lover** » Sun Jan 20, 2013 6:10 pm

Hey dont get me wrong pushki, i wouldn't use this technique in my derv volvo

but the lude is set up in such a way that to maintain smooth carriage of passengers the technique is prefered.
When coming toward a mini roundabout in 4th at 30 in a 30 it gives a smoother transition to second, while braking, to blip the throttle with the other end of the braking foot before the gear engages. You do have two ends to your foot after all... If I dont do this there will be a shunt effect that travels through the car and passengers. However mild, it can be illiminated.
Ok so I have removed the bumpstop system from the clutch line, have a stage 1 clutch and a superlite flywheel but its still relevent to a stock lude, just not at those low speeds. A stock lude coming off the motorway would bnefit from application of this technique for instance. It lowers the amount of wear on parts which you must appreciate?

You ask where we get these ideas? Well I have to ask you how you have not discovered these ideas? When you left school was that the last time you learned new skills on a subject? The driving test gets a person to the minimum safe skill level. That leaves a lot of room for improvement in my view. imho

This is an easy technique to learn and only takes a little thought, it is fun and it saves repairs over time.

2p

Post by **Merlin** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 12:41 pm

Since reading this thread I found that with the Mugen pedal covers installed on my 5th I can heel & toe. I have been practicing and am almost there. I get the odd surge when engaging the gear, I must not be getting my foot off the accelerator quick enough.

I have been getting the flat of my foot on the edge of the brake pedal and a combination of my toes and side of my foot on the accelerator.

@macky_6 If you havent already, get a set of fake Mugen pedal covers (£20 off Ebay)

. As soon as I realised these made a difference / easier I ordered a set for my track Lude. Plus the brake pedal has a grippy surface.

Post by **lewd lude lover** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 1:07 pm

these are what makes it realistic in a lude. I shuffled my go pedal as far over to the left as i could.

this was on the red one

I put a little slant on it and I could catch it perfectly.

I dont have a pic of the same ones fitted in the white one but fully recommend the purchase.

Post by **Doggo** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:45 pm

They do look good - I may have to get some for learning to Heel & Toe

I do left foot brake all the time on the roads. I may not have to when I get my 'lude on the road (I expect it to handle better) but in the diesel Volvo and lots of previous FWD cars I find I can balance a tendency to understeer by using a little brake as well as the throttle through the right time in a corner. I guess this is just moving a little weight to the front to lighten the back end and reduce traction (both through that and relative wheel to road speed).

Alternatively you can be a bit more assertive with it to really move the back end out if you want to, especially on tighter corners.

As has been said before it seems a bit dramatic when you first do it but after a while you can use these techniques safely and delicately as second nature.

I will say if you haven't tried left foot braking before then for God's sake be careful where you do so and make sure no one's behind you - the first time you use your clutch foot on the brake you'll probably stop dead very fast. Caution: Left foot braking is also a fantastically fast and efficient way to spin a car if you don't know what you're doing!

Edit: Sorry, that wasn't meant to sound like a lecture. There'd just been a few comments about leftie braking without seemingly anyone saying why do it, or the risks, as had been said for Heel & Toe

Supermarine Blues · Post by **Supermarine Blues** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:01 pm

No; good point - clutch pedals are a LOT heavier; you will need to learn to brake with your toes.

It's bad enough when one slows to a stop in a slushbox and absent-mindedly "declutches"

Post by **Donald** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:06 pm

I drove some 57 plate Suzuki the other day, got back in the Lude and it felt like the clutch pedal was being pushed through custard. Are all newish cars like this with the fancy light pedal jobby?

Post by **Doggo** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:37 pm

Supermarine Blues wrote:No; good point - clutch pedals are a LOT heavier; you will need to learn to brake with your toes.

It's bad enough when one slows to a stop in a slushbox and absent-mindedly "declutches"

Post by **Doggo** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:41 pm

Donald wrote:I drove some 57 plate Suzuki the other day, got back in the Lude and it felt like the clutch pedal was being pushed through custard. Are all newish cars like this with the fancy light pedal jobby?

So it seems. It took a few decades but the manufacturers seem to have caught onto the fact that women buy cars too. Suzuki, you say?

Why is it that you can adjust to any car almost instantanaeosu...instantaene...inst....straight away, but it takes longer to re-adjust to your own car?

macky_6 · Post by **macky_6** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 5:52 pm

Merlin wrote:
@macky_6 If you havent already, get a set of fake Mugen pedal covers (£20 off Ebay) . As soon as I realised these made a difference / easier I ordered a set for my track Lude. Plus the brake pedal has a grippy surface.

I am a bit scared that if i get these, i will have to re-learn the technique as i will have a different movement. (side of foot, rather than heel)