DownShifting question

[240sxHitman]

Ive been watch BMI(best motoring international)dvd's lately which i think are great. I do have one question to know for sure about there Downshifting/pedal techniques. when they are on the track and going threw fast and are coming up to a turn and they downshift and brake they use there heal to tap the gas at the same time. i wanted to know if that was to help braking or help keep at a higher rev when coming out of an exit of a turn.

[ArticDragon192]

It's called heel-toe. it's so you don't offset any weight in the car while downshifting while going through the turn. You don't want any sudden weight transfers going through a turn becuase of bad downshifting. it also keeps the engine in it's powerband.

[SeVa-S13]

Even when not racing, you should always rev-match when downshifting. Downshifting like a girl makes your clutch sad.

[ArticDragon192]

Hahaha, not to mentions the synchros will appreciate it if you rev match too.

[Juujai]

just try downshifting. dump the clutch at a lower gear right in the middle of a corner. see what happens...

you feel a big clunk and your car jolts. our cars are low hp/neutral osteering. imagine a high hp say with an MR drivetrain with a driver that doesn't balance brake/gas and just jolts... it'll be easy to spin out. certain cars are more sensitive than others in corners. nsx .... hard to drive... modified... and also downshifting smooth helps it so you don't lose traction which can lead to shorter laptimes.

we aren't racing so you don't need to heel/toe. you should save your energy for school or work. but after you brake just blip the throttle to the appropriate rpm for the gear at that speed and it should be a smooth shift.

[240sxHitman]

oh ok thanks, yea im not racing at all i just wanted to know about it alil more. But after watching the BMI videos does make me wanna hit the track one day.

[get_up_mark]

just curious..whats the condition of everyones synchros? my 2nd 3rd and even 4th now are rough especially in quicker shifts. i have 80k on my trans. overall its a little notchy but not worth replacing internals at this point.

[ArticDragon192]

just curious..whats the condition of everyones synchros? my 2nd 3rd and even 4th now are rough especially in quicker shifts. i have 80k on my trans. overall its a little notchy but not worth replacing internals at this point.

It grinds going into 3 and going into 5th from neutral coasting if I don't rev match before pressing the clutch.

[Red coupe]

Hahaha, not to mentions the synchros will appreciate it if you rev match too.

umm unless your double clutching it doesn't make one bit of difference to your syncros...and I pretty sure, or at least hope your not double clutching...syncros are matching the difference of speed between the input shaft and output(main) shafts of the transmission. Rev matching is matching the speed of the engine and wheels....so If you put the clutch in and rev match it is not spinning the input shaft/cluster shaft of the transmission up to the same speed as the engine, and the syncro still take is forced to speed up the gear on the main shaft, the counter shaft, and input shaft. only when you rev the engine with the clutch engaged (foot off the pedal) are the input/counter shafts of the transmission spun up too speed so that the syncros don't have to work.

I think one of the best aguments for heel/toe is it feel soooooo good when you get it exactly right through a mid-high rpm 2nd gear corner...

[ArticDragon192]

umm unless your double clutching it doesn't make one bit of difference to your syncros...and I pretty sure, or at least hope your not double clutching...syncros are matching the difference of speed between the input shaft and output(main) shafts of the transmission. Rev matching is matching the speed of the engine and wheels....so If you put the clutch in and rev match it is not spinning the input shaft/cluster shaft of the transmission up to the same speed as the engine, and the syncro still take is forced to speed up the gear on the main shaft, the counter shaft, and input shaft. only when you rev the engine with the clutch engaged (foot off the pedal) are the input/counter shafts of the transmission spun up too speed so that the syncros don't have to work.

I think one of the best aguments for heel/toe is it feel soooooo good when you get it exactly right through a mid-high rpm 2nd gear corner...

Whoops, haha, sorry,m was thinking about double clutching. That's what i normally do to save my worn down synchros. The shifting is so smooth.

[240sxHitman]

To be honest i try to do it and its diffcult to do. If figure i learn it and get the chance to hit the track one day it would be a good thing to know. they way orido,drift king and the others do it, they do it with ease. Even though they have been doing it for years and years

[Red coupe]

IT is honestly akward as hell...expecialy for the first hour.. I actualy learned to match revs first, and then to use both pedals.I took maby a week or so to get it to were I could do it. that was less then 2 years ago I still am not perfect, or even as good as Id like to be but I can almost always from a roll put it in a gear and match the rpms while braking with a negliable load on my drive train. Just go somewere were you can drive in between 2nd and 3rd and just accelerate to 3rd then brake and go to 2nd, It just takes practice to get used to it, the first 10 minuts I was learning I locked up my brakes when trying to downshift a good few times.

[Juujai]

yeah it's not always brake/gas brake gas it can be brakeeeee gas. it depends on your tires/pads and how much power you have and of course weight distribution.

as long as after you come out of the turn you car doesn't jolt/body roll whatever you should be okay. you could actually do it one pedal at a time. those gt drivers care for even second of their laptimes because they feed their families by driving so yeah. drive normally and rev match with one pedal at a time if you want. you can still kick other fool's arses that try to be cool by mimicing something they saw on a video that they can't do lol