Advanced Driving Techniques

[Jokeshopbeard]

Just wanted to open up a thread about this, I've recently been really working with the 'heel & toe' technique after doing some reading up on it, and have been really impressed with the results.

I'm also aware that left foot braking is another technique that would be useful to learn, but that got me to thinkin what other techniques you guys know of or use, not even neccesarily in a racing scenario, perhaps just on a daily drive.

Be interested to hear what you guys have to say about this....

 

[Nathbot]

I've been using heal and toe for about 3 years now, ever since I got my EP3.

For daily driving and spirited! I kinda got used to trying to perfect it, an now I use it all the time. Its a bit second nature now, I'm still not perfect at it when going all out tho

Since I got my EK9 i have improved tho, the pedal layout is alot better imo

 

[rvm]

I always do heal and toe when I'm daily driving, the more you practice the more you master it. In a race event doing heal and toe is difficult since the nerves and all the adrenaline affects you, the last time I raced I remember making like 3 mistakes trying to make a heal and toe down shift.

Left foot braking at least in my country, can't be used as a daily drive basis

 

[ijwhiteman]

I've been trying to heel and toe. I find that when braking hard its easy but just to scrub some speed of and shift doesn't seem to work for me. It also cause a few mistakes at the ring trying to heel and toe... I need more practice. It really helps what footwear you are using. The real soft racing boots are great!

I always blip the throttle going down the box. Helps to engage gear and picked this up from my motorcycling.

 

[JIMBOB-EK9]

I have been using both of these Techniques more sin's i have had my EK9,

Left foot breaking i have down to a 'T' now & i use it all the time now inc ball's out driving!

As for heel & toe i am getting better but i ant got the balls to do it when im driving at full chat! but as we have all said more practice & im sure ill get the confidence to put it into action at full speed driving!

Cant really think of anyother driving techniques apart from getting to know your car till it become's another part of you! This is the best techique of all IMO!

 

[BACON]

trying to heel and toe in my racing boots is a nightmare! I find skate style shoes much easier to drive in.

ijwhiteman- I'd say don't try to use heel and toe if you don't have to, when you say about scrubbing of speed just blip the throttle as you say then use the brake when it's needed. heel toeing to my mind is only needed when your tring to slow down very quickly for a corner and your braking and changing down at the same time. for daily driving (unless your hooning around) it's not really nessassary, but it is quite addictive

trying left foot braking has left me with neumerous battle scars on my car. first just go down a straight road applying the brake with the left foot to get a feel for it. when your confident find a nide wide empty roundabout and have a play. it works nicely.

Lift off is another technique, not sure if this works as well in civics as well as it does in a 306 gti, anyone who's driven one will know what I mean.

 

[haitch]

Heel & toe is helped much by comfortable footwear, for me I must wear Nike cortez at the track! Practice makes perfect, when you get it right it can put a big smile on. I find on track going all out, H&T is very good, at low speeds it is more difficult to learn I found, best to practice at a favourite corner or roundabout (at a reasonable pace) when it is quiet & you have time/space then build on it. Pedal position also helps, some cars make it difficult. My pedals have 'Razo' extensions which are excellent.

 

[Dino-Spumoni]

I'm going to go vote, and then I promise I'll make a nice write up on heel-toe downshifting, with all the resources I can find.
I guess I'm the opposite of Jimbob to where I have heel-toe down pat but I haven't practiced enough left foot braking. It's true that heel-toe is much more useful when driving fast and braking hard vs. just putting around.

 

[jammer]

my ankles are fooked to put it lightly so i can't "heel and toe" but, i've got wide feet so i can put half a foot on the brake and blip the throttle when i need to. it works for me and at full chat it really is awesome left foot braking though i don't have a clue????

 

[Dino-Spumoni]

my ankles are fooked to put it lightly so i can't "heel and toe" but, i've got wide feet so i can put half a foot on the brake and blip the throttle when i need to.

If you can get your right foot to press the brake well and blip at the same time, that works.

 

[Amaury_Reno]

ijwhiteman- I'd say don't try to use heel and toe if you don't have to, when you say about scrubbing of speed just blip the throttle as you say then use the brake when it's needed. heel toeing to my mind is only needed when your tring to slow down very quickly for a corner and your braking and changing down at the same time. for daily driving (unless your hooning around) it's not really nessassary, but it is quite addictive

Heel and toe is meant to help preserved the gearbox when your downshifting at high revs, and also for a smoother gear change, try going down from 3rd gear to 2 gear without heel and toe, you'll notice a huge force pulling your car back, that force, when your high revving, can cause extensive wear and damage to your tire, and can done severe damage to your gearbox too; try again, 3rd gear to 2nd gear w/ heel and toe, and you'll know the difference.

It does help in braking, too, by downshifting you'd performed engine braking, that is using downshifting to slow down.

There's a type of tyre wear resulting in wrong/poorly or failed execution of heel and toe, its called heel-and-toe wear(Kal Tire - Heel & Toe Wear)

 

[Dino-Spumoni]

Heel and toe is meant to help preserved the gearbox when your downshifting at high revs, and also for a smoother gear change, try going down from 3rd gear to 2 gear without heel and toe, you'll notice a huge force pulling your car back, that force, when your high revving, can cause extensive wear and damage to your tire, and can done severe damage to your gearbox too; try again, 3rd gear to 2nd gear w/ heel and toe, and you'll know the difference.

It does help in braking, too, by downshifting you'd performed engine braking, that is using downshifting to slow down.

There's a type of tyre wear resulting in wrong/poorly or failed execution of heel and toe, its called heel-and-toe wear(Kal Tire - Heel & Toe Wear)

Heel toe is actually meant to do your braking and rev-match downshifting before a turn in one quick and smooth motion that doesn't unsettle the tires. The fact that the gearbox wear is reduced simply because you did a rev-match downshift instead of letting just the syncro's do it is a side affect. Rev-match downshifting on the street is to preserve the gearbox, heel-toe has a higher purpose explained above.

In a race situation where you're using heel toe extensively (like time attack) you're not doing it to engine brake, the brakes themselves do the speed scrubbing, after you're off the brakes and in a lower gear for that period of time when you're not accelerating the motor is not used to brake so much as it is to control the car dynamics with the throttle.

And I don't know where you got the idea that heel toe wear is caused by improper race technique, the link posted clearly states that it's something that happens with commercial truck tires.

 

[Ben_Andersonâ„¢]

I've been trying to heel and toe. I find that when braking hard its easy but just to scrub some speed of and shift doesn't seem to work for me. It also cause a few mistakes at the ring trying to heel and toe... I need more practice. It really helps what footwear you are using. The real soft racing boots are great!

I always blip the throttle going down the box. Helps to engage gear and picked this up from my motorcycling.

I find it hard to m8 my EJ9's pedals are abit **** for it the throttle is so far back like 1.5 inch from my brake. This difference makes it hard for me to kick it with my heal once i get my 9 it will be easier as they are more level and the throttle is wider ( i think ).

Keep practicing the way i see it if you can do it on a standard set of pedals you will find it easy in a car made for it e.g the EK9

 

[Dino-Spumoni]

I find it hard to m8 my EJ9's pedals are abit **** for it the throttle is so far back like 1.5 inch from my brake. This difference makes it hard for me to kick it with my heal once i get my 9 it will be easier as they are more level and the throttle is wider ( i think ).

Keep practicing the way i see it if you can do it on a standard set of pedals you will find it easy in a car made for it e.g the EK9

The ek9 pedals are the same configuration. It doesn't matter that the brake is higher than the gas pedal because you brake (pushing the pedal closer down) and then you blip the throttle when doing a heel-toe. The way it's setup with the brake higher is actually how it's supposed to be. For now just practice practice that smooth blip.

 

[Ben_Andersonâ„¢]

The ek9 pedals are the same configuration. It doesn't matter that the brake is higher than the gas pedal because you brake (pushing the pedal closer down) and then you blip the throttle when doing a heel-toe. The way it's setup with the brake higher is actually how it's supposed to be. For now just practice practice that smooth blip.

Sorry for mistake ! I could have sworn i read somewhere that the EK9's pedals were more suited to Heal to toe.

 

[stevenEK9]

Sorry for mistake ! I could have sworn i read somewhere that the EK9's pedals were more suited to Heal to toe.

that's because they are, when you watch the promo video's for the EK9 it displays how the brake pedal is closer to the accelerator for ease of heel toe'ing

i use heel toe all the time whenever i use the car, makes downshifting much smoother and just general driving smoother if you are out for a spirited drive. at first it's tricky but just keep trying!!

i can do it comfortably by properly having my foot on the brake and swinging my heel round by 90 degrees

 

[Dino-Spumoni]

that's because they are, when you watch the promo video's for the EK9 it displays how the brake pedal is closer to the accelerator for ease of heel toe'ing

Do you mean the brake pedal is closer down or closer to the right? I still have never heard of this. I do know that the Type RX brake pedals grips are better for keeping your toes planted on the brake pedal.

Regardless of the situation, any stock civic pedals are good enough to do the maneuver with. Many people actually use their hands to bend the gas pedal directly sideways towards the brake, to make reach easier. And if you have stock pedals it's beneficial to take the cover off and add some grip tape to the brake.

 

[BACON]

haha thanks dino-sumoni, you explained it better than I did!

 

[wickermonkey]

Heel and toe is meant to help preserved the gearbox when your downshifting at high revs, and also for a smoother gear change, try going down from 3rd gear to 2 gear without heel and toe, you'll notice a huge force pulling your car back, that force, when your high revving, can cause extensive wear and damage to your tire, and can done severe damage to your gearbox too; try again, 3rd gear to 2nd gear w/ heel and toe, and you'll know the difference.[/url])

ERRRRRR, sort of. Heal and Toe is used to keep the car balanced when braking hard in conjuction with using engine braking. The idea of it is to increase the revs to match what it should for the gear.

 

[RagingAngel]

that's because they are, when you watch the promo video's for the EK9 it displays how the brake pedal is closer to the accelerator for ease of heel toe'ing

It's not only closer, but the face of the pedal is at a slightly different angle too.

personally I believe heal-toe to be an essential technique for going fast AND smooth.

It saves things like your clutch from wearing excessively, and even your engine mounts from torquing all over the place.