heel-toeing ... what exactly is it...i'm not a big race car person and dunno what it does, i mean i've seen it done but

 

It's the process of matching revs when you're downshifting before a corner. How to do it? Use the left part of the ball of your right foot to brake, twist your ankle so that the right part of the ball of your foot blips the throttle when you downshift. I think the Z's pedals are positioned well for heel-toeing, so it's pretty easy for me to do...

 

You also should realize why it should be done. It is not done to slow the car down. That job should be left to the brakes. It is used to be in the correct gear when its time to acclerate out of a corner.

 

The secret is not just in learning to do it, but doing it smoothly. With H-T, you can greatly reduce or eliminate the transition of changing to a lower gear so that you are set (and the chassis) for the corner and in the correct gear before entering it and starting on the throttle maintenance.

 

Hmm... tall people need to figure out a different way to do it. It would be impossible for me to turn my right foot in, it really only can go out because otherwise my knee would have to go through the steering wheel.

Of course my foot is big enough i probably could mash both at the same time with my foot verticle. =)

X

 

It's just something that takes getting used to. I know people who are 6'3" and can do it in Spec Miatas with no problem, so the Z should be know problem for you...

 

I added a wider pedal cover to my brake pedal... this allows me to get my foot a little closer to the throttle so I can blip between shifts while still braking for corners.

With a little practice, this method of downshifting has helped me become a much smoother driver at the racetrack and it's easier on the car.

PeteH

 

I wear a size 13, no problems. Its a lot easier with my JWT flywheel though!

 

13's here as well.

 

i wear 13s and its alittle tougher, but im getting the hang of it.

 

There's gotta be a pedal replacement solution... our pedals suck for heel & toe..

 

Exactly what is the problem? Very easy...

 

Obviously you either haven't tried it or you got size 13+ feet...

The gas and brake pedals are too far apart..

 

I do it every day. Sorry you can't...

 

Thanks for the pointless posts..

 

can someone post a step by step process for heel+toe shifting to i can start practicing?

is this proper form?: your right foot should be pointing to the clutch with the ball under the toe of the right foot on the brake, and the heel of your right foot on the throttle...what are the steps?

 

You're trying to raise the RPMs everytime you downshift to make up for the engine's natural decline in RPMs when you disconnect the clutch.

You can even do heel & toe simulation without actually doing heel & toe... like so:

1. Clutch in.
2. Downshift.
3. Rev the gas quickly.
4. Clutch out.

This matches the RPMs when you shift down, and is the way I downshift when I drive. However, the purpose of heel & toe is to be able to BRAKE AND DOWNSHIFT at the same time without disturbing the balance of the car...

So, heel & toe is basically same as above, except you need to keep 1 foot on the brake at all times:

1. Brake with ball of right foot.
2. Clutch in.
3. Downshift.
4. Rev gas with heel of right foot, while ON THE BRAKE with toe.
5. Clutch out.

During the entire process, you never stop braking... that's the point.

This is very hard to do in the Z unless you got some big shoes, because the brake & gas pedals are far apart (hence my previous posts). I'm trying to find extension pedals or some other sort of solution that makes this process easier.

 

Actually, the name 'heel and toe' is kind of a misnomer. The easiest way to do this is with the left side of your right foot on the brake pedal, and the right side on the gas. This way, you just roll your foot over to the right to blip the throttle. This allows you to keep your heel anchored on the floor for more precise movement.

The two toughest things for me to get when I was first learning this were having confidence that I could brake properly with only half of my foot on the brake pedal, and finding the right position for my right foot.

Braking confidence will come with practice. I had always been used to picking my right foot completely off the floor and moving it over to the brake pedal. This is not necessary. I found that if I place my heel on the floor below and between the gas and brake, that I could just pivot my right foot over to get on the brake. At that point, it's already in the right position to blip the throttle.

Once you get the right movement down, it's just a matter of practice. I learned this technique from board member (and frequent SportZ magazine contributor) dkmura. I have size 11 feet, and I've found that the Z's pedals are well placed for me.

The book 'Going Faster' by the Skip Barber Racing School has an excellent description of this technique, complete with detailed pictures of what you should be doing at each step.

Good luck, and be sure to practice this at every opportunity.

Gary

 

the 2nd poster gave a perfect description. Use half of your right foot for the brake. The other half for the gas. I'm 6'2 and wear a size 14 shoe and still do it. Know how I learned? Practicing in the company car

 

Sorry didnt see this. Good description Gary