[s-cars] heel-toe driving

[QSHIPQ at aol.com]

This thread is mostly BS.  There is no "right way" to heel and toe, any more than there is a "wrong way".  THE way to heel and toe is to rev match a downshift.  However your feet are planted has nothing to do with the ultimate outcome or purpose.

I haven't seen H/T techniques do much of anything in terms of a urs car "longevity".  Synchros are for those that don't want to heel and toe.  There's some really high mileage quattros around that have never been H/T at multiple track events with absolutely no effect on trans life.

Track experience and LFB make a bigger difference in terms of chassis performance.  Audi changed pedal location since "unintended acceleration" to make H/T just about impossible without changing the hardware under your feet.  As of drive by wire, there is no heel/toe beyond 3 seconds anymore than there is LFB beyond 3seconds.

I cringe when I see H/T threads on these lists.  When I see "correct and incorrect" H/T threads, I change from cringe to chuckles.

Thanks

SJ




In a message dated 4/30/2003 9:59:42 AM Eastern Standard Time, dburig at igsenergy.com writes:

> To those of you who replied, on and off list about the heel-on-the-gas,
> toe-on-the-brake technique being appropriate for cars with bottom hinged gas
> pedals, I defer to your experience, however, I must add...If my Aunt had
> balls she'd be my Uncle, thankyouverymuch!  Our cars don't.
> I will stand by my assertion that using the ball of the foot (and by this I
> mean that big, meaty area on the bottom of your foot about an inch and a
> half behind your big toe, please note that this distance increases
> proportionately with the length of your tail) on the brake, and rolling the
> right side of the foot onto the long pedal is the most accurate way to
> modulate the throttle, using the smaller muscles of the foot and lower leg,
> rather than the upper leg, thigh, and buttocks muscles needed to apply heel
> to the gas. (Will "buttocks" make it past the I.T. police Pauly?) The same
> theory (using the smallest muscles possible to most accurately accomplish a
> given task)applies to curling your toes forward while braking in the event
> of impending lock-up, rather than backing-off the brakes with your leg.
> This being said, I'm not an instructor, (far from it) but I've had a few
> good ones, (not on par with the 'Poet's) and I'm certainly willing to listen
> to others' input.  Unfortunately, 99% of the miles that I put on my car are
> NOT on the track, and the aforementioned H/T technique is used for sheer
> enjoyment, and to extend the life of my synchros.  The leftward extension of
> the lower portion of the gas pedal that started this rant would get in my
> way, IMHO, BTDT, NCFS, YMMV, etc.  You may love it, and it will look great
> with your grapefruit juice can exhaust tip and the neon license plate
> surround.
>
> Dave "this message brought to you by WAY too much caffeine"
> Burig