Cool this really helped out alot dudes. I'm new to stick driving, I've alway wanted to asked the same questions but just too lazy to. Sitting in the passenger seat with my brother driving, I was always curiouse why won't this guy downshift from 4th to 3rd. Cause he always end up putting it in nuetral then straight down to 2nd gear. While I'm at this, Does it matter if you missed downshift it from say like 4th to 2nd right away. Or do you have to go in order from 4th to 3rd then after that to 2nd? Does it really matter? I've been watching Bestmotoring Videos for quite sometime now and what I've notice is that they do alot of downshifting.

 

okay thnx

 

The short answer is "yes." The keys to performance driving are progressive inputs, smooth weight transfer, and consistency. You want heel-and-toe downshifting to become a reflex, not something you have to think of each time. So do it the same way each time. That way you'll never miss a shift and go from 5th to 2nd or something stupid like that.

Here's another nice link: http://www.uucmotorwerks.com/
Click on the "Tech tips" button on the bottom of the screen. Then click on "Shifting techniques." There are some helpful pics that show the proper hand positions for upshifts and downshifts.

It may sound unbelievable that there's a "right way" to hold the shifter. It seems like something so unimportant, but you'd be surprised. Don't forget, when braking and cornering hard, the tranny and engine will actually move around. If you just grab the lever with your whole hand and shove it into the next gate (like they do in all those car commercials and 2F2F, etc.) you're likely to miss a shift one day. You need to gently guide the lever into the next gate and allow some wiggle room for a tranny that's moving around.

Emre

 

i just started driving manual like 4 months ago and I already do heel-toe and everything. Takes some practice, but it really helps driving. My subaru friend always talks big and I know his car is fast and he knows his stuff, we raced for about 15 mins. and then after we meet at the destination, he said I kept up well even though my car is much slower... than his... shifting techniques can help a begineer like me shift more effectively... not I know why I often mis-shift 5-6 and stuff, I thought maybe its cuz 6th is in a weird position... maybe it is... but I will see... thanks for the help!

 

I use both. Just learning how to heel and toe can put a decent amount of wear on your clutch. Depends on how fast a student you are. And if you're not doing it right, your synchros will get some wear as well. They say double-clutching also helps but these days with double/triple cone synchros.. (???). But if I'm just driving to get somewhere then I usually hit the brakes, leave it in gear til I'm almost stopped at which point I put it in neutral. If I'm driving to have some fun, I will heel and toe as well as downshift (with blip) to keep revs in the powerband. But heel and toe at every stoplight? Seems a bit much to me. just IMO.

 

when I am slowing down I never put the car in neutral.

why?

'cause leaving it in gear will keep the engine RPMs up and keep the power steering running properly....

just my $0.02

 

Here's how I do it, and I may be wrong . Some cars it's difficult to do it in (like in a Mustang the accelerator is really high) but you'll notice that an Evo's accelerator pedal is the same height as the brake pedal when your foot is on the brake, so the car's perfect for it. I hit the brakes with the left edge of my right foot, push down the clutch, roll my right foot so that the right edge 'blips' the gas, change down, and release clutch. It can be a bit difficult at first because sometimes your foot will just roll of the brake pedal, so try it in an unpopulated area first . If you're going to race from a roll (not like you would, of course ) then simply clutch down, blip the gas, change down, lift clutch, accelerate, and turn on hazards .

 

i agree....i have never put my car in neutral to slow down, and ive driven manual transmissions for bout 3 or 4 years now....if ur new to driving stick i dont think the evo is the car to start on


ps if u take ur drivin test and get to a stop sign...put it in neutral and u got a great chance at failing the test

 

I learned to heal and toe at 14...that was um, 21 years ago. One thing I remember about it was that it was downright DANGEROUS to learn on public streets. Have a pro teach you on a track first, get a year or so under your belt, and then incorporate it into your street driving.

On the streets, I use neutral to stop, clutch in sometimes, sometimes out, sometimes heal and toe...guess that's what makes a good driver..using all kinds of techniques and knowing when each is most appropriate.

One of the key things to remember in street driving is NEVER slip the clutch. EVER. There is no need to except to start moving from a dead stop. If you find yourself slipping the clutch, you are over-driving your abilities.

 

I learned to drive on a stick. I have driven sticks for 30 years (yeah, THIRTY). Most of my cars were new when I bought them, a couple had miles one them. I kept my cars on average about 3-4 years and at about 30K to 50K sold them. I NEVER had a clutch or transmission go bad or even weak on me. Here is how I drive every day, you may find it useful or not but it works for me. When I slow down, I only put it in neutral when the car is going very slow. But, you have to learn and practice on your car . Never let it lurch or bog down, it’s hard on the driveline. I always keep the car in neutral at a stoplight with my foot off the clutch. But I also like to play sometimes and then I use heel and toeing when shifting down. I have been taught, and it saved my *** on a couple of occasions, that a car must always be in a gear when rolling, you never know when you need to gas it to get out of trouble. This is my 2c.

 

The purpose of heel/toe is to allow you to accelerate out of a corner not to slow your car down. Yes, it does slow it down if you use it in that fashion but that's not the purpose.

If you are being told your brake lights aren't working then you are driving stupidly. Why would you drive in a way that causes a following vehicle to not at least lift off the throttle or at best to brake to match your deceleration? People get rearended every day because the car following didn't know they were braking.

7for8, use your brakes for slowing and stopping. That's what they are designed for and they're one of the less expensive items to replace. Additionally, go to a good driving school or get someone to teach you how to downshift.

As you brake, downshift to be in an appropriate gear in case you need to accelerate for some reason. I try to use a gear that gives me around 2500-3000 rpm, plenty of rpm to move out nicely without keeping the engine wound high.

Most of all, carefully enjoy your car.

 

Most people who were taught to downshift at every stop, were likely taught this habit by their fathers who learned to drive with a 1950's-1960's era car that couldn't stop as well as a modern car. With old cars you NEEDed to engine brake to stop in a reasonable amount of time.

When I drive my 1961 Austin Mini, I need to downshift and engine brake to get the thing to stop in a reasonable distance. In a modern car, with modern brakes, downshifting is not needed.

Concealed Baboon huhu...

 

Well, with standard everyday driving, I don't downshift as much..for obvious reasons.

But when I drive more spirited, this changes because I am hitting the corners a little 'deeper" and the engine and gear selection will help me enter and exit properly..


See I disagree with this..within reason

Maybe in everyday driving this isn't necessary, but again, when you start increasing your speeds and then need to shift/downshift, you aren't just using your brakes..You are using rev matching and gear selection, as well as engine braking, to get the most out of the driving..

Haven't you ever come full bore at a curve and rev matched into second to come in and leave the curve the fastest? If your telling me that you come in hot in nuetral then pick second and rev match then, you just lost about three seconds once I'm coming into and then out of the curve/turn.

Again, I agree that downshifting can be harder on the trans clutch if done improperly..this is just driver inability.

But when done properly, you should actually be able to PRESERVE the life of your clutch/trans AND your brakes..

Just my .05

 

I got rear ended recently and in my opinion people get rear ended because some dumb **** is tailgating or is impaired. Also, remember that tailgaters are secretly homo-gay people. No ***** to make the pass and right up on your *** because thats how they like it. True fact. Tailgaters = homo-gay.

 

so then most of you for everyday driving just hit the brakes and let it slow down? does that mean u dont have to match ur rev if ur comming to a complete stop?