How to heel toe downshift

Source: T.M.O.F via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0

Hang around car enthusiasts and your ear is bound to catch fancy sounding motoring jargon that will make you just glaze your eyes. Today, I am going to throw another fancy motoring terms that will make anyone who lives and breathes cars weak in the knees - the heel toe downshift.

Is it some kind of dance move I hear you say? Well, pretty much, just not the heel toe flick you see in hip hop dance. Rather, it's a driving technique applicable on manual transmission cars that involve your right foot covering the brake pedal with the toe and your heel blipping (a quick and sharp jab) the throttle without releasing the brake as your left foot dip the clutch as usual during a braking and downshifting scenario. This is usually applied as you approach a corner.

Sounds like a lot is going on within a short time frame. It may sound intimidating, but with practice it should be natural enough that you can do it in your sleep. Before we get on with step-by-step tutorial, let's start with the why behind its application. 

Why Heel Toe Downshift? 

Heel toe downshift saw the light of day due to the working principle of a manual transmission. Observe the tachometer as you dip the clutch and you will notice the rpm drops to idling speed. Select a lower gear and let the clutch out, notice the rpm suddenly spikes up from idle to whatever rpm it should be for the lower gear. Due to the abrupt manner the engine picks up speed, the car will jolt and gives off a sensation like you just slam on the brake hard.

The resultant jerky motion is due to the mismatch between the engine speed and road speed relative to the selected gear. Let me give you a simple scenario.

Say you're cruising down a highway at 60 kph in 4th gear at 2000 rpm. Then, you dip the brake slowing the car down to 40 kph, downshift to 3rd gear (engine speed drops to idle at this point) and let the clutch out. The engine immediately jumps to roughly 3000 rpm as the clutch engages, followed by that all-familiar head bobbing.

This can be explained by the physics that take place inside the transmission when you execute the downshift, as succinctly explained by Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained below:

Basically, as long as you're off the clutch driving as normal, everything from the engine to the clutch plate to the input shaft and finally to the output shaft spins together.

The moment you depress the clutch, you separate the clutch plate from the flywheel (a spinning metal that spins with the engine), causing the latter to slow down. As 4th gear is still engaged, the clutch plate continues to spin at 4th gear speed. Shift the shifter into 3rd and everything in the transmission including the clutch plate speeds up. 

Going back to the scenario I had given above, the clutch plate will rotate at 3000 rpm while the engine, since it's no longer connected to the transmission, drops to idling speed (maybe around 1500 rpm). Mate the clutch plate that spins at 3000 rpm with the flywheel rotating at 1500 rpm, the fast spinning clutch will force the engine to speed up to match the clutch plate's rotational speed. As the transition is abrupt, a 'braking-like' thrust is felt, identifiable from the unpleasant jerky motion.

There's where heel toe comes in. Before you release the clutch pedal, give the throttle a blip while maintaining brake pressure to raise the rpm to match the speed of the clutch plate. If the speed match, you have a nice, smooth, jerk-free downshift.

Before I move on to the steps, a few tidbits is in the card. Heel toe is a misnomer in modern context. I've seen many different variations that don't coincide with the namesake due to varying pedal spacing and the size of individual foot. For instance, some people with big feet blip the throttle by rolling the 'half' side of their foot instead of their heel. My advice is do some experimentation until you find your most comfortable variation.

How to Heel Toe?

1) Apply the brake. In my case, I am using my toe.

2) Clutch in.

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3) While maintaining brake pressure, pivot your right foot over the throttle pedal. Depending on individual and pedal layout, the throttle blip can be done either with the traditional heel on throttle, or the modern 'side of the foot' method. In my case here, I sort of use the latter method. Nonetheless, use whatever variation you're comfortable with, which comes with experimentation.

4) Engage new lower gear.

5) Let the clutch out and continue braking until safe speed has been established. How to know if you've matched the revs? Let the clutch out fast. Yep, don't release slowly as taught by your driving school as that will only mask the effect. You have to let the clutch out as rapid as you can. If there's little to no jerking, you've successfully match the revs. If the car jolts violently, your blip is off.

The good news is your blip doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, don't stress yourself out trying to hit the exact 'magic' number. It's okay if you're off by a small margin like being off by 200 or 300 rpm.

Also, if you're just starting to learn to heel toe, practice the coordination with the car stationary. Once you're comfortable, find a stretch of road sparse of traffic or even better an empty parking lot and put the foot coordination into practice. Throw downshifting into the equation so your body will acclimatise to the hand and foot coordination and to the sound of the engine. 

This will take practice so don't throw in the towel if you don't get it right from day one. With practice, the coordination will become second nature and your ear will just 'know' when the revs match. 

Benefits

1) The most oft-cited upside is arguably the reduction in wear and tear on the clutch as it will experience less slippage (hence less heat production) from the reduction in speed differential between the engine and transmission. However, I believe this depends on the driver skill as a poorly executed heel toe can potentially inflict more damage to the moving parts. 

2) A well-executed heel toe downshift makes for a smoother ride as you and your passenger will endure less head bobbing from a poor downshift.

3) It's damn fun when you get it right!

Should you learn to Heel Toe?

Some skills are nice to have but not essential. Heel toe falls in that category. It's not a requirement for a safe and efficient A to B drive, but there's no harm if you're interested in giving it a shot.

Once you do get it down, it can admittedly be addictive!  

  

Kancil's clutch failed to disengage AT ALL...finally rectified, phew

Everything was fine until my mother complained the Kancil's (in case you are not from Malaysia, it is a first model launched by Malaysian carmaker, Perodua) gear was sticky. After roughly 2 days later, I tested the car's gear and discovered the problem: clutch did not disengage at all even with the pedal all the way down. Foot on the clutch, impossible to shift; foot on the clutch, engine stalled out when braking to a full stop; foot on the clutch, applied the gas and the car accelerate. Typically, the engine will freely vroom..vroom without the car speeding up if you gas it with the clutch to the floor, but in this case, it did built up speed. Oh well, that is bound to happen with a sticking clutch.

With the clutch kaput, obviously it was too dangerous to drive all the way to workshop (can you imagine pulling up at traffic light on steep grade...in heavy traffic?). With this in mind, we arranged for the car to be towed to workshop. 

A week flitted by after the tow. Worry on whether the car will be back to its best crept in.

Just making sure the workshop had started the repair, I decided to pay a visit. The engine and gearbox were already hauled out when I arrived. The workshop mechanic already installed the new clutch, so I had a closer look at the old clutch the mechanic extracted. 

Turned out it was the clutch plate at fault. The mechanic pointed out to me the plate spring (as you can see above) came loose causing mayhem. If I am going to hazard a guess: The spring blocked the clutch plate's full travel, leaving it in fully engaged mode at all time. Press the pedal all the way, the spring would not let the clutch pull away from the engine, resulting in a permanently engaged state.  

Apart from replacing the clutch, the car needed a new pair of driveshaft (it was knocking when accelerating in curves), new alternator (noisy bearing), new battery and new radiator (it was already rusty so for peace of mind, out goes the old one).

I went to pick up the car yesterday and safe to say: The car is back in business. No unwanted surprises. Kudos to the mechanics. 

Bravo Aston!

Source: www.dubicars.com

Seems like our friend from Gaydon has whipped up something special. Nope, it is not another James Bond special, but it is a rather special offering that will whet the enthusiast's appetite. Meet the new 2017 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S. 

Okay, what is so special about Aston's new V12 Vantage S compared to the previous iteration? Well, it is not really Aston going bonkers with liberating extra juice from the same 6 litre V12 (it still makes the same 563 hp at 6750 rpm and 620 Nm of torque at 5750 rpm). What makes it special is the bit that passes the V12 power to the rear wheels, the transmission.

What is so special about the transmission I heard you ask? Well, the new V12 Vantage S is a departure from the previous model where manual was not even an option (only a 7 speed Sportshift III automated manual was offerred mind you). This time round our Gaydon friend has shoehorned...hold your breath...3 pedals and a human-operated H-gate shifter!

Source: paultan.org

It is not a 6 speed, but it is a 7 speed. It is not just a 7 speed, but it is a 'dogleg' transmission. Dogleg? What is that? It is basically 1st gear sits where 2nd gear should be like on traditional shift pattern, meaning 1st gear on dogleg transmission is to the left of neutral and down. This layout is popular on high performance sports cars and racing cars as 1st gear is seldom used. This allows a faster shift to the gears most often used, such as 2nd and 3rd gear as they are inline with each other requiring just a straightforward shove back and forth.

To top it off, the transmission is equipped with the AMSHIFT, which automatically blips the throttle on downshift to simulate a clean heel toe downshift, made possible by clutch, gear position and propshaft sensor. If you wish to do your own heel toe, the system can be turned off.

The return of manual in the V12 Vantage S after a brief hibernation should be a welcome relief to the enthusiasts camp. The 7 speed Sportshift III automated manual remains an option in the new Vantage S if clutching in and out is not your idea of driving.

Self-shifter 'GT3 RS', Porsche's commitment to the 3 pedal 911?

                                              Source: porsche.com/italy/models/911/911-r/

All hail the brand new Porsche 911 GT3 RS with it's appetising, raucous 4 litre naturally aspirated flat-six, giant rear wing and....hang on a minute? Is that a PDK gear selector sticking out from the centre console? Heads bow in abject dejection. Stirring the H-gate stick is not even an option on the GT3 RS because being a track car, beating the clock is of much greater importance than indulging oneself in a self-gratifying heel toe downshift.

Source: porsche.com/italy/models/911/911-r/

Fear not manualphiles, Porsche have you in mind and whip up a manual version of the hardcore GT3 RS sans rear wing, and striking red strips extending from front to back along the flank: say hello to the 911 R.

With the same 4 litre naturally aspirated flat-six derived from the track-going GT3 RS slung out at the back, your insatiable desire for tactile pleasure of feeling the cogs stirring under your palm, the 911 R will surely stroke your insistence for 'manualness' (do the word even exist?).

Source: porsche.com/italy/models/911/911-r/

Well folks, seems like our friend from Stuttgart really do stick to their words. In an interview with Car And Driver, Erhard Mossle, Porsche's engineering head honcho for the 911 Turbo, Carrera 4 and Targa, reassured that 3 pedals will remain in the 911 DNA for as long as possible.

"It's a unique selling proposition for Porsche to have a manual in the 911 range, and I think we will fight for that as long as possible," he told Car And Driver. "Even if it's only 10 percent of the market, it's important for some customers and for some markets, especially the U.S., to have that kind of gearbox."

He also acknowledges the emotional appeal of flicking the gear lever.

"What we learned from the last two years with the Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder is that it's not only a discussion of lap times, but also of emotion, of being fun to drive," he said. "Even if the car is not the fastest, it is fun to drive with a manual. Of course the PDK is faster, but a lot of customers want to change gear by themselves. Therefore I think we should keep it, for the next generation also."

The 911 R is a sign of Porsche's dedication to keep manual in the 911 family as long as a sizeable number of customers ask for it.

Features treating future 911 R owners are automatic rev matching function which can be switched off by a press of a button and an optional single mass flywheel for extra zing when you gun the loud pedal.

Rear wheel steering and mechanical rear locking differential will ensure enhanced stability while you are busy heel toeing to gratification.

To keep 500 hp in check, Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake is standard for an eye-popping stopping power. With lap time not prioritised, the rear wing had been hacked off.

Unlike certain automakers who had completely threw manual into the dumpster (Ferrari and Lamborghini comes to mind), Porsche has not completely given up on the row-your-own-gear option. The 911 R may well be a ray of hope for the manualphiles around the globe that the surge of the state-of-the-art, lap time 'special' automated transmission will not completely supplant the traditional tactility that 3 pedals and H-gate shifter provide to those who do not see clutching in and out as a humdrum chore.

To be or not to be: Will Manual stay alive?

Source: elitetransmissionservice.com

Back in the days of distant yore, when people spoke of going fast, manual were king. The thought of fitting a slushbox automatic especially on sports car would be met with derision in yesteryear. But fast forward to present day, all arguments in favour of manual, from performance to fuel efficiency, have gone out the window.

Thanks to advancement in technology, automatics are on par, or even outperformed the same car, same brand, same model, same everything except for its transmission. Just look at all modern supercars nowadays. Majority of them are almost always automatics, though not all of them are torque converter automatics. Rather it is an advanced automated manual transmission spearheaded by the highly popular dual clutch transmission that preselects next higher or lower gears for lightning fast gear change that cannot be rivalled even by the pros.

Furthermore, modern automatics are not just faster but also more fuel efficient. For example, the Porsche Cayman S manual accelerate from 0-62 mph in 4.7s and return 20/28 mpg (city/highway). Outfit it with Porsche's PDK dual clutch transmission, 0-62 takes 4.6s (down to 4.4s if you opt for Sports Chrono Package with Launch Control) and return 21/30 mpg (city/highway). Even modern torque converter automatics are outperforming manual. For instance, the BMW 435i coupe with 6 speed manual transmission accelerate from 0-62 mph in 5.3s and return 20/30 mpg (city/highway); outfit it with the advanced 8 speed automatic 62 mph arrived in just 5.0s and return 21/32 mpg (city/highway).

Source: namu.wiki

In light with the advancement in modern automatics, it is no surprise that automatics dominate the showroom floor; while the manual is consigned to small economy cars and niche market that caters to 'driver's car' moniker.

With automatics getting better and better, will this spell the end of shift-yourself transmission? Well, automatics haven't fully supplanted manual yet. There are sizeable number of marque that offers only manual on certain models such as Honda Civic Type R, Renault Megane RS, Ford Fiesta ST, Porsche Cayman GT4, Porsche Boxster Spyder and Peugeot 208 GTi to name a few.

Clearly, there are still those who clamour for the tactile engagement (including this writer) of dropping the clutch, feeling the cogs meshing under one's palm and of course the satisfaction of nailing rapid fire heel toe downshift. However, the questions on whether manual will soldier on raises question mark as automatics are getting more and more efficient that automakers see no point in offering manual transmission.

To conclude this post, this writer believes that the future of do-it-yourself transmission is hanging by the thread as more and more cars are build with automatics and the demand for manual continues to drop as the world shifts their attention to improving fuel efficiency and minimising carbon footprint to meet the ever tough emission regulations, and (within the performance realm) enable automakers to meet performance milestone.