heal and toe

[roystinho]

I only have baby feet, Size 7.5.

I find that braking with the inside of my foot and rolling my foot so the outside of my foot blips the throttle whilst the inside is still applying pressure to the brake pedal works well for myself. I've tried it with my actual heel and actual toes but as my feet are relatively small, my foot ends up literally sideways accross the pedals and it's very uncomfortable. The way I do it works just as well, but it can wear out the side of trainers pretty quickly. I've found DC trainers and OMP karting boots stand up well though.

I've also noticed it takes a decent stab to keep the revs up, it just takes practice.

This was pretty much what I do apart from the DC's. Asics Tigers are great.

I've got to admit though, took a while to get it. I taught myself in my trophy which was so easy and it's a bit trickier in the 200.

As for left foot braking - still trying it but it's a lot harder to get right

Must add that I don't do either at full chat, still not confident at getting it right. Mainly practice on quiet roads at about 50-70%

 

[jeffro]

i heel/toe everyday, started to play/learn it 5/ 6 years ago when i had my 5gt turbo, engien braking just aided locking up the front wheels under extreme braking,

clio is hard the pedal needs to be closer imo, but then agen i dance around in size 7 shoes ( no cock comments please )

but its all about sparco karting boots!!!!!!!! cheap as chips and i always have a set in the boot, dont liek wearing dirty shoes int he car haha

 

[Willis]

Heel & Toe has become second nature to me now like Jeffro. I started trying it and also experimenting with Left Foot Braking about a month after I passed my test... I had a 106 Rallye at the time. I used to always wear Puma Goodyears when driving it and I'm sure they helped me as they were so thin on the sole.

Heel & Toe has it's advantages on the road, such as smoother gearchanges as already said. On track I feel it helps to keep more in touch with the car and takes a bit of stress out of the process of downshifting, especially at high-ish speeds. I've been told it's pretty much a neccessity in anything RWD with moderate power, but I've never driven anything RWD myself so can't really comment. Well, apart from the Volvo/Scania beasts at work...

I can confidently brake with my left foot, but it's something I rarely do. Not really much point to it on the road, even when you're on a blast. I can't say I've ever used it on the track either, but I have used it on gravel in my old 205 GTi. Mid corner it can drastically change your line, especially in something as sensitive to inputs as a 205!!! You could pretty much drift that car with a well timed poke of the left foot. It was sh!t scary though hahaha!!!

 

[Chinny375]

Ive been trying for ages in mine, its virtually impossible due to how far back the throttle is compared to the brake & clutch (hard on the brakes doesnt even make the brake come in line with throttle), i think im going to try get it bent so its better in-line, i actualy took a pic of it to show a garage the other day, ill dig it out tomorrow.
Maybe mine was a factory feck up?:scared:

 

[200cup andy]

i mostly learned in my integra type r so you really sat in the car rather than on it like the clio so i think ive just got to sort my foot angle out to get it down to a tee

the rwd really reacts to heal and toe my s13 you could smoothly initiate drifts with a big dose of gas on a down shift while braking then off the brake and mash the gas. also on turbo cars you can sometimes keep a bit more boost on the go so theres less lag as you keep the engine spinning


ive not tried left foot braking for a while. ive done karting for years so thought it would be easy but nearly stuffed myself through the windscreen the first time i tried it in another car lol i would expect the brembos help as the have a bit more feel

 

[Arran]

I've tried doing it in mine, but I haven't got any kind of theory behind it, just had a go! Last time I did it I ended up letting the clutch out before coming off the throttle and was braking and excelerating at the same time! Lol! The pedals don't help though, like most say, they aren't level. I suppose I should try and practise some more with it.

 

[Seriosha]

Well well... ive tried this many times, and failed.. hard.
I have Size 12-13 shoes and long legs. My seat position is awfull because of that, ive ordered the handsfree for the changeable steering position but it doesnt help it much, my knees are a bit under the steering wheel, so when i try to heel/toe several things happen. Like my knee knocking either on the wheel, or worse, on the button for voice dial which immediatly means a stupid voice telling me that there is nothing saved. Second, my shoe will catch the under the dashboard at the toe tip or will smash on the side to the middleconsole (steering wheel left at mine). then, if you eventually crippled yourself in a position where you could reach both pedals with the foot their level is much different, the throttle response is bad, and im usually in agonizing pain and looking like a cripple whith my knees and legs knotted down there

I dont say i was good at this in others cars, but at least i could manage it...

will try shoes next wich are smaller on the outside and see what will happen. But probably i just suck at this and have to practice more or change something basically on my how i work the pedals thing.

 

[Mike Roberts]

Left foot braking is very easy, think how quickly you adapt to it when karting, you just have to re-program your brain with the first couple of stops each time. Pointless on the road, useful on track for altering a line.

Heel & toe I'm struggling with in this, the pedals aren't right and I can't do it unless I'm really hard on the brakes. I think I need a look at possibly bending the arm?

 

[jeffro]

ahaa karting is very differnt tho as no servo assistance and lets face it using the brake in karting is pretty much to set u up for a 'line' round a corner

serious note................ANY ONE ELSE NEARLY GO THROUGH TEH WINDSCREEN FIRST LEFT FOOT BRAKE ATTEMPTED?? pmsl

and WILLIS totally agree the older nimbler cars heel and toe = big difference, no abs, no traction control means a bad downshift could seriously comprimise the setup for a cornering line under harder driving

 

[Mike Roberts]

I was talking more in terms of it becoming second nature very quickly to brake in a kart with your left foot, so you can do that in a car too if you practice.

You just need to get your 'feel' each time you drive, as your left foot is used to stamping a clutch down, so you tend to go heavy on the first stop.

 

[Chinny375]

Mike ive got the same problem as you, when i brake the brake pedal only just about gets in line with the throttle, but as the cup throttle pedal is like curved plastic it makes it even worse.

 

[Nath]

I think I need a look at possibly bending the arm?

Downside to that would be that on the track the brake pedal would be too low relative to the throttle. I find it's easy enough going at track pace as the two line up - on the road not so much as not hitting the brakes as hard.

 

[200cup andy]

Mike ive got the same problem as you, when i brake the brake pedal only just about gets in line with the throttle, but as the cup throttle pedal is like curved plastic it makes it even worse.

that explains why it was easier in the car i test drove it was a ff with the cup pack

 

[Mike Roberts]

Yeah, you're right Nath - needs a happy medium, which in my case with my small feet may just be a very small tweak.

Andy/Chinny, you may be able to buy the FF pedals from Twingogeekio??