Downshift - Do you "kick-up" revs?

[mcster]

I do. Do you?

[andream88]

i do

[bloodstar57]

Do you mean "Rev Matching"

[Lugi20]

^^

Exactly... everyone should be rev matching on downshifts unless you want to blow up your clutch.

[mcster]

Do you mean "Rev Matching"

Haven't heard that term, but it makes sense.

[Cargo8]

blipping the throttle?
heel-toe?

[bloodstar57]

blipping the throttle?
heel-toe?

+1 do these ring a bell?

[PetrolDave]

I do as well - it's part of the driving experience, and so satisfying when you get it exactly right.

[ChronicTeutonic]

I have a Tip...

but I do it in my MG. Good habit to have since it keeps the engine in the "power band," smooths out any body pitching (good when getting set up for a corner), and is a little easier on the clutch.

[Tiesto]

What if you let the RPM drop low enough before shifting so it comes out smooth?

[Buegie]

do you mean just rev-matching, or heel-toe downshifting? I've tried doing heel-toe a few times, not in regular traffic though. Meaning, left side of foot on the brake with right side of foot blipping the throttle while downshifting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPj9XXW25GA

[4Rings3Liters]

Yes I do, it's easier on the gearbox.

[littleredwagen]

yep I do it always

[Dompiece]

x2^ and I noticed when I got the Revo flash it was much easier to rev match.

[Stormin]

Always

[93hrdtptt]

yupp....I've done heel-toe in my other cars...I feel like it peddle positioning is weird when I try it in this one...I dunno lol..too cramped almost

but I'll give it another shot...but for me I always rev-match also

[mcster]

do you mean just rev-matching, or heel-toe downshifting? I've tried doing heel-toe a few times, not in regular traffic though. Meaning, left side of foot on the brake with right side of foot blipping the throttle while downshifting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPj9XXW25GA

Rev-matching.

[Raudi 4.2]

when im coming up to a stop i usually downshift through the gears while pressing the brakes and i let the clutch out very slowly to slow the car down so i dont only use my brakes... should i not do that? should i just clutch it and stop with the breaks only?

[mcster]

when im coming up to a stop i usually downshift through the gears while pressing the brakes and i let the clutch out very slowly to slow the car down so i dont only use my brakes... should i not do that? should i just clutch it and stop with the breaks only?

You can slow w/ out the brakes, by "rev-matching". If you're in 5th, and want to go to 4th --> while shifting down "blip" the throttle so when you engage 4th your revs "match" where they would be if already in 4th. Make sense?

[A4_cabrio]

I think I do a pretty good job downshifting by riding the clutch a little bit to ensure a smooth shift.
I have a Z4 with manual transmission and that's the one I am practicing on.
I tried to blip the throttle but I dont think I have it mastered it.

[B6_Rakete]

when im coming up to a stop i usually downshift through the gears while pressing the brakes and i let the clutch out very slowly to slow the car down so i dont only use my brakes... should i not do that? should i just clutch it and stop with the breaks only?

If you're downshifting because you're slowing for a corner and want to be in the power band when you exit, you should brake, rev match your desired gear (maybe even double clutch to save your syncros if you are dropping a bunch of gears/going into 1st), downshift, and then exit the turn in a hurry.

If you're doing the above just coming to a stoplight, you're turning your clutch into a very expensive second braking system. It's a lot cheaper to swap pads and rotors than it is to replace the clutch and resurface/replace the flywheel.

[Raudi 4.2]

i think i might have an understanding but whats "blipping" the throttle mean?

[Ill 3.0]

a partial throttle depression to increase the RPMs slightly

[boravr6]

I find this topic very interesting.

In a tractor trailer, you always have to double clutch (Which in fact is not a full clutch application but just a 2-3 inch push on it. For those who never drove tractor.. the clutch can go in about 12-16 inches depending on the make and model).

Upshift: First clutch is to exit the current gear your in, second clutch is to sync the gears up to enter the next gear.

Downshift: First clutch again to exit the gear your in. While in neutral with the clutch released you rev up 4000 RPM to match the gear up and be able to get into a lower gear.

I watched some of those "rev-matching" youtube videos... I dont know if on rally cars they use some special transmissions... but as far as i know, all passenger cars have transmissions that are synced up no matter what speed / gear you are in. You can be in first and with a single clutch drop it in 5th .... or be in sixth and with a single clutch drop it in 3rd.

Im not a mechanic or expert in transmissions by any means but seems to me that "rev-matching" on a passenger car is not helpful in any way. Just gives you the chance to hear your engine rev when you slow down.

For now thats just an opinion but i plan on doing some research on this and finding some facts.

[B6_Rakete]

Im not a mechanic or expert in transmissions by any means but seems to me that "rev-matching" on a passenger car is not helpful in any way. Just gives you the chance to hear your engine rev when you slow down.

Rev matching is helpful in that you don't upset the balance of the car if you increase torque to the drive wheels by dragging the clutch in a lower gear to increase the revs of the motor through the vehicle's momentum. If you rev match when you downshift, you can let out the clutch with the engine and transmission RPM's in sync, making for the smoothest possible gear engagement.

Double-clutching with rev matching is useful when you're dropping a bunch of gears at once to be able to significantly speed up the transmission shaft speed so that you don't put too much stress on the syncros (like if you are hauling a$$ into a 1st gear corner and have to drop all the way down from 5th really fast).

[ginkof]

absolutely

[ginkof]

so what is double clutching? i've heard the term several times but have never understood it.

[ABanT]

so what is double clutching? i've heard the term several times but have never understood it.

It's when you step on the clutch twice for the shift.
Depress clutch to take it out of gear, let go of clutch then depress clutch again to put it in gear.

Also, I find it hard to heel toe in these cars. Its because the pedals aren't level with each other. The gas is too low.

[B6_Rakete]

Also, I find it hard to heel toe in these cars. Its because the pedals aren't level with each other. The gas is too low.

I don't find the pedals too hard to work in tandem, except at lower speeds. It gets easier to blip the throttle when you very are hard on the brakes :P

[Beelzeebub]

hell yeah! and also there's nothing like downshifting from 5th to 3rd and getting the tires to scream from the downshift as soon as i let go of the clutch.

[wakzak33]

Yeah. Even if you are double-clutching to go up, when you downshift, the v8 makes rev-matching so reliable in the S4... I love it haha

[Great White]

I don't see the need of rev matching if you're on low speed/ low RPM, but I developed this habit a long time ago and always use when I'm driving fast, makes cornering much smoother. I also recently flashed my ECU and I feel the car much smoother when I downshift (and for that matter when I shift up too, for some reason)

That leads me to a burning question (honestly, I'm not trying to be mean or anything) why do people buy performance cars with tiptronic as opposed to stick shift (and now DSG) ?

[WinterRunner]

Downshifting without the clutch you mean and matching revs? I don't understand.....