Do you guys blip the throttle on downshift at HIGH RPMs?? for instance i'm in 4th at 4000 RPMs and want to do down into 3rd. I push down the clutch and blip the gas quickly then let the clutch out in order to rev match and not load up the engine at high RPMs. plus at that high a speed the car will slow down dramaticly if you downshift without bliping.

 

I do, but the MINI is the first car where I took the time to learn to do it well.

PS: Use the brakes for braking unless you are somewhere where you need to engine brake for safety (driving down a mountain). It's cheaper to replace brake pads than the clutch/transmission. Why do you heel-toe on the track then? Because you are shifting down to the gear you need to exit the turn quickly... not to slow the car to enter the turn.

 

Yes I do. This is called rev matching and it takes a lot of stress away from your drive line. If you do not do this you put extra wear on your clutch, more stress on your motor/transmission mounts and more stress on your half shafts. Its always a good idea to rev match when downshifting.

 

I give it the old school double clutch. Force of habit from my Subaru, which required it to get back into 1st gear at anything more than 10mph.

 

You gotta' blip throttle and heal toe if you wanna' be cool .

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

 

Not me. I don't downshift, I just brake. Brakes are free for a few years, so use em up.

CC

 

I always rev match. You can't even tell I'm downshifting. I don't care if the brakes are free. I can't stand all the brake dust on the wheels. It's a force of habit now anyway.

 

No. I would not down shift at 4000 rpm. That's where the power is.

 

Double-clutching works for me - depress clutch, shift to neutral, release clutch, blip throttle, depress clutch, shift to lower gear, release clutch, and get back on the throttle... but do it faster than that .

 

BLT-
Brake, Look, Turn-
This is fundamental to high-performance driving and turning. If you d/s before braking, you're at best out of your torque curve, even on the Mini. At worst, you put horrendous loads on the tranny and running gear.

BLT, and rpm-match/heel-and-toe after the braking.

VOILA!

 

The whole point of down shifting is to get you in the power for the next gear. If you are braking for the curve your revs are no longer 4000 since the brakes are slowing the engine speed and the car, so if you blip you should do so that your in the power in 3rd which would be like 4000 in 3rd.

I need no reason to blip and put the car in 3rd at 5000.

 

heel toeing is not all about getting ready for the next gear, although its obviously part of it... it is also to keep the car settled. If you dont heel toe, you can cause the car to lurch forward quite hard causing the car to unsettle.

 

So is the clutch if you ware down your clutch before the maintenance is up they will replace it for you.

 

Clutch is under warranty if your not a maniac and they know that by downloading your stats from you key .Mini brother is watching !

 

I always blip. Actually, it was the first thing my dad made me learn, while learning to drive a stick, right behind getting out of neutral and rolling. Saves brakes, clutch and tranny, not to mention makes the ride that much more comfortable.

 

I always rev match when I down shift. Doing otherwise just destroys your clutch. I'll down shift at 4k if I need a quick exit out of a corner after braking. I also down shift at lights when I'm slowing down so that I'm in the correct gear for a quick getaway.

 

+1 Been a habit for 30 yrs. (Damn, I feel old)

 

Do it at every downshift....that's how you properly drive a manual.

 

can someone explain this throttle blipping method?

 

This is a double clutch:
clutch in, into neutral, clutch out, blip throttle, clutch in, into lower gear, clutch out.

Just rev matching ignores the middle clutch out/clutch in.

 

No reason to blip! Just freeze or hold throttle position and depressing the clutch will increase rpm just right for the next lower gear.

 

Of course, always. It is how you are supposed to downshift. It is an important skill to master.

A note to those who parrot the misguided advice not to downshift, saying that the brakes are to slow the car, and that brakes are less expensive to replace than clutches.

If done properly down shifting does not materially add to the wear or stress placed on the clutch. So long as the engine speed and transmission speed are accurately matched there is virtually no clutch wear. In normal driving it is easy and practical to downshift. Doing so means that you will always have engine power on tap if it is suddenly needed to increase speed. If you downshift as you enter a turn, you won't have to do it while turning, thus avoiding upsetting the car in the turn. It is fun to downshift and practice keeps the skill well developed for those times when it is needed. Good downshifts are important for autocrossing.

I could give other reasons for downshifting, but the above are sufficient to give an idea of it is a good thing to do.

cheers,

Joe

 

No need to do this as the cars have synchros for all of the gears......this just adds wear and tear on the clutch and throw-out bearing.

 

How do you do all of your braking before the turn and then heel-and-toe. By definition heel-and-toe is using the brake also. You want to be in the proper gear for the corner as you approach it.....not when you are already in the corner. That is what the technique is for....to allow you to get into the proper gear for the corner w/o upsetting the balance of the car.

 

The concern is downshifting to slow the car--i.e. not rev matching. If you're doing that to slow the car, it is more appropriate to use the brakes to accomplish that. I don't think anyone is suggesting that proper downshifting is incorrect.