driving a manual - what and what not to do

I've only just started to drive manual 5 months ago and rev matching is one of the first things i learnt. Knowing the gear ratios really help. Being in gear during a turn (with enough torque/rev) is MUST, I learnt this the scary way. I once did a 90deg turn from a 70kph street and did not bother to down shift and turned the car in 4th gear. My car understeered and I almost smacked onto the side gutter.

From then on, I forced myself to be in the right gear when taking corners. I usually brake till ~40kph drop it to 2nd, rev match to 3000rpm then enter the corner while feathering the throttle.

Now I need to take some corners more efficiently and learn to rev match into 1st gear. I haven't been brave enough to try that yet.

So is it safe to drop it to 1st gear as long as my car is moving slow enough and enter a corner in 1st gear? I only rev match btw, I don't double clutch. I find it hard to move the car to 1st unless it's travelling really slow.

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Originally Posted by jas_kidd32

Now I need to take some corners more efficiently and learn to rev match into 1st gear. I haven't been brave enough to try that yet.

So is it safe to drop it to 1st gear as long as my car is moving slow enough and enter a corner in 1st gear? I only rev match btw, I don't double clutch. I find it hard to move the car to 1st unless it's travelling really slow.

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If you learn to double clutch, you can put it into 1st while moving (as long as it is below the max speed of 1st gear). Using double clutch, I have put it into 1st without any resistance while moving at 50km/h (max is 60km/h in my car).

From experience I believe that you should get a good understanding of the use of rev matching before you do the whole double clutching and cornering.. Its probably safer if you have mastered heel-toe technique because it is a better/safer method of taking corners fast because your foot is on the brake into the corner and gets u into a safe speed to take the corner.

If you're going to practice heel-toe then i suggest you drive with your right foot bare because it is easier to maneuver.

So basically heel-toe technique involves:
-approaching corner
-toe on the brake and brake accordingly to a safe cornering speed
-depress clutch peddle & shift to neutral
-release clutch peddle & angle your foot thats still on the brake like this \ then blip on the accelerator with your heel to rev match
-depress clutch peddle & shift to 2nd
-release clutch peddle and corner

To know that you've successfully heel-toed it, it should feel like your driving an auto car thats braking and turning into a corner, should not jerk after you've shifted to 2nd, the only difference is that you can slingshot out of the corner cuz there was no engine braking when you rev matched it.

"release clutch peddle & angle your foot thats still on the brake like this \ then blip on the accelerator with your heel to rev match"

i thought u dun need to release clutch for that part? just keep the clutch depress

^^ Yeah, for some reason he's been heel-toe double clutching instead of just doing heel-toe.

Figured that was the correct way of doing it because it puts less wear on the clutch by not burning it? I donno thats how i learned it and it just stuck to me :)

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Originally Posted by clem

Figured that was the correct way of doing it because it puts less wear on the clutch by not burning it? I donno thats how i learned it and it just stuck to me :)

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Rev matching puts less wear on the clutch. But what you are doing will put less wear on the synchros as well. No harm doing it if you have mastered it.

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Originally Posted by aaronng

If you learn to double clutch, you can put it into 1st while moving (as long as it is below the max speed of 1st gear). Using double clutch, I have put it into 1st without any resistance while moving at 50km/h (max is 60km/h in my car).

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1st gear? how high do u rev upto? i never thought of doing that into 1st until i read this thread which i tried and i find it hard to even get into 20km/h. But thats only cuz wen i AM at 20km/h i'm slowing down for a red light and etc and don't want to give off the vibe that I want to race every commodore or riced up gangster in sight.

wats rev match?
lol i been driving manual for about a year now.
i turn on gear 3 sometimes coz im too lazy to shift further down to 2..
coz when u put it to 2.. u can feel the car pull... dont like dat feeling..
hawhaw

^^^if it's pulling then ur revs are too low. thats u rev match. or in other words rev UP ur engine so when the rpm needle falls down, it matches the desired rpm needed for that particular gear for smooth/stronger acceleration (and no engine breaking).

and yea, about the 1st gear i did it today. yea sure it works. can't see any reason i would need to use it though. but coooool.

I never put my car in first unless im stopped, or moving at snail pace, she doesnt like to be put in first.

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Originally Posted by 94dc2tegz

1st gear? how high do u rev upto? i never thought of doing that into 1st until i read this thread which i tried and i find it hard to even get into 20km/h. But thats only cuz wen i AM at 20km/h i'm slowing down for a red light and etc and don't want to give off the vibe that I want to race every commodore or riced up gangster in sight.

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At 50km/h, it's about 5500-6500rpm. Try putting your gear in neutral, releasing the clutch and blipping to about 2500rpm and then putting it into 1st. It should go in without much resistance.