58 replies to this topic

[mk3 Cooper S]

^{I try it every now and again with varied results, having size 13 feet can be awkward in the confined space of the mini footwell}

^{having size 13 feet can be awkward}

^{size 13 feet}

Size 16... you dont so much press the pedal as you hit it angled/ side on.

No such problem with my size 3s

[iDemonix]

I clutchless upshift my motorbike quite often at high revs, it's something that's different for each engine to get right.

[86mayfair]

As said, the reason rally drivers didn't use the clutch was to let them left foot brake but you ideally want a dog box. If you search Flying Finns 68 on youtube you will see an onboard example with Timo Makinen.

However they were very skilled drivers who didn't have to pay for regular gearbox rebuilds every time they mashed the syncros and took chunks out of the teeth!

Edited by 86mayfair, 10 December 2015 - 01:14 AM.

[George929]

As said, the reason rally drivers didn't use the clutch was to let them left foot brake but you ideally want straight cut gears or a dog box. If you search Flying Finns 68 on youtube you will see an onboard example with Timo Makinen.

However they were very skilled drivers who didn't have to pay for regular gearbox rebuilds every time they mashed the syncros and took chunks out of the teeth!

thats the exact video i meant. some beautiful driving there.

[mk3 Cooper S]

I clutchless upshift my motorbike quite often at high revs, it's something that's different for each engine to get right.

Dog box on a motorcycle and easy to up and downshift without a clutch

[George929]

I clutchless upshift my motorbike quite often at high revs, it's something that's different for each engine to get right.

Dog box on a motorcycle and easy to up and downshift without a clutch

you dont need a dog box to clutch less shift up or down. when mu clutch slave cylinder seals failed i drove my car 50 miles home with out a clutch it was only the setting of that was the problem. and think i only crunched it once, as long as your carefull and do it right you dont need a clutch haah

[86mayfair]

I decided to drive home using the clutch as little as possible before, it was quite tricky at first but i just about got the hang of it, but you can't really do it that quickly

[George929]

I decided to drive home using the clutch as little as possible before, it was quite tricky at first but i just about got the hang of it, but you can't really do it that quickly

exactly. try it in a modern car it is so so much easier. my dads car is amazing for it.

[mk3 Cooper S]

I clutchless upshift my motorbike quite often at high revs, it's something that's different for each engine to get right.

Dog box on a motorcycle and easy to up and downshift without a clutch

you dont need a dog box to clutch less shift up or down. when mu clutch slave cylinder seals failed i drove my car 50 miles home with out a clutch it was only the setting of that was the problem. and think i only crunched it once, as long as your carefull and do it right you dont need a clutch haah

You dont need a clutch at all other than to pull away, manage your torque and it is easy. A motorcycle will do full power up/down shifts continuously. You will not do that on a mini box forever without damaging th esyncros or baulk rings.

[86mayfair]

Yeah I tried it when I was borrowing dad's car when mine was fixed. It's a little Seat Arosa, it was a lot smoother. It's a very quiet comfortable car, way better than my friends' 106s etc but it all feels completely numb compared to the mini. It wallows around, the steering is dead, all of the pedals have absolutely no feeling and the throttle isn't linear... but apart from that it's really nice haha easy to drive round town and on the motorway.

I don't see too much point in double clutching if you have a half decent gearbox though, it just gets annoying. I am quite fond of heel and toe though

[Joseph-C]

I try to rev match on down shifts but don't double clutch seems unnecessary, when going up the gears I do lift of before I change though so the revs drop a bit.

I've tried heel toeing but I end up just not being able to do it and going into the corner too fast and understeering.

[minipiglet1]

So the point of double clutching is to save the gear box not to go faster? And not using the clutch is so you have a spare foot for breaking when rallying?

[Joseph-C]

So the point of double clutching is to save the gear box not to go faster? And not using the clutch is so you have a spare foot for breaking when rallying?

yes double clutching saves the gearbox, but really you need a straight cut dog box to change without the clutch which are fitted in rally cars, if you change without the clutch without rev matching with a normal gearbox you will damage it but with a straight cut dog box there's no need to rev match just change, I don't think anyone rallying a mini with a standard box will change without clutching, there's a video of Paddy Hopkirk in the mini he used in the 90's saying he had to get used to changing without the clutch

[86mayfair]

Well even with a dog box you still need to rev match but you don't need to be quite so careful, you will still get the odd crunch here and there though.

And the reason for left foot braking is to shift the weight balance around in the car, for example at at speed at the entry to a corner on gravel a little dab of the brakes will shift the weight to the front wheels to counter understeer on turn in while keeping on the power. You can also use it to try and rescue yourself if you go into a corner too quickly on gravel. If you brake fairly hard while keeping your foot on the throttle it will lock the rear wheels, bring the tail out and act a bit like traction control for the front wheels so you can hopefully drive out of the corner



Timo comes on at about 1:45. As you can see he uses the clutch most of the time to save the gearbox unnecessary stress but when he needs to left foot brake he doesn't use it

Edited by 86mayfair, 10 May 2012 - 04:44 PM.

[Joseph-C]

Well even with a dog box you still need to rev match but you don't need to be quite so careful, you will still get the odd crunch here and there though...

didn't know that
this is a good video; Colin McRae on left foot braking: