Clutch Release Methods
 

Hi all,
I recently got a Z and this is my first manual car.(Hope i dont get blazed)
I wanted to learn stick using a different car, but there were no oppurtunities so i ended up practicing with the Z. So far i can drive it around without stalling, and theres only 300 miles on this car. Okay let me tell you what i do.

From N to 1st i always plant my heel to the ground and release it by rolling of my foot. It was working well but i noticed i couldnt shift quickly from Reverse to 1st, because when i roll the clutch off my foot with heel planted, the clutch is starting from the arc of my foot after Reversing, and not the toe/ball area. So i have to go into neutral let go of clutch and depress it again.

I have searched some forums and saw that most manual drivers tend to use their whole leg to release the clutch with the heel completely off.

So i tried this method the other day, and reversing is fine but going from N to 1st is really hard to control.

So here is my question for you veteran drivers:
How do you guys release the clutch? and if there are techniques to be more precise with the clutch. I know practice is important but i dont want to practice wrong and learn a bad habit thanks.

-Thomas

I don't plant my heel for the clutch pedal.

I use the whole leg and just ease it off. Not easy to describe the sweet spot, and every manual vehicle you drive will have a different feel.

But I engage/release the clutch with the whole leg and rest my heel on the carpet in front of the clutch when not in use. If I'm cruising for a long time on the highway, I use the dead pedal to the far left for comfort.

Other folks may vary.

my left heel is partially pivoted off the floor.

Does that mean the heel touches the floor? Whenever i try using my whole leg the clutch seems to push my leg back at the engagement point which gets my leg tired. its like a spring shoots the clutch backwards

It shouldn't really tire your leg out unless your leg is made out of twigs.

I know you're gonna hate to hear this... "You'll get used to it" tm

Again, you have to get used to the operation. As I said, I use the whole leg to engage/release the clutch, but I rest it right there in a prone position between shifts.

i use my whole foot, and its actually more comfortable once u get in the rotation of things..but thats just my opinion.

btw...to the guy with the bc 370z....that color is the **** ;)

Ty ty. What color is your Z?

well, this is my first stick shift as well.. i've had it for about 4 months now and have about 4k miles on it..

i know exactly what you mean.. it does get hard and since every car is different, it's hard to explain to others so they could teach you..

From just my experience and trying to learn little stuff here and there from other peeps, this is what i found out..
this car has a lot of torque... A LOT! this with the combination of the accelerator being very sensitive, it's hard to match and get the "sweet spot" while balancing your clutch and gas..

after trying numerous things, i came to a conclusion where more gas = better shifting.. (not too much, just a tad over needed..)

from N to 1st gear, i give it a little more gas and use my clutch to control the speed.. i keep my foot down on the gas at a constant and slowly let go of the clutch.. as you're letting go of the clutch, the car accelerates.. and then, i hit ~ 3,500rpm and shift to 2nd.. from 3rd on out, it should be easier to shift gears since your car has enough momentum..

my biggest problem is or was, i'm so used to driving automatics, i'm always imagining driving my manual car like one... i just got over the fact that the transition from 1st to 2nd will NEVER be as smooth as an automatic.. lolz..
it took me a while to get over this..

if anyone else reads this and i'm wrong about something, please correct me for i am still learning right now.. as i mentioned above, this is my 1st stick shift as well...

hope this helps..


ride on~

Engaging/disengaging the clutch is a whole leg maneuver. The Z has a pretty light clutch. If your leg is getting tired, you must be riding it out a long time and slipping the clutch. You'll prematurely wear the clutch that way, but you'll figure it out in time.

The best way to learn how to drive a manual appropriately is to have a knowledgable person show you first hand. You can read all you want, but you'll still have a good chance of doing it incorrectly. There are some good YouTube videos which you may find useful.

dont forget that a good, smooth shift has as much to due with the simultaneous use of the throttle as it does the clutch.

yep, my heel is always touching the floor.

I know what you mean lol, i noticed i cant come close to the smoothness of an automatic in upshifts. ill try out your method

I see people do have different methods, ill just practice both and see which one im more comfortable with. btw what is slipping? i here this a lot but i have no idea what that means.

I'll have to try this later to believe it's humanly possible. What size shoe do you wear?

It is possible but it's not a natural feel, IMO.

I think Ken's heels are touching the floor because he's wearing stilettos (wrapped in CF vinyl, of course :P). :roflpuke2:

:rofl2: im wearing piloti's :icon17: but not CF wrapped... :shakes head:

I am not sure I am going to use the CF wrap on my car yet, but I do have a helmet that needs a repaint... instead of painting it I think I'm just going to wrap it in the CF vinyl. :happydance:

I use a combination of flexing my ankle and my whole leg to push the clutch in, but releasing I just flex my ankle until it grabs and I get moving, then I pull my leg off of the clutch, it feels like I have the most control that way.

Honestly, do whatever works for you, everyone has a different method of regulating the clutch, and it'll depend a lot on what type of car/truck you're driving(I can't use just my ankle on my dad's truck for example). Just do what you feel comfortable with and practice and you will get a good feeling for the pedal.

I use the whole leg method, although my heel does occasionally touch the floor (when resting, usually, like at a traffic light with the clutch in).

The important thing, no matter how you position your foot/leg, is that you have total control over the clutch release. You need to be able to release slowly from a stop or on a hill, or release a little quicker for faster shifts. If you get into a routine where your clutch release becomes robotic, you're going to have issues in certain situations.

I know most Z owners with manual's on the forum have the SRM, but does anyone here heel-toe shift?

hahaha, curved surface is harder to do so it would be an exciting experience. :p


yah, there's no right or wrong way to work the clutch. just make sure it's comforting to you and you have consistent control. it's actually the throttle that is more involved.

There was a poll done a while back that asked if people like to old-school heel-toe shift, or let SRM do it. There was a few people that left SRM off occasionally, but most let SRM do its thing.

all the time.

even with the SRM turned on you still want to apply a slight bit of throttle to get a smooth down shift at lower rpm. downshifting aggressively the SRM does very well.

Lets not get off topic here. Matt i have a question when you go from N to 1st your foot is completely off the ground? I found it most difficult going from N to 1st without having the heel planted on the ground

What my foot does and what my hands do are completely separate in my head. It's hard to type out if I'm not in the car, but my foot goes into a "ready position" as soon as I put it in gear, which is my heel comes off the floor so it can freely release from the clutch.

Regardless of what gear I'm in, my heel isn't touching the floor while I'm in "shifting mode", whether I'm accelerating from a stop or driving in traffic. If I'm on the highway, my foot will rest to the left of the clutch, obviously on the floor and if I'm at a traffic light that'll be green soon, I may rest my heel on the floor temporarily. Once I'm ready to shift again, up goes my heel slightly as I get ready to shift.

here's something that'll crack you guys up.

i play piano in my spare time and it has 3 pedals. so i was showing my wife how i can heel/toe the sostenuto (center) pedal with the sustain (right) pedal. :p i dont think there's anyone that heel/toe's piano's.

:roflpuke2::roflpuke2::roflpuke2::roflpuke2::tup:

I see that clarifies it. My heel is completely plant when i release the clutch so the clutch slides down my foot. i will need to practice using the whole leg because using the heel planted seems to have its disadvantages.

Waga Waga,
I have driven MT's for many years. The 370Z is not the easiest car to shift SMOOTHLY, especially with shifts between 1st and 2nd. The short throw shifter and synchro-rev match help some.
If you are just learning, part of the problem with a tired leg/foot or jumpiness is due to being tense. Shifting a car is muscle memory...after awhile it just happens without really thinking. In fact, you reach a point where you shift by feel, without even looking at the tach. Where you rest your foot or heel, ankle manipulation versus entire leg, etc. is going to result in paralysis by analysis. The key is really how smoothly you can release the clutch while simultaneously engaging the throttle. Starting from a stop and shifting between 1 and 2 is what you need to master. The best suggestion I can offer is to go to a wide open parking lot after hours and practice starting from a stop, and 1st to 2nd over and over. You can feather the clutch pedal as long as you do not ride the clutch pedal, until you start feeling more comfortable. Get used to shifting and then dropping your left foot on the floor or on the dead pedal, clear of the clutch. Even the best operators shift poorly (not as smoothly) at times. We all work on perfecting our shifts to get as smooth as possible. With the 370Z, especially 1 to 2...it is always practice to perfect. That is per-FECT. :driving:

Pactice Practice Practice and more Practice.

ahha thx a lot rmorrow, that is what im doing, but i definitely need more practice

In the OP's defense...I see that he lives in Riverside. I don't doubt that his leg gets tired!!! I do everything I can to stay away from the freeways in Riverside because it doesn't matter what time of the day it is or what direction you're traveling, the freeways are just stop and go the whole way!

To the OP- Everyone's driving style is different and there is no right or wrong way. If you have found a method that works for you then stick with it!

:iagree: Exactly right. Everyone has their own method/style, and stop and go traffic will wear your leg out, regardless of how relaxed you are. I can still remember my tension and anxiety when I was the first car at the stoplight. I hated being honked at, so I was really nervous about getting started in a timely and smooth manner. It is really embarrassing to stall with folks waiting behind you. Just keep practicing and you will get comfortable and proficient.

Hey, I sit in traffic for up to two hours one way!

Plus, I though the was referring to only a few clutch operations. :bowrofl:

http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/t...tuff/faint.gif

:roflpuke2:

:bowrofl::roflpuke2::rofl2:

I HATED that feeling when I first started out! I hated sitting at the stop light just waiting and by the time the light turned green I would psych myself out and probably stall because of my own nerves!

And keep in mind, every one stalls every now and then! I learned how to drive manual when I was 13 in one of our supercharged Maxima's and I've driven everything from 150 horsepower cars to 600+ wheel horsepower Ford GT's and I still accidentally stall something as low power as a Kia Soul every now and then...It happens...Don't get frustrated with yourself or hard on yourself...I've even been in the car with Steve when he stalls...No one is perfect!

Whenever I teach any of my friends to drive manual I always take them to an empty parking lot and tell them to simply focus on starting from a dead stop to a full release of the clutch and cruise through first...do that a couple dozen times. Then go from 1st to second a couple dozen times until you get rid of the kangaroo juice, then go from second to third a dozen times...after that you should be fine! I've taught a lot of my friends to drive manual cars this way. Give yourself a couple hours in an empty parking lot.

very good advice on this =]. if i might add its a matter of preference. I used to do what you did (keep my heel on the floor) with the BRAKE pedal. u know pivot between gas and brake, but recently i switched to moving my whole leg on the brake, instead of just pivoting. felt weird at first but got used to it. anyways point of the story, u'll get used to it. nothing feels natural at first. like riding a bike ^^