magixpuma

can some 1 give me some tips for it, when i down shift somtimes i buck and it nose dives a bit.
I learned so much from you guys i heal toed and shifting.
thanks guys

Sky88

Make sure you match revs

w0rm

The RX8 does seem to be a bit more .. picky .. about downshifting.
I've been having difficulty getting the downshifting smooth when compared to an 626 or previous cars I've driven.

But then again I've only had the 8 for a couple days.

grapes

Smoothest shifting car i've ever had the joy to drive. Only thing i had to get use to again was a little higher RPM's from 1st gear. Just had to remember how i drove my 1967 911s Targa Porsche, exactly the same.

Ajax

I don't heel and toe.. but i can downshift just fine..
It took me a while but it mostly has to do with getting used to the car. Here's what I would do to practice:
1. Go find a parking lot or empty street.
2. Drive and shift into second
3. Find a good speed (35-40 or so), check your RPM and shift to third.
4. Take your foot off the gas and slow down so you're below that speed
5. Now hit the clutch and just as you pass the freeze point, rev up to just below that RPM and downshift (all at once, as smoothly as you can)
6. Clutch out while giving gas to maintain/gain RPM and accelerate

Repeat until it's smooth and then work other gears. 2nd to 3rd and back is probably the hardest downshift you can make besides 1st to 2nd and back to gain speed (which I would NEVER do).

If you're downshifting to engine brake, it's actually easier than that as you can just clutch in, downshift 1 gear and let the clutch out slowly at the friction point while not giving gas. If you let it out too fast, you'll buck or dive. It's pretty easy to tell though. Do that in the lower gears first and never downshift into first above 20mph. It says that in the manual, it's very hard if not impossible to do.

Grabitquick

It mainly just takes time. This is my 5th manny tranny car (in 27 years of driving them), and each is different when it comes to downshifting. I'm still learning the 8 after a little over a month. Sometimes I use feel, sometimes the speedometer, to see which gear is the best to downshift into. After a while, I should be able to do it by feel alone. Keep driving it, and I'm sure that you'll become more proficient at downshifting.

mysql101

The interesting thing about the RX-8 is that I've found that I respond best to the car by sound. Everything else may add to it, but without sound, I don't have nearly as good an idea of what's happening with the car.

shaolin

This is very bad for your clutch. If you use this technique expect to have a worn clutch prematurely. When you release the clutch using this technique, your engine will want to "catch up to speed" to the rate of the transmission. This is why it revs up when you release, and because it does, you have to manipulate the friction point of the clutch much more, causing harder wear.

The best method for engine braking, is as said before, heel to toe technique. The way I do it, is to use the left side of my right foot to break, clutch in, shift gear down, blip the throttle with the right side of my right foot to revmatch, and release the clutch. I'm basically depressing all 3 pedals at the same time at one point. It sounds long and complicated but it's really quite easy once you get used to it.

Some will argue that rotating their heel to the throttle while braking with the ball of their right foot is a better technique, but I find that technique quite cumbersome and unnecessary in newer model cars, especially those like the RX-8 whose pedals are positioned with heel and toe driving in mind. The brake and throttle are relatively close, so you can use the technique I described before quite effectively. It's really a matter of preference, but rotating your foot was more necessary on the older cars with the pedals more spread apart.

Heel and toe driving is especially important in spirited driving when entering a corner. As you head for the apex of the turn, it is important to heel and toe downshift to keep in the higher powerband, slow for the apex, and power out, with as little drama as possible. In other words, you will upset the balance of the car mid corner if you downshift improperly.

A professional driver, and 20+ year autocrosser once told me, "a good downshift should be heard, NOT felt." Revmatch, and drive responsibly. Your 8 will love you for it.

shelleys_man_06

I always rev match my RX-8 when downshifting as much as possible. If you're interested in wasting poor 350Z drivers, try doing a 6-4 shift, at high speed of course. Thanks Lock & Load.

IZoomZoomI

yea I find using the side of my feet is a lot easier since the accelerator is position significantly lower than the brake. I'm still able to use my heel but I find it more comfortable the other way.

SpinninAgain!

^^^
What shaolin said. Downshifting without rev matching is using your clutch to drag engine RPMs up to match tranny RPMs. That's what the throttle's for.

r0tor

iTrader: (1)

the throttle blip is your downshifting friend

Rotary Titus

I don't heel/toe, but I do what' they call "double clutching" if I have to downshift with big rpm changes (i.e 2 gears or more down).
say you wanna change from 6th to 4th gear:
1. step on the clutch
2. push shifter from 6th to NEUTRAL
3. release clutch
4. blip throttle to about 4-5k rpm (or depending on what your speed is, etc)
5. step on the clutch
6. push shifter from neutral to 4th (you'll notice the difference between this and just clutching and forcing the shifter into 4th is that it's a LOT smoother, the shifter almost gets sucked into the gate if you do it right)
7. release clutch while giving gas
8. Voila, you've downshifted!

It sounds it takes a lot of time, but trust me after you practice for about a week, it almost comes second nature

jgoldstein2000

I double clutch... it's fun

shaolin

Double clutching can be useful when downshifting to accelerate.

hotpot

I've never understood the purpose of double-clutching on modern cars.
To rev match, can't I just blip the throttle when I depress the clutch and shift? i.e. Clutch in>shift down>Give gas>clutch out. That's how I do it all the time on the 8.
Why do I have to release the clutch, blip throttle, and then depress the clutch again, shift, give gas and release clutch?
Maybe it's something to do with the mechanics of clutching. Can someone explain the technical aspect of it more clearly?

shaolin

The reason for double clutching, or double de-clutching as some would call it, is to downshift for better acceleration without wearing the synchros. It is currently widely used on large trucks, and is a technique often used on cars with older transmissions and high amounts of torque--typically older muscle cars. In my opinion, and many others' opinions, this is not really necessary on modern day cars because the synchros do not wear as easily as they have in older cars, due to the fact that modern transmissions are manufactured a much higher standard than they were in the past. It can be useful for acceleration purposes in that for many, it's easier to make that smooth transition because the synchros match up easier. It's all a matter of personal opinion and preference, but in all honesty, modern day cars synchros don't require a double clutch or double de-clutch.

hotpot

Then why do people say that double-clutching is fun or useful? I think it just slows down the shifting process. If I'm in 6th and need a very quick burst of power say to merge into a fast moving lane, I simple clutch in, shift down, apply gas to rev match, clutch out and then go WOT.