Hello there!

[bde]

Hey there,

Been browsing the site for a while before deciding to join in on the discussion. Lots of quality advice here, much appreciated.

I've recently got an 08 wrx and was learning the stick for almost 2 months on it. Progressing fairly ok I would say and mostly doing practice driving in the evening). I'm decent with launches- generally launching around 2k rpm and pretty smooth with upshifts and downshifts.

My main trouble points is 1-2 shift and single clutch heel-toe shifts. 1-2 shifts i get 50% of the time as butter smooth and other half with slight jerking. The difficulty lies in slightly loosing balance - when you do a moderate launch,i get slightly pulled into the seat adn lose balance for a sec and tend to concetrate on letting out the clutch without giving enough gas.

I don't know if it's me or not but the spacing between the gas pedal and the side wall is just horrible on a new wrx. If i use the ball on the brake and heel for gas - i hit the side wall before i can reach the gas pedal! I'm forced to lift the heel off the floor and press the brake with an area slightly above the midsole. I can then reach the gas pedal without even triggering rear brake lights. I have just size 8 shoes. The midsole on the break is a bit scarier than the ball though because it's hard to get a feel for light braking efforts.

Now here is where the main problem comes in. As soon as i lift my heel of the floor to brake, I lose balance. I have to balance out by shifting weight on the clutch pedal, even though my back is touching the seat. Has to do with deep wrx seats I guess? Or maybe adjust the back of the seat that I keep my weight mostly on it.

Any ideas for improvement)?

Thanks!

[Nychold]

Welcome aboard, bde! It's always great to see another person willing to take a ego body slam to drive a car properly. You know, with a clutch and a stick.

Anyway, from the sound of it, you might actually be too far back...away from the pedals and steering wheel. Remember, you want enough space to comfortably push the clutch down with your knee just a bit bent. Too far back, and you're straining to push the clutch all the way in. Too close, and you get tripped up by your pedals and all the plastic interior parts.

But one thing caught me as odd:

I'm forced to lift the heel off the floor and press the brake with an area slightly above the midsole.

This is actually good, not bad. You never want to keep your heel on the floor for braking or clutching. (I keep my heel on the floor for gassing, though.) You have much greater control if you use your whole leg, even when heel-toeing. At least, that's what I've discovered.

[watkins]

Move your seat and try big toe-little toe instead of heel-toe. I dont have room for a proper heel-toe either, and it seems to work to just rool my ankle from one side of my foot to the other.

Do you have the sedan or hatch?

And last but not least, welcome.

[AHTOXA]

Try heel-toeing in my size 15 shoe! Talk about hitting the sideall.

[Johnf514]

Welcome to the site, bde. You'll find lots of Subie owners here, so you're among friends.

Not sure about WRX specifics, but it sounds like you're heel-toeing on an upshift? Definitely don't need to do that. If it's for the downshifts, you'll need to talk to Jomotopia, or one of the other members with an Impreza.

The 1st-2nd gear shift is always the hardest - just takes time and practice to nail it. Usually folks try to shift too quickly - let the RPMs drop to just above where they would be if you were cruising at that speed in 2nd gear.

Good luck, and again, welcome!

[Leedeth]

Welcome to the forums.

[Warner]

Welcome.

I read in Car and Driver that the new STI's pedals are difficult to heel-toe in; I wonder if the WRX pedals have the same placement.

With practice, you'll get the hang of things. The 1-2 shift is definitely the most difficult to execute smoothly, as it has the biggest gap in gear ratios. You'll eventually learn the timing and smooth out most of your shifts, though.

Have any pics of your car you want to post?

[bde]

Thanks for thef eedback guys, much appreciated!

Move your seat and try big toe-little toe instead of heel-toe. I dont have room for a proper heel-toe either, and it seems to work to just rool my ankle from one side of my foot to the other.

Do you have the sedan or hatch?

I've tried big-little toe slip, but I feel that my feet are quite narrow to effectively control both pedals at the same time and that the break pedal might slip doing so. For people with big feet it's properly a good compromise, but I'm caught in the middle. I can do a proper heel-toe with mid-sole of my foot on brake, but it feels that i'm loosing blanace - especially at thje instant when you go to depress the clutch while having one foot on brake. Balance shifts and I tend to brake harder than necessary))

I have a sedan btw. The only thing I've changed so far is a short shifter and sti pedals.

Anyway, from the sound of it, you might actually be too far back...away from the pedals and steering wheel. Remember, you want enough space to comfortably push the clutch down with your knee just a bit bent. Too far back, and you're straining to push the clutch all the way in. Too close, and you get tripped up by your pedals and all the plastic interior parts.

I probably need to adjust my seating position better for proper weight balance. I'm definitely close to the pedals and I do have a slight bend in my knee with clutch fully depressed, so I think I'm ok on that part. Maybe it's the seat height. The seat slopes downward a lot. If it would've been flat, I'm sure I would've gotten used to heel-toe much faster. I'm always cursing at the sidewall thing though, especially since I can do heel an toe on an automatic with no problems)) Give me space!!:P That sidewall on new wrx makes me almost claustrophobic looking at it) Not sure about prior models.

Not sure about WRX specifics, but it sounds like you're heel-toeing on an upshift? Definitely don't need to do that. If it's for the downshifts, you'll need to talk to Jomotopia, or one of the other members with an Impreza.

Nah only downshifts) I don't double clutch on downshifts, but I do rev match still, with ocassional double clutch here and there, especially 2-1.

ANTOXA I feel your pain

Btw for 1-2 I never check the rpm but the rpm does drop fast! I tend to do shifts by feeling out the car itself rather than looking rpms, and I do try to make the shift as fast as possible without waiting. Soemtimes I get it right, soemtimes I don't. What about letting out the clutch? People recommend easing it out, but ,for example, on the videos here with that bmw guy, he almost drops it right out to avoid burning it. Does that work on awd? (I'm not going to try it for another few months at least:))

[jomotopia]

welcome to the site. nice car!

don't drop the clutch with AWD. tranny and diffs and axles and stuff won't like it b/c you can't spin your tires to take up the difference like the 2WD guys.

for the 1-2 shift, you need to analyze which way the car is jerking. if the car surges forward a bit, sending you back in your seat, the revs were too high when you let the clutch out. if the car tugs back, sending you forward in the seat, then the revs were too low.

if it's the former, you need to wait longer to let the clutch out. if it's the latter (which i bet it is b/c it seems the revs like to fall really fast on these cars, but i haven't driven a regular WRX or an 08 model), then you need to either let the clutch out sooner, or add a little throttle so that the revs don't fall as fast (this is what i do on most shifts).

it's about when you release the clutch more than how fast. the closer you are to the right rpm, the faster you can let it out and remain smooth. the further off you are, the slower you need to release the clutch to absorb the difference and remain smooth.

it's a timing thing that you'll eventually get the feel for. just keep practicing.

[watkins]

I have a sedan btw. The only thing I've changed so far is a short shifter and sti pedals.

I hope you add the red tail light mod unless Subaru has decided to fix that silly clear housing/red LEDs thing by now. Or is that only on the hatch? Whatever...

Now get yourself off the forums and get some seat time! And go vote later. Subie must win over Mazda.

[comingbackdown]

Welcome to the forum!

[bde]

I have a sedan btw. The only thing I've changed so far is a short shifter and sti pedals.

I hope you add the red tail light mod unless Subaru has decided to fix that silly clear housing/red LEDs thing by now. Or is that only on the hatch? Whatever...

Now get yourself off the forums and get some seat time! And go vote later. Subie must win over Mazda.

The reds seem fine on the sedan model - it's a totally new kia-like "behind", but on sti and hatch i think they have some leds not 100% though.

Btw, I was considering the speed3 before, but it was quite a bit more expensive in payments vs the deal i got on subie + it came with summer tires??? Talk about proper marketing @ winter time)

[NonChalant]

Welcome and +1 to everything everyone has said

[bde]

I'll make some pics when it gets warmer here in Toronto)

I have another question ( didn't feel like making a new thread of an already popular subject). Double clutch vs single clutch. I know the difference and the benefits of double over single but I always see videos with japanese drivers doing single clutch heel-toe, but everyone usually recommends doing a dbl-clutch one. Any particular reason Japanese like single clutch:)?

Thanks)

[jomotopia]

i think it's really just a personal preference with modern synchromesh gearboxes. i prefer double clutch b/c it feels like a more natural motion, one foot going up and the other coming down and then vice-versa. and i like that i can get in gear faster on my high rev downshifts b/c i don't have to wait for the synchros.