Heel and Toe - new pedals - review.
05-01-2004, 06:59 AM
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Heel and Toe - new pedals - review.
Problem - Heel and toe in B5/B6 A4/S4
I have been practicing heel-and-toe on the S4 for few years now with limited success. I thought that I was just really bad at it until I tried the technique on a Porsche Boxster S. Wow, what a difference! Within hours I was perfectly matching revs on every down-shift. Part of the problem with the S4 is how the engine responds to throttle input; combined with the lag, it is hard to match revs. But another problem is the factory pedal placement in the S4. The brake pedal is just too high and too far away from the gas pedal. I decided to address that.
Solution - AutoVation Pedals
<img src="http://www.startupracing.com/photogallery/photo00011004/S4Pedals.jpg" border="0">
These pedals offer:
* Gas pedal that is designed specifically for heel/toe shifting.
* "Anti-slip" Raised edges on all pedals designed to provide much greater grip than factory or other aftermarket pedals.
* CNC machined from aircraft quality aluminum.
* Foot rest and gas pedal are directly attached via screws.
* Brake and clutch pedal are attached via beveled bolts.
* Foot rest pedal normally not included in aftermarket pedal kits.
* No cheap "bracket" attachments. These pedals will not scratch up nice shoes if your foot gets behind them.
* Includes all mounting hardware instructions, and loctite.
* A4/S4 Logo is a free option - please add a note to your order if you would like the logo.
So how do they work?
Heel-and-toe is greatly improved over stock. I match my revs now on every down shift, and I am getting close to perfecting it. I am still better at it in the Boxster, but I had over a year of practice. I have been using these pedals in my S4 for over a week now, including one track event. Yes, these are a vast improvement over stock; they look good and fit well. They install in such a way that the gas pedal is higher than normal, and when combined with its extra width - heel-and-toe becomes possible. I recommend this product.<ul><li><a href="http://www.startupracing.com/Docs/Pedals.pdf">PDF File</a></li></ul>
I have been practicing heel-and-toe on the S4 for few years now with limited success. I thought that I was just really bad at it until I tried the technique on a Porsche Boxster S. Wow, what a difference! Within hours I was perfectly matching revs on every down-shift. Part of the problem with the S4 is how the engine responds to throttle input; combined with the lag, it is hard to match revs. But another problem is the factory pedal placement in the S4. The brake pedal is just too high and too far away from the gas pedal. I decided to address that.
Solution - AutoVation Pedals
<img src="http://www.startupracing.com/photogallery/photo00011004/S4Pedals.jpg" border="0">
These pedals offer:
* Gas pedal that is designed specifically for heel/toe shifting.
* "Anti-slip" Raised edges on all pedals designed to provide much greater grip than factory or other aftermarket pedals.
* CNC machined from aircraft quality aluminum.
* Foot rest and gas pedal are directly attached via screws.
* Brake and clutch pedal are attached via beveled bolts.
* Foot rest pedal normally not included in aftermarket pedal kits.
* No cheap "bracket" attachments. These pedals will not scratch up nice shoes if your foot gets behind them.
* Includes all mounting hardware instructions, and loctite.
* A4/S4 Logo is a free option - please add a note to your order if you would like the logo.
So how do they work?
Heel-and-toe is greatly improved over stock. I match my revs now on every down shift, and I am getting close to perfecting it. I am still better at it in the Boxster, but I had over a year of practice. I have been using these pedals in my S4 for over a week now, including one track event. Yes, these are a vast improvement over stock; they look good and fit well. They install in such a way that the gas pedal is higher than normal, and when combined with its extra width - heel-and-toe becomes possible. I recommend this product.<ul><li><a href="http://www.startupracing.com/Docs/Pedals.pdf">PDF File</a></li></ul>
05-03-2004, 07:42 AM
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Problem with that is that you're compromising track heel-toe performance for the street.
The stock pedal placement works quite well for the track, where your foot position while braking is much lower on the street (you are threshold braking with the pedal depressed much farther than normal tame street braking).
05-04-2004, 08:41 AM
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Hmmm, not in my experience.
Mark:
I run StopTechs with Hawke 9012 pads. There is no way that I could depress the brake pedal that much w/o locking my brakes. It is possible that StopTechs cause the brakes to grab earlier (with less travel). I wonder what brakes your run?
Either way the added lip to the gas pedal will help with heel and toe even further.
If you are ever at East Coast track events - please stop by. I will let you check out the pedals, so you can see for yourself.
Tomasz
I run StopTechs with Hawke 9012 pads. There is no way that I could depress the brake pedal that much w/o locking my brakes. It is possible that StopTechs cause the brakes to grab earlier (with less travel). I wonder what brakes your run?
Either way the added lip to the gas pedal will help with heel and toe even further.
If you are ever at East Coast track events - please stop by. I will let you check out the pedals, so you can see for yourself.
Tomasz
05-04-2004, 10:47 AM
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your rear brakes won't lock up -->
if you only have a BBK in the front then your rears will never lock up. since the fronts take less pressure to lock up the tires, the rears will still see their proportional amount of pressure. this is less than stock pressure and will feel better on the street but your panic stop distance will be greater than before because the rears are now just along for the ride. you might also notice that if you brake really hard (like at the track) the front will get squirrely. that's because the system is no longer balanced and is biased too much towards the front.
05-04-2004, 12:14 PM
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I do not follow.
I am sorry but I do not follow. I have StopTechs which are more balanced than not. And, actually with the stock suspension my rear gets loose when braking (the thing nose dives a lot!).
My point was that if I press the brake pedal far enough to reach the gas pedal with the same foot my brakes are locked (ABS on). Therefore I find the aluminum pedals helpfull as they raise the gas pedal by about 3 mm, as well place it closer to the brake pedal for easier reach w/o locking (enabling ABS) my brakes.
My point was that if I press the brake pedal far enough to reach the gas pedal with the same foot my brakes are locked (ABS on). Therefore I find the aluminum pedals helpfull as they raise the gas pedal by about 3 mm, as well place it closer to the brake pedal for easier reach w/o locking (enabling ABS) my brakes.
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05-04-2004, 12:17 PM
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I've got Stoptechs with Hawk HT10s, which are more aggressive than Hawk 9012 Blues.
You just need better tires I guess.
I've had pedals with the lip on the gas pedal on my previous A4, and found them more of a PITA than anything else. If you have very very narrow feet your mileage may vary...
I've had pedals with the lip on the gas pedal on my previous A4, and found them more of a PITA than anything else. If you have very very narrow feet your mileage may vary...
