My foot slips off the clutch

[Hotrodheart]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I don't think I have ever had my foot slip off any clutch in any car. How does that even happen?

What's a clutch?

[TimmyC]

Originally Posted by corry29

Bring it to the Toyota/Scion dealership and tell them your issue with the pedal.

They will start searching their inventory and will switch you an automatic FR-S to ensure this issue will NEVER happen again.

It will cost you though.



but seriously all jokes aside, like what someone said earlier, this never happens to me in any of my cars. How does it even happen?

When it rains (rains like everyday here in Seattle) my shoes get wet, sometimes when I depress the clutch while the pedal is wet and my foot just slides off. I don't know the correct terms but I depress and onces its depressed my foot slides off thus making the pedal retract back to the original position in a quick motion and making my car jerk.

[jamomatt]

Normal with wet soles since the pedal is metal and not rubber. Depends on the shoe as well.

I live in a country where we can have rain at any time of the year. I have no issues with most of my shoes but when I put on my puma driving shoes, it slips off quite easily. My stand21 driving shoes don't have this problem.

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

*sigh*

Alright then. I get where you're coming from OP, I've had my feet slip off the pedals too, however I quickly realized it was my own sloppiness, never thought to post on a forum.

Your foot should follow the pedal line of action, it is a straight line forward and back, the ball of your foot should be centered on the pedal, there is no reason your foot should move left to right on the pedal or your foot should be tilted at an angle so only one edge of your foot is on it.

I've heard some people keep their heel on the floor of the car and pivot their foot, that may work in some cars but if you're rotating your foot around at weird angles to keep your heel planted I can see slippage occurring constantly in this car. Lift the heel off the floor, hang your foot in the air, your foot should push the pedal straight in and let the pedal straight out. As has been said you should be able to comfortably push the pedal too the floor and still have a bend in your leg, you should be able to push the pedal even further than that (although you'd just be bending things). This applies too all pedals in all vehicles until further notice.

Here is a potentially educational video:

Damn, every time I see an Ayrton Senna video I feel like crying

[MuseChaser]

I've never had an issue with my foot slipping off the clutch pedal, either. With the clutch AND the brake pedal, it's pretty important to apply the pressure absolutely in line with the travel of the pedal. If you do so, there's no way for your foot to slip off. For it to slip off, you'd have to be applying SOME force in the direction of the slip, sideways (assuming you slip off one side or the other of the pedal). If you're slipping off the bottom of the pedal, that sounds like you're trying to shift with your heel planted and just using your toes.. and you need longer toes. As others have suggested, use your whole leg... like doing a front kick in Tae Kwon Do or karate w/ good form, only way gentler.

If you ARE slipping off to one side, knock it off.. you'll eventually wear out your clutch pedal and/or brake pedal pivot points and that is a GIGANTIC PITA. The previous owner of my '82 VW Rabbit had no idea how to drive, and wore huge oval holes at what used to be perfectly round pivot holes in the clutch/brake pedal bracket. Stepping on the brake or clutch was like stepping on a pile of snakes. Taking that bracket out, fabricating and welding new bushings to it, then getting it back on the car and the pedals reinstalled was one of the least fun, most uncomfortable jobs I've ever done.

So.. push the pedal in the direction you want it to go... ONLY.

No slippy, everybody happy.

Barry

[MuseChaser]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Here is a potentially educational video:

Wow.. Just wow.

There was one technique he was using that I've never used and I'm not familiar with. What was with the extreme throttle pumping he was doing, repeatedly, in some of the turns? Admittedly, I've never tracked nor driven as hard has he was, but in my 325i I could get the back end to break in a turn and control the amount of slide beautiful by subtle changes in throttle and countersteering. I haven't thrown around my Fr-S much yet; still getting used to fast it breaks (fast.. predictably, I'm finding, but very quickly) and when (earlier than expected in 1st and 2nd gear at relatively slow speeds, but almost never once up to speed.. at least the modest speeds that I drive at).

School me... who knows.. this track driving is really starting to interest me... a lot.

Barry

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by MuseChaser

Wow.. Just wow.

There was one technique he was using that I've never used and I'm not familiar with. What was with the extreme throttle pumping he was doing, repeatedly, in some of the turns? Admittedly, I've never tracked nor driven as hard has he was, but in my 325i I could get the back end to break in a turn and control the amount of slide beautiful by subtle changes in throttle and countersteering. I haven't thrown around my Fr-S much yet; still getting used to fast it breaks (fast.. predictably, I'm finding, but very quickly) and when (earlier than expected in 1st and 2nd gear at relatively slow speeds, but almost never once up to speed.. at least the modest speeds that I drive at).

School me... who knows.. this track driving is really starting to interest me... a lot.

Barry

Like you said, you modulate the throttle to get the attitude of the car how you want it, I try to as well. What follows is my estimation of what Senna was trying to accomplish.

The guys who do this for a living need to feel a car out fast, they can't afford to spend a whole twenty minute session easing into the dynamics of a new car or even a simple setup change on a car they are familiar with, in order to find the limits they toss the car around, unsettle it intentionally to see how it reacts before going for a balls out lap. I've sat shotgun while someone did this in my car and I believe this is what senna was doing with his throttle inputs, the stabbing was to unsettle the car, see how it pitched and broke traction and how the engine delivered power andwhat he needed to do to keep it in line.

At least that's my interpretation, that lap is certainly not what a fastest lap would look like, it was a shakedown and press event.

[Muaddib]

It does happen from time to time since the rubble pads on my clutch pedal is completely worn out.

[chaoskaze]

Originally Posted by MuseChaser

Wow.. Just wow.

There was one technique he was using that I've never used and I'm not familiar with. What was with the extreme throttle pumping he was doing, repeatedly, in some of the turns? Admittedly, I've never tracked nor driven as hard has he was, but in my 325i I could get the back end to break in a turn and control the amount of slide beautiful by subtle changes in throttle and countersteering. I haven't thrown around my Fr-S much yet; still getting used to fast it breaks (fast.. predictably, I'm finding, but very quickly) and when (earlier than expected in 1st and 2nd gear at relatively slow speeds, but almost never once up to speed.. at least the modest speeds that I drive at).

School me... who knows.. this track driving is really starting to interest me... a lot.

Barry

He is using throttle to turn the car & finding maximum attack angle, NSX is mid engine car. You are suppose to be on throttle @ all times as u turn.Fastest turn speed is always the moment you have grip but it's starting to slip. Which senna just happen to be very good at.........cuz he is a god in the rain.

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by chaoskaze

He is using throttle to turn the car & finding maximum attack angle, NSX is mid engine car. You are suppose to be on throttle @ all times as u turn.Fastest turn speed is always the moment you have grip but it's starting to slip. Which senna just happen to be very good at.........cuz he is a god in the rain.

Obligatory for people who don't know how amazing that era was for F1 this was well before the dual clutch paddle era:

Ayrton Senna onboard lap around Monaco 1990 - YouTube