Should the heel be lifted off the ground when releasing the clutch?
2 Answers
The heel should be lifted off the ground when releasing the clutch. The functions of the clutch are: 1. Gradually increasing the driving force of the car to ensure a smooth start; 2. Temporarily separating the engine and transmission for gear shifting; 3. Preventing overload of the transmission system; 4. Reducing torsional vibration impacts from the engine and extending the service life of transmission gears. The working principle of the clutch is: 1. When the inner race is fixed, the outer race can rotate freely in the clockwise direction as the wedges do not lock; 2. When the outer race rotates counterclockwise, the wedges lock, preventing the outer race from rotating. Clutches can be categorized into electromagnetic clutches, magnetic particle clutches, friction clutches, and hydraulic clutches.
Having driven a taxi for fifteen years, I'm most qualified to talk about clutch pedal techniques. When starting off, your heel must lightly touch the floor as a pivot point, while the ball of your foot gradually releases the clutch to control the half-engagement. If your entire foot is suspended, your calf will cramp within half an hour, and you're more likely to stall when it rains. I've seen too many novice drivers operating manual transmissions with floating feet, resulting in clutch tremors like a sieve at red lights. Experienced drivers all know: the left heel must find proper floor support - this allows both precise control of the half-engagement position and relaxed calf muscles. Occasionally lifting the heel a few centimeters in traffic jams is fine, but keeping it suspended the whole time is just asking for trouble.
