Have you heard other drivers talking about the idea of “no lift shift” before, or they may have called it “flat foot shifting.” If you have, you might have wondered at first what they were talking about. It’s often people who are interested in car tuning who are the most interested in this idea, which explains why it’s not the most widely understood phrase or idea.
In today’s blog, we’re looking at what the no lift shift (flat foot shifting) idea is all about, what it means, how it works, what kind of people and cars do it and why, and whether or not it’s really a good idea for one’s vehicle.
What is No Lift Shifting?
In short, no lift shifting is an advanced driving technique that allows you to upshift the gears on a manual car without lifting your foot off the gas pedal. It’s also known as flat foot shifting and power shifting. The name “flat foot” will become clear as we get into how it works. Instead of the usual method of releasing the gas pedal before using the clutch, this method relies on a wide-open throttle and enough engine power remaining when shifting to allow the process to happen. Companies like GM have created no lift shift (NLS) technology that’s built into their cars to actually help drivers do this.
It’s not a new technique, and in fact goes all the way back to the beginning of the muscle car era where drag racers would employ this kind of technique to give them an edge over their rivals. People have demonstrated how using this technique can shave whole seconds off the 0-60 times of some cars, even regular street cars.
We mentioned GM above, and that’s because they included a much-celebrated NLS technology on a number of their production vehicles from the 2014 to the 2019 model years. It was almost entirely used as standard on high-spec Corvettes and Camaros, but other models also had versions with it pre-installed, such as the Cadillac CT4 Blackwing.
Of course, you don’t have to get your NLS tech from GM, you can also shop in the aftermarket for options. Among the most popular brands is N2MB and their “WOT Box.” These are relatively easy to install, wiring directly into the vehicle’s ignition system so it can cut-out the engine as required. There’s also no need to change or modify the ECU since this device works with just about all existing versions.
How Does It Work?
No lift shifting is meant to give drivers the quickest and smoothest upshifts by helping manage the engine’s speed without taking your foot off the gas pedal. NLS manages torque while the vehicle is doing wide-open-throttle acceleration, which is where we get the “flat foot” name from. In order for the maneuver to work, the driver’s foot has to be flat on the floor pressing the gas pedal. They then have to simply reach the needed RPM and then perform the shift with the clutch as usual.
It sounds simple and the action when done by experienced drivers looks incredibly easy, but the technology and mechanics behind it are actually very complex. It also only works on manual cars since it’s an exclusive up-shifting technique and can’t be used for downshifting. The driver has to be in complete control of the gear ratios for this to work.
Is Flat Foot Shifting Good for Your Car?
When done using the proper technology, even GM tells us that there are some benefits to doing a no lift shift. First of all, the NLS approach allows drivers to deliver the smoothest- and quickest-possible upshifting as is humanly possible. In a racing situation that could be critical to gaining and maintaining an early lead, or being able to pass other competitors.
The NLS tech from GM can help to make flat foot shifting a little safer and easier on the hardware. Traditionally, there were always concerns about what these moves would do to transmission hardware (see below for more). Finally, when using NLS, boost is maintained into the next gear ratio, which helps the car keep moving forward with maximum momentum.
The Downside
Using GM’s special built-in technology might help to remove some of the downside, but these moves are being done by all kinds of drivers all around the world, some of whom may not be using the right kind of gear. What will such moves do to a car that is not built for this function?
When driving at full acceleration, everything in the engine should be in concert: wheel speed, engine speed, transmission gears all working and rotating at the same speed. However, when shifting with the accelerator still pressed down, what the driver is essentially doing is expecting the clutch synchronizer to match the wheel and transmission speeds. That’s where it gets difficult for the hardware to cope.
It’s no wonder then that when you look at videos on YouTube about this topic, many of the video thumbnails include a little byline “Goodbye Transmission!” And why wouldn’t they? Flat foot shifting goes absolutely contrary to everything drivers ever learned about how to drive a stick. While we were taught to work towards smooth, easy shifting that doesn’t put any undue strain on the clutch, gears and other transmission hardware, no lift shifting goes diametrically opposite to that way of thinking.
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