For anyone whos really wanted to see a Z drift

[ComicArtist]

That's a lot better than any of the S30 drift videos I've ever seen. And that's definitely stock angle, he's just at full lock most of the time.

 

Needless to say, the rain/v8 is helping him a lot, but it does take a considerable amount of skill to slide an otherwise stock S30 that well.

 

I've slid my '78 quite a bit, on stock suspension and coils, at events and on off season practice sessions, and honestly it's NOT the best chassis for competitive drifting. The lack of angle, power steering, wheelbase, lack of suspension arms, and the MacPherson strut design throw it completely off the playing field.

 

However, with enough driver skill and some mods, it can be made to slide decently.

 

Props to the guys who made the video. Makes me want to weld up my diff.

[iBang]

They aren't horrible but I'm not tremendously impressed. The mustang wasn't holding all that much angle and the Z kept over-rotating and running out of steering angle. Editing probably left out an awful lot of spins and skids to a stop for the Z. I did look like the Z had something going for a bit of additional angle but not enough for serious competition.

[Sideways]

That's a lot better than any of the S30 drift videos I've ever seen. And that's definitely stock angle, he's just at full lock most of the time.

 

Needless to say, the rain/v8 is helping him a lot, but it does take a considerable amount of skill to slide an otherwise stock S30 that well.

 

I've slid my '78 quite a bit, on stock suspension and coils, at events and on off season practice sessions, and honestly it's NOT the best chassis for competitive drifting. The lack of angle, power steering, wheelbase, lack of suspension arms, and the MacPherson strut design throw it completely off the playing field.

 

However, with enough driver skill and some mods, it can be made to slide decently.

 

Props to the guys who made the video. Makes me want to weld up my diff.

 

Agree with most of this, but you lost me on the lack of power-steering bit and the mcpherson strut bit. I cant see how/why those are a "flaw" for drifting in any way?

 

Editing probably left out an awful lot of spins and skids to a stop for the Z. I did look like the Z had something going for a bit of additional angle but not enough for serious competition.

 

The skill that driver demonstrated leads me to believe he probably skidded/spun out far less than one might anticipate. Im also not so sure about the additional angle, you see him hit full lock quite a few times and the angle doesnt look any different than what my own Z (Stock steering) is capable of. Maybe someone can post a picture of their car at full-lock for a proper comparison (mines 7000+ miles away atm sadly)

Edited February 23, 2012 by Sideways

[Jasonmreiss]

I want to see but can't on my iPhone, someone got this on YouTube?

[Sideways]

I want to see but can't on my iPhone, someone got this on YouTube?

 

It is youtube

[Jasonmreiss]

Link?

[RB26powered74zcar]

Link?

 

[ComicArtist]

Agree with most of this, but you lost me on the lack of power-steering bit and the mcpherson strut bit. I cant see how/why those are a "flaw" for drifting in any way?

 

 

 

Lack of power steering can pose a problem for some people. Without aftermarket adjustment, you can't dial in a whole lot of caster on an S30, which affects the spinback rate of the steering wheel. Since plenty of caster is important especially in short wheelbase cars, the driver has to manually spin the wheel back. Some people can handle it, some people cant. More of a personal preference than anything.

 

As far as the mcpherson struts, the lack of upper control arms in the rear pose the problem. While this too, can be addressed by the driver, it's not optimal. The lack of upper control arms means there's only two pivot points in the rear suspension, where the top of the shock bolts to the shock tower and where the lower control arm bolts to the subframe. Whereas in a situation with upper control arms, like a 240sx or Miata, there are more pivoting points.

 

The point being, whenever the shock becomes compressed, when in a situation of hard cornering, negative camber is actually increased, which decreases the contact patch. However, with enough speed/roll, the contact patch can be compensated for.

 

Bottom line is, any handicaps on a car can be compensated for with driver skill. However, you can't overlook the fact that some chassis aren't as optimal for drifting as others.

[olie05]

Depends- Are you asking a serious question to someone who really likes/is into drifting, or are you just being silly

 

Ill answer under the assumption that you are indeed asking honestly, or at the least intend to view this answer as a response for anyone *else* who may not actually know the difference.

 

Im going to this as short and *hopefully* as simple as i can for anyone who is interested. A power-slide is when you simply use the power of a vehicle to abruptly disturb the traction of the rear tires and kick the rear end out. A drift on the other hand, (while it usually ALSO involves a good bit of power), is performed by subjecting the car to a rotational-momentum that causes the rear tires to break free.

 

So hows all this actually work in practice?

 

Start driving your (rear wheel driven) car in a big circle, let the car set, and then romp on the gas. Counter-steer, correct, hold the slide a bit, pat yourself on the back- That was a power slide.

 

Now start driving your car, then force the vehicle to turn in at a rate so quickly that the rotational-momentum of the vehicle causes the rear tires to break away (a good flick out of a corner, then quickly into a corner is a pretty good method to accomplish this for learners), apply the power while counter-steering, and pat yourself on the back. That was a drift.

 

So the real differences in the end? Power-Slide causation: Power. Drift causation: Momentum.

 

I think this is completely opinion, and should not be presented as fact, as you have done. Drifting is a subjective "sport", subject to the opinion of the judges... I like to think of it as the figure skating of motorsports.

 

For example, a lot of drifters use a hydraulic handbrake. A slide initiated by using the handbrake, in your opinion, is not a drift. However, this is commonplace even in professional drift cars. How is that much different than using the power to get the car sideways?

[iBang]

The skill that driver demonstrated leads me to believe he probably skidded/spun out far less than one might anticipate. Im also not so sure about the additional angle, you see him hit full lock quite a few times and the angle doesnt look any different than what my own Z (Stock steering) is capable of. Maybe someone can post a picture of their car at full-lock for a proper comparison (mines 7000+ miles away atm sadly)

 

I actually wasn't tremendously impressed with the driver. I've spent a lot of time involved with pro-am drifting in Texas and have seen all levels of driver. He's not bad, for that matter he's a lot more confident than me, but I saw several points where he over rotated a bit and had to get way off the throttle to recover. Admittedly this is in the wet where that is exactly what you have to watch out for, but if I caught at least three-four of those in the video, I'm sure that at least a few of the ones he didn't catch were edited out.

[ZmattZ]

Since when is sliding on a wet surface considered drifting?

[SypherSlayer]

I think this is completely opinion, and should not be presented as fact, as you have done. Drifting is a subjective "sport", subject to the opinion of the judges... I like to think of it as the figure skating of motorsports.

 

For example, a lot of drifters use a hydraulic handbrake. A slide initiated by using the handbrake, in your opinion, is not a drift. However, this is commonplace even in professional drift cars. How is that much different than using the power to get the car sideways?

I think you guys are confused a bit. power sliding is simply a type of or method of drifting. its really how people start to learn to drift.

 

Want to learn what makes up drifting, look up the Drift Bible.

[19762802+2]

I think you guys are confused a bit. power sliding is simply a type of or method of drifting. its really how people start to learn to drift.

 

Want to learn what makes up drifting, look up the Drift Bible.

 

Nuh uh It's like fast and the furious tokyo drift you have to spend a day in the canyons to beat DK then you are seriously drifter YO!

[ZmattZ]

I think you guys are confused a bit. power sliding is simply a type of or method of drifting. its really how people start to learn to drift.

 

Want to learn what makes up drifting, look up the Drift Bible.

Using inertia to drift is in no way really drifting. Using wet pavement makes it even more laughable. Clutch kicks, ebrakes, and power is drifting.

[Leon]

Why is this thread here? This should be in the non tech section.

[Sideways]

I think this is completely opinion, and should not be presented as fact, as you have done. Drifting is a subjective "sport", subject to the opinion of the judges... I like to think of it as the figure skating of motorsports.

 

Oi. Was half expecting a smart response like this. I shouldve known better.

 

First I want to make it clear- I actually agree with you completely, 100%, that "Drifting" (what it is and what it isnt), is entirely opinion based. That said I am confident that my previous response detailing examples of what a "power slide" is and how/what/why its different from a "drift" (when asking someone who is into that type of "sport"), would be largely agreed upon by *most* (admittedly, not all) enthusiasts of drifting.

 

For example, a lot of drifters use a hydraulic handbrake. A slide initiated by using the handbrake, in your opinion, is not a drift. However, this is commonplace even in professional drift cars. How is that much different than using the power to get the car sideways?

 

Actually no- That is not my opinion, nor is such a belief expressed by my previous "definition" of what "a drift" is if you want to get "technical" on what I said. Simply driving your car and yanking the hand-brake (ill even assume one disengaged rest of the drive train from the engine via use of the clutch for the purpose of this argument so that the wheels would properly lock up on engagement of the hand-brake) will *not* result in the type of over-steer I was discussing in relation to drifting. If you disbelieve me, I urge you to try it (IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT), and document the results. Use of the handbrake ALSO requires first and foremost? Momentum. Lets go back to that previous definition: "Drift causation: Momentum". If you dont have that car wanting to rotate before you yank that handbrake, it will not produce a desired effect.

 

But I digress- Getting "Technical" on what exactly what I said, is largely pointless. Itd be like someone arguing that the paint on his house is fading because they heard a scientist say that according to a very famous 2nd law, "things tend towards disorder". The issue here is that someone is drawing conclusions on "finer" details from something that is meant as nothing more than an entry-level explanation. Anyone with a little scientific who-not knows that the second law states that things tends towards entropy- Entropy, a microstate measure of energy in a closed system that is so evenly distributed that is can no long "move" from point a-b and it is unable to accomplish "work", is not the same as "disorder"- But the use of "disorder" here was "accurate/good enough" to give an entry-level explanation of a complicated (No- im not saying drifting is as complicated as thermodynamics ) concept to an individual/party who might have 0 understanding of the "other" involved concepts.

 

The same is happening here. My definition of what a drift was previously was not intended as a be-all-end-all definition of "drifting" with the overall point being "if youre not doing this youre not drifting". It was simply meant as an introductory explanation to any parties who might have 0 exposure to the "Drifting scene", and be completely unaware of why a power slide (as perceived by most fans of drifting that I am aware of), is different than the "Drifting" that they (the fans) enjoy watching (again, most* not all). If while racing on a track you go to accelerate out of a corner and get a little too heavy on the gas and cause the rear end to kick out, even if it was to a large degree- Such an example of "over steer" would not be viewed as "Drifting" by most who are heavily "into" drifting. It would be viewed as a "power slide"- Not a drift. if you flicked it into the corner on entry, using the hand brake to kick the rear out, slammed the throttle, dialed in counter-steer, went around the corner, kicked the clucht with the throttle down mid apex, hung the tail out on the exit, let the traction rebound just quick enough at a precise (enough) angle that it pendulum'ed you into the next corner with your rear end still fighting for traction, that would be viewed as a "Drift" by *most* of those fans.

 

Again the difference? One was a slide caused mostly (not entirely, but primarily) by power. The other? Was a result of exaggerated momentum. But again dont scrutinize too hard. Its a opening to the "concept", not a guide.

 

I'd like to thank you now btw if you actually read through all this. Again I apologize if you drew from my previous posts (or this one) that I am stating "Facts" in place of opinion(s).

 

Why is this thread here? This should be in the non tech section.

 

Just figured itd be safe for me to post a video of an s30 (well, I was highlighting this- As there was another vehicle involved) in the s30 section?

[AllBoost]

the z chassis biggest problem among all in the sense of drifting is its lack of steering angle and no power steering. The most prominent problem with the low amount of steering angle is the fact the tc rod is so close to the wheel when at full lock. i believe you can compensate for this by adding a 1in wheel spacer and running steering rack extenders as well as widening the track of the car to gain some clearance and add some more steering angle. i plan on drifting my Z and am building it to only drift. it will have a v8 as well and adjustable LCA's front and rear, techno toys tuning TC rods, and steering rack extenders. im open to all info to help me get sideways though!!!

Edited March 21, 2012 by AllBoost