Left foot braking?

[Lazeum]

I heel-toe everyday with my cars, it is like an habit. I do it just for fun for over 6 years now. It helps to save the gearbox as well

Besides some training, I've never done any track day. It might be something to test.

 

Regarding the video, do not forget the nature of the car, it's a relatively small engine with a huge turbo. Power band is most likely super narrow, pilot has to play a lot to keep the engine is the right rpm under boost. Left foot braking also allows him to keep some gas to keep the boost.

 

Taping on the brakes might also change weight distribution to introduce the drift when entering in a curve.

[cygnusx1]

I am autoxing this weekend it will prob be raining im going to check this left foot braking out. Of all my car nerdery why didnt i think of this already? haha

I think it might help in the wet when a slight correction is more pronounced and smoothness is the key

 

Matt

 

 

Better practice on the way to the event. It's pretty hard to get right off the bat. Report what you think about it after the auto-x. Thanks. Good luck!

[DrSideways]

The general rule of thumb I teach is ..... no down shift for a turn then left foot brake. Multiple turns in the same gear also left foot brake. This works very well especially for someone who is new.

 

Doing it on the street can result in getting your feet mixed up. Try a place where the above guidelines apply and you can calibrate your left foot.

 

When you come to a place where you will use this you place your left foot over (but not on) the brake pedal as soon as you engage the gear which will be used for the next turn or turns. Then you are ready and can take full advantage of the process.

 

Smoother is faster..

 

Hope this helps.

 

Alan

[310z]

I've always been impressed by video with on board videos to watch foot work

 

Here's one of these, Group B drivers were nuts...

 

 

Left foot braking is the only way I found not to be bored with AT cars also

WOW! does that bring back memories. My family moved to the mountains when I was 14 years old. My dad had a 1972 Datsun pickup and he handed me my own set of keys. We cut and sold fire wood for my income. I was the driver and hauled loads of wood to our home. We have many more dirt roads than paved roads and law enforcement was scarce on road and non-existant off road.

 

When the truck was empty returning for another load I was driving slideways everywhere. Then one day I saw this video on TV (or a simular one, but I think it was this one) and I started dancing on the petals at that time, and have been doing so my entire driving life. I was able to feel the difference in weight transfer, cornoring speeds increased and so on.

 

Then there was the snow in winter. As soon as the snow would fly my buddies and I would go out and spend all night driving what we called slideways now called drifting. When I got my Z when I was 19 years old I had to convert my flick of the wrist slideways driving style from the dirt to one of trying not to upset the balance of the car on the asphalt and be SMOOOOTH.

 

It was great to see this video again. I have played it over and over again in my head since seeing it so many years ago. I have been trying to copy it as long as I have been behind the wheel.

[Derek]

Here's my rig for practicing heal toe and left foot braking.

 

 

The steering wheel location and pedals are the same as the Z. I've modified the pedal placement for better heal toe. The wheel is a G25 and I modded the pedals so they hang.

I'm running rfactor.

 

Derek

[cygnusx1]

Where did you get that gaming seat?

[Nizm0Zed]

Like every high quality gaming seat, its lovingly hand built using high quality (sarcasm) expensive leftovers from other projects.

 

But anyway, back on topic, im learning how to left foot brake, but i dont get enough practise, i spend too much time on my bike...

 

However, i hate with a passion "soccer mum left foot brakers"

There the ones you see cruising along in their automatics with the brake lights lit up because they are so lazy they rest their foot on the pedal.

[proxlamus©]

I will prob get some bad responses about this one..

 

but i've noticed on turbocharged cars.. especially with a larger turbo and a high RPM turbo "threshold" or "lag" ( i dont want to hear it Tony ) .. that while applying adequate pressure with your left foot on the brakes, and moderate pressure with your right foot on the throttle will keep the engine under load and almost instantaneous boost when you let off the brakes.

 

I know this builds up the heat quite a bit in the brakes.. but the smooth transition from braking to full boost prevents the car from going into a wild oversteer situation...when compared to applying full throttle then a sudden surge of boost and oversteer.