Left foot braking
01-24-05, 10:48 PM
#16
I find that left foot braking is great in autocrossing. It's not the only way to go fast but a lot of people do it. I have to remember not to use it all the time though. I have trouble transitioning my feet while maintaining maximum braking when I have to down shift. So late last season I started making a conscious decision to use my right foot to brake when I know I have to down shift. Left foot braking is great in slaloms, off set gates, pretty much any feature that you have to negotiate and want to slow down a bit without upsetting the car.
01-31-05, 06:23 PM
#18
Tarmac Surfer
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Toronto
Posts: 425
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quote from an article: http://www.scarbsf1.com/leftfootbrake.html
Left foot braking
Most initial attempts at left foot braking scare most drivers into never trying it again. Your left foot is used to fairly robust uncontrolled stabs up and down on the clutch. Braking needs a little more delicacy.
Learning process
At first try to use the left foot on the brake on medium-fast straight roads (with no traffic). You find you’ll brake a bit harshly (which is fine). But you’ll find you forget to release your foot off the brake, so the brake pressure continues and the car decelerates even more.
The first trick is to train your foot to lift off gently to release the braking pressure. Why you do this I don’t know, I’ve taught a few people to left foot brake and they do the same thing every time. I’d have thought with the left used to controlling the release of pressure of the clutch it would be good at this, but not so.
From there build up the initial pressure to train your foot to press down in a controlled manner, while still also controlling the lift off. Now try this into faster corners where no gear change is needed. Next we go off to a (empty) car park, try bringing the car to a total halt from low speed, you’ll now find this Keep on pressing reflex is more noticeable. When you normally (Right foot) brake a car to halt, unconsciously you release braking pressure as the car comes to a halt, to the point where just as the car stops you’ve release almost al the pressure. With this lack of subconscious control in your left foot the car stops abruptly usually by nose diving and smashing your face into the steering wheel… again repeated practice releasing the pressure with the left foot before stopping give the foot the control it needs for more complex manoeuvres. Now you should be able to vary the pressure on braking and lifting,
NOTE: Always try this away from other traffic, as sometimes you forget which pedal to push, with rear ending consequences…
To make use of the left foot braking you need also to control the throttle at the same time, again on a faster empty straight road slip the car into neutral left foot brake and blip the throttle repeatedly to get the feel. Once comfortable, try applying pressure to the throttle while left foot braking, to feel the effect. From here the world of left foot braking is literally at your feet.
Places Area to gain.
Non gear change corners:
Left foot brake in all the way to the apex and your right foot can immediately get back on the throttle. This cut the delay in getting on the power.
Slower corners:
Big gains in late are available as with your left foot already over the brake, you can go from power to braking immediately.
Medium speed corners:
With most road cars the improved handling response with a little drag on the brakes make corner entry faster and more accurate. Pressing lightly on the brake with or with out the power on improves the poise of the car.
Fast corners:
With softly sprung road cars in fast bends, going from braking to accelerating upsets the car, You can balance the car by using both the throttle and brake together. On the way in apply the brakes and keep the throttle down, release the throttle more and apply more brakes to slow and balance the car, never lift of the throttle completely, then accelerate at the apex keeping some brake on only releasing them completely when the car is balanced again.
Ultra fast corners:
A dab on the brakes keeps the engine pulling and is better than a lift off the throttle (particularly if your running carbs).
Gear change corners:
Left foot brake in all the way to the apex and blip right foot to change gear (only works in higher gears, 3rd to 2nd is more tricky) and get back on the throttle.
Unknown corners, corrections and emergencies
When in rally mode charging around unfamiliar corners a left poised over the brake can either allow for a dab on the brakes to improve turn in, shed speed or come to a big stop when things have gone badly wrong.
There’s no doubt that left foot braking is better in emergencies if the foot is already covering the brakes, a heavy tug on the gearlever puts you into neutral while the left foot is already braking
Up someone’s rear:
Keep the left foot covering the brake, in case of emergencies. When preparing to overtake press the throttle and balance the speed on the brake, when going to pull out release the brake and press the throttle all the way down
Someone’s up your rear:
Dab your left foot on the brake just enough to light up the brake lights, great fun, especially under heavy acceleration really confuses them.
Left foot braking
Most initial attempts at left foot braking scare most drivers into never trying it again. Your left foot is used to fairly robust uncontrolled stabs up and down on the clutch. Braking needs a little more delicacy.
Learning process
At first try to use the left foot on the brake on medium-fast straight roads (with no traffic). You find you’ll brake a bit harshly (which is fine). But you’ll find you forget to release your foot off the brake, so the brake pressure continues and the car decelerates even more.
The first trick is to train your foot to lift off gently to release the braking pressure. Why you do this I don’t know, I’ve taught a few people to left foot brake and they do the same thing every time. I’d have thought with the left used to controlling the release of pressure of the clutch it would be good at this, but not so.
From there build up the initial pressure to train your foot to press down in a controlled manner, while still also controlling the lift off. Now try this into faster corners where no gear change is needed. Next we go off to a (empty) car park, try bringing the car to a total halt from low speed, you’ll now find this Keep on pressing reflex is more noticeable. When you normally (Right foot) brake a car to halt, unconsciously you release braking pressure as the car comes to a halt, to the point where just as the car stops you’ve release almost al the pressure. With this lack of subconscious control in your left foot the car stops abruptly usually by nose diving and smashing your face into the steering wheel… again repeated practice releasing the pressure with the left foot before stopping give the foot the control it needs for more complex manoeuvres. Now you should be able to vary the pressure on braking and lifting,
NOTE: Always try this away from other traffic, as sometimes you forget which pedal to push, with rear ending consequences…
To make use of the left foot braking you need also to control the throttle at the same time, again on a faster empty straight road slip the car into neutral left foot brake and blip the throttle repeatedly to get the feel. Once comfortable, try applying pressure to the throttle while left foot braking, to feel the effect. From here the world of left foot braking is literally at your feet.
Places Area to gain.
Non gear change corners:
Left foot brake in all the way to the apex and your right foot can immediately get back on the throttle. This cut the delay in getting on the power.
Slower corners:
Big gains in late are available as with your left foot already over the brake, you can go from power to braking immediately.
Medium speed corners:
With most road cars the improved handling response with a little drag on the brakes make corner entry faster and more accurate. Pressing lightly on the brake with or with out the power on improves the poise of the car.
Fast corners:
With softly sprung road cars in fast bends, going from braking to accelerating upsets the car, You can balance the car by using both the throttle and brake together. On the way in apply the brakes and keep the throttle down, release the throttle more and apply more brakes to slow and balance the car, never lift of the throttle completely, then accelerate at the apex keeping some brake on only releasing them completely when the car is balanced again.
Ultra fast corners:
A dab on the brakes keeps the engine pulling and is better than a lift off the throttle (particularly if your running carbs).
Gear change corners:
Left foot brake in all the way to the apex and blip right foot to change gear (only works in higher gears, 3rd to 2nd is more tricky) and get back on the throttle.
Unknown corners, corrections and emergencies
When in rally mode charging around unfamiliar corners a left poised over the brake can either allow for a dab on the brakes to improve turn in, shed speed or come to a big stop when things have gone badly wrong.
There’s no doubt that left foot braking is better in emergencies if the foot is already covering the brakes, a heavy tug on the gearlever puts you into neutral while the left foot is already braking
Up someone’s rear:
Keep the left foot covering the brake, in case of emergencies. When preparing to overtake press the throttle and balance the speed on the brake, when going to pull out release the brake and press the throttle all the way down
Someone’s up your rear:
Dab your left foot on the brake just enough to light up the brake lights, great fun, especially under heavy acceleration really confuses them.
02-15-05, 01:40 AM
#20
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: socal
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
1
Hi guys,
You are all correct in your description for left foot braking in street cars...but the term came from race cars with dog transmissions.
If any of you remember riding a motox bike when you were younger...you remember being able to downshift whithout a clutch.
Left foot braking means you do not use the clutch for downshifts entering a corner. Heel/toe does not exist. You brake with your left and gas with the right. With a dog box(racing transmission): You blip the throttle with your right foot to releive pressure off the ladden gear (while braking with your left) downshift into the next and so on. The advantage is that you can adjust the attitude of the chassis between your braking and throttle during corner entry and apex. If you tried to shift whithout the clutch on a street gearbox it would not be as fast, even though it is possible. The point is.....in racing.....the clutch is only used for leaving the pits, after that, left foot brake, right foot gas.
You are all correct in your description for left foot braking in street cars...but the term came from race cars with dog transmissions.
If any of you remember riding a motox bike when you were younger...you remember being able to downshift whithout a clutch.
Left foot braking means you do not use the clutch for downshifts entering a corner. Heel/toe does not exist. You brake with your left and gas with the right. With a dog box(racing transmission): You blip the throttle with your right foot to releive pressure off the ladden gear (while braking with your left) downshift into the next and so on. The advantage is that you can adjust the attitude of the chassis between your braking and throttle during corner entry and apex. If you tried to shift whithout the clutch on a street gearbox it would not be as fast, even though it is possible. The point is.....in racing.....the clutch is only used for leaving the pits, after that, left foot brake, right foot gas.
02-15-05, 04:19 AM
#21
Eats, Sleeps, Dreams Rotary
I would be correct to assume that left-foot braking is basically in order to cancel understeer and turbo lag, right?
I know WRC and FF drivers did it but I didn't know it was used by other types of cars that don't have a clutchless shifter or a serious need to kill their understeer or turbo lag...
I know WRC and FF drivers did it but I didn't know it was used by other types of cars that don't have a clutchless shifter or a serious need to kill their understeer or turbo lag...
02-16-05, 09:32 PM
#22
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: socal
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Valkyrie
I would be correct to assume that left-foot braking is basically in order to cancel understeer and turbo lag, right?
I know WRC and FF drivers did it but I didn't know it was used by other types of cars that don't have a clutchless shifter or a serious need to kill their understeer or turbo lag...
I know WRC and FF drivers did it but I didn't know it was used by other types of cars that don't have a clutchless shifter or a serious need to kill their understeer or turbo lag...
1. the obvious time saved by not having to switch your foot from the gas to brake pedal during threshold braking. Also the chassis is not disturbed as much because you are not jumping off the gas and mashing the brake pedal. With left foot braking you can blend the two together (overlap brake and gas) to flow into the corner.
2. Speed bleed....in traffic or taking an almost flatout corner. In the fast stuff you can either breathe the throttle or just barely drag the brake with your left while keeping your right foot pinned. When you breathe the throttle, the weight will transfer forward to the front wheels and you risk the back end breaking free. If you keep throttle on and just lightly touch the brake with your left....the car almost squats in the rear and feels much more balanced. This is also a trick tip in oval racing. Drivers dial a ton of rear brake bias in so when they do have to jump on the binders in traffic, the car squats (what you feel when pulling the e-brake doing 70 on the freeway) instead of standing on its nose resulting in a very painfull and expensive meeting between driver and wall.
02-21-05, 08:22 AM
#23
Eats, Sleeps, Dreams Rotary
Heh, I got the chance to try left-foot braking out a bit today on a dirt (well, mud) track.
I was driving an EP71 Starlet Turbo which is FF so I couldn't get it to powerslide around the corners (well, duh) like I would have (which I could with the Mitsubishi Mirage that I also drove) so I used the technique so get around the corners a bit faster... works pretty well, although I think maybe it would work better when the car can actually grip the road.
I think in this case just braking hard to get the rear end to slide out would have been faster... and more fun.
I was driving an EP71 Starlet Turbo which is FF so I couldn't get it to powerslide around the corners (well, duh) like I would have (which I could with the Mitsubishi Mirage that I also drove) so I used the technique so get around the corners a bit faster... works pretty well, although I think maybe it would work better when the car can actually grip the road.
I think in this case just braking hard to get the rear end to slide out would have been faster... and more fun.
03-03-05, 10:37 PM
#24
My instructor showed me left-foot braking in my FD on turn 7 or Roebling Road (sweeper before the front straight), and it was definitely a very "light" touch while modulating the throttle.
If the rear came out in this turn, it usually means spin and hit the pit-wall.
Before my instructor came, during my solo session in the rain, I spun out on turn 7, and just barely kissed the wall.
Whew . . .
:-) neil
If the rear came out in this turn, it usually means spin and hit the pit-wall.
Before my instructor came, during my solo session in the rain, I spun out on turn 7, and just barely kissed the wall.
Whew . . .
:-) neil
03-04-05, 04:26 PM
#25
Newbie
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
tourtion braking
LFB is also called tourtion braking. It is mainly to get more weight on your frount tires to get traction in a turn. It helps alot, try it but make sure u dont get on the brakes too hard you could loose your back end.
03-10-05, 12:49 AM
#26
Senior Member
For me... the only time I was able to use it extensively consiously.. (Unless I am doing it unconsiously.. which IS possible..) Was autocrossing my Old ITA RX-3....
Notice the word OLD. The thing handled like a covered wagon.. Was QUICK.. but handling was.. well a hand full. On autocrosses a light application of brakes was real nice to settle the suspension to get things reined in in corners.. it had a tendency to do all the things you dont want.. body roll, dive/rise of the nose.. and squirming all over the place from the leaf spring rearend.
I STARTED autocrossing a Oldsmobile Firenza Wagon in High school.. and as it was a automatic.. I would double foot that thing to settle things in fast corners.. (Yes I won plenty of HS and DSP autoXs with it.)
On the roadrace side of things.. I never left footed the RX-3... it was WAYYYY too skittish to try. It was a true handful near the limit.. and as it was it was a constant battle to keep it going the direction you wanted... cause the frontend wasnt always pointing that direction. The dogleg at Daytona was a place where theoretically it would have been a good idea looking back.. but again... that was flat out at 7K in 4th gear.. and it was floating across the track... wallowing left to right.. frontend pointed correctly but body roll was actually terrifying... as it was oscillating back and forth.
On the 1st gen and 2nd gens.. havent done it as of yet. They actually handle pretty well... at this point.
Notice the word OLD. The thing handled like a covered wagon.. Was QUICK.. but handling was.. well a hand full. On autocrosses a light application of brakes was real nice to settle the suspension to get things reined in in corners.. it had a tendency to do all the things you dont want.. body roll, dive/rise of the nose.. and squirming all over the place from the leaf spring rearend.
I STARTED autocrossing a Oldsmobile Firenza Wagon in High school.. and as it was a automatic.. I would double foot that thing to settle things in fast corners.. (Yes I won plenty of HS and DSP autoXs with it.)
On the roadrace side of things.. I never left footed the RX-3... it was WAYYYY too skittish to try. It was a true handful near the limit.. and as it was it was a constant battle to keep it going the direction you wanted... cause the frontend wasnt always pointing that direction. The dogleg at Daytona was a place where theoretically it would have been a good idea looking back.. but again... that was flat out at 7K in 4th gear.. and it was floating across the track... wallowing left to right.. frontend pointed correctly but body roll was actually terrifying... as it was oscillating back and forth.
On the 1st gen and 2nd gens.. havent done it as of yet. They actually handle pretty well... at this point.
03-15-05, 08:26 AM
#27
boxed in and drawn out
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Bayouself
Posts: 555
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Left foot
This is a old video with a couple runs.....The second part I use a slight left brake in the fast turn to the left but stay on throttle.1993.This is a large file ..cable connection save target as takes 3 minutes. I cant edit the end so...when you see the blue overheated RX7 you can stop it...the music reloads sorry.
My real good in car video is in storage. 11 years of some nice stuff.
REMEMBER LARGE!
ftp://rxclub:rx7clubpiidb@66.253.174.19/rx7/l8tclub
or this link my work
FTP://rxclub:rx7clubpiidb@66.253.174.19
as ....... l8tclub
My real good in car video is in storage. 11 years of some nice stuff.
REMEMBER LARGE!
ftp://rxclub:rx7clubpiidb@66.253.174.19/rx7/l8tclub
or this link my work
FTP://rxclub:rx7clubpiidb@66.253.174.19
as ....... l8tclub
Last edited by APEXL8T; 03-15-05 at 08:30 AM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
rx8volks
Canadian Forum
0
09-01-15 10:46 PM
