Gimpie7

I have heard multiple people talking about left foot braking and was wondering what are the advantages to this and when is the aproprit <-- spelling) time to use this.
Thank you

christaylor

Left foot braking allows you to get on the throttle quicker out of a turn since you'd "normally" use your right foot. It doesn't gain you a whole lot in laptimes, but it will allow you to catch somebody that doesn't do it or help keep your momentum up. It's a catch-22, though, because you can also unsettle the car if you get on the gas too soon or too hard, so suffice to say it's a "steep" learning curve.

You'd use it in a turn where you can either 1) match-rev downshift (i.e. no clutch) or 2) don't downshift, like a high-speed sweeper.

I don't often left foot brake on the track, simply because the two tracks we run at don't allow for it very often. But, I still do it on occasion when I don't have much chance in catching a group in front of me and don't have anybody very close behind me. The reason being it's easy for it to knock me off my rythym, until I get more accustomed to do it (again, a catch-22 since if I don't ever use it I won't ever be fully accustomed to doing it).

HTH.

Gimpie7

Great explination. Thanks

maxpesce

It works really great for those of us driving Turbocharged cars with Automatic Tranies - One foot on the gas + one on the brake :-)

redrotorR1

LFB is also good for getting the weight transferred to the front of the car. It's especially useful in auto-x manuevers. On a road course, it can be useful for placing the car .... however, as Chris said, it can be unsettling. It's not a requirement to go fast. I wouldn't spend too much time on it, unless you feel it's going to equate to significant improvement in your laptimes.

APEXL8T

Its used most often when a gearing is too low for a turn but to down and then up shift takes time, slows you down and that it also upsets the car more than if your were left brake slightly to settle carad slow it down enough but keep the torque applied and engine under consistant load. Stock RX7 in turn seven at Road Atlanta was one place this can be used if you can carry the speed.

christaylor

Man, I wish I lived closer to RAtl... I loved that place... can't wait to go back.

Boswoj

I don't think most of what you are stating as left-foot braking is correct except for redrotor, who just touched on it. It is a technique used primarily in roadracing that can make the difference between winning and losing in closely matched cars. In moderate to high speed corners where steady-state or applied throttle is causing weight transfer to the rear tires, it can be hard to get the car turned in crisply toward the apex. A light and controlled touch on the brake with the left foot while modulating the throttle with the right foot will help get the car on line without having to lift. I've played with it a lot over the last couple of racing seasons and I'm just now starting to get a soft enough touch to get some benefit. It's REALLY easy to upset the car at the limit in these situations if you are rough with the pedal, so it's REALLY something to practice, a lot, under controlled conditions. Not to be confused with trail-braking which is dragging the brake into turn-in to rotate the car into the corner to combat understeer - another really good way to stuff the car into the tire wall if you haven't practiced much!

christaylor

Left foot braking isn't a finely described "thing".... it's a technique. And, by being a technique, there's no one specific definition for it (that isn't a multi-page, several paragraph synopsis). Except for one of the street racing asshats saying, "I SHIFT MAD QUICK, y0!", you're right no matter what you say.

As far as I'm concerned, LFB goes hand-in-hand with trail braking. Watch a Boris Said or Ron Fellows footcam... 80% of the time when they LFB they're also trail braking. That, combined with my own experience, leads me to believe that the only time a LFB will do you much good is when you need to either 1) trail brake or b) don't have to shift into the turn.

Boswoj

Too bad we don't race at any of the same tracks becasue it would be interesting to discuss which corners we used it at. Left foot braking is pretty tightly described thing for the most part. I was watching an old rally video where they were describing how it was developed. When the MINI was still a competitive pro rally car they had a lot of trouble getting the front end hooked up under turn AND throttle through those little 10 inch front tires. They were suggesting that someone like Stig Blomqvist found that applying a touch of front brake transferred enough weight forward to grab a bit of grip and helped hook up the front end. Of couse, like 13 different people claim to have invented the telephone too, so it's hard to say if the research I've done on it is even correctly attributed..............

As far as I can tell, left foot braking is intended to increase grip on the front, while trail-braking is intended to rotate the rear. Trail braking is usually done with the right foot as well.

OH - and if I shift Mad Quick, i grind 'tween 3 and 4, YO. hehe

APEXL8T

Christaylor:
How about turn (9 ?) @ TWS old 1.9 track. Actually that's flat out even with ported motor.
Actually I would like to trail into 2 at TWS but its a declining radius with almost two apexes.
Turn 3b at Sears point. Keeping the R's up out of 3a into 4?
I thought you may run TWS.

christaylor

T9 is flat out, and I think it'd be the same ported + slicks (in an EP car), but I have yet to drive an EP car at TWS...

The best example I can think of is 1/1A/2 at TWS. A buddy of mine has been through there flat out, believe it or not. Full throttle, tap of the brakes with the left foot to settle the car down, quick 5-4 downshift (he actually shifts to 5th down the front straight...) and on through the turn. He ran a confirmed 2:02 in a "stock" RX-7 (Spec7... a few tricks... most of which I now know about ), and he said he ran a high-2:01, once.

T4 on the 2.9 is the same way if it's nice and dry and there's enough grip, as is Big Bend at MSR.

APEXL8T

I hit 5th right around the start/finish. I should ask Bill Bagsby or Danny Benzer (track record in ITA) about left footing.I come in turn 1,1a,2 turn wide open in 5th even through the transition so I dont have ***** to trail brake .... with that funky radius decrease.
I have yet to run the new track since it was opened.Shannan McMasters says it almost as fun and technical as Road Atl.
I have yet do MSR ........ Shannon has my GTU/GT2 car at MSR.
Time for me time practice left foot more than I have been......

christaylor

I'd say TWS is more technical than RAt, but that's just because I don't think RAt is all that technical. I figured it out in about the 3rd session and was running 1:56's in my dad's Spec7 that hasn't been 'set up' in years and has positive camber on one rear tire.

But, RAt is a hell of a lot more fun to drive than TWS.

scotty305

iTrader: (2)

"Left Foot Braking" means touching the brake pedal with your left foot. Different people will use it to different degrees, that's why it's called a 'technique' and not a 'method.'

Some people will use the left foot every time they press the brake pedal (F1 , WRC, some autocrossers) because it's enables a very smooth and quick transition between acceleration and braking.

Others will only use the left foot on the brake occasionally, for trail braking or a slight yaw adjustment mid-corner.


As mentioned above, there are ups and downs to it. One that has not been advocated much in this thread is the advantage it gives you in a turbocharged car: you can use the throttle to spool the turbo, either by pressing the gas earlier or not completely letting go of it at all. As with any technique, don't try it in a race or critical situation until you've practiced it at slower speeds. Braking too hard or not enough can lead to bad things when you're driving at 9/10ths.

-s-

slowautoxr

iTrader: (6)

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.

scotty305

iTrader: (2)

A national champion autocrosser drove my car this weekend, one of the first things he said was "You're using the left foot on the brakes, right? That's important on turbocharged cars."

-s-

13b_drifter

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.

slowautoxr

iTrader: (6)

Yea. What he said. The only thing can add is that in a steady state turn and your car is pushing a bit, left foot braking is not going to help you. A quick lift of the throttle will shift the weight of the car and allow it to rotate.

formula-mazda

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.

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...

formula-mazda

A couple other benefits I forgot to write about.

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.

Valkyrie

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.

M104-AMG

iTrader: (8)

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

drift_rx7'87

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.