Left foot braking

[BThayer23]

I've been reading up on left foot braking recently. One criticism I have of myself is that I always seem to let the front of the car float into sharp turns after braking from high speeds, which makes the car understeer more than it should. I don't think it's the setup of the car, because the car stays balanced at speed. It seems like left foot braking or trail-braking would help with the understeer. Anybody do this on the street or track? Any tips on learning? Does it wear down the tires/brakes a lot?

-Ben

[minimark]

I trail brake with my right foot and if done right, don't think it should wear out everything that much more.... But I'm still learning the skill and don't always do it just right. Practice, practice, practice...... Course I quess I'm pretty hard on brakes too....:ms_ponder:

[MidnightDave]

Brakes? That's for sissy types who want to stay going straight...just let it swing around on you.

Actually, we need to do some HPDEs and get input from an instructor in your car, I bet they could talk you through it in a real world experience in just a session or two?

[BlimeyCabrio]

Brakes? That's for sissy types who want to stay going straight...just let it swing around on you.

Tru Dat.:yes4:

[RudyT]

Which pedal is for the brakes :ms_ponder:? I've always used the one on the far right... We have other pedals ???:unsure:

I didn't get that memo...

[N2MINI]

Like minimark, I sometimes trail-brake with my right foot. I know that is not the way it is supoosed to be done but... I have tried it a few times on the street and whew!!! ( Not in traffic mind you ) will take some practice for me. That left foot is only used to going to the floor with the clutch!!! yikes!!
I'd like to be able to do it so I could stay in the gas atleast some..
This was alot easier on my sportbike..

[Vango]

Seems like it would work but what if God forbid you ended up spinning and your left foot was on the brake ! by time you got back to the clutch you would have major problems

[minimark]

Actually from some of the books I've read you can trail brake with the right foot using the heel and toe method as trail braking is more to maintain the weight transfer to the front tires you already have until you begin to accelerate, sliding you foot from the brake to the gas pedal. Left foot is described for padel shifters more. Like Van I like to have my left foot available to clutch. Think it is what works best for you. Someone more experienced than I can correct me if I'm wrong.

[BThayer23]

Sounds like I need to learn this in an empty parking lot or something. Or maybe an abandoned airstrip like that gymkhana video...

vcSAiRxmm0w

[Eepers]

hahah, I was JUST thinking about that vid this morning Ben, we so need an abandoned airstrip somewhere :)

[onefastmini]

left foot braking is used more with sequential shifters, where the driver is not using the clutch, but if you watch a foot cam of this technique, they are working the throttle very quickly to match rpm's. It is also used more with circle track drivers that do not need to downshift coming into a corner. There maybe certain times on a track where you would want to stab the brakes quickly with the left foot to set the suspension (by transfering weight to the front) without losing any engine speed, or where lifting abruptly can cause you to spin, but you don't really need to brake hard. I think most instructors would want you to concentrate on heel-toe ad finding the best line that works for you than to spend your energy working on techniques that are far more advanced for the skill level of most of us, especially when it is not an appropriate technique for our cars on most raod coarse situations. Paul, on the other hand, may want to practice left foot braking, if nothing more than to give the foot something to do.
I think Dave had it right, your individual driving should be critiqued by a professional instructor. Man, I need to get on the track....

[BlimeyCabrio]

I change it up. Sometimes I use my left foot for gas and my right foot for the brake, just to stay flexible.

[minimark]

Wondered why you talked so high sometimes........:laugh:

[MidnightDave]

Paul, I've followed you plenty and you don't use either foot for the brake--it's either loud pedal or parking brake the way you take corners!

[BlimeyCabrio]

Nah... I just wired a cutoff switch into my brake lights to throw ya.

[wildcrazy442000]

I would have guessed it was the "Flintstone Method".

[BlimeyCabrio]

Yeah, I do that sometimes, too... left foot out the door on left turns...

[BThayer23]

One more thing to add to the standard passenger speech:

"Okay, the window switches are in the middle, yes the speedo is huge, pull twice to get out of the car, and you're going to have to stick your feet out the door when we're turning right. Got it?"

[BThayer23]

Also, I've been reading more about this stuff. My feet really don't fit well with left foot braking, at least in normal shoes. However, I think I was getting left foot braking confused with trail braking, which is actually different and very useful. As opposed to using both pedals to balance the car, trail braking involves a progressive release of the brakes that continues through and after the turn-in. This will make you faster and it will keep the nose of the car heavy, but it requires a very smooth braking action... from what I've read. CAN'T WAIT TO GET BACK ON THE TRACK!!!

[onefastmini]

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/zapp109/automotivator.jpg

Good for a laugh :lol:

[fentos]

:laugh: That's a good one Dan. I had not seen that one before. Some of those "motivational posters" are great!