Left Foot Brake technique....how?

[Shigeno]

I send this out and humbly ask not WHAT LFB tech is, but HOW and WHEN you use it. My understanding is that you can use it during cornering to induce more oversteer in an FF set car. But thats all i really know...

[brink]

I preface this with the comment that I'm not very good at it... still learning. But this is what's been explained to me at autox and what I try to do.

LFB can be used to slow the car down without having to lift your right foot off the throttle. So, you'd keep your foot on the gas, maybe decrease a tad, while applying light to moderate braking with the left foot.

Alternatively, you could keep on the gas while mashing on the brakes to get your car to dive forward and shift the weight to provide better grip at the front.

To induce oversteer, in my car at least, I've found that the easiest way is to keep on the throttle, apply moderate to mashing braking force, then lift off the brake right as I turn the wheel.

Does that make sense? Again, this is all from my experience. I could be totally doing it backwards, but it works for me.

As an aside, at the rallyx last saturday I found that I got excellent results just from throttle-lift right at turn in, then throttle modulation to maintain the drift.

Anyway, anyone care to correct any points I messed up?

[brink]

This thread has some good info

http://www.toyotanation.com/showthre...t+foot+braking

[Nick]

good stuff, i think from now on i'll brake with my left foot just to get used to it

then this winter is operation left foot brake drift

[Flashmn]

Well left foot braking is a more predictable way to get a FWD to drift compared to the handbrake. But more its used to counter understeer in rally conditions.

[Shigeno]

good stuff, i think from now on i'll brake with my left foot just to get used to it

That is a great thing to do. I will honestly say that I have been doing all my everyday driving using my left foot to brake. always. I started to do this in March 2003. It is quite uneasy at first, as you need to re-learn pressure aplication. but within a couple of weeks, having a constant intake of stop lights/signs, stop & go on the QEW, etc, it has become very natural. your confidence increases the more you do it, to the point that you dont switch feet in some quick brake situation.
In short, what you do on the road will prob help you on the track.

[Shigeno]

I just wanted to thank all of you who responded. I apreciate the info you've provided, it was definately helpful.

[rezzle]

http://www.rallyracingnews.com/lfb.html

http://www.sevenoaksmotorclub.com/ac.../leftfoot.html

[Naito]

I've found LFB unbelievably useful. Mind you I'm still not too great at it.
But it's gives a nice smooth transition as opposed to the abrupt one that e-brake gives you.
And, using it sparingly, I've found that the car feels like it's on friggin RAILS when turning, cuz it feels like the front gets nicely loaded up, no understeer or oversteer, even when you're actually not slowing down but just keeping constant speed. had fun with it at Nelson the other day

I pity my brake pads tho :p

In the winter it's harder to LFB I find, cuz there isn't enough traction to shift weight, it's purely locking the rear wheel only, and that's more effectively accomplished with the e-brake.

I find the best way to practice, believe it or not, is to get an auto car, cuz u don't have to worry about stalling, and then brake at stoplights.

Question:
can anyone tell me how to transition between heel-toe braking and LFB for entering a corner?? should I just LFB the entire thing and work on clutchless downshifting?

[brink]

Tricky. I'm not that nimble with my feet (yet). I typically make a split second decision on how fast I want to enter a corner and either lfb in the same gear or downshift. If I'm going to go down a gear, I slightly underrev on the shift so the engine does the braking/loading of the front end. Might not be cornering according to Hoyle, but it works when you haven't mastered the switch

Oh, and it may seem obvious to some, but FWIW the huge steel toe boots are more difficult to use for pedal manipulation. Get yourself some nice chuck taylors. Nice, thin soled shoes make a WORLD of difference.

[Naito]

the moment of the switch upsets the car alot tho, one second u're on the brake, then release and braking again....less braking force too mind you cuz you just threw the weight back to the rear on the release.....guess that's unavoidable huh?

[rdyzz]

would it not be better to learn how to control under/oversteer before going on with the LFB. Shifting the weight and presicsion throttle control would be better to learn at a beginers level would you not agree. also contersteering corectly. due to a wrong contersteer you could ultimaly shift all the weight to the rare of the car witch could be dangerious. if you know what i mean. Because the LFB techniqe is one of the few techniqes that you canlive better with or can live even without what i stated above seems to be more important before going to LFB. due to emergancys and mental conditions at times it might not be the right thing to do all the time. just my 2 cent. this is just what i think i respect every and anyone willing to broden their skills/techniqe in driving. Im just playing a bit of devils advocate.

[Pineapple]

LFB is great for automatic. Have been doing that for years. Really good thing to use in stop & go traffic and extramly good in winter.
It remove the time switching from power to brake and make the transection smoother. Like pushing down brake while lifting throttle. Also you can control traction better. When taking off in snow, FW will slide. Usually you'll lift the throttle to gain traction again and get on the gas and slide again. With LFB you can hold throttle down and use the brake to limit slide. Works really well when you start to slide into a corner.
Now you need a long time to get used to it. Start learning at the end of winter when it doesn't snow anymore. NEVER learn during snow. Next you'll need good pad and probably x-drill rotor to keep pad cool and not to fade. Yea you'll heat up the pads big time with LFB. Semi-metalic WILL fade, EBC Green doesn't. Until you can use the brake like you use the throttle: smooth control at any point along brake padel travel, you're not done yet.

[rdyzz]

hey pineapple nice celica. you know you could do a 5sge conversion to that one right. anyways nice celica.

[boroEF]

to all u guys that are crazy about braking:

an a track situation, why not just trail brake? i understand how it makes sense in autox and rally...but on a track? i personally just trail brake...left foot braking is hard