Left Foot Braking

[jmanfoo]

Due to the ginormous amount of turbo lag my car has I thought I would spend one day this weekend practicing left foot braking. I haven't tried this to many times and I usually over brake/under throttle or over throttle/under brake. Any advice on when/how I should be doing this? My car seems to start rocket shipping away around 3500-4000 rpms.

[MPREZIV]

It really just takes practice man. I can't give you any advice really, so this post is worthless! Ha! I personally just kept sucking at it, until I didn't suck any more/as often...

[jmanfoo]

I tried it a few times before but always did worse than without it. I read some stuff online and I just need to get in the habit of not stabbing the brake like its a clutch.

[slow_owdee]

Maybe an exhaust will fix that "ginourmous" amount of turbo lag. Your turbo isnt THAT big. And you have an extra cylinder!

[jmanfoo]

Maybe an exhaust will fix that "ginourmous" amount of turbo lag. Your turbo isnt THAT big. And you have an extra cylinder!


I am sure you're right since my airflow system is far from free flowing and my turbo is a 3K series so quick spool is not an option.

[Braydog]

What turbo/car do you have? I am lucky and dont suffer from huge lag, but I still use left foot breaking, at least in autocross, to avoid going off the boost and having to downshift into first. I just practice on industrial streets of sparks, and rarely go over 35, 40mph as to not tick off the PD.

[slow_owdee]

Hey Jason,

Maybe you should practice in a roundabout, aren't you particularly fond of one over by Neil?

[jmanfoo]

Hey now, dont give away my secret location and quit trying to talk smack.

[slow_owdee]

hahaha! smack talking, someone has to do it.

[Joeyy]

Your left foot has been doing the normal old stuff for years and years. Teaching that sucker to do something else is almost as bad as using your weak hand.

Work on your left foot braking everyday on your way to and from work. If you have some room on a nice sweeping off ramp and you can be safe, attempt to keep your rpms up through the whole corner.

Personally, I only used my big toe and a small portion of the ball of my foot. That kept me from stabbing the peddle through the floor board.

Skip your favorite Friday night T.V. show and get out on some open roads. Additionally, I'd skip the left foot braking when attempting to stop at a light behind another car or if you have somebody that likes your back side. I know that Audi can go faster man!..

[jmanfoo]

Started practicing this over the past two days and discovered that my intercooler doesn't like that kind of continuous pressure. After a few attempts the car gets really sluggish from heat soak.

[S2kreno]

I do left foot braking (inadvertantly) every time I borrow someone's car and it has an automatic transmission....good thing I had that neck surgery :)

[AlexR]

Everytime you are driving about, and there's no one behind you, and you come to a stop sign / yellow - red light, Use your left foot, even pop the car into nuetral so you can LFB all the way down to a stop. I got into the habbit of LFB inbetween rally crosses, and now i LFB every day with out thinking about it.

Once you can LFB as second nature, then mixing Gas + brake to keep your speed constant but boost up is pretty easy. and it can be done anywhere that you are moving. Granted its rather horrid on your Braking system, and creates more Hot charged air moving into your IC. but that's life.

oh , any time you drive an automatic 100% only use your Left foot for the brake, after a few weeks you'll feel like a pro. (for me i feel like a pro, but still drive very noobish, but hey the feeling is GREAT! :P )

also Go karting is a really easy way to practice LFB!

[jmanfoo]

Alex I still cant forget the face you and your codriver made when I said you are leaking something at the rally. HAHA.. Sorry, I guess it was wrong.

[BillH]

Yea, what these guys said, practice on the street. This is the same thing I tell my students about heel & toe, you should be doing it all the time on the street. That way when you get to the track, you've already learned.

The karting thing's very true too. It's also the most affordable seat time you can get.

[stevewaclo]

Got onto the thread way late, but had to share this. When I was campaigning my '87 Audi Coupe GT at many a Ft. Meade, MD autocross (NO camera's pointing toward NSA!!) , I watched with awe a buddy who consistently won his class in a BMW sedan using the following technique: Accelerate briskly from starting line, shift to second, put pedal to metal... and leave it there!! Left foot brake through entire course. Upon completion, lap grounds until rotors are no longer incandescent. (Collect trophy at annual awards dinner.)

I believe he used a very high temp brake fluid and changed it (and pads) a lot. Nonetheless, the pedal was very close to the floor when he completed each run. I believe he also had a line on rotors, but my memory is fuzzy.

References: totally annecdotal If I'm lyin', I'm dyin'.

[nissanpride247]

Got onto the thread way late, but had to share this. When I was campaigning my '87 Audi Coupe GT at many a Ft. Meade, MD autocross (NO camera's pointing toward NSA!!) , I watched with awe a buddy who consistently won his class in a BMW sedan using the following technique: Accelerate briskly from starting line, shift to second, put pedal to metal... and leave it there!! Left foot brake through entire course. Upon completion, lap grounds until rotors are no longer incandescent. (Collect trophy at annual awards dinner.)

I believe he used a very high temp brake fluid and changed it (and pads) a lot. Nonetheless, the pedal was very close to the floor when he completed each run. I believe he also had a line on rotors, but my memory is fuzzy.

References: totally annecdotal If I'm lyin', I'm dyin'.

That is a very cool idea. I don't think i would ever do it but cool to hear it's been done. That has to be harsh on your car though.

[vwRacer]

I learned by practicing on the street.


The other trick I learned was how to be under full brake with my left foot. Then while braking take my foot off the gas, put both feet on the brake pedal at the same time(not changing the braking pressure) and then move the left foot over the clutch pedal.

If you want to be schooled on how to do it watch this video

YouTube- The Rally Supercars - Walter Rohl

[stevewaclo]

Fred:

Thanks for the link to "fancy footwork". Used to drive a non-Quattro Coupe myself and as in the video, people were all the time diving out of my way:lol:. Your link reminds me of one I watched showing Hans Stuck (sp?) do his stuff in the '80s.

Were you as upset as I was when Speed Channel became "All Nascar, all the time":unamused:? Really miss the WRC guys. Between those drivers and motocross, don't know who I'd put at the top of the motorsports skill list.

BTW, is Cartoon City another name for Carson? I'm down on Fairview by Lowes.

Steve

[vwRacer]

Yep, cartoon as in Carson City. I am on 50 over near Slot World

[vwRacer]

http://www.034motorsport.com/features/dtmv8/vid-01.MOV

[AlexR]

Alex I still cant forget the face you and your codriver made when I said you are leaking something at the rally. HAHA.. Sorry, I guess it was wrong.


Hahahaha. OMG i was so close to killing my motor. turns out my car started smoking becuase the oil drain pan plug was backing out. actually the only thing that kept it from backing out any further was the fact it couldn't unscrew any further as it was resting on the skid plate.. when we got back to tahoe and unloaded i found that i could spin it freely with my fingers. :eek:

FN noobs! :lol: