Left-foot braking

[RedMisted]

Some people have issues when they first try it, if they have driven manual transmissions for a long time, where their left foot decides to do the clutch thing, except on the brake pedal. Much hilarity ensues. Practice on the street with no traffic around.

That's good advice. When I taught myself heel-and-toe, I started out on country roads. No way was I going to force myself to learn a complex skill at speed on a racetrack! The heel-toe thing came pretty quick for me. Hopefully, I'll adapt just as fast to LF braking.

[Chip42]

heel and toe is easier to DO in a racecar because of the heavier braking forces applied. street will teach you the technique but you'll need to recalibrate for the harder braking and, eventually, longer pedal in a race car.

LFB is a lot more consistant street to track. definately practice up before trying it at the track.

[tac911t]

I would LFB while autocrossing all the time when driving front wheel drive cars. After autocrossing some rear wheel drive cars, I started to also LFB those. When I started racing, it was an easy transition to LFB at times for some corners.

I definitely LFB at VIR turn 4 and Hog Pen (bottom of the Rollercoaster). I like the idea at VIR turn 10, and I may try it at 14. At 14 I found myself trailbraking, LFB may be another option.

[iambhooper]

I started LFB'ing b4 I got the 1st race car. I LFB everything, minivan, Land Rover, street car's, race cars. However, I think I let it get the best of me the last time I was at the track... and driving like I was on the street, and lifting while braking. Then again, so much went wrong I can't be certain.

hoop

[JeffYoung]

One useful technique when your brakes fail is two foot braking.

[DoubleXL240Z]

Thats BFB!!!

[mf285284]

It would be more practical if these cars had dogs instead of synchros. Watch a foot cam of montoya at a road course all left foot.

But if your going to try it at any track it would lime rock, one turn for downshifting.

[boywonder]

Some people have issues when they first try it, if they have driven manual transmissions for a long time, where their left foot decides to do the clutch thing, except on the brake pedal.

I had this issue...thankfully was first trying it out on the street w/o traffic around, but I nearly ejected myself through the windshield.

[Streetwise guy]

I used to lfb autocross in my 82 Camaro, mostly to quicken the transition from go to stop. Stock car(fwd), I've really improved my corner exit speed- easy to modulate the brake to set the car on corner exit. Roadrace, I've thought about it, but my home track I think I'd be stretching a bit to find a place to do it- might try the chicane this year....

Every now and then my stock car jumps out of gear. First few times it did that with my left foot on the brake was not good in any way.

[Kai Noeske]

I started trying it when I drove along the windy Great Ocean Road in Australia for a few hours - car was an automatic. I continued in my daily driver (also automatic) and after a few weeks, I had gotten so used to it that I would always drive like that. I feel a lot more in control, having brake and throttle accessible at the smae time, and it feels so much smoother. This was especially helpful at autocrosses.

With the track car (standard 5 spd sync'ed), I am trying because it feels just wrong having to take your foot all the way off the brake to transition to the throttle. Especially with the soft stock suspension, the "rocking period" during which the car is not well balanced feels long and jerky.

Regarding downshift braking zones - talked to an open wheel racer the other day who suggested I try left foot braking in those too, and downshift without the clutch, by just blipping the throttle correctly (gear-> neutral-> blip -> lower gear). Will try that one when I am alone on the road...

[Steven McWilliams Jr]

remember every single open wheel car, besides FV and F500 have a dog ring gear box, the only time the clutch is used is when they take off. It is possible for us to shift without a clutch but we have to do things a lot smoother. I can downshift without the clutch in the Honda, I actually started doing this on accident b/c I would pull the car into the lower gear before I had my clutch pressed in.

There really isn't anything wrong with trying this stuff on track, I learned how to drive a manual (well) and heel toe during my drivers school. It makes things more interesting.

Steven

[lateapex911]

I kinda disagree with the last point. Trying stuff on track that you can try elsewhere is the expensive solution. Every session costs money, and I'd prefer to be 'fine tuning" my skills as opposed to "hmm, I wonder what happens when I do THIS". Then there's the issue of driving like an idiot when others are close by and screwing their laps. Heel and toe? yea, practice on the street as much as possible. It will become second nature, and when you're on the track, you'll just need to adjust to the speed of the situation.

As for LFB while downshifting, Umm, yea, good luck with that. CAN it be done? Sure. Will the car like your learning period? Doubt it.* In the grand scheme of things, I think that's a technique that might result in very slight...at best...improvements in lap times. I bet most of us have far larger areas to concentrate on which will yield much greater returns.

* People (not us bright racer types often ask me, "Does downshifting my car to lose speed save wear on my brakes?" "Why, yes, it does, it saves you wearing out brake pads that cost $50. While increasing wear on your clutch which requires $500 and the removal of the drivetrain to replace".
Shifting without a clutch, on a non dogring trans is possible, but not kind to the transmission synchros and gears unless it is done just so.

[Flyinglizard]

LFB is required to get a good big motored car to tun in. The AS Camaro, Busch car, Vette, all are fastest when setup to push, so that more throttle can be applied. This does require a pedal dance to downshift , brake , and squeeze some power. Basically if the car turns in well, it cant take as much power on the way out.
For the FWD small cars, LFB can also be used to rotate the car a bit and I sometimes use it as a saftey button, esp in the rain. If the car gets too far sideways in the rain, I just pound the brake with the LFoot and spin straight up the track, Hopefully (and so far always) off of the wall. I love the rain..
If traction is very weak and you find the inside front tire spinning, jabbing the brake will slow the spin, applying more power to the more loaded wheel. MM

[Steven McWilliams Jr]

One thing I saw a driver do on Youtube. Right foot brake while downshifting, move his LF over and continue braking with his LF then get on the gas with his RF. This technique has the same characteristics as LFB (more control, turn the car better, on the gas sooner) but he can still downshift. I'll probably start trying this technique this year.

Steven
trying to find the video

[raffaelli]

Some people have issues when they first try it, if they have driven manual transmissions for a long time, where their left foot decides to do the clutch thing, except on the brake pedal. Much hilarity ensues. Practice on the street with no traffic around.

LOLOLOL.

I have done this when jumping from the M3 into the minvan. Makes life interesting in the back seats when loaded up with kids and MickeyD's after we have just pulled away from the drive thru.....

[RedMisted]

OK. Interesting discussion here. But as somebody noted above, not every hot shoe is a believer in LFB. Why is that?

Is it because not everybody is similarly ambidextrous? Do we all have the same motor capacity for the task but possess different levels of patience to learn new skills? Is it lack of confidence?

[JLawton]

OK. Interesting discussion here. But as somebody noted above, not every hot shoe is a believer in LFB. Why is that?

Is it because not everybody is similarly ambidextrous? Do we all have the same motor capacity for the task but possess different levels of patience to learn new skills? Is it lack of confidence?

I think it's just driving style. Some guys like their cars loose, some like them tight. Some down shift 4-3-2, some go 4-2.

[Kai Noeske]

One thing I saw a driver do on Youtube. Right foot brake while downshifting, move his LF over and continue braking with his LF then get on the gas with his RF. This technique has the same characteristics as LFB (more control, turn the car better, on the gas sooner) but he can still downshift. I'll probably start trying this technique this year.

Steven
trying to find the video

I saw the rally drivers' pedal dance on youtube too and figured that this had to be what they were doing; started trying it out in my car and it does not feel too unnatural. The most critical point is the hand...uh, footover of the brake pedal from the right to the left foot. Practiced with my automatic street car first because it has a much broader brake pedal, trying to not change pedal pressure while changing feet.

[Steven McWilliams Jr]

Yeah, I do it in my automatic street car too. The transition between the braking foot isn't as hard as it would seem.
Awesome driving accompanied by awesome 80's beats

Here it is: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGIiarIrUCI[/ame]

Steven

[Simon T.]

I honestly have trouble braking with my right foot. In an automatic I CANNOT brake with my right foot or everyone goes through the windshield. In a manual it's fine on downshifts and stuff but I primarily use my left foot. I think it's because I ran karts so much growing up you get use to it.

I'd say practice on the street, such as coming to stops, etc. In an automatic you can easily learn quickly. I think it's a good advantage to have in any car on the track really.