How's left foot braking related to ALS and how do you do it?

[s0nny80y]

Before ALS, alotta the rally pros used left foot braking. What's left foot braking?
I mean, I think I kinda tried it in my car when I had my left foot resting on the brake at the stop light (yes automatic, don't ask) and I forgot and my right foot floored the gas.

[ACDSupra7]

It's used mostly in Front wheel drive cars. It's pretty simple too. Basically, if you're pushing understeer in a corner, you use the brakes to transfer some weight back on to the front tires.

[DoriFuta-]

Personaly i have not tried left foot braking but my friend has in a 424 wagen.

He said it helps the car to drft alot better along with the e-brake,
then again i wouldn't call a 180 a drft.

[GRiDRaceTech]

Left-foot braking is related to ALS because it allows one foot to brake while the other is keeping pressure on the throttle, allowing the engine to stay on boost throughout braking.

[swifty949]

i do it when i go Karting

[Spy001]

i dont know what they are officially but if im going doing a run in a FF car, i hit the brake with my left foot and keep on the gas, and if you have enough sideways momentum and strong enough rear brakes, coupled with an engine strong enough to hold up against the front you can make the back slide out and get some really tight cornering.

[Ghost of Duluth]

Left foot braking allows you to go around corners faster as well. It allows you to apply braking while under acceleration. This will bring the car down on the suspension, snugging it down to the road so to speak if applied before the turn. It will allow you to go around a turn faster then normal as you have less body roll. Poor mans supension mod in a way. But you don't slam on the brakes, you apply them gradually then keep the gas on. We used it alot in the precision driving class, you can feel it snugging down. When coming to a stop for camera, alot of times they want no body roll. You also may need to come to a rapid stop within a 3 inch square and with no body roll from say 40 mph. No way you gonna do that unless you left foot brake. Try it sometime. It's nice and hard. It works in either FF, FR or AWD, doesn't matter.

Plus the rear end isn't swinging out because of strong rear brakes. Most braking systems go 70/30. The front does 70% of the braking while the rear does 30. What is happening is that when you punch the brakes, the rear end de-compresses and the load shifts to the front. Then when you corner, the rear end, which is alot lighter now, comes around. Simple weight shifting techniques. It's not the rear brakes.

[zdss14]

did eney body watch the f1 us gp (uh..formula 1) this weekened rubens barnachello(spell) was talking about usining in japan and the rest of the season up until sundays usa gp

[Spy001]

awesome, thanks for the info Ghost

[Feint]

Ever ruun downhill in an FF? I don't see the use for "drifting",it's a good grip technique.For the reasons ghost explained,you can cut corners faster.If your going downhill in an FF,your going to feel some understeer,preventing you from turning as sharp at speed.Left foot braking helps out,if you really want to know,try it out yourself.Also,you can manipulate the throttle and quickly let off the gas while going,or manipulating both on and off almost simultaneously.I can't really explain,but if you really want to grasp the technique,then take an FF on a downhill(I'm not promoting this though,but that's the situation where you'd need left braking the most).So if you really want to understand it and get experince,that would be my recommendation.Of course things change when you move to different drivetrains and cars.

[Craftsman]

Thanks. I thought it was just used by Rally Racers to control their drifts.

I knew it would apply here, but you guys clarified what I thought about it intially...

Now if I understood what trail-braking was...

Matt.

[URMachines]

i agree with all things everyone has said.
id just like to add that it can be used when overspeeding into a corner. instead of disturbing the weight balance and LSD that happens when you let off the gas, you can brake and keep your foot lightly on the gas to keep steady balance. this is especially important when you have 1 or 1.5 way LSD becuase of the difference of off and on throttle