left foot braking dirt/snow techniques?

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mr.wigglesaur

mr.wigglesaur

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ive recently picked up on the rally driving technique known as left foot braking, and simply put, after spending an hour driving around some dirt and road surfaces, i can't really determine how to use the technique. I can see that in front wheel drive and grippier all wheel drive cars it induces oversteer, and i can also use the technique to keep momentum and turbo at its peak, but i cant really determine how often to use it, which turns it is proper for, and how to keep momentum through the turns at maximum speed, be they longer sloped turns or a hairpin. i am wondering how to simply determine how it is used correctly, how i can master it, what its proper purpose in a rally/rallycross event is, and what car it should be utilized in.

thank you for all your input! :)
 
mr.wigglesaur
ive recently picked up on the rally driving technique known as left foot braking, and simply put, after spending an hour driving around some dirt and road surfaces, i can't really determine how to use the technique. I can see that in front wheel drive and grippier all wheel drive cars it induces oversteer, and i can also use the technique to keep momentum and turbo at its peak, but i cant really determine how often to use it, which turns it is proper for, and how to keep momentum through the turns at maximum speed, be they longer sloped turns or a hairpin. i am wondering how to simply determine how it is used correctly, how i can master it, what its proper purpose in a rally/rallycross event is, and what car it should be utilized in.

thank you for all your input! :)
Click to expand...

Using this technique in real life, I can assure you that the more you do it, the better you'll get.

Doing it in GT allows you to make mistakes. Make those mistakes! Learn from them.

Above all else, don't let anyone ever tell you left foot braking is wrong. It's not wrong, just different.

Your observations about the technique are spot on. The fact you've learned to induce a cars abilities/tendencies shows you're already well along the path. You've just got to put the turns together, and that simply takes practice.

Good on ya!!!
 
mr.wigglesaur
ive recently picked up on the rally driving technique known as left foot braking, and simply put, after spending an hour driving around some dirt and road surfaces, i can't really determine how to use the technique. I can see that in front wheel drive and grippier all wheel drive cars it induces oversteer, and i can also use the technique to keep momentum and turbo at its peak, but i cant really determine how often to use it, which turns it is proper for, and how to keep momentum through the turns at maximum speed, be they longer sloped turns or a hairpin. i am wondering how to simply determine how it is used correctly, how i can master it, what its proper purpose in a rally/rallycross event is, and what car it should be utilized in.

thank you for all your input! :)
Click to expand...

I see from the OP that you have written, using the left foot braking technique for you will introduce oversteer and will keep the turbo at its peak.I suggest using the left foot braking technique in the following scenarios:

  • When braking into a tight corner and you need the car to oversteer a little without using the e-brake.
  • When doing long corners and you need to point your car to the apex without using e-brake to slow you down too much.
  • When you're braking straight into a corner without turning into it when you're still on the brakes

The whole point of left foot braking is to get back on the gas as soon as possible. F1 drivers in real life also use this technique so left foot braking is a skill that can be used for more than snow/dirt rallies.
 
Using my DFGT wheel and pedals I've recently learnt to left foot brake. If you drive a manual transmission car as most European drivers do, it is very difficult to resist the tendency to bury the left foot to the floor, as that's what you always do with the clutch, every time you stop or change gear!

We have two cars, one, my wife's, an automatic and when we got this my wife who has driven manual transmission for over 40 year had a deal of trouble with her left foot wanting to declutch as she stopped. Next time she drove the manual car, some three months after she got the automatic, she was struggling to remember to use her left foot for gear changes.

So in three months she had started to adapt to the different driving style.

I have to admit at first when I was using the wheel with left foot braking had me needing to concentrate when back in my manual transmission car! But there again I drive the wheel more often than my car. The joys of being retired!!
 
byegad
Using my DFGT wheel and pedals I've recently learnt to left foot brake. If you drive a manual transmission car as most European drivers do, it is very difficult to resist the tendency to bury the left foot to the floor, as that's what you always do with the clutch, every time you stop or change gear!

We have two cars, one, my wife's, an automatic and when we got this my wife who has driven manual transmission for over 40 year had a deal of trouble with her left foot wanting to declutch as she stopped. Next time she drove the manual car, some three months after she got the automatic, she was struggling to remember to use her left foot for gear changes.

So in three months she had started to adapt to the different driving style.

I have to admit at first when I was using the wheel with left foot braking had me needing to concentrate when back in my manual transmission car! But there again I drive the wheel more often than my car. The joys of being retired!!
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Well you know you have already played GT5 too much when you confuse it with real life :p .
 
Is there a different way of braking, I always brake with my left foot when using my wheel. It might be worth noting that I don't drive IRL.
 
hairystig
Is there a different way of braking, I always brake with my left foot when using my wheel. It might be worth noting that I don't drive IRL.
Click to expand...

You either brake with your right or you left foot. There is not other specific way of braking. Which foot you brake with depends on your driving style and what kind of race you are doing.

If you are driving in real life, for instance, and you are just cruising along, it's best to brake with your right foot so you don't get confused and don't press the clutch when stopping. If you are doing rally driving, F1, NASCAR or you are driving on the Nurburgring with a car that you don't have to frequently change gears with, then it might help to use the left foot braking technique as it will help you get on the brakes and the acceleration quicker as well as keeping the turbo pressure up. If your car has turbo at all that is...
 
Also the technique can be used to prevent oversteer and point the car.

Come away from rally driving and take to the track in a light MR car (Lotus Elise for example), in long, tightish turns like the final turn at Tsukuba the rear end will be fighting to break out especially if you turned in then lifted off.

Instead if you release the power out, but not all the way and use the brake while still on the gas to scrub the speed off, the rear end will be a lot more stable and the nose will "point" to the apex.

This is especially useful if you don't use ABS like me. I predominantly right foot brake but for certain corners like this on and Bit-Kurve at Nurb. GP/D I bring in the left foot. 👍
 

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