Superhatch

It was Walter Röhrl that did the crazy foot work..

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/we...MxeTU0MQ%3D%3D

Here is a video I uploaded..just a taste im afraid. But you get to see him left foot brake..then switch his left foot tho the clutch, and the right foot to the brake..I wish you guys could see the video I did. Its like 2 min of his foot work...amazing.

-Jake

RSGGSR

OT
Thanks for posting that Video. Brought back some memories of when the car I most wanted was a Audi Quatro
I remember the footage of the footwork. Amazing

ITR764

an instructor told me that anywhere i was braking and not having to down shift to left foot brake. it allowed me to get back into the throttle faster and once i got the hang of it i do it all the time.

best time to practice is when no one is around or for me it was during the traffic jam at VIR. getting caught up in those cars allowed me to try some stuff like this.

ExAcc

Also allows you to modulate the front to rear weight distribution.....this is mostly used by rally drivers, to keep a controlled slide.....

Boostless97Lude

anyone remember this pic?

not left foot braking, but similar, well, sort of

straight from Honda of Japan, and an old H-T post as well

SUPERAUTOBACS

Please correct me if im wrong on this. If u want to properly LFB, it is necessary to have a 5/6 point harness. The reason behind this is that when u apply the brake pedal with ur left foot, u have nothing to hold ur weight from the braking force, making proper pedal modulation close to impossible. In this situation, ur pretty much relying on the brake pedal itself as a dead-pedal.

Knestis

That is really a good point...

Kirk

Angry Joe

Hmm two pedal setup for FSAE? Hope you get some testing time Are you guys doing a hand clutch on the shifter or something fancier? If it's the former, are downshifts tricky?

NegativeLift

the FSAE car in question has a two-pedal setup, mainly because all of our drivers have been die-hard karters. Also because Carroll Smith likes it

It has a hand shifter and clutch on the left hand side.

For 2003 we are looking at electro-pneumatic shifting, since the left hand location is a bit counterintuitive. As for downshifts I'll comment on that after I drive it.

Having said that, it worked well enough for the car to get the fastest endurance lap in 2001

Angry Joe

On the left? That's even more *** backwards We use pneumatic paddle shifters but still have a foot clutch. Of course we're keeping a backup mount for a hand shifter just in case, on the right side of the cockpit.

Paranoid Android

the only time i ever use left foot to brake is when i come to the slalom part of the course, right as i turn the wheel slightly for the next slalom, i tap the break with my left, it keeps the car more balanced, which in turn saves time. also it gives you more turning in a given time (milli second), where you would straighten out faster, and lay on the gas a bit more. it was a national pro driver who taught me to do that. so i trust that it has its uses.

SCCA SOLO2

NegativeLift

so your drivers still right foot brake?

I'll quote what I heard Carroll Smith say at FSAE 2002, as I climbed and pushed a few students out of the way to get within earshot:

"There are very good drivers who don't left foot brake. But they'd be better if they did."

carl_aka_carlos

KU runs a pneumatic shifter, clutch on the steering column....their chick driver said all they gotta do is breath on the gas when shifting....didn't get to see her runs though

DaGoatCRXSi

I once had to drive a Passat that stalled everytime you let the RPMs drop to idle. so I would ****** it out of gear when I was comming off the gass and brake with my left foot so I could keep teh RPMs up. I cant tell you how many times I shook myself up getting all confused thinking I was pushing teh clutch. Only took me about a half hour of city driving to get used to it though. On and one more thing...

Is that pic wrong? From what I can tell its representing a gear change on teh brakes but hits the gass once the selecter is already in second. From what I found that works well and from what ive seen alot of drivers do is come out of gear come off teh clutch then kick the gass. Depress clutch and then go into gear. Thats my understanding of heal toeing. Please correct me if im wrong.

Batoutahell

Yes the pic shows heel-toe. You blip the throttle right before you release the clutch in the lower gear. Unlike the picture, I actually blip the throttle before my gear change is completed. I feel it's more fluid and takes less time that way.

SUPERAUTOBACS

But is there any difference between the two methods? I dont know enough about the mechanics of transmission operation but maybe one of the two methods is 'easier' on the....mmm, i dunno, the sychro's perhaps???

Batoutahell

DaGoatCRXSi is describing double-clutching, which is very useful in racecars that do not have synchronized gears. The animated picture shows single-clutch shifting, which is fine for any street car with synchro's.

SUPERAUTOBACS

Actually, i was pointing out whether there is any difference in blipping the throttle with the shift lever already in lower gear versus blipping it while the lever is in neutral.
Well, if i think about it really, this whole process happens pretty quickly that its probably hard to follow either method. i hope im making sense here.

Batoutahell

Well, if the clutch is depressed when you blip, the tranny is disconnected from the flywheel altogether, so it doesn't make any difference if you blip before, during or after the shift lever moves into gear. The only catch is you need to complete the downshift and re-engage the clutch before the revs fall in order for the blip to serve its purpose of rev-matching.

SUPERAUTOBACS

Yes, i agree that is one place where u can use LFB. Actually, thats the only place where it can be benefitial.
Were u there for the AJR/Proformance track day?

Pedal Karts

Hi there superhatch! I have recently watch it. They are really so cool!

MBellRacing

Hey, quick two cents...

LFBing is a gray area, all the way into the pro ranks. I do not use my left foot very often. Many of my colleagues (most of which come from karting background) do. There is VERY rarely a difference on the data between drivers using their left foot to brake and drivers who don't. People say it's faster, but the difference is seriously negligible. If you're looking for that last 0.001 second and therefore want to LFB, then you won't likely be posting on this forum!

It comes down to comfort. Do it if it feels right.

slick1851

Left foot braking should be faster on laggy turbo setups



No idea about NA motors

The old rally cars had to be driven with left foot braking to keep the turbo spooled

joenationwide

Good to hear that.

I think LFB really benefits FWD cars to help with rotation, and turbo cars to help keep the turbo spooled.

As MBell indicated, I think the idea of saving time by not having to move the right foot from brake to gas is less significant.

That being said, next year will be my first year competing in a powerful FWD car in Solo2 SMF, and I think I should learn to LFB.

Colby71

Trail braking or left foot braking will help create over steer and your car rotate through a corner. If you make your car not idle and have to use the gas so the car does not stall it will force you to left foot brake do that for a week and you will have it down.