Well, I've been practicing left foot braking for about a week now, won't say I've got it "down pat," but was wondering, is it any better than what I would call "traditional" braking (as in your left foot only works the clutch, the right foot does brake and throttle)?

Have to say, left foot braking is MORE fun to drive with, can corner and control the car a lot better compared to just when only using my right foot (actually seems safer too). ANYWAYS, since I'm still grasping the technique, any road race/autox drivers able to provide some input about left foot braking? Advantages and disadvantages? Opinions? It's for a FWD car, but RWD opinions are welcome too!

Thanks!

 

well i have to say that i began left foot braking when i had to deal with a fast corner that required that i needed throttle to the car going at pace. i found that was losing too much front traction however by keeping the foot in the gas but if i feather the throttle, i was just not going fast enough. i then decided that i should try left footing here because in my mind, if i keep my right foot on the gas, how can the back end come out on me right? well i found that left footing makes the car gain back the needed front wheel traction. it works great! i was surprised.

the speeds at which i was left footing by the way was at about 80mph.

 

I'm interested to hear about this too...I didn't understand why they denounced left foot braking at the LVRSCCA school when so many successful drivers do it.

 

i'm barely starting to be able to utilize lfb in auto-x just recently. when you said practicing, are you just getting your left foot sensitive in the streets or are you actually pushing it hard on turns?


the only thing i found different in lfb vs "traditional" on straights (or right before the turn in) is that i can brake a little later since i can hit the brakes faster (rather than getting my right foot off the accelerator, then move it over to the brakes and then pushing on the pedal. plus this is during auto-x so once i was in 2nd i didn't need to shift or hit the clutch anymore)

during the turn, i noticed that you can tap the brakes and it'll have the same effect as lift throttle but it felt like the car would react faster than lift throttle (could be a mental thing tho ). if i hold the brake, it'll feel like my front end gets sucked into the inside of the turn. if i hit the brakes harder i end up going straight.

i think when i hit the brakes too hard in the turn, i overload the tires (as you would slamming on the brakes w/ your right foot during a turn). my car is completely stock including nasty stock tires which may be a facter

i've came up with a few ideas/theories since the past 4 or 5 auto-x (which was when i started experimentign w/ lfb), but i'm not even sure if i'm right. i'm not sure if the way i do it and the what i get from it is the same w/ everyone else. so if i'm wrong maybe someone can correct me & help me out too

 

Some cars it's near impossible to LFB on an auto-x because the vaccuum for the brakes is used up in other systems under full throttle. (Like a WRX).

Sure you can do light braking, but heavy braking under full boost will yeaild hardly any brakes.

--kC
(Doesn't LFB)

 

lfb advantages: quicker transition from throttle to brake, settles (well, some cars it doesn't, mr spyder comes to mind) the car down

lfb disadvantages: hard to become acclimated, easy to flatspot tires when starting out (no abs), and it feels like you are doing the riverdance in your footwell if you have to shift often, or heel/toe downshift at all.

all in all, i find that when i lfb my civic, i am ultimately faster.

 

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Some advantages are quicker reaction, ability to make adjustments to the line in a turn while on gas (which in most cases gives similar results as just lifting off the gas), keep some boost up through some sections in a turbo car.

The main disadvantage that also applies to making downshifts during an autox run or heal & toeing in general is that if until you are not really proficient and comfortable left foot braking, it will only cost you more speed/time than anything you may gain from doing it. Some cars (talon also) like the post above pointed out loose the power assist if trying to brake while on the gas and when that happens you need to compensate with a much heavier foot, which again may be more distracting than anything and result in a slower time. (Good job KC at Topeka! )

 

LFB can work very well. I use it most of the time when autocrossing. It can really help to settle a car if done right. The danger in using LFBing is you may end up braking too much for a turn and you can induce lock up of the front brakes much more easily.

The lock up occurs when you apply the brakes too hard before the weight transfers back to the front of the car. In simple terms, as you accelerate in a straight, the weight is transferred to the rear wheels. Under normal rfb, you must left off the gas before applying the brake, in doing so, the cars weight begins to transfer to the front of the car before you even apply the brakes. So when you finally do apply the brakes, the additional weight transferred to the front helps to prevent lockup.

Now if you are lfbing, you can start your braking before you a completely off the gas. If you start braking too hard before the weight of the car has transferred, you can easily lock the front wheels. Thereby, INCREASING your braking distance needed. So you need to make sure if you are using lfbing that you slowly squeeze the pedal, do not mash it.

I saw Danny Popp put on an incredible display of car control at nationals using lfbing. For those of you that do not know Danny, he is a Corvette mech and has been building top Street Prepared Vette's for a long time. He is the current ASP national champ.

At nationals ASP had to run in the rain on Thursday, Danny running his Z06 went up on the entire ASP field by 1.4 seconds on this day. He would turn the car in on a cone to the point you would swear he as going to hit it with the rear of the car, then would apply just enough throttle to get the car to start rotating, the instant it did, he would use lfbing (while still on the throttle) to ease the transfer from acceleration to deceleration and the car would bend right around the cones. It was very smooth.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by KC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Some cars it's near impossible to LFB on an auto-x because the vaccuum for the brakes is used up in other systems under full throttle. (Like a WRX).

Sure you can do light braking, but heavy braking under full boost will yeaild hardly any brakes.

--kC
(Doesn't LFB)</TD></TR></TABLE>

i noticed that in the Mazda 6's

 

Speaking of LFB on Mazda 6's... I tried this at the Rev It Up event. The car just wouldn't get up to power very quickly coming out of a turn. It worked ok, yet I'm not very used to LFB anyway.

 

Well, in case those reading are wondering, I am practicing left foot brake techs. (LFB) on the street, mostly when I'm nearly alone/ alone on the road. So far, the feedback on this topic has been great, glad to hear I'm not the only one LFBing out there!

ANYWAYS, the turning of my Civic is much more solid into corners while LFB. Can do it on the fly now while getting to a freeway on-ramp, really helps to maintain speed on sharp turns such as those. Plus, on more rounded out turns, such as looping curves (i.e. freeway on-ramps again), LFBing seems to provide "corrections" and stability in what in the past has been a G-force battle in my seat.

LFBing isn't for everyone (DEFINETELY needs coordination, especially in gear selection prior, during, and after LFBing). I think the black Civic behind me yesterday found this out as he nearly powerslided through the turn I had just LFB'ed through did.

Welcome further input on the topic, plus I'll be starting another one on E-brake turns...

 

over on NewCelica, I read a post from Brian Priebe that left-foot brakers tend to be quicker through sweepers, and traditionals tend to be quicker through transitions. Thus, a blend may be optimal.

 

I like LFB anywhere that I need moderate braking, but no down shift (like Hog Pen entry at VIR, or #3a #4, #4b & #5 at Charlotte). It seems to settle the car nicely and the motor stays spooled up. In the rain, I use it alot more; keeps things balanced and reduces trailing throttle oversteer.

I had a bad experience trying to coordinate LFB with a down shift! I don't go there anymore!

 

I find that if you trail brake enough, you should be fine. Remember that slow in=fast out. If you are overpowering the fronts so much, you either can adjust your tire pressure, do more turning earlier in the turn, or get a LSD. Most times in a well setup FWD car, a slight lift will induce enough rotation to forgo the need for LFB. I find that I am too busy to be smooth if I use the left foot to brake.
Of course, each situation calls for a different solution, but 9 times out of 10, I am slower when I LFB.

 

I've been given the analogy that LFB is much like a tool in a toolbelt. Not something you use all the time, but something nice to have and beneficial in certain situations.

That said, if overused it will actually make you slower, so use it wisely!

 

Have to say, LFBing is a "tool" more than a style.

Definetely something nice to now be able to do, especially in autocross and prersonal practices through the local mountain road ways.

Thanks for the input!