Left Foot Braking - Do you do it?
 

Well, since it IS the track section and I don't recall discussing this here before, lets talk about Left Foot Braking.

I was browsing on YouTube and saw the following informational video about left foot braking ....



What is left foot braking?
Pretty interesting.. Now here's a video of left foot braking using Lotus Elise


(If you want, you may FF to 1:00 minute mark because that's when they do the testing)
Btw, watch toward the end of that /\ video where they go from left foot braking to heel and toe to left foot brake AGAIN then accelerate! :eek:

It seems like it's pretty popular in WRC as well





Now, can this be used during Autoxing to shave off time? Here's a discussion

Left foot braking in autocross? - Rennlist Discussion Forums

So, to all track junkies, do you left foot brake in your RWD? Did you notice a faster lap time with left foot braking as oppose to right foot braking?

Discuss ...

I don't.

LFB is a lot easier in race cars with transmissions that don't require clutch operation on shifts.

I feel retarded when I try to brake with my left.

I do it when I don't have to downshift under braking (which is rare at most tracks). It takes a while to get used to, but I used to practice when I used to daily drive a Nissan Titan which was an automatic. When I can do it on the track I prefer to. Every tenth of a second counts in time attack! Its mostly a trick for cars who don't require the use of a clutch to shift (R35 GTR, M3 w/SMG, most professional race cars with sequential transmissions, etc.) Its also good on turbo cars so you can keep the turbos spooled up. Left foot braking does tend to be harder on brakes though depending on how much you do it since there will be a split second where you are on the gas and the brakes at the same time.

I left foot brake on automatics but not manuals as my foot tends to get caught on the clutch.

On the Z you can't really push the gas and brake at the same time as it will cut the throttle about 80% anyway.

^+1

The Z's E-Throttle doesn't let you overlap throttle and brake.

I almost always left foot brake while on straights to combat pad knock and improve initial bite.
But I have been able to do it for entering a corner....but I need to focus sooooo much on it, I usually blow my turn-in.

I brake with the left foot in autos like my Titan and when I race karts (well, obviously). I got real comfortable with it after many MANY hours playing Forza 2 and 3 with the force feedback wheel and pedals. I don't bother in the Z since I don't track it (yet...) and prefer to keep my left foot over or near the clutch.

There ought to be a workaround like on the Titan's electric throttle, well-known over at Titan Talk as the burnout mod. Guys have been doing brake stands at WOT for years, it's a pretty simple mod to do as well. Of course, the trick is figuring out if the wire is the same color on the Z or not...

Burnout Mod Simplified - Nissan Titan Forum

< left foot braker. Just a habit I developed when I started driving.

Yep, too bad you can't do it in the Z due to the E-throttle. Wonder if there is a way to program that 'feature' out...

I agree that Forza can train you to improve your left foot dexterity. After playing a few hours, I went driving around town and could smoothly brake with my left foot. Never was able to do that without going through the windshield before playing Forza with pedals and left foot braking.

I never used to, as I don't track. But when I started playing GTP I started it and now use it in my car as well. Although it's mostly useless on the street... Only on entering certain corners

You look it too pal!! :icon23:

I don't do it on the street or at the track. Maybe if I practiced with a sequential shifter, etc. but otherwise no.

:iagree::iagree:

Just played around with left foot braking on the way back from work. Too bad our cars cut throttle 75-80% when you hit the brake. Definitely can't accelerate out of any corners while braking to distribute torque like in the videos.

The workaround requires you to disable your brake pedal electronics, which will also disable your ABS. So if you are OK to run sans ABS, then go for it. :)

Will you be faster if you can left foot brake on the 370Z? The answer to this question is not clear. Some pros left foot it, but the majority do not. So I don't think left foot braking is needed to extract the most from the 370Z.

Yup. It's very much a personal preference otherwise all pro drivers would be using the same technique.

I'm pretty sure my track days won't go any 'better' if I get another 0.1s faster lap with left foot braking :). Seems like timing the laps would be a more fruitful place to start to improve my lap times!

i know for the 350z all you had to do was pull a fuse from the kickplate box. brake lights. or obviously wire a switch up to it if thats something you did regularly.
but no i have never even attempted for any reason to LFB myself, but i dont really track either

On the Base model I think you disablesrhw brake lights. But on the vdc cars you had to kill power to the abs/vdc module. This was done for drag racing purposes where having abs or brake lights isn't all that critical.

Not sure they're crucial for the road either...oh wait.

I guess I'll just keep working on my left foot clutching :)

If this can be disabled with pulling a fuse, that's a BIG plus for me! I'll have to check into it more...

As an autoxer, I learned LFB several years back...over a winter of constantly doing so....and its now second nature on the course, although I do have to think about it when getting into a corner where a down shift is needed, which isn't very often...

But, there are definitely advantages to doing so in autox...where you can stay on the gas and use the brake to trail brake into a corner, settle the car in slaloms, scrub just a bit of speed without lifting, etc....

pulling a fuse for ABS is legal in class! :tup:

Factory ABS actually leaves about 10-20% of braking potential on the table, so with some practice you should be able to go even faster without ABS. Just some more food for thought.

This is a great thread. :)

You need to buy a spare fuse module (it's a 3-in-1 fuse) so that you can cut the fuse for the ABS without pulling the whole module. If you pull the whole module you will disable VVEL and won't be able to rev above 3000 rpm!

It's been proven that brakes wear faster with that technique 'cause drivers unconsciously tend to rest the left foot on the brake pedal even when not trying to brake.