Comments on: Left foot braking

By: Richard Eldred

Richard Eldred — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:27:29 +0000

I learnt how to drive in a ‘89 Volvo 740, an Auto. Left foot braking was what was taught to me by my parents right off the bat, driving instructor and mates who had just gone for their license beat it out of me. However, not long after, I put my left foot back where (I think) it belongs. Can’t say I really felt much effect of left foot braking in a RWD, theory wise I can’t see how it can really work in the FR layout. I drive a ‘93 Suzuki Swift with a manual trans now, and after keeping my left foot on the clutch the whole time while I learnt to manipulate it, I’ve now shifted to more rally style peddle juggling.

The effect during cornering in a FWD car is immense. With anywhere from a squeeze to an outright smash, understeer can be turned into neutralsteer, or into oversteer.

I’m not looking forward to the day I do an advanced driving course to snag the cheaper insurance, I’m far too used to having the brake pedal so close to foot. It’s empowering to know that you can attack a corner you’ve never seen before and respond to any change in the road in a near instant.

By: Jelle De Loecker

Jelle De Loecker — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:43:19 +0000

I was a left-foot-braker ever since my first driver’s lesson. My instructor tried to beat it out of me, but when the lessons were done I waited for a few months and bought myself a new automatic car.

I couldn’t even understand why everybody would NOT want to left-foot-brake. It’s something so natural to me, it’s so fast (talking about the response time and ability to give gas, too), it’s so easy, it’s so smooth!

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 02:58:38 +0000

Motorkhanas are great, because you can take an otherwise ordinary car and have a go. I used my road car (albeit that I am setting the car up for occasional track work) to the event and had a go.
My car is nothing fancy, none of the modern driving aids, so i don’t know how those would affect LFB.
And no, no special changes need to be made to the braking bias. Just as in a FWD, the use of LFB to shift weight to the front and induce oversteer works the same in a RWD. There may be subtle difference on how it all feels and works in practice, but principally they have the same effect.
I accept that you said you had no experience, I was mearly meaning that there is some use for it, be it RWD, FWD or AWD.
I would see LFB as a skill to be known, but not necessarily one that needs to be used. The use of LFB, in my opinion, is something that is normally only needed off the street.

By: Darren Roles

Darren Roles — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:55:41 +0000

Just to clarify what I said earlier in this thread: I said I had NO EXPERIENCE with LFB in RWD cars, I didn’t say it had no benefit in this application I was only stating my experience using LFB in a FWD vehicle.

However, I would imagine that using LFB in RWD cars to induce oversteer would require modifications to brake bias and the like?? Not to mention issues with ABS and stability control systems which from my understanding are designed to eliminate/minimise any oversteer or what the ECU determines to be a ‘loss’ of control.

Now we starting to get into tuning of your vehicle for specialist applications; drag racing, drifting, motorkhana, circuit and rallying all would require different set-ups wouldn’t they…

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:42:14 +0000

Just read Winstons comment.

And I have to agree with Ray K. Not entirely true. Using LFB on a FWD to encourage some increased oversteer (or reduced understeer), it is the same for a RWD.
If you ever do Motorkhanas then it is exceptionally tight turns that you’re trying to achieve. You want the rear tyres to loose grip, so you really want serious amounts of oversteer around the turns.
Similarly, understeering becomes more of an issue with an LSD.

By: John Sancrant

John Sancrant — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:14:28 +0000

While a skilled driver who is aware of the technical subtleties involved may use left foot braking to reduce brake application delay time, the practice has draw backs for the average person.
The main problem from using the left foot, is that it typically results in the brakes being partially applied unintentionally, a considerable percentage of the time with the obvious negative consequences, of excessive fuel consumption and very high brake lining wear. In addition, “unintended acceleration” is more likely for some unskilled persons who are easily rattled when the unexpected occurs.

By: Ray K

Ray K — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:04:15 +0000

Had to laugh when I read Darren & Winston, NOT saying they are wrong, just that I was going to say the opposite. I learned to left foot in the ’60s when racing RWDs , havent tried on a modern FWD.
Have to disagree with the “doc”, left footing should be a calculated and practiced technique not an emergency responce. Read the article in Motor this month from Mercedes. Most drivers dont brake hard enough ! If your car has ABS , in an emergency you SHOULD brake hard enough to activate the ABS. It is the fastest and safest way to stop and keep control (except on gravel-whole ‘nother story). I learned to “cadence” brake – slam-release-slam-release – ABS in your head.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 08:14:40 +0000

I have found a left-foot dab at the brakes useful before entering a certain sweeper at my local track. This is less unsettling to the car than coming off the throttle to dab the brake. However, it is necessary to remember that, if you have vaccuum assisted brakes, the usual assistance will not be sustained for long if you are also using the throttle.

By: doctorpat

doctorpat — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 03:24:46 +0000

I first learned to do this after Julian first wrote about LFB some years ago.

I am grateful. Not for the handling (I tend not to drive on a public road to the point where a BMW will understeer) but because of the reaction time.

There have been a number of times when, having the braking foot ready to go, has meant a much safer emergency stop than otherwise.

Thankfully, I don’t think any of them would have been accidents if I was using my right foot to brake, but they would definitely have activated ABS or locked wheels. And I regard doing so on a public road as a personal failure.

Off road is a different matter all together

By: Howard

Howard — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 05:54:34 +0000

I like to use left foot braking on challenging winding roads, especially down hill ones, where you don’t need to down change to negotiate a corner. It’s a semi-normal thing from when I learned to drive my Dad’s go-kart when I was a kid. Right foot for go, left foot for slow.