Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

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Cam Correa
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Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by Cam Correa »

I've got a 100% stock Miata 1.6 & wonder if I should really start practicing left foot braking?
I can see why with a turbo or SuperCharger why you might want to, To keep the boost up, but in a NA engine is the car fighting against gassing & braking to any real advantage?
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Re: Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by Steve Ekstrand »

The advantage is also faster on the brake, faster on the gas.
Downside is mistakes shifting.
Riding the brake and "comfort" braking.

Many top drivers right foot brake. Many top drivers left foot brake. I wouldn't worry too much about it either way.
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Re: Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by Mike Simanyi »

Steve Ekstrand wrote:Many top drivers right foot brake. Many top drivers left foot brake. I wouldn't worry too much about it either way.
What Steve says - and I left foot brake.

There are a whole lot of other areas to work on before getting into that, and frankly it can become a real problem if there are a number of upshifts and related downshifts.

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Re: Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by Cam Correa »

What would you say If I was talking about a Turbo or SuperCharger?
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Re: Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by Will Kalman »

An engine-driven supercharger won't be helped since boost is tied directly to engine speed. For turbo - you'll want to left-foot brake so you can keep some power on and the turbo spooled up (or closer to spooling than otherwise).
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Re: Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by Cam Correa »

Will Kalman wrote:An engine-driven supercharger won't be helped since boost is tied directly to engine speed. For turbo - you'll want to left-foot brake so you can keep some power on and the turbo spooled up (or closer to spooling than otherwise).
Ok that makes perfect sense to me.
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Re: Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by John Stimson »

Left foot braking is generally more effective for front drive cars because the torque from the engine counteracts some of the braking on the front wheels, resulting in more rear-biased braking, which helps bring the tail around in a turn. It's less desirable inf a balanced RWD car. For example, Kevin McCormick, who competed in a stock Miata before switching to Integras and Civics, told me that he never left foot brakes in the Miata, but always does in the ST Civic.
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Re: Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by Art Rinner »

John Stimson wrote:Left foot braking is generally more effective for front drive cars because the torque from the engine counteracts some of the braking on the front wheels, resulting in more rear-biased braking, which helps bring the tail around in a turn. It's less desirable inf a balanced RWD car. For example, Kevin McCormick, who competed in a stock Miata before switching to Integras and Civics, told me that he never left foot brakes in the Miata, but always does in the ST Civic.
I have to disagree, having driven both platforms quite a bit, I would say left foot braking can help both cars, you just have to understand what is happening when you left foot brake. And I feel if you have ABS then left foot braking is not as beneficial as cars without except for the quicker application of brake and gas.

The benefit of LFB is being able to alter traction at one end of the car to help it rotate mid turn otherwise it is no different than RFB other than the quickness you can apply brakes or gas.
FWD cars will have the rear brakes lock before the front ones (when you are on the gas not when you are decelerating) so mid turn a slight application of brakes will cause the front wheels to gain a little traction because you are slowing the front tires down (slightly) and the rear tires will slow down more causing the front tires to pull the rear tires faster than they want to and cause you to lose traction at the rear and cause oversteer and allow the car to rotate.

RWD mid turn will have the front wheels slow down but more than the rear and gain traction, the rear tires will try to push against that with the application of gas and therefore lose traction and cause oversteer.

I guess the real reason to learn LFB is for the ability to trail brake better and with more control. By LFB you are able to modulate your brakes and gas mid turn to get more out of your car.
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Re: Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by Cam Correa »

makes sense to me. Thanks. :thumbup:
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Re: Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by Dan Shaw »

Cam Correa wrote:makes sense to me. Thanks. :thumbup:
Not sure where you are experience wise or how competitive you wanna be, but as they say "master the basics". Sounds trite, but something as simple as knowing how to negotiate a slalom correctly (yes, there is a right and wrong way) will do way more good than adding coordination complexities to your driving. Even knowing how to turn the wheel correctly/correct seat position can have a profound effect.

Not a bad way to think tho. :) going for every 'nth. When I ran my NB Miata I never left foot braked, didn't slow me down much :)
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Re: Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by Cam Correa »

Dan Shaw wrote:
Cam Correa wrote:makes sense to me. Thanks. :thumbup:
Not sure where you are experience wise or how competitive you wanna be, but as they say "master the basics". Sounds trite, but something as simple as knowing how to negotiate a slalom correctly (yes, there is a right and wrong way) will do way more good than adding coordination complexities to your driving. Even knowing how to turn the wheel correctly/correct seat position can have a profound effect.

Not a bad way to think tho. :) going for every 'nth. When I ran my NB Miata I never left foot braked, didn't slow me down much :)
Actually I have only about 4 or 5 races to my name, but just wondered if it was worth getting use to when ever I drive the car ( around town mostly because it will confuse me at this point during a race at this point )

I know I'm real slow at this point all I have to do is remember how fast KJ drove my car around the course being his 1st time in the car to get an idea of how much fast I can run with lots more seat time, its just a race it hard over & over & over to get better & I understand this.

Thanks for your input though. :thumbup:
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Re: Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by Dan Shaw »

Got a TON of useful seat time by taking the Evolution Autox beginner class. Would highly recommend it if you want to be better quicker. learned most of what got me fast from that.
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Re: Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by Cam Correa »

Dan Shaw wrote:Got a TON of useful seat time by taking the Evolution Autox beginner class. Would highly recommend it if you want to be better quicker. learned most of what got me fast from that.
What is this your speaking of?
Either PM or post it publicly?

But if work allows & cash flow allows I'm open to all forms of improvement... :thumbup:
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Re: Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by KJ Christopher »

Cam Correa wrote:
Dan Shaw wrote:Got a TON of useful seat time by taking the Evolution Autox beginner class. Would highly recommend it if you want to be better quicker. learned most of what got me fast from that.
What is this your speaking of?
Either PM or post it publicly?

But if work allows & cash flow allows I'm open to all forms of improvement... :thumbup:
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March 17th.
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Re: Is left foot braking helpful with a NA engine?

Post by Justin Tsang »

Ask Jeff Wong what he thinks about LFB :)
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