left foot braking question...
Discussion
I've read a lot of information on LFB here, but one question I can't seem to find an answer for is what to do about the clutch? If you have to make an emergency stop with your left foot do you not stall the car? Obviously this is ok if you just need to stop, but I can imagine a lot of situations where you would need to stop and then accelerate out of danger.
I am wondering though if I have missed something obvious!
Thanks
I am wondering though if I have missed something obvious!
Thanks
You don't use the left foot for an emegency stop.
It's a means of balancing the car, best used on loose surfaces in FWD cars to induce oversteer and keep up momentum. It's potential is enhanced in a rally car with brake bias adjustment though.
Heel and toe technique is better for road driving in conventional cars IMHO of course.
First time you try LFB do it somewhere away from traffic as your likely to headbut the dash lol.
It's a means of balancing the car, best used on loose surfaces in FWD cars to induce oversteer and keep up momentum. It's potential is enhanced in a rally car with brake bias adjustment though.
Heel and toe technique is better for road driving in conventional cars IMHO of course.
First time you try LFB do it somewhere away from traffic as your likely to headbut the dash lol.
Edited by racingsnake on Friday 18th January 12:55
ing stupid red-herring again ...racingsnake said:
You don't use the left foot for an emegency stop.
It's a means of balancing the car, best used on loose surfaces in FWD cars to induce oversteer and keep up momentum. It's potential is enhanced in a rally car with brake bias adjustment though.
Heel and toe technique is better for road driving in conventional cars IMHO of course.
Well, that's the 'obvious' thing I was missing! When I wrote the original post I was imagining my left foot above the brake and my right foot above the accelerator, and therefore using my left foot to brake. But if I was a good enough driver to even be thinking about using left foot braking on a public road, then I should definitely be good enough to move my feet over. It's a means of balancing the car, best used on loose surfaces in FWD cars to induce oversteer and keep up momentum. It's potential is enhanced in a rally car with brake bias adjustment though.
Heel and toe technique is better for road driving in conventional cars IMHO of course.
What prompted the question was reading about people using LFB to slow the car dramatically in an emergency (on a motorway for example) and saving valuable fractions of seconds, but what I hadn't really thought through was that they were slowing the car but not bringing it to a complete stop - therefore no chance of stalling!
racingsnake said:
First time you try LFB do it somewhere away from traffic as your likely to headbut the dash lol.
racingsnake said:
Heel and toe technique is better for road driving in conventional cars IMHO of course
I agree - I've been reading about heel and toe and left foot braking and I can see heel and toe helping me develop a smoother driving style, LFB not so much! I've started practicing heel and toe in a stationary car - going to be a while before I try it anywhere else!Edited by apocalypso on Friday 18th January 14:10
Edited by apocalypso on Friday 18th January 14:14
apocalypso said:
What prompted the question was reading about people using LFB to slow the car dramatically in an emergency (on a motorway for example) and saving valuable fractions of seconds, but what I hadn't really thought through was that they were slowing the car but not bringing it to a complete stop - therefore no chance of stalling!
Bert
To be honest I have no idea where I read it. I think it was just a site I got to through google. The impression I got from it was that left foot braking was something you did instead of right foot braking rather than as well as right foot braking. Having read this thread, and a few others in this forum, I'm now pretty sure it was referring to an automatic although it didn't make that clear. It may have been an American site though, in which case the reader might have been expected to assume it was referring to an automatic.
I must admit I didn't really understand what left foot braking was for until racingsnake's post above. Now I understand it as a way of balancing the car it makes a whole lot more sense!
ETA - yes the impression was that the foot was poised above the brake pedal. Otherwise, as you say, no advantage at all.
I must admit I didn't really understand what left foot braking was for until racingsnake's post above. Now I understand it as a way of balancing the car it makes a whole lot more sense!
ETA - yes the impression was that the foot was poised above the brake pedal. Otherwise, as you say, no advantage at all.
Edited by apocalypso on Friday 18th January 15:58
LeoSayer said:
apocalypso said:
To be honest I have no idea where I read it.
I remember Honest John in the Telegraph talking about that with regard to automatic gearboxes only, his opinion was that you should always use left foot for braking and right foot for gas and never swap.I feel consistancy is the key. My left foot stays welded to the bulkhead in an auto.
Hmm, A long while ago now.
I was a motorcyclist before a car driver.
Yet, I can remember I thought then, about how driving a car, there is a delay in moving the right foot.
As opposed to those right fingers poised over the lever.
Might help explain why my right foot is positioned above the middle pedal when circumstances, anticipation and observation dictate.
LFB?
On the Public Highway?
Can of worms.
Iirc, there's a Paramedic somewhere around here who does argue for it.
I was a motorcyclist before a car driver.
Yet, I can remember I thought then, about how driving a car, there is a delay in moving the right foot.
As opposed to those right fingers poised over the lever.
Might help explain why my right foot is positioned above the middle pedal when circumstances, anticipation and observation dictate.
LFB?
On the Public Highway?
Can of worms.
Iirc, there's a Paramedic somewhere around here who does argue for it.
WeirdNeville said:
LeoSayer said:
apocalypso said:
To be honest I have no idea where I read it.
I remember Honest John in the Telegraph talking about that with regard to automatic gearboxes only, his opinion was that you should always use left foot for braking and right foot for gas and never swap.I feel consistancy is the key. My left foot stays welded to the bulkhead in an auto.
Edited by LeoSayer on Sunday 20th January 21:03
agent006 said:
apocalypso said:
using LFB to slow the car dramatically in an emergency (on a motorway for example) and saving valuable fractions of seconds
Surely the thinking time increase would negate any advantage.WhoseGeneration said:
john_69 said:
What's a Clutch?
A gaggle of cantankerous posters on an internet forum.Supposedly discussing driving.
Claimed to be "advanced".
You would think, wouldn't you...I've experimented with LFB with intention of tightening the line through a corner. I've already changed down and have my right foot back over the gas, dab of left foot to pitch the car's weight forward onto the front wheels to reduce understeer.
I've made it work. A bit. It was fun trying but I'm fairly sure I wasn't gaining much. This might well be an indication of my driving skills vs "proper" drivers but there you go.
I have actually found LFB more useful on the road.
A technique wherein one very, very lightly depresses the brake pedal with the left foot enough to illuminate the brake lights whilst simultaeneously depressing the accelerator with the right foot. This provides the illusion to the drivers behind that you are slowing gently whilst you are actually accelerating away from them.In the right circumstances around town at lowish speeds this can open up a gap between a tailgater and the rear of your car without endangering anyone. Repeat as necessary. Since 99% of all tailgaters are NOT malicious - just a bit crap at driving - they don't even notice that they are now driving 30 yards behind instead of three. Can be useful - in limited circumstances.
BertBert said:
apocalypso said:
What prompted the question was reading about people using LFB to slow the car dramatically in an emergency (on a motorway for example) and saving valuable fractions of seconds, but what I hadn't really thought through was that they were slowing the car but not bringing it to a complete stop - therefore no chance of stalling!
Bert
In most situations, it is less likely that you will need to bring the car to a halt, and more likely that you will need to trim your speed quickly. By covering the brake with your left foot, you can maintain your throttle position with your right. If the risk that caused you to cover the brake should materialise, you can effect some retardation quickly.
Even if you should have the need to bring the car to a complete halt, in 5th gear the car won't stall until it's going less than 10 mph. In that case there would be ample time after the braking had begun to move your right foot to the brake and then de-clutch with your left.
In road driving, obviously one should take great pains to avoid getting into a position where one would need the savings of 0.2 sec that LFB would provide, but it is accessible.
Best to develop necessary LF sensitivity in an automatic.
I can vouch for the headbutting thing...
I tried left foot braking just by way of an experiment doing pretty much a 1st gear crawl on my driveway and very nearly took out my teeth on the steering wheel.
It felt like someone else had stuck their foot on the brake!
Methinks I will leave this for another day, maybe with some tuition...
I tried left foot braking just by way of an experiment doing pretty much a 1st gear crawl on my driveway and very nearly took out my teeth on the steering wheel.
It felt like someone else had stuck their foot on the brake!
Methinks I will leave this for another day, maybe with some tuition...
WhoseGeneration said:
Hmm, A long while ago now.
I was a motorcyclist before a car driver.
Yet, I can remember I thought then, about how driving a car, there is a delay in moving the right foot.
As opposed to those right fingers poised over the lever.
Might help explain why my right foot is positioned above the middle pedal when circumstances, anticipation and observation dictate.
LFB?
On the Public Highway?
Can of worms.
Iirc, there's a Paramedic somewhere around here who does argue for it.
Err.... that would be me - I've used LFB for over 20 years now and- while I would hasten to add I am not advocating that everyone should be using LFB - it should not be taboo to suggest there may be a valid and ultimately instinctive utilisation of the technique in road-driving by some. I was a motorcyclist before a car driver.
Yet, I can remember I thought then, about how driving a car, there is a delay in moving the right foot.
As opposed to those right fingers poised over the lever.
Might help explain why my right foot is positioned above the middle pedal when circumstances, anticipation and observation dictate.
LFB?
On the Public Highway?
Can of worms.
Iirc, there's a Paramedic somewhere around here who does argue for it.
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