Braking with left foot

[bigbadboss101]

Anyone brake with their left foot? Just realized someone does that in their automatic vehicle. 1 in 10000 ? I was going WTF!!

[firebane]

Braking with left foot in an automatic is someone being a COMPLETE MORON and should be told straight up to drive properly.

Doing so can result in riding the brake and letting the lights stay on or overbraking and not being able to properly brake in emergency situations.

:eek: :nut:

[Zhariak]

Originally posted by firebane
Braking with left foot in an automatic is someone being a COMPLETE MORON and should be told straight up to drive properly.

Doing so can result in riding the brake and letting the lights stay on or overbraking and not being able to properly brake in emergency situations.

:eek: :nut:

This fucking pisses me off sooo much when people do this. Especially in rush hour traffic. So dangerous!

[baygirl]

My dad was teaching a neighbor to drive, and she would always use her left foot to brake. His solution: jam the laces to her left sneaker in the door so she couldn't move it lol

[AE92_TreunoSC]

There's nothing wrong with any way of driving as long as its done properly and safely.

I know of 2 people who naturally do this.

I started doing it as a teen when I heard Schumacher did it. I got really good at it, to the point where you'd never know. But its a technique usually used to keep the engine going hard.

If you left foot brake and gas now in a modern car it will cut fuel thanks to all the safety gods and run away toyotas :(

[Star1995]

Seems to me to be common for taxi drivers, I always seem to get behind a cab with the brake lights on and off 30 times in a two block run. Now just for laughs when I get in front of a cab I try to do the same.:thumbsup:

[LSChevelle]

My dad does this, I always thought he was crazy until I got my Chevelle. You pretty much have to double foot to get an old school, big cam, high stall car around haha.

Like mentioned above, I had a hard time getting used to it, but now I'm actually really good. I've even left-foot braked in emergency situations with no issues. That's with drum brakes in the rear and no abs. :dunno:

I can see how it would be a complex thing to figure out if you're the type of person who would confuse the gas for the brake though.

[roll_over]

This was covered in an episode of initial d

[xnvy]

I do it. Started last year before I was going to visit my cousins in NH and take a course at Team O'Neill. Ended up going to Japan but kept up the left foot braking.

I brake with my left foot nearly all the time except for when approaching red lights for some reason. Force of habit I guess. :dunno:


I also realize it's more than pointless in an N/A FWD with an AT but on gravel it's fun. And in the off-chance I win the lottery and purchase my dream Lancia O37, left-foot braking will be useful.

[Kloubek]

If I brake with my left foot, I end up applying WAY too much pressure for some reason. Like my left leg is double as strong or something.

Good thing I know how to drive properly....

[bignerd]

I also dont think this is correct and would assume you would fail your drivers licensing test for doing this?

I have driven stick my entire life, and last year we bought an Evo MR. So it has paddle shifters and is basically an automatic. I was parking one day, and will admit was distracted and I went back to my habits of driving stick, was slowing down and mashed my left foot on the brake thinking it was the clutch and damn near broke my neck (we still own a manual vehicle so I drive both, but rarely drive the Evo).

I use my left foot for the clutch all the time and cannot imagine how difficult it would be to drive with it for the brake.

Isn't there some safety study that if you use both feet to drive you are more likely to apply the gas as well as the brake in an accident? I honestly thought there was a reason why you do not drive two footed?

[firebane]

Originally posted by LSChevelle
My dad does this, I always thought he was crazy until I got my Chevelle. You pretty much have to double foot to get an old school, big cam, high stall car around haha.

Like mentioned above, I had a hard time getting used to it, but now I'm actually really good. I've even left-foot braked in emergency situations with no issues. That's with drum brakes in the rear and no abs. :dunno:

I can see how it would be a complex thing to figure out if you're the type of person who would confuse the gas for the brake though.

You can fix this by simply upping the base idle to help compensate.

[LSChevelle]

Originally posted by Kloubek
If I brake with my left foot, I end up applying WAY too much pressure for some reason. Like my left leg is double as strong or something.

Good thing I know how to drive properly....

Do you normally drive cars with a clutch? One of the hardest things for me was to overcome over-applying the brake because I was used to driving a stiff clutch car.

[LSChevelle]

Originally posted by firebane


You can fix this by simply upping the base idle to help compensate.

I like where the idle is at, doesn't idle too high while in park and doesn't stall when in gear. :dunno:

[eglove]

Only if you're Flynn (Walt Jr)

[desto2para]

Originally posted by eglove
Only if you're Flynn (Walt Jr)

Exactly what I was thinking when I saw this post!
:rofl:

[flipstah]

Originally posted by Kloubek
If I brake with my left foot, I end up applying WAY too much pressure for some reason. Like my left leg is double as strong or something.

Good thing I know how to drive properly....

+1.

Tried it once when I read that reaction times are better but when I did, it's like I was learning to drive all over again. :rofl:

Too hard when pressing.

[xnvy]

EDIT: @eglove's post, ^:rofl:

I don't left foot brake in the manual though, way too confusing for me. The only thing about it that bothers me (which isn't really related to LFB at all) is when I switch from the MT to the AT and I kick the dead pedal (my MT has a stiff clutch) when I try to start the car. Kills my knee everytime.

[That.Guy.S30]

wouldnt it kinda be like go kart racing?

[firebane]

Originally posted by That.Guy.S30
wouldnt it kinda be like go kart racing?

Not even the same!

Go Kart brakes and a vehicle brakes are completely different.

[Mibz]

Originally posted by bignerd
I was parking one day, and will admit was distracted and I went back to my habits of driving stick, was slowing down and mashed my left foot on the brake thinking it was the clutch Did the same thing after driving a manual for 6 years and then switching to an automatic. Locked 'em up a couple times while adjusting.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by xnvy
EDIT: @eglove's post, ^:rofl:

I don't left foot brake in the manual though, way too confusing for me. The only thing about it that bothers me (which isn't really related to LFB at all) is when I switch from the MT to the AT and I kick the dead pedal (my MT has a stiff clutch) when I try to start the car. Kills my knee everytime.

When I drive an AT, I always do that.

[jwslam]

I'm pretty good at it: not that I do it.

I also threw my right leg over the center console once and drove the whole way home left foot only (yes that was dumb and dangerous: i was young). It was pretty smooth still.

On another note: my mother picks up her whole foot and physically moves it the (10cm?) between the two pedals. I'm surprised she hasn't caused an accident with this ridiculous amount of movement to get to the brakes in time.

[That.Guy.S30]

Originally posted by firebane


Not even the same!

Go Kart brakes and a vehicle brakes are completely different.

obviously, but the concept would be the same.

[Zhariak]

Is this a joke, or do all these people actually use the brake with their left foot? :confused:

And to answer the one dude, you can't drive like this, you can receive a ticket.

[Kloubek]

Originally posted by LSChevelle


Do you normally drive cars with a clutch? One of the hardest things for me was to overcome over-applying the brake because I was used to driving a stiff clutch car.

Normally? No. My Jeep is standard, but my DD is auto.

I don't know what it is. Maybe cuz I'm left handed or something, but I try to apply a reasonable amount of pressure and then end up either locking up the brakes, or having the abs kick in.... depending on the vehicle I'm driving. I find it difficult to modulate.

[120Comm]

It's useful for race car drivers and such but has no real useful application in the "civilian" world.

uKQH3EUz2sI

I braked with my left foot for several years when I had an F150 with a bench seat - I think I was never really sitting in the proper position, and the brake pedal seemed to be aligned with my left foot. I educated myself out of that habit with an MT car for 6 years.

[firebane]

Originally posted by That.Guy.S30


obviously, but the concept would be the same.

No its really not.

[BlackArcher101]

I use left foot braking, but only when I need to keep boost up entering a turn, which usually only happens on a gravel road/rally somewhere. Never use it on public streets.

[That.Guy.S30]

Originally posted by firebane


No its really not.

check out that rally video.

[bigbadboss101]

I would assume that when one is doing their drivers test they would be told not to do left foot braking. I can see various reasons that it's not advisable.

[Alak]

I left foot brake sometimes when driving the truck. Even sometimes when I dick around in the MT cars. I just don't leave my left foot on the brake when I'm not braking. Left foot is always on the dead pedal when not in use.


Formula 1 drivers left foot brake.

[sputnik]

I do it all the time.... in a go-kart.

[lint]

When I was at Dirtfish, that was one of the concepts that they taught. Left foot braking for better control of the weight distribution of the car. Felt completely unnatural to me though and would take a lot more practice to get the right feel

[sidewaysD]

Left foot braking in traffic.... Retarded.

Anyways.. Left foot braking/trail braking is perfect for a "car" in the corners. (Not only karts).

But these days.. with newer cars left foot braking is tougher, and really.. Not needed?
Most new cars now have power assisted brakes, brake power distribution, ABS, etc etc. A little fast touch on the brakes activates the Brake distribution in sense of "panic brake" which associates the brake load to all four to provide maximum brake pressure without lock up, or loss of control.

Fast touch on cars without this.. nothing really happens but juddering and akward forward lurching. :dunno:

[AndyL]

Not around town... Or in a modern vehicle... But it was a godsend in my old c1500 with no weight no traction control and ice covered roads or muddy offroads...

That said - if you never do it - it absolutely feels unnatural, and is difficult to adjust to - which makes it useless when you could be using it...

[Darell_n]

I left foot brake in my truck, but that's with auto tranny, higher stall converter and large turbo with a 2-step. No other way to drive it.

[vengie]

I do this when I need to drive one of our Semi's for work. Allows me to keep my right foot on the gas to downshift while applying constant force to the brake pedal. Results in a much smoother (and if need be quicker) stop.

[asp integra]

Originally posted by Kloubek
If I brake with my left foot, I end up applying WAY too much pressure for some reason. Like my left leg is double as strong or something.

Good thing I know how to drive properly....

i think its mainly because the muscle memory isn't there, in the left foot you don't have the large amount of repetition and sensitivity your right foot has.

[CapnCrunch]

So left foot brakers are either stupid or wannabe racers?

Its such a blurry line, I can't tell which is which!

[Mibz]

Originally posted by CapnCrunch
So left foot brakers are either stupid or wannabe racers http://static4.fjcdn.com/comments/Why+not+just+pick+time+travel+go+back+in+time+_5befb80ab11ee4c36ce90e6b92a44a5b.jpg

[flipstah]

Originally posted by CapnCrunch
So left foot brakers are either stupid or wannabe racers?

Its such a blurry line, I can't tell which is which!

You better stop quick then. Left foot that bitch.

[sidewaysD]

I suggested if your new to left foot braking..

Take it to an empty parking lot going 20km/h and GENTLY ease on the left foot brake till you start slowing down this helps you get a feel for it. Keep doing this until its habitual. If you are feeling.. "Spiritual" try left foot braking around pretend corners in an empty parking lot… try trail braking and clipping corners, and transitioning to brakes and throttle quickly.. emphasis on gentle!

If you have it down pretty well, you can try left foot hard braking.. Find the point in which you can use maximum brake pressure before locking up, and emphasize in smooth weight transition to the front. (It should not feel awkward like when you first learned to drive by jabbing the brakes and lurching them to a stop)
Newer cars are a bit tougher if you are transitioning back and fourth to a older model to a modern one with brake distribution, ABS, and power assist brakes. But when you get a feel for it, it does become easier.

Please dont try this for the first time in traffic, filled lots, stop signs, red-lights etc etc.

[mr2mike]

Have surgery on your right ankle... You'll become an excellent left foot driver.

Just takes practice for your brain and foot to learn gradual pedal pressure.