Left Foot Braking - Do you do it?

Sharif@Forged · 02-07-2010, 09:50 PM

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.

m4a1mustang · 02-07-2010, 09:51 PM

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

spearfish25 · 02-08-2010, 09:30 AM

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!

Mike@Blackline · 02-08-2010, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spearfish25

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharif@Forged

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.

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

Sharif@Forged · 02-09-2010, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by battlewagon

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.

spearfish25 · 02-09-2010, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharif@Forged

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

pgrmstr · 02-09-2010, 09:13 AM

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!

Sharif@Forged · 02-09-2010, 10:34 AM

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.

ChrisSlicks · 02-09-2010, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pgrmstr

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!

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!

j.arnaldo · 02-10-2010, 01:16 PM

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.

02-07-2010, 09:50 PM	#16 (permalink)
Sharif@Forged The370Z.com Sponsor Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Marietta, GA Posts: 840 Drives: 2009 GT-R, 2010 370Z Rep Power: 17	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. __________________ Sharif@Forgedperformance.com General Manager/Certified Tuner/NASA-PCA-BMWCAA Instructor JRZ RS1's Available NOW...PM me Cobb ProTuner, Uprev ECU Flash, FCON Vpro, Haltech, Motec Certified

02-07-2010, 09:51 PM	#17 (permalink)
m4a1mustang A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 55,385 Drives: on two wheels Rep Power: 6962	Yup. It's very much a personal preference otherwise all pro drivers would be using the same technique. __________________ - Steve Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!) LIKE us on Facebook!

02-08-2010, 09:30 AM	#18 (permalink)
spearfish25 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 4,117 Drives: to work Rep Power: 1856	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! __________________ 2013 Cadillac V-Wagon, RIP Z

02-09-2010, 10:34 AM	#23 (permalink)
Sharif@Forged The370Z.com Sponsor Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Marietta, GA Posts: 840 Drives: 2009 GT-R, 2010 370Z Rep Power: 17	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. __________________ Sharif@Forgedperformance.com General Manager/Certified Tuner/NASA-PCA-BMWCAA Instructor JRZ RS1's Available NOW...PM me Cobb ProTuner, Uprev ECU Flash, FCON Vpro, Haltech, Motec Certified

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02-09-2010, 09:13 AM	#22 (permalink)
pgrmstr Base Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: PA Posts: 131 Drives: 09 BS 370z Sport 6MT Rep Power: 16	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!

02-10-2010, 01:16 PM	#25 (permalink)
j.arnaldo Banned Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Puerto Rico Posts: 937 Drives: Nissan 350Z, 2004 Rep Power: 0	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.