Let's talk about drifting

[milleniacinder]

So this is a topic that comes up with these beautiful cars constantly. People love to push these cars to the limit and as a relatively new driver of a twin and a M/T, I am getting into it too.

The problem is I don't know enough about it. I tried to search for a topic like this but I wasn't really able to find one. I guess what I'm looking for is a comprehensive topic about getting these cars to drift around and be sideways for as long as possible.

I'm open to hear what anyone has to say. Whether its talking about technique and how-tos versus trying to figure out the best (non-track) places to practice, I want to hear what you have to say. Just to keep us on some sort of track however, here's the sum of my current experience to start someone off.

1) First time M/T driver.

2) First time sports car driver.

3) I have seen plenty of videos from Pros. Yeah, I can understand academically what someone is doing when they pull the e-brake for a split second then let it go. I can see the technique involved, I just don't get the difference between pulling donuts or quick turns in a lot versus actually getting a regular street-type turn while the back end is sliding out some. I can kind of try it, I just don't want to break anything.

4) I know enough to go into an empty lot, turn the TRC stuff off and turn quickly in circles to slide around that way. What I'm really looking for is a real turn at some speed (25-40mph). Don't misunderstand me. I didn't get this car thinking I'd turn into Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift. I get the real world limitations. I just want to have the fun people seem to be having in this car. I love it, I love it to death, I just know I can get more out of it.

What do people have to say? I spend a lot of time in these forums and people are always talking about grippier tires and better performance. While I can certainly appreciate that, its not an attainable joy for me. I don't have either the time or the money to go to the track. I live in Columbus, OH and the only track around me(Mid-Ohio) costs like 300 a day for hot laps and such.

That's just not feasible. What is feasible is finding giant empty campus parking lots and playing around on those. Especially after some solid rain, when the road is wet and oily, its a blast. For my money, that's more fun than 0-60 time can be or top speed can be when OH cops are so strict and its like 55-65 everywhere.

Thoughts?

[rtrader]

Easiest way to drift the BRZ is kick the clutch and feather the throttle, all there is to it

[milleniacinder]

Care to expound on that a little bit? I might have understated how much of a noob I am.

[campy]

Here's a drifting thread: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37205

Not many people on here actually drift these cars it seems. My advice for starting is to just go out to an empty parking lot and do donuts, yank on the handbrake, whatever. Learn how the car acts when it's sliding, and figure out what types of initiations work best for you. Drifting isn't really something you can learn by reading and watching videos. You just have to get out and do it!

You don't need any serious mods to get this car suitable for drifting. Coilovers will help, exhaust will help, tune will help, but they aren't necessary, especially if you're just learning. Like with all motorsports, the best upgrade is the nut behind the wheel. Rain and snow are your friends, too.

Originally Posted by milleniacinder

Care to expound on that a little bit? I might have understated how much of a noob I am.

A clutch kick is when you're accelerating into a corner, then put the clutch in for a second (or "kick" it, if you will) while keeping your foot on the gas. This increases the RPM dramatically, so when you release the clutch, the rear wheels are spinning much faster than they were before. This breaks traction, allowing for mad skids.

[milleniacinder]

Originally Posted by campy

Here's a drifting thread: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37205

Not many people on here actually drift these cars it seems. My advice for starting is to just go out to an empty parking lot and do donuts, yank on the handbrake, whatever. Learn how the car acts when it's sliding, and figure out what types of initiations work best for you. Drifting isn't really something you can learn by reading and watching videos. You just have to get out and do it!

You don't need any serious mods to get this car suitable for drifting. Coilovers will help, exhaust will help, tune will help, but they aren't necessary, especially if you're just learning. Like with all motorsports, the best upgrade is the nut behind the wheel. Rain and snow are your friends, too.



A clutch kick is when you're accelerating into a corner, then put the clutch in for a second (or "kick" it, if you will) while keeping your foot on the gas. This increases the RPM dramatically, so when you release the clutch, the rear wheels are spinning much faster than they were before. This breaks traction, allowing for mad skids.

Thanks a lot. I will try that out. I don't know how to thank a poster but know that I tried lol.

[sklimo]

Originally Posted by milleniacinder

Thanks a lot. I will try that out. I don't know how to thank a poster but know that I tried lol.

You may not have enough posts to thank yet

[rtrader]

Originally Posted by milleniacinder

Care to expound on that a little bit? I might have understated how much of a noob I am.

Okay lets say your in 2nd pushing about 3k-3.5k RPMish your about to enter the corner turn the wheel "kick" the clutch while accelerating boom rear tires loose traction right then use the gas pedal to control how long/hard the drift is and counter steer. Really you cant learn how to drift by reading/watching videos. Trial and error is the only way. Personally I've spun out more times than I can count.


PS. Be careful it gets addicting, just got a ticket for drifting lol

[Slash]

I tell everyone that asks me the same thing.
Start a turn by turning into a turn like you normally would or a little more aggressive (but not much) . Come into it faster than you think is possible, but within reason. Yank that olé ebrake if necessary. You will then and I'm not kidding, let go of the steering wheel. The cars momentum will point the tires in the right direction naturally. You then have to get used to feeling when you need to start bringing the wheel back to center.

This is a very general guide apply loosely.
The main mistake people make is the "backlash" where you see someone try to force the countersteer in an unnatural way instead of letting the momentum turn the wheel. That's when you see people jerkin back the other way and fly off the road.
Practice practice practice. Parking lots first.
Don't I mean don't try to force the car to do what it doesn't want. You have to have balance and cooperation.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

[Kostamojen]

Honestly? Try some racing games that allow for accurate drifting. You can learn a lot just from that before you try it for real.

[Cheddar]

Buy the DVD Drift Bible. Has great tips and info

[STV3]

Practice behind the wheel will always be your best route. If you know someone local maybe that drifts try to get him in the passenger seat with you. I personally just practice any time I'm feeling up to it and I see a nice secluded empty lot. Rain and Snow help save your tires too

[ZionsWrath]

The thing is you can take some hard corners and as long as you don't squeal the tire too much its ok. But if you drift on the street, whether you have sick control or not people think you are insane, wreckless, dangerous, etc. and will get you in more trouble faster. Not to mention it takes time to learn, cost money to replace tires and clutch and other worn parts faster. That is why you don't see it too much, not because people bought these cars as "posers".

Best bet is to put trac on sport or off in the rain and practice on slow corners that you check before hand for traffic and cops.

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by milleniacinder

The problem is I don't know enough about it.

Your problem is a simple solution... you don't know enough about drifting, because you don't know enough about car control.

Drifting is, simply, inducing and maintaining oversteer. To do that, you need to know how to control your car, and understand what is under/oversteer.

I've instructed enough times at old school Drift Day events to know that most rookie drivers looking to drift, can't even tell when a car starts to rotate/over-rotate in a slide. Your best bet if you want to go down this road, is to get some seat time in autocross or track days, and learn car control.

If you can drive an autocross course with ease, and improve your time as your day progresses without mistakes, then you know enough about car control to learn to drift.

Don't learn to drift then learn car control. It's like learning how to skydive without learning how to pack the parachute... you need to start with the basics, and drifting is past the basics.

-alex

[zc06_kisstherain]

remember! don't crash it to light pole in empty parking lot. lol