Larger Pedal for Left Foot Braking

I've been practicing left foot braking ever since my instructor told me that I am at the point in my driving where I need to learn it. I feel pretty comfortable doing it in all my paddle shift and automatic cars; AM V8 Vantage Roadster, BMW 760 and Ferrari F430. The 430 along with my 997 (manual stick) are regular track cars for me.

I find that the 430 brake pedals are set too far right and when using left foot braking, it puts the body into a bit of an awkward position to get the left foot over to the right to reach the brake pedal. Since the brake pedal is cast in one piece and there is no way that the pedal can be move over to the left, I am looking to extend the brake pedal surface so it extends 1 or 2 inches to the left. This will give my body a more neutral position when on the brakes with my left foot. Has anyone done this or are there any after market pedals available without getting a custom plate made up ?

 

I am really interested in understanding when and why an instructor would be teaching you how to left foot brake in a Paddle Shift Ferrari. Nascar does it to keep the revs up when entering a corner, pro racers do it put brake lights on at starts and a DE Driver would be doing it when?

If you really want a new pedal face I would be more then glad to make you one we have a metal fabrication buisness; I guess I am just a little mis-understanding of the concept for your application.

 

http://www.virtualracersedge.com/trail_braking.htm

 

It looks like you not understand the concept of left foot braking and why one would use it?

2 pedal cars are a natural for left foot braking.

Trail braking was already mentioned. Being able to get on the gas sooner on exiting a corner. Balancing the car on throttle and brake during cornering. That's a start.

 

Trail braking is a very commonly used technique for entering a (long entry) corner so that you can carry additional corner entry speed or to rotate a car. Left foot braking is NOT used during trail braking. Left foot braking is for roundy round cars specifically to maintain rpm.

 

Actually I will take that back....the only time someone would possibly need to left foot brake is when they are at low speed, doing a left / right (S-Type Corner) and the front end is pushing. Yes you would tap the brakes to get front end grip, briefly.

The second time that someone would left foot brake is when we run "floating rotors" and down the straight you tap the brakes with your foot to set the rotors.

Other than those two specific scenarios I would consider an instructor teaching Left Foot braking to be going way outside their call of duty unless they are working with an extremely seasoned driver.

 

Not sure if I consider myself seasoned but I have logged 40 + track days so far within the last couple of years. Will probably log another 15 before the end of this season. My instructor simply felt I'm at a point where learning how to left foot brake effectively would help me on the track.

I find the transition between getting off the brakes onto the gas and getting off the gas onto the brakes much smoother as my right and left foot work in synchro of lifting and squeezing. I also find it much easier to rotate the car in some situations. Again, I'm not an expert on left foot braking but based on how it feels so far, I would say that it would help me as I get better at it. I got a ride in my instructors car as he was explaining to me when he was applying the technique around the track in a stick shift. Now that took skills and he was freakin fast !!! Obviously you can't heel toe and left foot brake at the same time. He was applying it mostly going into some fast corners.

Anyways, I was asking if anyone with a 430 or 360 had the same issue of the brake pedal not wide enough in order for the left foot to reach the brake pedal and maintain a natural/neutral forward body position. And if so what was the solution you have found to resolve this problem. I'm beginning to think fabricating a plate to screw on top of the existing brake pedal is my only option.

 

E220- Take a close look at your brake pedal and see if the two machine screws holding on the pedal are in the far right set of holes. If not, unscrew, move the pedal to the left and refasten. Ferrari actually did that on the 575M when people complained about getting both pedals accidentally (not when heel and toeing).

If the pedal is already as far left as she will go, Ultimate Pedals, a sponsor I believe, will make a custom pedal in whatever shape you want. I had a set on a C6 Z06 I owned to make heel and toeing easier.

F1 cars use only left foot braking because there is a divider for the legs and feet and no way to brake with the right foot.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

How long does it take you to move your right foot from the accelerator to the gas?
During that time your car is coasting... unless you are at max lateral G's, you're wasting available tire traction... something you never want to do in a racecar.

Now consider that you should be trying to slow down your inputs (see thread on being "smooth")... not just your hands on the steering wheel... but also your feet on the brake and accelerator. So, trying to jerk your foot from one pedal to another is going to make it very difficult to smoothly apply brake or accelerator.

Hence, in a two-pedal car, a driver with two feet should be left-foot braking ALWAYS.

And brake application should be slowly beginning as gas application is slowly ending... allowing you to smooth your inputs... and still minimize the waste of available tire traction.

 

Brian- That is only true on the track or when really pushing it on the streets. On the street, if anybody cares about it, gas mileage will be worse with left foot braking because the brake and throttle will be working against each other, hurting efficiency and heating and wearing the brakes at an accelerated pace.

As usual, there is no correct answer all the time.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Ok, here are a few.

In a turbo charged car you want to stay in the gas to maintain boost. So there are times when using your left foot to brake helps keep the boost up. Does not apply to 360's and 430's.

Also, if you are a liitle wide in a turn, using a little brake can help get the car to tuck in tighter in the turn.

But for me the biggest advantage is it helps smooth out the transitions from gar to brake and back again. Not to mention it eliminates the coast time as you move your right foot.

It makes perfect sense in a two pedal car... and while not as easy I still teach it in a three pedal car. Especially in turns where you don't need to change gears.

 

I respectfully disagree. Everyone who wants to advance their track driving skills and even eventually start racing should learn how to left foot brake. If nothing else, imagine trying to do some training in a sprint kart or a shifter kart and not having any pedal sensitivity with your left foot. Pretty tough.

For example, over the years I've seen many young race drivers graduate from shifter karts directly to (modern) formula cars with sequential manual gearboxes and left foot braking is the only way to drive, as Taz mentioned in his post too. Plus, most of these cars do not have electronic throttle control to blip the throttle for you on a downshift, so the right foot has to handle that work while the left foot takes care of the brake pedal.

Just providing a different perspective, not trying to create a debate.

 

Poor quality video but with practice I'm sure we could all do this!!!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts29KKhKXds&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/ame]

 

Ive left foot braked since getting my drivers licence 14 yrs ago.