Trail braking

[Craftsman]

I know this has nothing to do with Drifting, but my question is what is trail braking and how is it used?

Matt.

[Drift For Food]

A quick search with Google...

looky what I found:
http://www.virtualracersedge.com/trail_braking.htm

That explains it pretty well.

[mranlet]

It's braking while steering but not exceeding the limits of the traction circle.

-MR

[GRiDRaceTech]

Race drivers all trailbrake at least a tad. I trailbrake most corners, excepting fast downhill corners where oversteer is already present and I'd rather not complicate matters.

MR put it the simplest... you just keep the brakes on as you initiate corner turn-in. It helps to get the car to rotate and also decreases the amount of braking distance before the corner. (Slightly, so don't go knocking 90 feet off your braking distance and expect late braking to save you.)

[ACDSupra7]

It's to keep more traction on the front tires during turn in so you don't push.

[prodigy]

Originally posted by ACDSupra7
It's to keep more traction on the front tires during turn in so you don't push.

What a way to describe its purpose. I don't think anyone could of put it better.

[Craftsman]

Originally posted by ACDSupra7
It's to keep more traction on the front tires during turn in so you don't push.

Yes, Beautiful Thank you...

Now I know and knowing is half the battle.

Matt.

[Parry]

Originally posted by Drift For Food
A quick search with Google...

looky what I found:
http://www.virtualracersedge.com/trail_braking.htm

That explains it pretty well.

I dunno if you read any of the other articles, but that's a pretty good website.

edit: even crazier, it seems to be directed towards a bunch of video gamers....."ToCA Race Driver". I've never heard of it...not that me saying that means much.

[malcolm]

um... actually, trailbraking can be a way to initiate a drift. Just brake a little harder as you turn in, and voila, you're sideways (or understeering if your car has terrible balance, or has a locked rear-end, in some cases...). It's a tricky art to master, *especially* when heel-and-toeing at the same time. Gotta be smoooooooth.