Slide the Z

[Chris`I]

I have a big road outside my house Limiter does it all the time but wont tell me

 

Why was this movement invented, is it just for looks or does it really save time on corners?

 

generally speaking drifting/sliding will not be the quickest way round a corner (on tarmac at least)! but it does look good of course

 

you dont see F1 drivers drifting..

 

You need to watch Race of Champions then! Theyd drift round nearly every corner

 

 

Your right though, drifting isnt the fastest way.

In the good ole days of MotoGP there used to be plenty of tail end action and they were certainly quicker

 

Cant wait for RoC at the weekend, gonna be awesome

[WoREoD]

One question that was asked and not answered was about handbrake turns....

 

I cant get mine to do these. I've assumed its because the wide rear tyres are so grippy sideways that it just wont break away? Or is it because I'm old and a scaredy cat (used to do it in my several other RWD cars)?

[M13KYF]

the handbrake pads/drum are only small, I would of thought that handbrake turn would be difficult to achieve in anything unless it was icy/snow

[nixy]

remind me never to buy a used car off any of you!

[sinbad]

One question that was asked and not answered was about handbrake turns....

 

I cant get mine to do these. I've assumed its because the wide rear tyres are so grippy sideways that it just wont break away? Or is it because I'm old and a scaredy cat (used to do it in my several other RWD cars)?

 

If you can start to induce the drift, like a scandinavian flick instead of just turning in, then using the handbrake can help get it drifting. You usually tend to need more speed to use the handbrake. Alot of the drifters use mechanical handbrakes which give you better control and power.

[sl114]

One question that was asked and not answered was about handbrake turns....

 

I cant get mine to do these. I've assumed its because the wide rear tyres are so grippy sideways that it just wont break away? Or is it because I'm old and a scaredy cat (used to do it in my several other RWD cars)?

 

If you can start to induce the drift, like a scandinavian flick instead of just turning in, then using the handbrake can help get it drifting. You usually tend to need more speed to use the handbrake. Alot of the drifters use mechanical handbrakes which give you better control and power.

+1, John, you probably are not applying it properly or at too low a speed, its also best to use it once you have turned into the corner

 

Nixy - you love it!

[Dan]

Jay old bean, don't do it on a public road if your not used to it mate or you will bin it.

The best solution right now is to wait for it to snow, won't be long, then find an empty ASDA car park or similar and go for a play. This allows you to get a feel for going sideways and applying opposite lock at safe speeds.

The next step is to do a track day or something along those lines because with modern cars you have to be cornering pretty hard and your definitely going to **** it up a few times and you need a run off area mate.

The alternative is to buy an old three litre Capri because they slide at walking pace and if you bin that you just stand back and laugh

[sl114]

Problem with snow and carparks, is depending on how deep it is, you may not see a kerb! Then BANG, too late

[Dan]

Problem with snow and carparks, is depending on how deep it is, you may not see a kerb! Then BANG, too late

 

Very true.

[Chris`I]

Problem with snow and carparks, is depending on how deep it is, you may not see a kerb! Then BANG, too late

 

Very true.

Note to self - make sure car park has no curbs before it snows

[Zedrush]

At the bluewater meet we got to see people practising doing drifting at the huge carpark it was insane

[docwra]

Alot of the drifters use mechanical handbrakes which give you better control and power.

 

I think you mean hydraulic

 

The handbrake IMO is only for relatively advanced circuit drifting, if youve got a high speed approach and need to scrub some speed off while initiating at the same time - shift lock (changing down a gear too many) will do it as well but isnt too kind on the gearbox, so the handbrake is a good option. Clutch kick or powerover will work much better for most situations, including private roundabouts

 

Ive only tried it once on my Zed and decided the handbrake was rubbish so didnt bother anymore

 

Handbrake turns are relatively easy to practise though - just clutch down, turn the wheel 90 odd degrees while pulling up the handy and see where the back end finishes up. Make sure the handbrake works or you will drive straight off the side of the road though.

 

Also something thats never happened to me

[sinbad]

doh! sorry thats what i meant..

[sl114]

docwra - i may be speaking to you at some point when i get a zed again to teach me drifting

[mugwump]

You can do it off the power, but its actually more controllable using "clutch kick" - load the suspension up (i.e start going round a roundabout) and then just kick the clutch in enough so the revs rise up - its literally a stab rather than a kick.

 

This will cause the rear wheels to lose traction, so you need to be ready with the opposite lock Its actually easier to let go of the wheel and just feed the opposite lock in by letting the wheel pass through one hand - the car will apply its own op lock automatically.

 

Then its a case of keeping it sideways by balancing the throttle against the weight - its difficult to do this without practise on a constant throttle so blipping it is probably best to start with

 

With a little practise, you can quickly reach the point that you can do a 2nd gear (private) roundabout consistently until you run out of fuel. Faster stuff takes bigger balls, and is more likely to end in tears when you hit a kerb and fold the wheels up under the car Not that Ive ever doen that you understand.

 

S'funny - as you practise drifting more you find you are doing less and less - it goes from wild jazz hands type steering motions to never actually moving the wheel more than 15 degrees, then letting the car do the work. Everyone should buy a driftcar and practise IMO

 

Thats good advice. The throttle balancing thing is a skill in itself, its like a sixth sense and when it clicks the smug smile on your face is huge and well worth the effort.

 

As an exercise go and sit in your Zed on the drive and try revving to 1500 rpm and hold it there, no flapping up and down just hold it at 1500 rpm. Sounds easy. but go try it. Thats the sort of throttle control you need to drift smoothly.

 

Once you have learnt that delicacy of feel in your normally hammer-like right foot that is just about enough pressure to hold a Zed in a drift in second gear on a wet private roundabout.

 

Its the karate drift kid equivalent of wax on wax off. practice delicate throttle control....

[ir_fuel]

keeping constant revs is indeed harder than it might sound

[SunGodRA]

Jay old bean, don't do it on a public road if your not used to it mate or you will bin it.

The best solution right now is to wait for it to snow, won't be long, then find an empty ASDA car park or similar and go for a play. This allows you to get a feel for going sideways and applying opposite lock at safe speeds.

The next step is to do a track day or something along those lines because with modern cars you have to be cornering pretty hard and your definitely going to **** it up a few times and you need a run off area mate.

The alternative is to buy an old three litre Capri because they slide at walking pace and if you bin that you just stand back and laugh

 

I learnt to drive in my dads 3lt capri in a field when i was 15 - until i blew the engine up that was!

[M13KYF]

Rockingham sppedway do courses for £175 on there £1.5m wet grip area, for anyone wanting to learn to control the Z safter

 

http://development.rockingham.co.uk/about/wetgrip.asp

[jim]

Rockingham sppedway do courses for £175 on there £1.5m wet grip area, for anyone wanting to learn to control the Z safter

 

http://development.rockingham.co.uk/about/wetgrip.asp

 

That's something I would really like to do again, but I don't know if there is anywhere in Scotland that offers that kind of facility. Anybody else know?

[flirt]

come out with me mate! will show you how to stear from the rear

 

tad easier with 400 pony's

[sinbad]

what about this.

 

http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/oulto ... uctID=3714

[jim]

That looks great value. Pity it's so far away from me - would mean at least one overnight stay in the area.

[Digsy]

what about this.

 

http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/oulto ... uctID=3714

 

Would love to do this but concerned that the insurance would make it too expensive.

[docwra]

what about this.

 

http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/oulto ... uctID=3714

 

Good, but its not run by anyone I know of, which would suggest its not actually a drifter doing it .......... anyone can teah you to power over out of a corner, but to initiate at 80 mph without slowing down is a little different

 

My advice would be to look at drift academy and drift school (botyh online, both supply cars), as these are run by guys who really know what they are talking about and will teach you the basics of weight shift, initiation, holding a drift and getting out of trouble when you **** it up (you will **** it up, believe me)

 

The alternative is to go to one of the practise days at Knockhill, Santa Pod, Silverstone, Matchams etc. with your own car and use some of the guys there to show you the basics ..............

 

............. but bear in mind that with 3/4 years drifting under my belt I havent used the 350 in anger yet and probably wont - it kills engines, clutches, gearboxes and just about everything else on a car. And thats assuming you dont slide into something solid:

 

 

Ouch.

 

Or your engine doesnt throw a bit of a hissy.

 

 

Also ouch.

[sl114]

 

Ill be using the MX5's at driftschool then!