Drift entrance techniques/form

[chiboy002]

4th gear drifting sounds awesome

as for figuring out which gear, most people usually run cold laps before actually drifting, to warm up tires and such. Drive the track a few times, varying in intensity, and see which is good.

2nd gear is most common, 3rd usually needs more speed which means you're more skilled.

[fckillerbee]

Originally Posted by jasoncanseeoh

Quick question:
How do you guys know what gear to be in for a certain turn? Like, how would you calculate that?

For example, let's say you drive a track that you've never driven before and you have a long left hand sweeper. How do you know if you should be in 3rd gear or 4th gear to hold the drift?

For all the tracks I've driven at, I would just ask people who have driven it before which gear they're in. But if I were to judge a turn without anybody's help, it would be possible, just difficult. Or even downshifting mid-drift... I'm not good at judging when I should or not. How do you know when?

build up to it. grip drive the course first. Slowly start pushing the car earlier in turns till it kicks out.


That is the speed you need to be at in the corner. How you initiate and what speed to get there...well....thats up to you.

[Brian]

just try it out and see what happens. If it works, great. If not, try something else.

[Tearlessj]

I have a question, how much camber should I be running up front. I'm looking to get a little more traction up front. Right now im running -3.5, thinking of going to -5 degrees?

Reason being is, when I look at my photos, barely any of my outside tire is touching the ground.

[jasoncanseeoh]

Originally Posted by chiboy002

4th gear drifting sounds awesome

as for figuring out which gear, most people usually run cold laps before actually drifting, to warm up tires and such. Drive the track a few times, varying in intensity, and see which is good.

2nd gear is most common, 3rd usually needs more speed which means you're more skilled.

Originally Posted by Brian

just try it out and see what happens. If it works, great. If not, try something else.

Originally Posted by fckillerbee

build up to it. grip drive the course first. Slowly start pushing the car earlier in turns till it kicks out.


That is the speed you need to be at in the corner. How you initiate and what speed to get there...well....thats up to you.

Thanks guys.

Originally Posted by Tearlessj

I have a question, how much camber should I be running up front. I'm looking to get a little more traction up front. Right now im running -3.5, thinking of going to -5 degrees?

Reason being is, when I look at my photos, barely any of my outside tire is touching the ground.

If the outside of your tire is barely touching the ground mid-drift, I would REDUCE your camber. Because obviously, if only the inside of the tire is touching the ground, you have too much camber. (That is if you're speaking about your leading wheel.)

[fckillerbee]

Originally Posted by Tearlessj

I have a question, how much camber should I be running up front. I'm looking to get a little more traction up front. Right now im running -3.5, thinking of going to -5 degrees?

Reason being is, when I look at my photos, barely any of my outside tire is touching the ground.

from what i've noticed.

Less camber in front :better turn in, less traction at full lock.
More camber: harder to turn in, full lock has more control, transitions are quicker.

If you want more traction...try using a better tire. R'comps are always nice to have in the front.

[gobackwards]

^^exactly.

I just ran my new s13 for the first time. Had wayyyy too much camber up front, like 7 degrees just to fit my wheel/tires. Turn in sucked so I just threw it hard to feint in but it felt super grippy at full lock.

video.

stock ka
Julian Jacobs TD Fulltrack Dec. 2011 - YouTube

[Tearlessj]

Originally Posted by gobackwards

^^exactly.

I just ran my new s13 for the first time. Had wayyyy too much camber up front, like 7 degrees just to fit my wheel/tires. Turn in sucked so I just threw it hard to feint in but it felt super grippy at full lock.

video.

stock ka
Julian Jacobs TD Fulltrack Dec. 2011 - YouTube

Yea I'm going to try a little more camber. It feels like the front could use some more grip when I get a lot of angle. I throw it in pretty hard so there's no problem there.

[chiboy002]

that looks like so much fuuuuuuuuuuun
fuuu

[smgopedguy]

Very intersting

[fckillerbee]

start out small. do 1st gear donuts not letting off throttle and just control the steering.

but make sure your car is okay to do that. Nothing is harder than doing donuts with an open diff.

[GabeS14]

When I first started, I was having trouble with donuts, so I decided to start with a super wide circle, and slowly speed up untill my rear end was starting to slide out from under me, it felt much smoother and safer giving me a lot of time to countersteer slowly. once i did that for a few mins, I went back to donuts and it was a lot easier. I think the hardest part is learning your cars body roll and timing countersteer and angles.

[pacotaco345]

Originally Posted by fckillerbee

start out small. do 1st gear donuts not letting off throttle and just control the steering.

but make sure your car is okay to do that. Nothing is harder than doing donuts with an open diff.

I always thought it was best to learn controlling the throttle as best as possible and do as little work as possible with your hands. I have a friend who bought a 240 before I left for college, when I came back for fall break he was all excited and told me he could do donuts. He just held the gas pedal down and his arms were flailing everywhere. Not very smooth at all. I never really got better until I learned to control my foot. Eventually I got to the point where I could do donuts with no hands with the wheel at full lock just balancing it with my foot. That said, I still suck at drifting lol

[240sxbaltimoremd]

Originally Posted by fckillerbee

start out small. do 1st gear donuts not letting off throttle and just control the steering.

but make sure your car is okay to do that. Nothing is harder than doing donuts with an open diff.

I'm just wondering , I have a rod knock in my sr and everyone keeps saying its from doing donuts . Is there a way to do donuts and NOT risk getting a rod knock? also, is it ideal to practice clutch kick whole doig donuts?

[fckillerbee]

Originally Posted by 240sxbaltimoremd

I'm just wondering , I have a rod knock in my sr and everyone keeps saying its from doing donuts . Is there a way to do donuts and NOT risk getting a rod knock? also, is it ideal to practice clutch kick whole doig donuts?

I've never once got rod knock from doing donuts.

maybe you were low on oil while doing donuts?...

[pacotaco345]

Originally Posted by fckillerbee

I've never once got rod knock from doing donuts.

maybe you were low on oil while doing donuts?...

The last drift event I went to I did tons of donuts with a failing oil pump, still no rod knock.. Maybe he's just unlucky

[chiboy002]

yeah but don't do donuts for too long, its not very good for the engine

[chiboy002]

theres no proper way to learn, with that being said, you still have to start at the basics which, yes, is throttle control too

at our events, drivers don't get passed from the skid pad if they just go and smash the gas for a donut. throttle control can change lines just the same as steering input, however, most of those who are still learning don't have enough power that will allow you to do so. A stock ka pretty much has to be wide open to keep it going if you're new at it

[pacotaco345]

Originally Posted by chiboy002

A stock ka pretty much has to be wide open to keep it going if you're new at it

I'll try to remember that the next time I go to balcony. I've heard just wide open and hold on in 3rd, and when it runs out of steam shove it in second, transition, and wide open somemore. Right?

[fckillerbee]

Originally Posted by pacotaco345

I always thought it was best to learn controlling the throttle as best as possible and do as little work as possible with your hands. I have a friend who bought a 240 before I left for college, when I came back for fall break he was all excited and told me he could do donuts. He just held the gas pedal down and his arms were flailing everywhere. Not very smooth at all. I never really got better until I learned to control my foot. Eventually I got to the point where I could do donuts with no hands with the wheel at full lock just balancing it with my foot. That said, I still suck at drifting lol

the only reason why I tell "new" drivers to do donuts (and keep in mind i'm not talking about just blowing donuts) is so that they can feel the car snap around, and slow down. While still holding down the throttle, they then can "point" and navigate a car. Keep in mind, this is usually on anything less than a bone stock sr. Once you can get the general feel, I would recommend just driving around the ring, and pushing it until the car starts to rotate, once there, they will learn how a car rotates, and that "steering trick" now lets them point and shoot the car, that is usually where I will start showing them how throttle affects line and how steering can help balance the two.

Originally Posted by chiboy002

theres no proper way to learn, with that being said, you still have to start at the basics which, yes, is throttle control too

at our events, drivers don't get passed from the skid pad if they just go and smash the gas for a donut. throttle control can change lines just the same as steering input, however, most of those who are still learning don't have enough power that will allow you to do so. A stock ka pretty much has to be wide open to keep it going if you're new at it

this!

be patient, take your time, and ask the dudes with your same setup how they are driving the course. Every car is different, some dudes have little tricks.

If you feel yourself having too much grip. just up the rear tire pressure and party.

[chiboy002]

Originally Posted by pacotaco345

I'll try to remember that the next time I go to balcony. I've heard just wide open and hold on in 3rd, and when it runs out of steam shove it in second, transition, and wide open somemore. Right?

if 3rd is beginning to drop power then yeah, either clutch kick like hell, or drop it into second. However, dropping it down can pretty much be like shift locking it and it'll most likely cause you to spin if you arent good enough.
as well as, shifting while sustaining a drift isn't as easy as it seems, it adds too much to the mix for someone who has just started out.

If you're in third for a corner then you better be going fast enough to have momentum help you out, especially with a ka. I've never driven balcony so i can't say, someone may give better input, but i would say stick with second and go wide so that you have lots of room to bring it in, rather than taking a more shallow line and having to work with less room

Originally Posted by fckillerbee

If you feel yourself having too much grip. just up the rear tire pressure and party.

+1000 on asking people

and like you said, tire pressure tire pressure tire pressure. never forget that you can change it!

it took me a while to remember that if its gripping too much i can always pump it up more haha

[pacotaco345]

Originally Posted by chiboy002

if 3rd is beginning to drop power then yeah, either clutch kick like hell, or drop it into second. However, dropping it down can pretty much be like shift locking it and it'll most likely cause you to spin if you arent good enough.
as well as, shifting while sustaining a drift isn't as easy as it seems, it adds too much to the mix for someone who has just started out.

If you're in third for a corner then you better be going fast enough to have momentum help you out, especially with a ka. I've never driven balcony so i can't say, someone may give better input, but i would say stick with second and go wide so that you have lots of room to bring it in, rather than taking a more shallow line and having to work with less room

+1000 on asking people

and like you said, tire pressure tire pressure tire pressure. never forget that you can change it!

it took me a while to remember that if its gripping too much i can always pump it up more haha

I'll try both of those next time and see what happens. I just feel like if I keep it in 3rd and clutchkick all the time I'm gonna have too much wheel speed for the ring you transition into and I'm gonna spin in there. I had one suuupperrr scary clutch lock experience on ortega and since then I've taught myself how to rev match/heel n toe so it doesn't happen again though.

[fckillerbee]

^^ let me know when you go to track, i'll see who is there that can help you out. who knows...maybe i'll make an appearance, and drive your car while you sit in it ;D

[pacotaco345]

Originally Posted by fckillerbee

^^ let me know when you go to track, i'll see who is there that can help you out. who knows...maybe i'll make an appearance, and drive your car while you sit in it ;D

Yay! <3 lol it probably won't be until around June. I'm out in Texas (college) till summer break and when I get back I'm gonna need to mess around with my car for a bit. You drive an s14 w/ a stock ka right?

[fckillerbee]

Originally Posted by pacotaco345

Yay! <3 lol it probably won't be until around June. I'm out in Texas (college) till summer break and when I get back I'm gonna need to mess around with my car for a bit. You drive an s14 w/ a stock ka right?

used to, now I drive a coupe with a stock sr ;D

[chiboy002]

^quitter
lol

[pacotaco345]

Originally Posted by fckillerbee

used to, now I drive a coupe with a stock sr ;D

How do the chassis and motors compare to your old setup? Since I "live" in Texas now I've been thinking about just registering my car here next year and doing a swap.

[fckillerbee]

Originally Posted by chiboy002

^quitter
lol

[LIKE]
haha. two years of driving a bone stock KA...there's only so much you can get out of it. buuuut....this car is coming back bigger and better than the last. lol
I did keep the gramlights.

Originally Posted by pacotaco345

How do the chassis and motors compare to your old setup? Since I "live" in Texas now I've been thinking about just registering my car here next year and doing a swap.

well, the KA was always fun with the right setup. You could always step on the gas, and it will spin tires. No top end at all. But because I wanted to look cool and drive hard, 18's aren't practical on 140whp. KA's are perfect with a 16 inch rim and 205 50's. Sr's can spin anything depending on boost.

I've always wanted a coupe with a kouki s14 front end on it. I finally found a good deal, sold the zenki, and picked up a sr'd coupe. Sr's are really fun if you drive them hard. People complain about boost on these motors, but I find the challenge a lot more fun since I'm not in FD competing with 900hp NA motors. You just need to learn to compensate.

NA= Reaction
BOOSTED= Anticipation

[thegame213la]

clutchkickin since 89!

[Brian]

KAgressive