Driving Skills: Left Foot Braking Lesson (1 Viewer)

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LandCruiserPhil

Peter Pan Syndrome
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This is a great skill to learn and have. Guys without lockers should pay extra attention. Read it and practice it and you will have more control and will make many terrain challenges easier. I did not write this but I did edit out the bad 4 letter words.:grinpimp: If you have ATRAC dont read this!

Left-foot braking is the act of using your left foot on the brake pedal, while simultaneously using your right foot on the throttle. Left-foot braking is a finesse skill to use in four-wheeling, specifically in 4wd low range circumstances and especially if you drive an automatic transmission.



Left-foot braking can give you some finesse over obstacles, reducing both the chance of banging undercarriage as well as the amount of stress on your passengers. If you are traversing a rocky outcropping, you are most likely applying some power to climb over it. No matter how careful and nimble you are, as your center of gravity crests the apex of the hill, gravity will want to make you lurch down the other side in that brief moment it takes to move your right foot from the throttle to the brake. If your left foot is already there, there is no delay and no lurching. What’s wrong with lurching, you ask?



Left-foot braking reduces the momentum that compresses the suspension, causing not only extra wear on suspension components, but also damage to expensive undercarriage parts when they get smacked on rocks.



Left-foot braking can reduce roll back and increase control on gnarly climbs. Do you make every hill climb you attempt the first time? Me neither, but it sure is a lot more comforting to have the control of stopping before it starts to roll back. For those of you driving rear drum brakes, it is especially important to not get any rollback momentum started as hitting the brakes after momentum has started usually results in a slide.



Left foot braking can also give you a traction advantage when wheels start spinning. Sure, those of us with the Axle Lock feature, can just hit that “get out of jail free” button or dial, but if the situation is moderate or we don’t have the luxury of axle lock differentials (a.k.a. “lockers”), we can still affect a “posi-“ or “limited slip” action by using left-foot braking. With open differentials, the power transfers to the tire with the least resistance, meaning your power is NOT going to the tires that actually have the most traction. By applying the brakes with your left foot, then slowly building up some throttle with your right foot, you are creating resistance to the spinning tire, thereby getting some power to transfer to the other wheel that actually has traction. It may not be much, but it can be enough to get you moving again.
 
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Good points Phil

Through very slow gnarly spots - especially with a spotter - I find that I like to hold my throttle steady a bit over idle and modulate my forward progress with my brake pedal. It works for me and seems to give much smoother control.
 
Seems like I was schooled by AzTony and yourself on this technique on Log Corral a few years back. Great technique.
 
I got pretty good doing that just trying to keep my old carbed Ramcharger from stalling when off camber. I don't even know if I still do it. It was instinct and I don't remember if I was doing this the last few times out. I will try to pay attention, probably stopped doing it because of the FI, need to get back to it. Good info.
 
Employed this many times in my pre locker days
 
Seems like I was schooled by AzTony and yourself on this technique on Log Corral a few years back. Great technique.

It's a great method, and usually it only takes a little practice:idea: to get pretty handy at it. I use it a lot.:pig: Less wear and tear on tires and suspension.:cool: It is amazing how smoothly you can glide over pretty gnarly spots. :clap: Seems like the newbies/guests,outside observers usually make the same comment: "Boy, you sure made THAT look easy!!" :rimshot: No slip,:bounce: no spin,:bounce2: no rolling rocks:bang:, no bouncing around.:censor: Darn near makes it all look kinda boring.:deadhorse: Well, not really.:p:D:doh: :) John
 
John, are you using left-hand smilie selections while typing again? LOL

Oh and left foot braking works well on the street too.
 
I had ample practice when my right foot was in a cast last year - just in time before I started wheeling the LX :D

I still brake with the left foot in any automatic transmission vehicle :hillbilly:
 
Ten years ago I bought a FJ25 that the owner said it had some kind of locker/limited slip in the axles. After pulling the rear diff out and with a little help from a friend found these were Torsen diffs. Doing some research on the net I found out the HUMVEEs had these and drivers were taught the brake trick mainly for when a wheel was off the ground. So military was teaching this close to thirty years ago if not further back on other vehicles. This is a little trickier to do with a clutch. Not as bad as having to shift from second to first while driving up a hill in low range. This was with a column shift and non synchronized first gear having to double clutch. Can still remember the area in Hart Prairie but a little fuzzy (forty years ago) if that is why one of my first mods was to a floor shift.:meh:
 
Great points, Phil. My quick read I didn't see this mentioned, sorry if its a duplicate. Another way to take off some of the brain feedback control issue is to apply a hint or more of parking brake (usually parking brakes go to the rear wheels only). This adds another tool in the get out of trail box. Applying the brake before power or after applying power is often vehicle specific, but I've used it in 2wd vehicles to get off icy patches.

Just remember to unleash the brake once you're done needing it.
 
Great points, Phil. My quick read I didn't see this mentioned, sorry if its a duplicate. Another way to take off some of the brain feedback control issue is to apply a hint or more of parking brake (usually parking brakes go to the rear wheels only). This adds another tool in the get out of trail box. Applying the brake before power or after applying power is often vehicle specific, but I've used it in 2wd vehicles to get off icy patches.

Just remember to unleash the brake once you're done needing it.


Good point


The parking brake system has been layout by Toyota 4WD owners manual for years (at least back as far as the early 80's). This is a great option if your Land Cruiser is equipped with a standard transmission without a rear traction device.

Another reason WHY you should read the owners manual.:rolleyes::deadhorse:
 
Ten years ago I bought a FJ25 that the owner said it had some kind of locker/limited slip in the axles. After pulling the rear diff out and with a little help from a friend found these were Torsen diffs. Doing some research on the net I found out the HUMVEEs had these and drivers were taught the brake trick mainly for when a wheel was off the ground. So military was teaching this close to thirty years ago if not further back on other vehicles. This is a little trickier to do with a clutch. Not as bad as having to shift from second to first while driving up a hill in low range. This was with a column shift and non synchronized first gear having to double clutch. Can still remember the area in Hart Prairie but a little fuzzy (forty years ago) if that is why one of my first mods was to a floor shift.:meh:

Yep, sticks, ankle rotation with the foot on both pedals.

Sad story, I asked one of the employees to move my company truck out of the way today and he told me he didn't have a clue..
 
he sure won't ever steal the thing :hillbilly:
 
I always braked with my right foot when driving around town, and my left foot coordination/muscle memory sucked. I started left foot braking around town, and it definitely improved my smoothness off road.

Below are some tips I found for using brake throttle modulation when you lose traction a Hummer H1. The same concept applies to other rigs.

-Apply Pressure to the Throttle: Without releasing the brake with your left foot, gently step on the throttle with your right foot. Watch your tachometer, and continue to push gently on the throttle until you bring the vehicle up to around 1700 RPM.

-Slowly Take Pressure off the Brake: When you reach 1700 RPM, slowly start to release the brake with your left foot. The vehicle should start to crawl forward at this point. Don''t release the brake completely; let up on it just enough to get the vehicle moving again. You will notice at this point that it feels similar to operating a clutch on a car with a standard transmission. Just like finding the friction point of the clutch, you want to find that balance of throttle and brake that lets you regain your traction.

-Drive Through: If the vehicle stops making forward progress, apply a little more pressure to the brake, and maintain enough throttle to keep you at 1700 RPM. If it climbs over 1700 RPM, let off the throttle enough to drop it back down. With practice, you will be able to maintain your RPM and drive through smoothly by adjusting the throttle and brake pedal pressure on the fly.

Depending on the severity of the obstacle the brakes might be really straining to hold while the driver forces the truck to move forward, which can generate a groaning noise that sounds like an angry dinosaur charging up the trail. It does put some strain on the drive train and some additional wear on your brake pads, but with some practice BTM will allow you to take your rig through some of the most challenging terrain imaginable.
 
Indeed the old Hummers had Torsen differentials, where brake modulation easily shifted torque from one axle to the other. It is not quite that elegant with with open differentials, but if you hit that sweet spot it can work enough to re-establish forward progress.
 
Bump for one of the best off road driving tips for controlled driving and no thrash
 
Great points, Phil. My quick read I didn't see this mentioned, sorry if its a duplicate. Another way to take off some of the brain feedback control issue is to apply a hint or more of parking brake (usually parking brakes go to the rear wheels only). This adds another tool in the get out of trail box. Applying the brake before power or after applying power is often vehicle specific, but I've used it in 2wd vehicles to get off icy patches.

Just remember to unleash the brake once you're done needing it.

This method doesn't work on the pre 8/80 Land Cruiser with the hand brake drum on the transfer case. Brake needed to be applied at each wheel not the driveline to work.
 

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