Blog Archive
Monday, March 9, 2009
Many Different Styles of Drifting
Have fun and start off with some RC drifting. . .with about 80 to 100 bucks you'll be sliding sideways. . .
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RC Drift Technique
Feint drifting Technique
Feint drifting is a widely used style. The professionals use it to break traction and even you now can imitiate it like a pro. The following steps will teach you the necessary steps to follow, to learn a basic drift maneuver. The steps are as follows and are performed by a stock Tl-01.
1. Get your car up to speed, or what you're comfortable with for the corner.
2. Turn yourself towards the outside of the corner.
3. After a split second of turning, turn sharply to the inside of the corner.
4.Once your rear begins to slide, counter steer or steer towards your rear, but not too much causing it to come around again and hit a wall.
5.After you complete the corner, lessen the throttle, or add more counter steer to end the drift.
6. Feel proud after you stop your car, because you have just learned a drift technique from the professionals themselves.
Uses: For high after long corners where you're too fast to turn, and for tight "S" type curves
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Front one way vs. ball diff.
There are various techniques which I have adopted for my style. First off, consider that I run a front one-way differential, and a very tight rear ball-diff. I would say that the output ratio is about 50:50.
I would first off say that when fully releasing the throttle at a general fast speed, a chassis equipped with a front one-way would induce the rear to swing out significantly during a steer in. The simultaneous actions of releasing the throttle (and allowing the rear to "lock up"), and steering into a turn, the initiation of the slide is apparent. This behavior is normal for cars equpped with front one ways. Some will agree that one-ways have an advantage for extremely complex technical tracks, especially with short S turns. Another advantage is that if needed to correct an angle assuming that you missed your ideal pivot line of a turn, a driver with a one-way can hit the brake to swing the rear out in order to correct an angle so that you can complete a hard corner rather than plowing into a wall. Although, initiating drifts by taking advantage with a one-way, if not perfected, choppy drifts may be the result. Car's with a front ball-diff tend to behave more fluent during drifts, but unfortunately suffer from understeer as compared to a car with a front one-way.
Other than inducing the drift by means of throttle off/braking drift with the front one-way, I usually power over into turns. This is my dominant technique for long sweepers of medium turns. During the mid drift, I pulse the throttle depending on how much I need to break the ABS from the surface or on how much I need to correct the angle. I will never completely release the throttle unless a critical angle correction is needed.
I think we all know that excessive counter steering should be used seldomly given that our 4wd drivetrain minimizes the necessity of extreme countersteer. I've noticed that most of us countersteer fully when they prevent themselves from spinning out during corners where the car untered beyond the ideal angle. Most times, drivers let the rear "steer itself".
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Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Drift Philosophy Blog Handbook
Contents
1 History
1.1 Present day
2 Drift competition
3 Cars
4 Techniques for inducing drift
4.1 Beginner techniques
4.1.1 Hand brake drift
4.1.2 Power oversteer or Powerslide
4.1.3 Shift lock (compression slide)
4.1.4 Clutch Kick
4.2 Weight transition techniques
4.2.1 Braking drift
4.2.2 Inertia (Feint) drift or Scandinavian flick
4.2.3 Kansei, Lift off, or Taking In
4.3 Other techniques
4.3.1 Dirt drop
4.3.2 Choku-Dori/Manji (Pendulum)
4.4 Advanced Drifting Technique
4.4.1 Kanji type 1:
4.4.2 Kanji type 2:
5 Drift Tuning
5.1 Drive train
5.2 Suspension
5.3 Cockpit
5.4 Engine
5.5 Steering
5.6 Body
5.7 Tires
6 R/C drifting
7 Drifting in games
7.1 Online games
7.2 Mobile-based games
7.3 Console and PC-based games
8 References
History
Modern drifting started out as a racing technique popular in the All Japan Touring Car Championship races over 30 years ago. Motorcycling legend turned driver, Kunimitsu Takahashi, was the foremost creator of drifting techniques in the 1970s. He was famous for hitting the apex (the point where the car is closest to the inside of a turn) at high speed and then drifting through the corner, preserving a high exit speed. This earned him several championships and a legion of fans who enjoyed the spectacle of burning tires. The bias ply racing tires of the 1960s-1980s lent themselves to driving styles with a high slip angle. As professional racers in Japan drove this way, so did the street racers.
Keiichi Tsuchiya became particularly interested by Takahashi's drift techniques. Tsuchiya began practicing his drifting skills on the mountain roads of Japan, and quickly gained a reputation amongst the racing crowd. In 1977, several popular car magazines and tuning garages agreed to produce a video of Tsuchiya's drifting skills. The video, known as Pluspy, became a hit and inspired many of the professional drifting drivers on the circuits today. In 1988, alongside Option magazine founder and chief editor Daijiro Inada, he would help to organize one of the first events specifically for drifting. He also drifted every turn in Tsukuba Circuit in Japan.
One of the earliest recorded drift events outside Japan was in 1996, held at Willow Springs Raceway in Willow Springs, California hosted by the Japanese drifting magazine and organization Option. Inada, the NHRA Funny Car drag racer Kenji Okazaki and Dorikin, who also gave demonstrations in a Nissan 180SX that the magazine brought over from Japan, judged the event with Rhys Millen and Bryan Norris being two of the entrants. [1] Drifting has since exploded into a massively popular form of motorsport in North America, Australasia, and Europe. One of the first drifting competitions in Europe was hosted in 2002 by the OPT drift club at Turweston, run by a tuning business called Option Motorsport. The club held a championship called D1UK, then later became the Autoglym Drift Championship. For legal reasons, the business was forced to drop the Option and D1 name. The club has since been absorbed into the D1 franchise as a national series.
Present day
Drifting has evolved into a competitive sport where drivers compete in rear wheel drive cars to earn points from judges based on various factors. At the top levels of competition, for example the D1 Grand Prix from Japan and others in Malaysia[citation needed], Australia, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Formula-D in the United States, King of Europe Drift Series in Europe, Drift Mania in Canada, and the NZ Drift Series in New Zealand, these drivers are able to keep their cars sliding for extended periods of time, often linking several turns. Drifting is not recognized as a professional form of motorsport by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile), the motorsports governing body.[2]
Drift competition
Drifting competitions are judged based on line, angle, speed, and show factor. Line involves taking the correct line, which is usually announced beforehand by judges. The show factor is based on multiple things, such as the amount of smoke, how close the car is to the wall, and the crowd's reaction. Angle is the angle of a car in a drift, speed is the speed entering a turn, the speed through a turn, and the speed exiting the turn; faster is better.
Team Drift Competition in Melbourne.The judging takes place on just a small part of the circuit, a few linking corners that provide good viewing, and opportunities for drifting. The rest of the circuit is irrelevant, except as it pertains to controlling the temperature of the tires and setting the car up for the first judged corner. In the tandem passes, the lead driver often feints his or her entry to the first corner to upset the chase driver.
There are typically two sessions, a qualifying/practice session, and a final session. In the qualifying sessions, referred as Tansou (speed run), drifters get individual passes in front of judges (who may or may not be the final judges) to try and make the final 16. This is often on the day preceding the final.
The finals are tandem passes, referred as Tsuiso (chase attack). Drivers are paired off, and each heat comprises two passes, with each driver taking a turn to lead. The best of the 8 heats go to the next 4, to the next 2, to the final. The passes are judged as explained above, however there are some provisos such as:
Overtaking the lead car under drift conditions almost always wins that pass.
Overtaking the lead car under grip conditions automatically forfeits that pass.
Spinning forfeits that pass, unless the other driver also spins.
Increasing the lead under drift conditions helps to win that pass.
Maintaining a close gap while chasing under drift conditions helps to win that pass.
Points are awarded for each pass, and usually one driver prevails. Sometimes the judges cannot agree, or cannot decide, or a crowd vocally disagrees with the judge's decision. In such cases more passes may be run until a winner is produced. Sometimes mechanical failure determines the battle's outcome, either during or preceding a heat. If a car cannot enter a tandem battle, the remaining entrant (who automatically advances) will give a solo demonstration pass. In the event of apparently close or tied runs, crowds often demonstrate their desire for another run with chants of 'one more time'.[4]
There is some regional variation. For example in Australia, the chase car is judged on how accurately it mimics the drift of the lead car, as opposed to being judged on its own merit. Other variations of the tansou/tsuiso and the tansou only method is the multi-car group judging, seen in the Drift Tengoku videos where the four car team is judged in groups.
Cars
Drifting Toyota AE86 Usually, drift cars are light to moderate weight rear-wheel-drive coupes and sedans ranging from 200-1000bhp. In Japan and worldwide, the most common drift machines are the Nissan Silvia/180SX/200SX, Toyota AE86, Mazda RX-7, Nissan A31 Cefiro, Nissan C33 Laurel, Nissan Skyline (RWD versions), Nissan 350Z, Toyota Altezza, Toyota Chaser, Toyota Mark II, Toyota MZ20 Soarer, Honda S2000, Toyota Supra (MKIV), Ford Mustang and Mazda Miata. US drift competitions use the same cars, plus Chrysler LLC's Dodge Charger, General Motors, Pontiac Solstice, Holden Commodore, and Holden Monaro . Drifters in other countries often use local favorites, such as the Jaguar Cars, Vauxhall Motors(UK and Ireland), BMW 3 Series (other parts of Europe), Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Alfa Romeo 75, As an example, the top 15 cars in the 2003 D1GP,[5] top 10 in the 2004 D1GP,[6] and top 10 in the 2005 D1GP[7] were:
Nissan Silvia S15 driftingCar Model 2003 2004 2005
Nissan Silvia S15 6 cars 5 cars 3 cars
Toyota Levin/Trueno AE86 3 cars 3 cars 2 cars
Mazda RX-7 FD3S 2 cars 1 car 2 cars
Nissan Skyline ER34 1 car 1 car 1 car
Nissan Silvia S13 2 cars
Toyota Chaser JZX100 1 car
Subaru Impreza GD (RWD) 1 car
Toyota Altezza SXE10 1 car
Driver Make Model
Abraham Nassman Nissan 240SX
Rhys Millen Pontiac Solstice
Tanner Foust Nissan 350Z
Vaughn Gittin, Jr. Ford Mustang
Daijiro Yoshihara Pontiac GTO
Hiro Sumida Lexus IS350
Casper Canul Nissan 240SX
Ken Gushi Scion tC
Kevin Huynh Nissan 240SX
Chris Forsberg Nissan 350Z
In the 2008 Formula D series, the most frequent nameplate in the top rankings is Pontiac, but at the grassroots level, the Nissan 240SX still dominates in popularity.
FWD cars do qualify for entrance into D1GP events, but are rarely used due to the drivetrain's inability to allow the car to accelerate out of a drift. They are not eligible for Formula D events.
AWD vehicles, such as the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution can drift but usually requires different suspension tuning (when compared to RWD), higher amounts of power, and, in some cases, an adjustable center differential. In D1 Grand Prix, these cars are modified to RWD specification.
Techniques for inducing drift
The basic driving techniques used in drifting are constant, though each car and driver will employ some subset of these techniques. A similarity for all drifting techniques is to be smooth and practiced. These techniques include:[8]
Beginner techniques
These techniques do not use weight transition, so are typically the first thing the novice drifter learns.[9] However they are still used by the most experienced drifters, and require skill to execute properly. These techniques aim to induce a loss of traction on the rear wheels, either by locking the wheels (hand brake drift) or using enough power from the engine to break the traction force (power-oversteer and clutch kick).
Hand brake drift
Hand brake is a lever that stops the rear wheel so it upsets the rear wheels grip and it tends to drift. Hand brake is one of the fastest, easiest, and most dangerous methods of drifting. It can also damage the car's axles, stall the engine, ruin the rubber on the tires, etc. A few examples of this technique are:
1st:
Approach the corner at race speed.
Let go of the gas, hold the clutch and pull the handbrake just enough to upset the rear end.
Gas and let go of the clutch at the same time.
Control the drift all the way.
2nd:
Approach the corner at race speed.
Let go of the gas and pull the hand brake until the car reaches the optimum angle. Then let go.
Control the drift all the way.
3rd:
Approach the corner at 5-20mph slower than race speed (and if mastered, in a higher gear.)
Hold the clutch and gas it just on the redline or about 6000-8300 rpm (on dial says 6-8.3 or 60-83) and hold the handbrake to the optimum angle. Then let go.
Let go of the clutch and gas it until controllable.
Control the drift all the way.
Power oversteer or Powerslide
This can be achieved at a corner exit by stepping on the gas hard to slide sideways out of the corner. It is most commonly employed by beginners because it teaches steering and throttle control without the danger of an actual entry-oriented drift.
In low-power cars power-oversteer can be achieved by applying excessive amount of throttle at the end of a shift. As you are releasing the clutch during a shift, or immediately before that while the clutch is still depressed, press the accelerator all the way to send more power to the rear wheels than is necessary for a smooth upshift. If done during a turn, the car will begin to slide. This technique can be used to initiate a drift at very low speeds in an underpowered car (e.g., when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear), and to enter in a higher gear while accelerating all the way up to the turn (e.g., accelerate in 2nd on the straight and shift into 3rd as you enter the turn).
The sequence of actions is as follows:
Easily feather the gas in the straight line leading to the turn.
Turn the steering wheel to begin the turn.
Floor the accelerator.
Wait for the car to go sideways, then countersteer and control the slide and proceed to exit the corner.
Depending on how much power the car is making it is possible to keep the gas pedal floored from the shift throughout the entire drift; in a low-power car this is often necessary.[citation needed]
Nissan 240SX Shift Lock Drifting
Shift lock (compression slide)
Initiated by downshifting (usually from third to second or fourth to third, and using a very fast shift) instead of braking, without rev-matching, causing the drive wheels to lock momentarily. Helpful for very tight corners, allowing the driver to approach the corner at a slower speed and lower revs, while allowing quick acceleration when exiting the corner. This technique can be very damaging to the engine if misused as the ECU is unable to rev limit when the engine is over-revved by the rear wheels. Premature downshifters are called "Rod Stretchers".[10]
Clutch Kick
This is done by "kicking" the clutch (pushing in, then out, usually more than one time in a drift for adjustment in a very fast manner) to send a shock through the powertrain, upsetting the car's balance. This causes the rear wheels to slip. The foot should be at an angle (heel-toe) so the brake and gas may be pressed as well, this being needed to control speed and stop from spinning out in the drift.
Clutch kick can also be used during a drift to gain angle at the expense of speed. If the car is about to straighten itself out, kicking the clutch will cause it to rotate more. However since power delivery is interrupted while the clutch is depressed the car will lose some speed during the process and damage the gears and crank shaft. The steps to clutch kick:
Start driving into a corner but slower, and/or in a higher gear.
Turn into the corner.
Push the accelerator and a split second later, tap the clutch. Keep tapping the clutch to make the wheels spin and lose traction so that they slide, but don't let go of the gas when clutching.
Control the spin with the handbrake, brake, or gas.
(If necessary, keep popping the clutch to keep the wheels sliding)
Weight transition techniques
These techniques employ a further concept of weight transition. When a vehicle has the load towards the front, the back wheels have less grip than the front, causing an oversteer condition that can initiate a drift.
Braking drift
This drift is performed by braking into a corner, so that the car can transfer weight to the front. This is immediately followed by throttle, which in an RWD car causes the rear wheels to lose traction. FWD cars can also use this technique as it does not depend on the rear wheels being driven.[11] In FWD cars the front wheels are not allowed to lock due to the continuous power, the rear wheels locks easily due to weight transfer and due to the general front heavy design of FWDs. Good performance brake pads will help this technique.
Inertia (Feint) drift or Scandinavian flick
This is done by transferring the weight of the car towards the outside of a turn by first turning away from the turn and then quickly turning back using the inertia of the rear of the car to swing into the desired drifting line. Sometimes the hand-brake will be applied while transferring the weight of the car towards the outside to lock the rear wheels and help the rear swing outwards. This type of drifting causes the car to accelerate faster afterwards, because of momentum built up while drifting. [12]
Note that the actual scandinavian flick maneuver in rally driving is more complex than feint drifting. In scandinavian flick the tires are intentionally locked by braking hard right after turning a little away from the corner. While the wheels are locked, the driver applies steering input into the corner, adds throttle while still braking and then rapidly releases the brake pedal. This causes the car to slingshot itself through the corner.
Kansei, Lift off, or Taking In
[13] - By letting off the accelerator while cornering at very high speeds, cars with relatively neutral handling will begin to slide, simply from the weight transfer resulting from engine braking. The drift is controlled afterwards by steering inputs from the driver and light pedal work, similar to the Braking drift.
Other techniques Dirt drop
This is done by dropping the rear tires off the sealed road onto dirt, or whatever low-grip surface borders the road, to maintain or gain drift angle. Also colloquially called "Dirt Turbo".[14]
Choku-Dori/Manji (Pendulum)
Otherwise known as over-sway, this technique is done by swaying the car's weight back and forth on straightaways, using countersteer and throttle to maintain a large angle. This is a show maneuver that usually involves many cars following the same line. The car will be drifting straight and will be drifting side to side.
Advanced Drifting Technique
If you want to master this technique, you must get good tires that have grip and can be able to drift. Performing these techniques requires sufficient horsepower and torque.
Kanji type 1:
Come up to a corner at race speed.
Push the Brakes 50 meters away from the racing line at about 50% of full braking capability.
Feint as little as possible.
Power-over and clutch-kick all the way.
Use handbrake and clutch-kick to increase angle.
Kanji type 2:
Come up to a corner at race speed.
Push the Brakes 50 meters away from the racing line at about 50% of full braking capability.
Hold the clutch and rev up to 5000-6500 RPM.
Pop the clutch and control.
Use handbrake and clutch-kick to increase angle.
If you want to transition to a different direction, hold the clutch and turn in more and clutch kick or another way is to let go of the gas, turn in, and power over and control. To end a drift is to turn in very fast and hold the clutch until steady.
Drift Tuning
Drive train
A proper mechanical limited slip differential (LSD) is almost essential for drifting. Open diffs and viscous diffs cannot be controlled during a sustained slide. All other modifications are secondary to the LSD.[15] Popular drift LSDs include OS Giken & Cusco.
The most popular form of LSD for drifting is the clutch type, in "2-way" form; this is preferred for its consistent and aggressive lockup behavior under all conditions (acceleration and deceleration). Some drift cars use a spool "differential", which actually has no differential action at all - the wheels are locked to each other. Budget drifters also use the welded differential, where the side gears are welded to give the same effect. This makes the car very easy to slide at high speed, but difficult to park, and is hard on the driveline. Torsen and Quaife (available on cars such as S15, FD3S, MX5, JZA8x, UZZ3x) diffs are also adequate.
The clutches on drift cars tend to be very tough ceramic brass button or multiple-plate varieties, for durability, as well as to allow rapid "clutch kick" techniques to upset the balance of the car. Gearbox and engine mounts are often replaced with urethane mounts, and dampers added, to control the violent motion of the engine/gearbox under these conditions.
Gearsets may be replaced with closer ratios to keep the engine in the power band. (Japanese drifters confuse the "L" and call these "cross-mission"[citation needed].) These may be coarser dog engagement straight cut gears instead of synchronised helical gears, for durability and faster shifting at the expense of noise and refinement. Wealthier drifters may use sequential gearboxes to make gear selection easier/faster, while sequential shift lever adapters can be used to make shifts easier without increasing shift speed.
ESP (Electronic Stability Control), ABS and TC (Traction Control) must be disabled. The car must be rear-wheel driver or all-wheel drive (4WD) with a 0/100-20/80 torque distribution (front/rear).
Suspension
The suspension in a drift car tends to have very high spring and damper rates. Sway bars are upgraded, particularly on the rear. Caster is often increased to improve the car's controllability during a slide. Most cars use an integrated coilover/shock (MacPherson strut) combination. This type of suspension allows the ride height to be adjusted independently of the suspension travel. There is no perfect height setting or spring/shock combo for any car, but each driver will have their own personal preference. Many suspension manufacturers offer suspension tuned specifically for drifting, allowing many people to enter the sport competitively.
Bushings can be upgraded with urethane parts. Most Nissan vehicles have a floating rear subframe which is usually fixed in position with billet aluminum or urethane "drift pineapples", to prevent the frame moving during drift.
One suspension tuning method, still popular in Japan, is known as "Demon Camber" (Japanese: 鬼キャン, Oni-kyan[16] [1]). It involves setting the suspension with extreme negative camber in the front to reduce slide. Negative camber on the rear would only induce understeer, making the car more difficult to drift. The front of the car having better grip and less tendency to slide, it is easier to swing the rear of the car around to get a good drift angle. However stability, grip, and overall ability to control the car are compromised. It has thus fallen out of favor as a serious performance-minded suspension setup. However, many cars built for show (such as those driven by bōsōzoku) still use this style of suspension setup for its aggressive look. A few degrees of toe-out on the rear wheels (leading edges angled outward) can reduce rear stability, and make setting up a drift a little easier.
Suspension must be relatively firm front and back depending on the driving style and must be as low from the ground as possible but not so low that it scrapes the ground (50-90mm off the ground).
Cockpit
Because of the large sideways forces, drivers find it preferable to be retained firmly by a bucket seat, and harness. This allows the hands to merely turn the wheel, as opposed to bracing oneself against the wheel. The steering wheel should be relatively small, dished, and perfectly round, so that it can be released and allowed to spin through the hands as the caster returns the front wheels to center. The locking knob on the hand brake is usually replaced with a spin turn knob, this stops the hand brake locking on when pulled. Some drivers move the hand brake location or add an extra hydraulic hand brake actuator for greater braking force. Many drivers make use of additional gauges to monitor such things as boost levels, oil, intake and coolant temperatures.
Engine
Engine power does not need to be high, and in fact if a car has too much power, it can be very hard to handle during a drift. Each driver has their own preference, and drift cars can be found with anything from 100bhp (74kW) to 1000bhp (745kW). Typically, engine tuning is oriented towards achieving linear response rather than maximum power output. Engines also must be equipped with upgraded cooling systems. Not only are the engines pushed very hard, creating lots of heat, but being driven at an angle reduces the airflow through the radiator. For turbocharged engines, intercooler efficiency is similarly reduced. Oil coolers are almost essential. V-mounting the intercooler and radiator improves flow through these components, and keeps the expensive intercooler out of harm's way in the case of a minor accident.
Steering
With increased steering angle it is possible to achieve greater angle with the vehicle, also aiding in spin recovery. This is often done with spacers on the steering rack, custom steering racks, custom tierod ends, or machining the spindles. Increased steering angle often requires other modifications as at some point the tire or wheel will come in contact with other suspension pieces or the inner/outer fenders.
Body
Cleaning up severed bumpers during drift meet. This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008)
Chassis preparation is similar to a road racing car. Roll cages are sometimes employed for safety, and to improve the torsional rigidity of the car's frame, but are compulsory in events that involves the 2+ cars' tsuiou runs in the event of a side collision. Front and rear strut tower braces, B-pillar braces, lower arm braces, and master cylinder braces are all used to stiffen the chassis. The interior is stripped of extraneous seating, trim, carpet, sound deadening; anything that is not essential is removed to reduce weight.
Body kits are often attached with cable ties. When the body kit meets the wall or curb, the cable ties snap, releasing the part, as opposed to breaking it. Aero also helps for cooling while the car is sideways.
As drift cars are pushed faster, aerodynamic tuning becomes more important as well. Rear spoilers and wings usually are useful only in large, open tracks where the cars develop enough speed to create a need for more downforce. Wheel arches are often rolled or flared to allow the fitment of larger tires. Airflow to the engine is critical, so the hood is often vented.
Due to the nature of the hobby, drift cars are typically involved in many minor accidents. Thus, those involved with the sport tend to avoid expensive or easily damaged body kits and custom paintwork.
Tires
S13 Silvia - tire stretched over a wide rim, increasing sidewall rigidity. The rim has a low offset to increase track.The cars quite often have different tires on the front and back, and the owner may have quite a few sets. This is because a single afternoon of drifting can destroy several new sets of tires. As a rule, good tires go on the front for good steering. On the back, hard-compound tires are used, quite often second-hand ones tend to end up in a cloud of smoke. 15" wheels are common on the rear, as 15" tires are cheap. As a driver gets better, they will most likely want to upgrade the tires used in the rear for a higher grip compound. Although cheap/hard tires are fun purely for their slipperiness and ease of drifting, they quickly become a hazard for high-speed drifts. More advanced drivers require the most grip possible from all 4 tires, so as to retain control adequately during high speed drifts. Competitive drifters often run DOT-approved tires closer to racing tires, which is permitted, with the exception of some major championships including D1GP which only permits commercially available tires that are approved by them. The grip is required for control, speed, and a fast snap on the initial entry. Generally drifting consumes tires rapidly and multiple sets may be necessary for a single professional event.
Some companies have started to create tires with special effects for drifting. One such company is Kumho. They recently released tires designed especially for the drifting crowd. These new tires produce colored smoke instead of regular grey smoke when drifted. Lavender-scented tires have also been developed.[17] They are not permitted in many competitions, as they are seen as giving an unfair advantage to teams with the funding to use them; now, they are currently expensive, but available to the public.
R/C drifting
Main article: Radio-controlled drifting
R/C drifting refers to the act of drifting with a radio-controlled car. R/C cars are equipped with special low grip tires, usually made from PVC or ABS piping. Some manufacturers make radial drift tires that are made of actual rubber compounds. The car setup is usually changed to allow the car to drift more easily. R/C drifting is most successful on 4WD (Four wheel drive) R/C cars. Companies such as Tamiya, Yokomo, Team Associated and HPI have made drift cars and supported the hobby.[18]
Drifting in games
Online games
Online games written in Adobe Flash, Adobe Shockwave and Java language are also popular and include Marshal Tyres’ Online World Drifting Championships, NZ Performance Car’s Drift Legends (the first online game to feature real drifting racetracks, initially from New Zealand), Drift ‘n’ Burn 365 (in Shockwave)], and Mercedes-AMG’s Wintersport Drift Competition (the first manufacturer-backed drifting game).
Corporate support behind such games demonstrates the increased value advertisers are putting on drifting’s reach into key demographics.
Mobile-based games
GT Drift Untouchable from Korean-based GAMEVIL features 16 courses in 8 countries and was released in 2007.
Console and PC-based games
Drifting’s popularity in computer games extends back to early arcade racers where the techniques for games such as Sega Rally involved drifting. As this was a by-product of the techniques used in rallying, it cannot be considered the birth of drifting as a standalone sport in the gaming world.
Namco released the first game in the Ridge Racer series in 1993 as an arcade game that has been ported to many game consoles. The game series has drifting as the main technique to controlling cars.
Publisher Sammy and developer Genki (company) launched Drift Racer: Kaido Battle in February 2004. At the time Sammy studio’s press release[19] from September 18, 2003 stated it was an ‘Action-packed simulator bringing the underground drift racing craze to video games”
Codemasters developed the game Race Driver: GRID, which has an entire drift competition section.
Tokyo Xtreme Racer DRIFT (4/2006) and Tokyo Xtreme Racer DRIFT 2 (also by Genki) were released in 2006 and 2007 respectively for Sony PlayStation 2.
Electronic Arts licensed The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift for a PSP and PS2 release in 2007.
Drift City, released in September 2007, is a cel-shaded online racer, bringing more multi-player features to drifting games.
Several games, such as Need for Speed Underground and Gran Turismo HD feature drifting race formats.
The Oversteer Drift Mod is a free add-on (mod) for the racing simulation game rFactor. It offers players the possibility to drift with several famous Japanese drift cars around reproduced or fantasy tracks freely available for rFactor.
Racing simulation game Live For Speed's online community is often split between those who prefer traditional racing, and those who prefer drifting.
As drifting was popular in Japan from the 1970s there is every chance that earlier Japan domestic market-only computer games existed.
Although the game doesn't officially have a drifting element, the Atari online multiplayer game "Test Drive Unlimited" (PC & XB360) has quite a number of active drifters. They race in the advanced "Hardcore" mode which features reduced gravity and grip compared to the normal "arcade" mode. The open "M.O.O.R" cruising format of the game and the many mountain passes mean it lends itself to imprompt drift sessions.
. . .Just wanted you to learn more about drifting and how drifting has evolved in the world. . .thanks for stopping by Sidewayz at http://sidewayz-thedriftphilosophy.blogspot.com
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Starting off Drifting
How to Drift a Car
Drifting is a driving technique and a motor sport where a car slides at an angle, with its side moving in the direction of the turn.
Things to do Before You Begin Drifting
Set up a cone in the middle of the lot. Drive up on the cone and rip the handbrake in an attempt to do a 180. Practice this until you are no more, and no less than 180 degrees from when you started.
Learn how to countersteer by ripping the handbrake from a speed of 30-40mph (anything less will cause an inadequate amount of momentum to get you around the cone) and trying to control the car to a destination until the car stops.
Increase speed of each of these things until you are comfortable
try to do the 180 cone turn but instead of stopping, hit the gas hard and power out and away from the cone.
StepsDrifting with Rear Wheel Drive and Manual Transmission
Find a car with both rear-wheel-drive and a manual transmission. Ideally it should be a sports car with as close to a 50/50 ratio as possible, and enough power to keep the tires spinning is ideal.
Head to an open area (i.e. an enclosed racetrack) safely free of pedestrians and motorists and police!
Hand brake technique:
Accelerate and shift into a gear with room to rev. Second gear is generally used because it allows the widest variance of speed and is best for harnessing the engine's torque.
Push in the clutch.
Flick the steering wheel to the inside of the turn as if you were going to turn around it. While simultaneously pulling the hand brake.
Immediately put some pressure on the gas pedal, let out the clutch, and steer the car in the direction of the slide, using throttle to control the angle of the drift.
More Throttle will make the car turn more, and also move the car away from the turn center. Less throttle will reduce angle, and allow the car to move towards the inside of the turn more freely. You're drifting!
Clutch Kick technique: Used while you are already moving to increase angle and/or revive wheel spin. While you are drifting, you may feel the car begin to lose its drift angle and power. If this happens, you can kick the clutch to attempt to revive to tires spinning speed. This is similar to powershifting, and you are in essence trying to 'chirp' the tires again and again.
Enter a drift.
while you still have the power put on, kick the clutch pedal in and out a few times as fast as you can until the car is drifting again.
end with your foot off of the pedal.
continue the drift, and when you feel the car begin to lose angle/power try to clutch kick again.
Drifting with Rear Wheel Drive Auto
Find a large, open area.
Accelerate to a speed of 20-30(depending on lot size and room)
Turn the wheel hard and floor it. You should feel the rear end slide around if this is done correctly. Only use full throttle to start the drift, after this you should use proper throttle control to continue through the corner.
Preparing to Drift with a Front Wheel Drive Car
Go to a large, open area.
Pull the handbrake or use the parking brake, riding it out the first time or two to get over your initial fear.
Set up a cone in the middle of the lot.
Drive up to it at speed (between 20 and 30 is desired).
Pull the hand brake and turn toward the cone. Immediately after you feel the back end come around, turn to the opposite direction. This is known as opposite lock.
Repeat the opposite lock at that speed until you can control your car well. Practice this for at least several weeks regularly until it becomes second nature. (Don't do this on roadways. It is dangerous to others and can get you fined.)
Slowly increase speed until you are proficient in a speed you are comfortable with. Get to know that speed--you should never drift above that speed unless you are practicing.
Upgrade. At the same initial speed, flick the steering wheel opposite of the turn and swing it all the way into toward the CONE (not turn, you aren't ready at this stage). As before, when you feel the rear end come around, go to opposite lock.
Drifting with a Front Wheel Drive Car
Approach a turn at a comfortable speed, preferably in mid 2nd gear.
Pull the handbrake while turning into the corner, try not to lock the rear wheels.
You should still have the power on, try not to go less than 1/2 throttle at any time during the drift.
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When you feel the car start to understeer, and lose angle, pul the ebrake harder. - When the car seems to turn too much, give it progressively more throttle, and release the handbrake some. -There is no textbook for drifting. You learn by doing it. -Don't tense up, just feel it.
TipsNo two cars react identically; try to "feel" yours to familiarize yourself with its reactions.
In a rear wheel drive vehicle, you don't need to pull the handbrake as you improve, but it is often necessary when first learning. In more advanced drifting it is commonly frowned upon to initiate a drift using the handbrake, and is usually used for adjusting the angle of the drift, once it's been initiated.
Starting out in the rain will save tires, and allow you to practice at slower speeds.
Check out the Drift Bible, which outlines some of the more complex techniques involved in drifting a car.
Try to find "How To Drift: The Art of Oversteer" by Paul Morton
Good choices of cars to drift include: Toyota MR2, Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am, Nissan 240SX, 350Z, Mazda RX-8, Mazda RX-7 and Miata, Ford Mustang GT, Toyota Supra, AE86 Corolla, Silvia S13, Silvia S14, and Silvia S15, Chevrolet Corvette, Viper, GTO, Solstice, G35, SC300, and Skyline GTE/GTS/GTR, Saturn Sky, S2000, 300ZX, Hyundai Genesis coupe, G37, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Subaru WRX, 200SX, NSX, etc. These cars have close to a 50/50 weight ratio, rear wheel drive or AWD, manual transmission and enough power to keep the wheels moving.
The Skyline GTR is AWD. Even though it has ATTESA which allows the power to be distributed to the front or rear wheels depending on wheelspin. In a car that is equipped with ATTESA it is best to use a system to control the ATTESA computer or by temporarily removing the fuse. The GTR as well as a large number of Silvias and 240SX's also has a system called HICAS or on later models SuperHICAS which makes sliding the tail out harder. When oversteer is detected, the system tries to straighten the car up. You can remove the HICAS/SuperHICAS system by installing a lock bar or replacing the subframe with a unit from a non HICAS equipped model.
WarningsNever drift on the road. It is illegal. It might seem fun, but it's really not worth the risk. In many jurisdictions this activity is considered reckless endangerment, carrying penalties of jail time, license revocation and more.
Don't go faster than you can handle. Recovering from a spin takes skill and experience.
Because severe or uneven wear is a driving hazard, be sure enough tread remains on the tires when finished drifting, but the tires should either be checked out by a professional or changed immediately.
If you intend to drift a SUV or pickup, use extreme caution, as these types of vehicles can flip over. This can be done but you must be very experienced at drifting.
FWD and most AWD cars are not capable of drifting in the strictest sense, rather they simply drag their rear tires sideways across the pavement. This greatly increases wear on the tires as well as the rear end suspension components and can cause rapid failure. If you're serious about drifting, get a RWD car.
Don't try and drift in a carpark. You can damage yours or others cars badly, or worse.
Know your local and state motor vehicle laws. You can be cited, fined or jailed for drifting, even if you are not on public roadways. Although not explicitly prohibited in motor vehicle codes, there is usually a "catch-all" provision that law enforcement can use prevent you engaging in this activity.
Things You'll NeedA car with wheels a strong engine tires suspension
A race track or open lot (recommended you have asked local authorities, tickets are not cool) Cones or other markers. A scoreboard with a friend to judge your drifting and give you advice.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
WOW there doing it again for the forth time. . .
I dislike these speed racer movie scripts but love to watch car's going extremly fast on the big screen. . .the first one was ok and the second movie sucked . . .Loved tokyo drift . . .I don't watch these films for content anyways. . .I'm all about the flash and showoff stuff. . .but these films just make import turner's look bad. . .then the folks on the streets that make car enthusiast look bad also. . .So if you broke and down for your motorsport. . .motorcross whatever hold it down again for The fast and the furious 4 . . .this is SIDEWAYZ and I got's to slip. . .peace
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
diamond in the ruff
Just look for a late model rear wheel drive vehicle. . .then begin your set up. . .don't worry about power at first. . .focus on driving techniques, have fun. . .then work on your car set up. . .suspendsion, lsd, etc. . .after a while of this your ready for power, apperance, and drivng style. . .but give yourself time to crawl before you walk and walk before you run. . .because car's don't drift people do. ..this is SIDEWAYZ holla back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, February 16, 2009
start drifting early
Start drifting before you hit that apexi yall. . . .counter steer. . . e-brake. . .shift lock. . .or whatever. . .but be in drift before that turn to help your exit alrite. . .also stay inside protect that line when in battle mode ok. . .peace. . .till next time peeps "SIDEWAYZ" holla back. . . .lol
Fun and addictive hobbie
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
hmmmmmmm
does this blog page really work because i haven't got any response's or comments. . . .is there any one out there?
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Hey
Hey people just getting started on here and getting set up. . . .this site is pretty kool. . .my goal on here is to share common interest. . .and hopefully earn money through the AdSense. . .drifting can be very expensive. . .and this current economy isn't helping either. . .ne success stories out there. . . just drop me blog. . . .thx. . . .sidewayz
who out there love's to drift?
Far as controling your car/vehicle sideways left and right. . . .the zen of drift
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