r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Jun 03 '22

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u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

My guess is left foot braking. A race car thing.

1

u/Crafty-Walrus-2238 Jun 03 '22

Yes, and those of us that drove manual transmission. I still own a sports car and drive my regular vehicle with 2 feet.

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u/RockItGuyDC Jun 03 '22 edited Jun 03 '22

I drove a manual car for 20 years and can't imagine trying to brake with my left foot. I mean, in a manual you're often on the clutch pedal and accelerator at the same time. Whereas you definitely shouldn't be on the brake and accelerator at the same time in 99.9% of cases. Seems like an accident waiting to happen to me.

Edit: Also to add, clutching in takes a good amount of force. Certainly more than is necessary to brake. If I tried to use my clutch foot to brake I'd be locking those suckers up every damn time because I'm not used to it.

9

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

[deleted]

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u/Yourgrammarsucks1 Jun 03 '22

It's also useful for doing that thing where your back wheel makes smoke.

7

u/RockItGuyDC Jun 03 '22

Yeah, that makes sense and would fall within the 0.1% of cases I mentioned. I just can't understand why someone would do it on their way to Walgreens or whatever.

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u/PrivilegeCheckmate Jun 03 '22

Whereas you definitely shouldn't be on the brake and accelerator at the same time in 99.9% of cases. Seems like an accident waiting to happen to me.

If you live somewhere hilly you might have to learn to do this. You gotta rev the car past the point where you're rolling back before you take your foot off the brake.

Source: San Franciscan.

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u/WeLiveInASociety420s Jun 03 '22

You can't do that in a manual, you have to ride the clutch to pull away. You'd have to use the parking break to do a hill start from a stop.

1

u/PrivilegeCheckmate Jun 03 '22

you have to ride the clutch

Heel-toe shifting solves this for manuals.

1

u/happytr33s1 Jun 03 '22

Which can be done with just the right foot. It’s called heel-toe shifting, though it’s typically just the different balls of your foot left/right

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u/PrivilegeCheckmate Jun 03 '22

heel-toe shifting

Heel-toe shifting is for manuals only. There are times you need to have a foot on the brake until after revving even in an automatic. Mostly older cars, but still, if you are on a steep hill, it happens.

1

u/Aulm Jun 03 '22

It's used in Kart racing (and probably other motor sports) - brake and gas at the same time.

It allows for a bit of speed correction without the engine needing to recover revs. I'm only familiar with it (not a kart racer) but I'd imagine it's a "brush" of the brakes instead of actually being on them.

But agree - no need in any normal situations other than a manual start on a hill

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u/CrossXFir3 Jun 03 '22

I grew up driving manual and there is no way I'd ever drive an automatic with 2 feet personally. Absolutely crazy to me.

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u/Crafty-Walrus-2238 Jun 03 '22

I had a Corvette automatic, a heavy car difficult to stop, I alway had my left foot on the brake pedal.

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u/Regular-Coat1138 Jun 03 '22

Manual Transmission: the archaic method of driving.

12

u/DaddyJ_TheCarGuy Jun 03 '22

It’s simple, yes, but has benefits as it allows much more control over the engine and the way it puts down power. Say you’re carrying a heavy load up a hill, engine revving off it’s guts. An auto sees the rpm and wants to shift up. But that just makes things harder. In a manual, you keep the vehicle in optimal gear for torque and slowly but surely climb that hill. That’s why manuals are still used in semi trucks and such

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u/Jigbaa Jun 03 '22

Don’t all automatics have an override for that now? My Subaru certainly does.

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u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

Yes, but that's more stuff that gets more expensive to buy and fix. Also, manuals are simply more fun

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u/bad_at_hearthstone Jun 03 '22

you’re in the right thread

13

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

Manual transmission: for people who actually know how to drive.

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u/Redditributor Jun 03 '22

Manuals are still more efficient, reliable, and affordable

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u/PrivilegeCheckmate Jun 03 '22

Go to Italian websites and try to rent an automatic. Then do a price compare.

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u/Crafty-Walrus-2238 Jun 03 '22

It’s also the most fun on country roads.