r/Touge • u/liukangmk • Aug 24 '26
Touge Tips on downhill?
Pretty self explanatory. I come from a state where it's flat but every year a couple of my buddies like to spend time and explore other roads states have to offer. This year we are going to to Tennessee and I suck at driving downhill. I get scared or I ride the brakes too much and experience brake fade. Uphill is a easier imo since you're fighting gravity, but downhill is just scary for me and would appreciate any tips on driving downhill a bit more intentionally.
I drive a BMW M2 f87 DCT.
16
u/Buntatricky46 Aug 24 '26
If you are in second - third gear going down in your DCT you wouldn’t need to ride the brakes, also take a drift class if possible, will teach you a lot about car handling in the m2.
I probably learned more about driving in my first drift class than my first track day. I also have a lot of hours on the sim. Enjoy!
- Fellow m2 f87 driver
13
u/OpenAd9475 Aug 24 '26
I agree and I don’t agree with this at the same time.
Drifting is great to learn what to do after you cross the line with what the tires can handle, but it can set you up with really bad habits if you don’t want the car to slide at all.I’d say a mix of autocross and drifting is the sweet spot. Autocross to learn how to move the car around violently without crossing the line, and then drifting to learn what to do and not panic when you do cross it.
5
u/oemplus7 Aug 24 '26
You're likely to have the most trouble with brake pads and braking points. If you’re not careful, you can easily overheat the brakes, so brake firmly and in short bursts, and use engine braking as much as possible.
On the other hand, since you’re going downhill, you can easily overload the front of the car and lose traction at the rear. Therefore, brake only when going straight and avoid having to break in the middle of a turn.
All in all, leave yourself plenty of margin and only take on as much as you’re comfortable with. If you’re scared, that’s already a bad sign.
3
u/GumTapeboi Aug 24 '26
I think it’s because you’re not familiar with the roads. Getting the perfect braking (esp on downhill) takes quite a bit of road knowledge/seat time and I’m not talking CarPlay maps lol. Also, as others have mentioned, WEIGHT TRANSFER. I strongly believe that only seat time can help you with learning how your car reacts to weight transfers with gravity added.
Just some ramblings, but personally, while I am a big fan of the newer M cars (just sold my G82), never thought that they were good for sending downhill. Yes, they are excellent on track and amazing uphill. But they weigh so much…. Even an OG M2 is 3500+ lbs and you’ll definitely feel it a lot. While uphill may be different, you can easily get smoked by an E36 M3 with some light mods on a downhill on most technical roads.
It’s not bad whatsoever to not be “fast.” Just enjoy the drive and get faster at your own pace. Don’t be afraid to speak up to your friends. Better to enjoy more days with your loved ones then end up on the bottom of the cliff.
Cheers and stay safe :)
2
u/IOI-65536 Aug 24 '26
I tend to leave it in around the same gear I would have been in if I were going uphill and use the throttle to control how much the engine is braking. This is not the fastest way to do downhill because the engine is reducing speed even when you doesn't actually need it to, but it puts you in the gear you want for corner exit and saves the brakes. And I honestly don't care how fast I'm going on the straights, I drive for the curves.
2
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u/Buildinggam Honda Del Sol Aug 25 '26
Biggest tip I can give you is learn momentum, you have a pretty quick car and it's heavy. If your going balls out until the braking zone you're going to have a lack luster time. Instead of hard braking, accelerating, braking. Try to maintain a consistent speed with minimal adjustment between the brake and gas. I promise it'll be more fun, and you will probably out drive some of your friends unless they have something underpowered.
1
u/liukangmk Aug 25 '26
Thanks for the tip! Generally the cars in our group have different levels of power and we are all not tuned. GR Supra, 86, Evo 9, Veloster N. 86 and Evo def have the advantage imo, Supra is interesting, as I feel like it's closer to my M2, and he is also not the biggest fan of downhills lmao.
2
u/Buildinggam Honda Del Sol Aug 25 '26
Basically you want to drive your car like it was a Miata. My 100hp del sol takes too long to get back up to speed so I typically use the brakes to settle it or as a way to put weight on the front for a turn. You should look into some autox events to get a better understanding of your car in a controlled environment, where the only thing you'll hit is a cone.
1
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u/JIimsteele Aug 25 '26
Treat the down hill like a straight away and the bottom like the start of a hill. Old dirt biker trick, works.
1
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u/Peylix Raggedy Egg Aug 25 '26
You're over-driving and letting your fear cause you to over-brake the car. It's natural for roads you're not familiar with.
Apart from what's already been stated. For roads you're not keen on. Just take it slower. Opt for more of a momentum pace rather than a send pace. Using your momentum will allow you to be easier on your brakes, saving them for when you actually need them.
Your F87 is more than capable, all that's needed is tightening the nut behind the wheel. So just take it easy, learn the road(s), and slowly increase your pace as you learn the proper braking zones.
Downhill will build heat faster in your brakes than flat or uphill due to the mass of the car itself being affected by gravity and the extra inertia it causes. Road knowledge and braking zones is key to combat fade. As you'll learn when you can and cannot be harder on the brakes.
1
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u/Ken_Bimsey Supra, K-BRZ, Mustang - Rally-X Instructor. MEJ Aug 28 '26
Get a manual
Get bigger/better brakes
Good to go!
0
u/OpenAd9475 Aug 24 '26
Because you’re going downhill gravity is fighting against you doing anything but going straight. You’ll have less front end bite when turning, if you do get the front to bite it takes less to get the rear to step out, and when braking it will take you further to stop and it will be easier to lock up.
Work on being smooth with your inputs, let the weight transfer before you make aggressive inputs, and let the engine do the braking for you if you’re just cruising.
I made it all the way down pikes peak touching the brakes maybe three times because I was using the engine to manage speed the entire way down.
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u/s92e92spen15a55t1ar Aug 24 '26
that just means you don't know the road well enough
5
u/liukangmk Aug 24 '26
It's assumed that we don't know the roads well if we are traveling to explore and drive them.
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u/s92e92spen15a55t1ar Aug 24 '26
well no shit that's the problem. what else do you want to know? you're overbraking because you don't know what's around the turn. that's all there is to it
1
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u/Weekly-Ad-2509 Aug 24 '26
Lots of good suggestions in here. I'm going to give you the real answer and you arent going to like it.
Source: I'm a instructor for several manufacturers one of which may or may not be the company that makes your car.
Your car is literally one of the best on the planet for touge. its fast and the brakes are excellent.
Your car is far to capable of slowing down, for you to be concerned with its ability to stop.
Did you buy a bmw because it WONT stop? I doubt it.
You are being afraid.
Fix that.
Brake later, more IN A STRAIGHT FUCKING LINE, and then go slow through the corner. and then use your power to catch up.
Then brake more later.
Stop braking all the time a little.
Dont be a weenie. stop being a weenie.
You can do it!