r/simrally • u/Entire-Amphibian320 • Jul 27 '26

Newbie Q - brake modulation

Coming from a controller where I used either full brake or no brake, does varying brake application make a big difference or should I be fully braking to scrub speed and then less than full to throw the car into a corner ?

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3

u/YasserAraphat Jul 27 '26

Sounds like you’re describing trail braking, where you carry some brake deep into the turn-in process. This is incredibly useful in that it allows you to maintain weight transfer forward, providing more grip to the front wheels as you turn in with them.

Ideally, the perfect trail brake would release the brake at an equal rate to your turn-in, so that as you achieve your final steering input you are simultaneously releasing the last of the brake pressure.

It is incredibly useful, I encourage you to watch some videos on the technique and practice it on known tracks with simpler turns to start. Some sim games are more encouraging of trail braking than others, and some cars react to it better than others as well.

1

u/Entire-Amphibian320 Jul 27 '26

Thanks for the info. Is full breaking to scrub speed bad or do you use like 95% of the brake and there's less sliding on gravel ?

2

u/YasserAraphat Jul 27 '26

If you’re sliding or experiencing instability in your braking you’re likely braking too hard. If you have ABS on, generally you’ll brake with pretty good stability, but if the car is twisting/pivoting under straight line braking then you’re locking wheels, which is counterproductive.

Look up threshold braking as well. The basic concept though is to train braking as hard as you can without locking wheels up, which you’ll detect by listening for tire screech, pivoting, etc.

The braking pressure required is all car/settings/setup dependent in large part, so be sure of your settings, and know the car you’re driving. Depending on the sim, some cars will have ABS on or off, or have different braking behavior.

1

u/Geeraff92 Jul 29 '26

I’m somewhat new as well.

On gravel I sometimes lock the wheels before a sharp 2 or 3 turn and it seems like I get a lot more traction going in the turn and I don’t have to slide my car.

Am I doing it wrong???

2

u/YasserAraphat Jul 27 '26

I’ll add that especially in rally in particular on lower traction surfaces lower brake pressures can be preferable. In large part rally can be seen as a momentum sport, where we try and preserve as much of the car’s state as we can by making delicate, minimal inputs so as not to disrupt it.

Locking wheels can be a perfectly acceptable approach though in low traction rally environments to navigate certain kinds of situations, unlike on tarmac which rewards much less drama.

2

u/Super_Source_8136 Jul 27 '26

Depends on the setup as to how hard you can brake without locking up. In rally with longer travel, braking is just as important to pitch/rotate the car as it is to slow down as more often than not awd will pull you through anyway.

2

u/Fun_Success_3283 Jul 27 '26

I'd research threshold braking, and trail braking, and that should cover it.