Left foot brake w/ clutch

Hi, I had foot surgery a few years ago and can't firmly brake with my right foot.  My current car is sequential/padel shift - so I just left foot brake.  However, I'm considering purchasing a race car that is manual w/ a clutch pedal.

Does anyone know any tricks to left foot brake with a clutch?  I'm stumped...

Thanks

Is that even possible without just saving the shifts for after the braking zone?

My FM/F600 is a conversion from an old F440 and has no room for a clutch pedal to be added.  What I have come up with is a heel clutch under the brake pedal.  I figure it will take some getting used to but seems like it could work for you.

Electronic actuator on the clutch controlled by an Xbox-style analog trigger somewhere? On the shifter maybe?

Hand clutch or........buy a motorcycle engined race car as you can shift without the clutch.

I am a proponent of left foot braking and have contemplated a hand clutch in my car.

In reply to triumph7 :

I never clutch my F600, clutchless shifting with a MC engine isn't too bad once you get the hang of it

Upshifting a motorcycle engine/transmission is easy, downshifting not as much so.

I vote for hand clutch, or keep the current vehicle. 

But to note: I like to keep things simple and not make things more difficult if I don't have to. 

What kind of race car?  Any chance of converting it to an solenoid-driven sequential?

In reply to z31maniac :

There's a knack to it but it's definitely doable once you get the technique

In reply to gixxeropa :

I know have 40k+ miles on sportbikes. 

In reply to gixxeropa :

Having road raced motorcycles first; the clutchless shifting in the car was easy.

In cars with a Hewlamd gearbox you can do the same. I haven't driven a Formula Ford or the like in 20 years so the first several laps could be ugly.

cyow5 said:

Is that even possible without just saving the shifts for after the braking zone?

This is how I do it ^^.

I've been LFB'ing for decades...started in autocross and continued once I began track work.  It's so second-nature that I can't not do it.

Definitely harder on brake components, as you have no engine braking assist.  But ultimately can actually be smoother and more consistent, since you are only doing one thing.

But, the obvious downside is you have to shift at exactly the right place, sometimes multiple gears, and smoothly declutch...all at a moment when the car is right at the limit of lateral grip (trail-braking just completed).  I call it the "neutral zone".  It's a developed skill to make those gear changes w/o upsetting the car.

I've looked at data between myself and TOMO driving my car at my home track and cannot discern any significant difference in either overall pace or corner entry specifics.  The tires limit what the car can do, and if you keep them on the outside of the friction circle, and drive the same line, you get the same result.

Note, I'm not preaching this as a "better" technique, cuz if it were we'd see it being adopted at the highest levels of the sport.  Just saying it can be done, and if done well can be quick.

Here's a video of me driving a lap at the new Hedge Hollow Raceway near Kansas City.  Listen to the engine and you can envision what I am doing with the pedals.  Video is with an iPhone, so quality is meh...

https://fb.watch/roJEimwJnU/

FWIW, I LFB nearly full-time on the street (because foot injury), which I learned when I was getting into autox 20+ years ago. Not positive, but I think it started when I found a list of tips online by some guy named Andy Hollis.

I just wanted to say that the learning curve can be steep: your brain automatically knows how to brake, but your left foot/leg has no berkeleying clue. It's a bit like trying to brush your teeth with your nondominant hand. Except you're trying to slow down a car that's hauling ass, quickly, smoothly, safely. 

TL;DR It takes a while to train your brain/body to LFB well. Don't let your first attempts be in highway traffic. 🙂

A guy I built a cage for years ago had polio as a child so he didn't have much strength in his legs. He ended up designing his own hand controlled brake lever. He was a PCA chief instructor in the region and ran a lot of schools and SVRA and PCA races. He told me he felt like he was cheating sometimes because he could just tap the lever to "left foot brake"

A tip I got from a surgeon on training your other foot to do fine motor skills was to start eating with the opposite hand you usually use. He also said, the bigger the muscle, the dumber it is. Work with the lower leg muscles for modulation.

In reply to Andy Hollis :

Ironic you do this. I have a friend who could never master heal and toe downshifts who used the exact same technique.

He too was quite smooth.

procainestart said:

FWIW, I LFB nearly full-time on the street (because foot injury), which I learned when I was getting into autox 20+ years ago. Not positive, but I think it started when I found a list of tips online by some guy named Andy Hollis.

I just wanted to say that the learning curve can be steep: your brain automatically knows how to brake, but your left foot/leg has no berkeleying clue. It's a bit like trying to brush your teeth with your nondominant hand. Except you're trying to slow down a car that's hauling ass, quickly, smoothly, safely. 

TL;DR It takes a while to train your brain/body to LFB well. Don't let your first attempts be in highway traffic. 🙂

My grandfather exclusively left foot braked.

Also left foot accelerated.  He was a right side BK amputee.

You learned to drive with your right foot, you can learn with your left foot.

Driving cross footed, however, is tricky and I do not recommend 

In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :

It's a Honda R TC- so not sure if that's a possible conversion

Andy Hollis said:

cyow5 said:

Is that even possible without just saving the shifts for after the braking zone?

This is how I do it ^^.

I've been LFB'ing for decades...started in autocross and continued once I began track work.  It's so second-nature that I can't not do it.

Definitely harder on brake components, as you have no engine braking assist.  But ultimately can actually be smoother and more consistent, since you are only doing one thing.

This is really promising to hear- seems like if I practice I'll be able to pull this off.  The video is really helpful too- I can tell right when you're shifting.  

Thank you so much for sharing this!!  I have hope now!

Tom1200 said:

In reply to Andy Hollis :

Ironic you do this. I have a friend who could never master heal and toe downshifts who used the exact same technique.

He too was quite smooth.

 

 

 

On track, it's been my "dirty little secret"...one I was always embarassed to reveal.  In fact, I'd often avoid taking passengers just so they would not discover it.

Now, I'm just in the "old dog, no new tricks" stage of life and DGAF.  :)