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Rec.Autos.Simulators Archive

GPL - Trail braking lessons?

8 posts by 8 people · 25 Mar 1999 - 31 Mar 1999

Joe McGinn 25 Mar 1999#457975
Ok, now that I have pedals with separate gas/brake axis, I need trail-braking lessons. I know what it is, but not how to make it really effective. Any tips? How can trail-braking be used to my best advantage? I also play Viper. Do the same techniques apply there? Joe
muren.nos.. 25 Mar 1999#457976
To use trail braking effectively you need to understand not only how to do it but how it effects the car's behavior and when to use it to your advantage. The principle reason to use it is to 'loosen up' the car on turn in so you can carry more speed into the turn and still hit the apex. It uses dynamic weight transfer to the front tires under braking when entering a turn to increase their grip at the expense of the rear tires. What you get is later braking, more speed entering the turn, and more control of track position at the apex. Haven't played Viper, but the effectiveness of trail braking there would depend on how well it models weight transfer under braking. This is why it can be so effective in GPL, it's physics is the best currently available in a PC sim. Marty
Quoted text (8 lines)> Ok, now that I have pedals with separate gas/brake axis, I need > trail-braking lessons. I know what it is, but not how to make it > really effective. Any tips? How can trail-braking be used to my best > advantage? > I also play Viper. Do the same techniques apply there? > Joe
Swindell 26 Mar 1999#458238
lessons.<< You don't need seperate gas/brake axis for trail braking. Surely you have to come right off the accelerator before you go onto the brakes otherwise the transfer of weight is cancelled out? I'm going on the theory that if braking shifts weight to the front, then accelereating shifts weight to the back!? Right? Rob, who was taught trail braking at Winfield - the place where Prost, Alesi and Hill have all been to! But now is confused
Quoted text (11 lines)> >>Ok, now that I have pedals with separate gas/brake axis, I need trail-braking > lessons.<< > You don't need seperate gas/brake axis for trail braking. Surely you have to > come right off the accelerator before you go onto the brakes otherwise the > transfer of weight is cancelled out? I'm going on the theory that if braking > shifts weight to the front, then accelereating shifts weight to the back!? > Right? > Rob, who was taught trail braking at Winfield - the place where Prost, Alesi > and Hill have all been to! But now is confused
You are correct in one way, Rob! Applying the brake whilst on the throttle is more commonly known as Left-foot braking..:-) However, you can actually let up on the gas, but just balance it carefully, so that you stabilize the car a tad more going into a turn while on the brakes. Getting the rears to regain grip smoothly and fast is important in GPL, like in the Parabolica at Monza. On a really hot lap, you brake a bit later than common sense, but while braking into the turn, stabilize it with the gas, gradually getting off the brake and on the throttle to get set up for a fast exit, and to avoid the rear to come around. This actually also gives Para 2 apexes, and I've seen it on all sub 28 laps, including the few of those I've managed myself :) However, it's hard to get right, demands practice, and "the right day"..<g> Matt -- ----------------------------------------- Matthew Knutsen "The Art of Legends" - GPL add-ons www.cheekracing.electra.no/GPL/simrace1.htm -----------------------------------------
>>>Ok, now that I have pedals with separate gas/brake axis, I need trail-braking >lessons.<< >You don't need seperate gas/brake axis for trail braking. Surely you have to >come right off the accelerator before you go onto the brakes otherwise the >transfer of weight is cancelled out? I'm going on the theory that if braking >shifts weight to the front, then accelereating shifts weight to the back!? >Right? Right. Trail braking means trailing off the brakes as you enter the corner (and approach the apex). I have single axis pedels but I'm usually completly off the accelerator and *** the brakes long before I begin turn in, at which point I begin releasing (i.e., trailing off) the brakes [increasingly] until near the apex. And I can stab the brake or throttle with either one still on and cause weight shift, which is useful to induce/reduce/control oversteer/understeer, even with single axis pedels. I think the advantage of having dual axis pedels is it allows you to dynamically change the brake bias - a little throttle under braking will reduce rear wheel braking, effectively changing the bias. Which of course will cause the weight to shift, which again is useful (perhaps imparative) to reduce/control oversteer.
<snip> % I think the advantage of having dual axis pedels is it allows you to % dynamically change the brake bias - a little throttle under braking will % reduce rear wheel braking, effectively changing the bias. Which of course % will cause the weight to shift, which again is useful (perhaps imparative) % to reduce/control oversteer. The other big advantage to having the brake and throttle on separate axis is finer control over the balance of the car. I find that when I stop to analyze it, I am doing alot of rolling off the throttle while rolling on the brake in GPL. The actions are tied together and can't really be accomplished with the smoothness and effectiveness if the pedals are on the same axis. When getting back onto the power, the reverse applies, rolling off the brake while rolling on the throttle. If needed I can also apply hard braking while accelerating if I have thrown the rears out too much. If done right this will straighten the car enough to get grip and I can continue accelerating out of the turns. Again, this doesn't translate as well if the pedals are on the same axis. -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
While trying to break my record (barely in the 1:31s) at Monza I noticed how the speed exiting Parabolica really has to do more with turning into the corner than braking hard. Even with moderate braking if I can throw the front end adjacent to the inside barrier the car will ride smoothly inside and allow me to step back on the throttle almost right away, then gradually increase it to full once exiting. Other times, no matter how hard I break if the front end doesn't grip and drifts wide, I hit the sand. Trail braking should make this maneuver easier because the weight is in the front, but then I find the rear gets away sometimes and I can't quite do that consistently enough yet. - "If the meaning of life was printed in a book, someone would use it to keep the window open."
Tadej Krev 31 Mar 1999#459135
Hi ! I have a 1:27.07 lap at Monza and haven't used trail braking neither at Lesmo2 or Parabolica. You get better turn in with trailbraking, but i use 54% brake ratio (with Lotus) and trail braking is not possible. I conpensate for it with a bit higher coast ramp angle - set at 45 - which is almosy cruical to get the Lesmo2 right. The funny thing is that I always thought that I was loosing time in Lesmo2, just to then figure out that I was loosing nearly 0.4sec in the Parabolica...No wonder it's world-wide known corner <g> :o) Tadej Krevh Lotus Internet Racing http://welcome.to/LotusRacingc
Quoted text (41 lines)> > >>Ok, now that I have pedals with separate gas/brake axis, I need trail-braking > > lessons.<< > > You don't need seperate gas/brake axis for trail braking. Surely you have to > > come right off the accelerator before you go onto the brakes otherwise the > > transfer of weight is cancelled out? I'm going on the theory that if braking > > shifts weight to the front, then accelereating shifts weight to the back!? > > Right? > > Rob, who was taught trail braking at Winfield - the place where Prost, Alesi > > and Hill have all been to! But now is confused > You are correct in one way, Rob! Applying the brake whilst on the > throttle is > more commonly known as Left-foot braking..:-) > However, you can actually let up on the gas, but just balance it > carefully, > so that you stabilize the car a tad more going into a turn while on the > brakes. > Getting the rears to regain grip smoothly and fast is important in GPL, > like in the Parabolica at Monza. On a really hot lap, you brake a bit > later than > common sense, but while braking into the turn, stabilize it with the > gas, gradually > getting off the brake and on the throttle to get set up for a fast exit, > and to avoid the > rear to come around. > This actually also gives Para 2 apexes, and I've seen it on all sub 28 > laps, > including the few of those I've managed myself :) > However, it's hard to get right, demands practice, and "the right > day"..<g> > Matt > -- > ----------------------------------------- > Matthew Knutsen > "The Art of Legends" - GPL add-ons > www.cheekracing.electra.no/GPL/simrace1.htm > -----------------------------------------

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