RTB
New Member
I am 17, and human... i don't think my paper is perfect by any means, In the future im planning on writing the conclusion to the end of my paper. But what i would like to do now, is get information on what i have. If i have misunderstood a certain aspect of drifting, let me know. I would overall just like a constructive criticism from a community that understands drifting... here it is
Automotive Drifting: is most commonly referred to as a driving style in which the driver oversteers intentionally to cause a higher slip angle in the rear tires(compared to the front) inducing a slide in which the driver must keep control over from entry of a corner, to exit.
Types of drifting include(but is not limited to); power over, weight transfer, E-brake drift, dynamic drifting, race drifting, and shift lock.
Power over drifting is initiated solely by the engines power. As the car approaches a corner, the driver gives full throttle to the tires, causing heavy oversteer. In most situations only higher performance cars can successfully power over drift. Weight transfer is when a drift is started from transferring the cars weight from one side to the other quickly, causing the rear to “break loose”. Weight transfer is less of a stand alone drift type, and more of an aid to initiate drifting. Commonly the weight transfer is followed by a power over or powerslide. E-brake drift(or power slide) is when the car builds up momentum coming into a corner, then locks just the rear tires to reduce friction from the back of the car causing the car to drift. This is the easiest drift to initiate, but as well, one of the easiest to lose control of and spin out. This form of drifting is one of the few ways a FWD car can drift. Dynamic drifting is when a driver comes into a corner faster than usual, then initiates a slide by releasing the gas. This is considered one of the hardest drift techniques to learn. Race drifting, is a byproduct of a racer pushing the limits of his tires past the point of static traction. This allows for the tires maximum potential of grip to be achieved. Unlike most assumptions, race drifts, are performed at almost no drift angle. The higher your drift angle, the higher amount of friction you have to the road; resulting in loss of speed. Last but not least, is shift lock drifting, this technique of drifting includes downshifting to increase torque before a corner. Shift lock drifting is putting virtually all the strain onto your driveline at this point, so a wet surface is recommended to not damage parts frequently.
Drifting influences come from all over the world. One of the most accepted ancestor of modern drifting originated in the japanese mountain roads, referred to as Touge. The act of touge is trying to maintain speed through mountain roads while drifting; some argue that a higher average speed was the goal, while others admit it was solely on style. In japan, it is actually illegal due to high incident rate. Touge can be one car or multiple cars trying to hold the best line throughout the corners of a windy mountain road. To help reduce the desire to drift, “drift bumps” were set throughout the entry and exit of certain corners. The purpose of these bumps were to damage their cars if hit with speed. Drift bumps had some success on reducing drifting, but Touge slowly evolved around this delima. Now even in some drift tracks, speed bumps are set at random locations of the track.
The first drifting that was documented was near the early 30’s, when drivers reported that there rear ends would slide out from under them while cornering. Few drivers could “recover” their rear end slide, and it was often embarrassing to spin out. Motorcycles racing on dirt oval tracks also helped contribute to the drift scene, essentially controlling a counter steer throughout an entire corner to reduce loss of speed.
Adaptations of Touge in the united states gained a large amount of popularity in the early 90’s. Teens in america turned away from high speed drag racing to turn towards a driving style that more car control is needed even at drastically lower speeds.
The drivetrain of a car that is drifting will adversely affect the way that it handles while trying to maintain a drift. RWD(rear-wheel-drive) cars are by far the standard when it comes to drifting, some drift events won't allow anything but a RWD drivetrain. RWD essentially means that either one or both rear tires(depending on differential) are delivering the power to the road. Because the power is being delivered completely behind the steering, RWD cars are the most prone to oversteering. Drifters can take advantage of this through fluidly “chaining” together multiple drifts under the cars initial drift. A higher drift angle can be achieved when compared to the other two drivetrains because the most drift control can be displayed through a higher car control. Prime examples of RWD cars used commonly for drifting: the Nissan Silvia 240sx, and Toyota AE86 Corolla.
AWD(all-wheel-drive) cars are capable at drifting with a higher speed easier, but a lower drift angle and less counter steer are included in AWD drifts. Most commonly people make the mistake of thinking that AWD(not to be confused with 4WD) means that all the wheels are delivering power simultaneously, this is very inaccurate. In a AWD drivetrain, all wheels are capable of delivering power; but anywhere from one to three wheels can be delivering power to the road in this drivetrain. The number of wheels delivering power can’t increase or decrease in an AWD car, but anything that can deliver power to all four wheels is considered AWD(some only have one wheel delivering power, others have as many as three). The standard AWD seen today is the outside rear tire, and inside front tire delivering power. This creates a natural drift that arguably is easier to control. Thus the reason why they have been banned in most competitive drift events. Finally, FWD(front-wheel-drive) drivetrains in cars are the least desirable for drifting because of the argument that FWD cars are capable of initiating a drift, but not being able to sustain multiple drifts(such as the AWD and RWD cars). Instead the FWD cars resort to: weight transfer, dynamic drifting, and most of all powersliding. There are competitive examples of FWD cars outperforming RWD in a drift event, which is the best example that the quality of the drift is dependant upon the driver just as much(if not more so) than the car. There isn’t many drifting cars that are FWD, but a good example of FWD cars in a related scene is the Honda Civic, and Mitsubishi Eclipse.
American muscle cars and drifting go together like glass and steel, a very delicate balance is required to drift to any extent in a muscle car due to its uneven weight proportioning, alongside of their humongous mass. Imagine if a group of kids in the second grade were rough housing, and you through in a seventh grader. The same concept applies to drifting. In a group of cars that have similar weight/steering angle, a fluid chain of cars drifting can be produced. Where as when you add in a heavy car with less steering angle, the line taken while drifting can drastically change(resulting in a break in the chain). Not that these cars cannot drift together, but that it takes more driver focus/skill to control the car. The high power output of a v8, at the affordability of a couple paychecks is tempting to most; but when you consider the suspension used in these cars are limited to the decade of their production, the cons outweigh the pros in most situations. Though just because drifters don't turn to the full muscle car to drift, the heart of muscle cars are used quite often. Engine swaps of Chevy 350’s into a 240sx are so abundant that its almost scary to consider. The power to weight ratio of a stock US 240sx is roughly .0407hp/lbs. Slightly increasing weight, but drastically increasing power, a 350 powered 240sx can easily break 400whp. Changing the power to weight ratio from .0407hp/lbs, to numbers closer to a 400whp 240sx weighing around 2800, a staggering .1429hp/lbs. (comparable to some ferraris!)
Most all drifters look for a higher power/weight ratio, because a lighter more powerful car is easier to drift in theory. Aftermarket parts play a crucial role with drift cars, the more hp you can squeeze out of your car; the easier it will be to initiate/sustain drifts(to an extent of course). One of the most popular ways to increase hp/lbs without aftermarket parts, is weight reduction. The spare tire, jack, carpeting, heavy glass windows, and stereo equipment can drastically affect hp/lbs. Some reports have shown almost a 15% increase in hp/lbs with weight removal alone. The cost of weight removal is surprisingly less, when compared to the cost of performance parts(in some cases it can even be free!).
Suspension is the final piece of the confusing jigsaw puzzle of drifting. Most drifters will say that coilovers are one of(if not the) most important suspension upgrades you can buy. A coilover suspension offers one of the easiest ways to lower your ride height(which can make a car handle more stably while drifting). Most stock suspensions have minimal camber and caster adjustments. In which upgrading to a coilover suspension system, can suffice tuning in camber and caster levels from entry level drifting all the way to a competitive amatuer level. Suspension geometry can be disturbed by lowering your car, so usually when coilovers are installed(but not always necessary), are corresponding suspension components(ie. tie rods). Negative camber is when the top of the tire is angled towards the center of the car, this is preferred by the drifting community because its easier to break traction. Where caster is measured by the steering angle. A negative caster is when the steering angle is leaning towards the rear of the car at the top of the wheel.
Automotive Drifting: is most commonly referred to as a driving style in which the driver oversteers intentionally to cause a higher slip angle in the rear tires(compared to the front) inducing a slide in which the driver must keep control over from entry of a corner, to exit.
Types of drifting include(but is not limited to); power over, weight transfer, E-brake drift, dynamic drifting, race drifting, and shift lock.
Power over drifting is initiated solely by the engines power. As the car approaches a corner, the driver gives full throttle to the tires, causing heavy oversteer. In most situations only higher performance cars can successfully power over drift. Weight transfer is when a drift is started from transferring the cars weight from one side to the other quickly, causing the rear to “break loose”. Weight transfer is less of a stand alone drift type, and more of an aid to initiate drifting. Commonly the weight transfer is followed by a power over or powerslide. E-brake drift(or power slide) is when the car builds up momentum coming into a corner, then locks just the rear tires to reduce friction from the back of the car causing the car to drift. This is the easiest drift to initiate, but as well, one of the easiest to lose control of and spin out. This form of drifting is one of the few ways a FWD car can drift. Dynamic drifting is when a driver comes into a corner faster than usual, then initiates a slide by releasing the gas. This is considered one of the hardest drift techniques to learn. Race drifting, is a byproduct of a racer pushing the limits of his tires past the point of static traction. This allows for the tires maximum potential of grip to be achieved. Unlike most assumptions, race drifts, are performed at almost no drift angle. The higher your drift angle, the higher amount of friction you have to the road; resulting in loss of speed. Last but not least, is shift lock drifting, this technique of drifting includes downshifting to increase torque before a corner. Shift lock drifting is putting virtually all the strain onto your driveline at this point, so a wet surface is recommended to not damage parts frequently.
Drifting influences come from all over the world. One of the most accepted ancestor of modern drifting originated in the japanese mountain roads, referred to as Touge. The act of touge is trying to maintain speed through mountain roads while drifting; some argue that a higher average speed was the goal, while others admit it was solely on style. In japan, it is actually illegal due to high incident rate. Touge can be one car or multiple cars trying to hold the best line throughout the corners of a windy mountain road. To help reduce the desire to drift, “drift bumps” were set throughout the entry and exit of certain corners. The purpose of these bumps were to damage their cars if hit with speed. Drift bumps had some success on reducing drifting, but Touge slowly evolved around this delima. Now even in some drift tracks, speed bumps are set at random locations of the track.
The first drifting that was documented was near the early 30’s, when drivers reported that there rear ends would slide out from under them while cornering. Few drivers could “recover” their rear end slide, and it was often embarrassing to spin out. Motorcycles racing on dirt oval tracks also helped contribute to the drift scene, essentially controlling a counter steer throughout an entire corner to reduce loss of speed.
Adaptations of Touge in the united states gained a large amount of popularity in the early 90’s. Teens in america turned away from high speed drag racing to turn towards a driving style that more car control is needed even at drastically lower speeds.
The drivetrain of a car that is drifting will adversely affect the way that it handles while trying to maintain a drift. RWD(rear-wheel-drive) cars are by far the standard when it comes to drifting, some drift events won't allow anything but a RWD drivetrain. RWD essentially means that either one or both rear tires(depending on differential) are delivering the power to the road. Because the power is being delivered completely behind the steering, RWD cars are the most prone to oversteering. Drifters can take advantage of this through fluidly “chaining” together multiple drifts under the cars initial drift. A higher drift angle can be achieved when compared to the other two drivetrains because the most drift control can be displayed through a higher car control. Prime examples of RWD cars used commonly for drifting: the Nissan Silvia 240sx, and Toyota AE86 Corolla.
AWD(all-wheel-drive) cars are capable at drifting with a higher speed easier, but a lower drift angle and less counter steer are included in AWD drifts. Most commonly people make the mistake of thinking that AWD(not to be confused with 4WD) means that all the wheels are delivering power simultaneously, this is very inaccurate. In a AWD drivetrain, all wheels are capable of delivering power; but anywhere from one to three wheels can be delivering power to the road in this drivetrain. The number of wheels delivering power can’t increase or decrease in an AWD car, but anything that can deliver power to all four wheels is considered AWD(some only have one wheel delivering power, others have as many as three). The standard AWD seen today is the outside rear tire, and inside front tire delivering power. This creates a natural drift that arguably is easier to control. Thus the reason why they have been banned in most competitive drift events. Finally, FWD(front-wheel-drive) drivetrains in cars are the least desirable for drifting because of the argument that FWD cars are capable of initiating a drift, but not being able to sustain multiple drifts(such as the AWD and RWD cars). Instead the FWD cars resort to: weight transfer, dynamic drifting, and most of all powersliding. There are competitive examples of FWD cars outperforming RWD in a drift event, which is the best example that the quality of the drift is dependant upon the driver just as much(if not more so) than the car. There isn’t many drifting cars that are FWD, but a good example of FWD cars in a related scene is the Honda Civic, and Mitsubishi Eclipse.
American muscle cars and drifting go together like glass and steel, a very delicate balance is required to drift to any extent in a muscle car due to its uneven weight proportioning, alongside of their humongous mass. Imagine if a group of kids in the second grade were rough housing, and you through in a seventh grader. The same concept applies to drifting. In a group of cars that have similar weight/steering angle, a fluid chain of cars drifting can be produced. Where as when you add in a heavy car with less steering angle, the line taken while drifting can drastically change(resulting in a break in the chain). Not that these cars cannot drift together, but that it takes more driver focus/skill to control the car. The high power output of a v8, at the affordability of a couple paychecks is tempting to most; but when you consider the suspension used in these cars are limited to the decade of their production, the cons outweigh the pros in most situations. Though just because drifters don't turn to the full muscle car to drift, the heart of muscle cars are used quite often. Engine swaps of Chevy 350’s into a 240sx are so abundant that its almost scary to consider. The power to weight ratio of a stock US 240sx is roughly .0407hp/lbs. Slightly increasing weight, but drastically increasing power, a 350 powered 240sx can easily break 400whp. Changing the power to weight ratio from .0407hp/lbs, to numbers closer to a 400whp 240sx weighing around 2800, a staggering .1429hp/lbs. (comparable to some ferraris!)
Most all drifters look for a higher power/weight ratio, because a lighter more powerful car is easier to drift in theory. Aftermarket parts play a crucial role with drift cars, the more hp you can squeeze out of your car; the easier it will be to initiate/sustain drifts(to an extent of course). One of the most popular ways to increase hp/lbs without aftermarket parts, is weight reduction. The spare tire, jack, carpeting, heavy glass windows, and stereo equipment can drastically affect hp/lbs. Some reports have shown almost a 15% increase in hp/lbs with weight removal alone. The cost of weight removal is surprisingly less, when compared to the cost of performance parts(in some cases it can even be free!).
Suspension is the final piece of the confusing jigsaw puzzle of drifting. Most drifters will say that coilovers are one of(if not the) most important suspension upgrades you can buy. A coilover suspension offers one of the easiest ways to lower your ride height(which can make a car handle more stably while drifting). Most stock suspensions have minimal camber and caster adjustments. In which upgrading to a coilover suspension system, can suffice tuning in camber and caster levels from entry level drifting all the way to a competitive amatuer level. Suspension geometry can be disturbed by lowering your car, so usually when coilovers are installed(but not always necessary), are corresponding suspension components(ie. tie rods). Negative camber is when the top of the tire is angled towards the center of the car, this is preferred by the drifting community because its easier to break traction. Where caster is measured by the steering angle. A negative caster is when the steering angle is leaning towards the rear of the car at the top of the wheel.
