We think of drifting as a big show. The smell of burning rubber, screeching tires… Everyone wants to see it. Many also want to try their hand at this driving technique. You will need not only skills, but also the right car
Drift, drifting, drifting. You often hear these terms, but what do they really mean in practice? These are terms relating to the technique of driving a car (car to drift has its own parameters), which assumes a deliberate, fully supervised putting the vehicle into a skid, maintaining it in such a state and controlling the entire process with brakes and gearbox. The ideal drift is one that allows you to drive the longest possible distance while maintaining the smoothness and the greatest possible car lean.
Drift had its beginning in Japan in the 1960s. It was there, in the Land of the Cherry Blossom, that someone came up with the idea of racing sideways. Initially the technique was honed during illegal night races where the show and adrenaline was the most important thing. Over time, drifting moved to race tracks where professional competitions were held.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTNdup_6JBo
Currently, deliberate sliding of cars has many supporters, both among observers and amateurs of motor sports who want to feel like on a car track. Drifting is practiced all over the world. In Japan, the first professional drifting league, D1, was established (its legend is, among others, the Lexus IS), which also has an edition held in the United Kingdom, known as the European Drift Championship (EDC). In Poland, this technique became known in the 1990s. During the competition, parameters such as:
The time of performing the drift is of less importance. What matters most is the quality of the maneuver and the driver’s technique.
Many drivers dream of a drift career and try to fulfill their ambitions on public squares. We must then remember above all the safety of their own and other road users. It is also worth bearing in mind the Polish regulations which prohibit drifting on public roads.
In order to learn drifting in the first place, you need to properly prepare the car. Without this, despite the best efforts, it will not be possible to put the vehicle into a controlled skid
Rear-wheel drive vehicles are characterized by the fact that it is relatively easy to put them into a skid, and then control it. Rear-wheel drive vehicles are characterized by the fact that it is relatively easy to skid, and then to control the skid. Experienced drivers can master this, but for the layman it can be a very dangerous phenomenon. The Japanese usually opt for cars from their home corporations, such as the Toyota Supra, while in Europe BMWs are very popular (e.g. BMW E30). Drift cars need to have a very powerful engine in addition to rear-wheel drive and a robust gearbox (and plenty of spare parts available).
Hardening the suspension will effectively eliminate vehicle roll in corners or when adding gas. This ensures a confident ride, but reduces safety. The basic components of the suspension are shock absorbers and springs, which “by nature” are flexible. These are parts that can be very easily replaced by harder ones. The effect of this will be to reduce the grip of the vehicle as intended.
Lowering the suspension is intended to move the center of gravity closer to the roadway. This, as with hardening the suspension, will make the vehicle less prone to roll in corners. An additional plus is the improvement of the visual qualities of the car, which will now be our true business card
The lighter the car, the better. Weight is very important when it comes to the grip of the vehicle to the road. By getting rid of excess weight, we will make our car easily break traction, and it will be easier for us to put it in a skid.
The proper front wheel adjustment for drifting can be recognized by the characteristic look of the wheels, which appear as if they were going to split sideways. This ensures good grip of the front axle of the car, whose main task is to give the right direction during drifting. The grip on the rear axle, on the other hand, should be as low as possible – you can use heavily worn wheels to make the car slide as much as possible on the road
(Photo: pixabay.com)
