In-Depth GT3 Drifting Guide

[Boundary Layer]

I wonder, before I even attempt to go drifting for the first time, I use manual so can you drift with manual??

that's the preferred method, yes 👍

 

[G-T-4-Fan]

that's the preferred method, yes 👍

DAMN I'm REALLY, I mean >>>REALLY<<<< STUPID: I meant automatic, however it doesn't matter anymore I can now do it with Auto and Dual Shock 2, but I'm getting the wheel in a couple of weeks but, is THAT hard if you're used to the minimal changes you make with your thumb on the DS2??

 

[Swift]

DAMN I'm REALLY, I mean >>>REALLY<<<< STUPID: I meant automatic, however it doesn't matter anymore I can now do it with Auto and Dual Shock 2, but I'm getting the wheel in a couple of weeks but, is THAT hard if you're used to the minimal changes you make with your thumb on the DS2??

Yes, it's a change and will take some getting used to. However, since you're pretty new it won't be so bad.

BTW, start using manual YESTERDAY. You have much more control over your car and how it reacts.

 

[G-T-4-Fan]

Yes, it's a change and will take some getting used to. However, since you're pretty new it won't be so bad.

BTW, start using manual YESTERDAY. You have much more control over your car and how it reacts.

Damn, I think I won't be able to manually shift in a month practice 2hours a day. I don't have a car in real life cause I'm not allowed to have one yet, so I really haven't, shifted gears, anytime in my life yet!!

 

[Swift]

Damn, I think I won't be able to manually shift in a month practice 2hours a day. I don't have a car in real life cause I'm not allowed to have one yet, so I really haven't, shifted gears, anytime in my life yet!!

So then this is a great time to learn since you can't break anything.

 

[vinsion]

Great job, I post my congrats... 👍

 

[G-T-4-Fan]

B.t.w. this has been a VERY usefull guide for me and I would recommend it to read it VERY CAREFULLY if your just starting to drift I'll get a link to this in my signature:tup:👍

 

[Initial Somers]

PIMP MY DRIFT:
SOMERSMAN IS HELPING EVERYONE TO FLY ON TYRES
i just thought i'd explain what i do then people who wanna be as good as me can try to, lol, naa im ok, but if its helpful to anyone, im happy.
COntRoLs:
im using DS2, and for ages i drifted with default controls. i found it fine. because i didn't know better it was the best. and then i was messin round with the controls looking to find a setup that would suit me. and i decided it would be interesting to have acceleration on the right stick, turning on the left stick, r1 as brake, L1 as handbrake, and L2 and R2 as shift down shift up respectively. to be honest i thought i'd change it back within seconds. but i've been using it for a while and its ****in tits, complete analog control over your acceleration, and your turnin, and you can control high degree drifts and low degree drifts and hold them. im not sayin its magic, i've been practising drifting for a long time, but you'd have an advantage starting out using them.
DoRi BaTTLe cAr:
white fc3s RX7. INspired by ryosuke takahashi (is that it? im not japanese) from initial d. at the moment i only have 5 gears, stage 3 turbo, stage 3 lightweight and i can't remember which suspension, but as long as you can adjust the ride height, its all good. (the reason i dont have all the best stuff for it is notbecause i believe its better half stock, its cos i can't be ****ed earning the money). make it low as can be, tighten the suspension, about 14kg/mm or whatever it is, harder if you wish. i also have traction control on level one or 2, i can't remember, this is helpful just for takeoff and comin outta corners, or else it's a **** to use analog to takeoff cos its usually always slower. its not really a driving aid. turn off everthing else, asm, and all the other help stuff. sim tyres are highly recommended
TEcHnoNIQUE:
pretty much i use the combination of brake and feint, sometimes the handbrake. when comin up to a nice corner, like the one after the first hairpin on grand valley. i turn away from the corner, (you really need to go on instinct and experience to do this, its not something you read) then brake down, shift down, to a gear, that idealy your revs are high but not getting cut off.
weight shifting is the most important part, so make sure your not trying to burn rubber the whole way into the corner, or else you wont make it through. just brake before your turn going reasonably fast,turn in without accelerating, then once you feel you could almost loose traction start applying the accerator lightly to begin with. so you get a feel of how much it'll flick around and how fast. once you become more adept, you know easily how much to accelerate or brake and everything to drift. given its difficult to begin with as it is, i suggest you start using the controller setup i used before everything is analog except the brakes, but as long as you dont lock them, its all sweet.
TrAcK:
personally, apricot hill raceway is nuts because of the first couple of corners. the long one right after the straight where theres a slight turn a short straight then a tighter turn, theres nothing like linking that and watching it in the replay. special stage r5 rocks to, just for the replays and the headlights, theres so many good turns in this, but for some reason i dont like playin it so much one player, but 2 player battles, look incredible. Um, laguna is good to, for beginers because the corners are closer to 120degree turns and not really long bends.and lastly, grand valley is just a cool track, it gives you a mountain feeling which is fabulous for an initial d fan.
Summary: the biggest bit of help i could give you aside from saying practise and read what other people do and their setups and car choice, is try download, or buy the drift bible, by keichi tsuchiya (i think thats it, once again im not japanese so i can't remember the names) it can be applied straight to gt3. um, thats it, the only other thing i can say is make it fun, have a mate who loves drifting around, pump the initial d music, and try focus on making the coolest lookin replays you can. like if you get ahead, wait for him to catch up, and if he's comin up fast from behind and your headingto a corner, drift the corner slower so he can drift overtake on the outside or something, crazy ****, it makes the replays as fun as playin it. also, if your drifting tight corners, make sure you get as close to the apex as you can, on long corners this isn't so important. (this doesn't help you drift its just what looks good in replays. if your trying to tandem drift a corner, like paralell, put the faster car behind, i know it sounds weird, but put the slow car ahead and make quite a bit of distance. if you've ever been attempting a tandem and your drivin up your mates arse you can't see the corner for **** ( i forgot to say, in car view is highly recommended, i think thats understood, just like using a FR or MR, but i've heard you can use awd, i dunno) but yeh, you can't see **** and judging the corner is almost impossible, so put the faster guy a good bit behind so he can catch the other guy at the start of the corner. if he's further behind he can see the whole corner, make a decision on what hes doin, then as he starts drifting he should be close to his friend. looks nuts. or you could come in side by side, just as long as theres enough room and you can get into the right positions. Another point for beginers is as long you have tcs off and asm off and a fairly powerful car with tight suspension, you should easily be able to steer into longer drifts and practise holding them. maybe it'll give you an insight into weight shifting befor you actually need to know it. it sucks cos i can't remember how i learnt, which could be useful, but ah well. people are entitled to disagree with me, im posting this only for the people who can learn from it and for people who are interested in how others do it, if nobody learns from it, and the majority of people think i dont know what im talkin about, then say so, but i'd rather people gave me their opinion of how they do it, rather then say "yeh you should try this and this, cos chances are i have" and i dont wanna sound like a gay **** saying i know, i know, yeh but i couldn't do that cos of this, etc. **** you all and goodnight 👍

 

[Thio]

PIMP MY DRIFT:
SOMERSMAN IS HELPING EVERYONE TO FLY ON TYRES
i just thought i'd explain what i do then people who wanna be as good as me can try to, lol, naa im ok, but if its helpful to anyone, im happy.
COntRoLs:
im using DS2, and for ages i drifted with default controls. i found it fine. because i didn't know better it was the best. and then i was messin round with the controls looking to find a setup that would suit me. and i decided it would be interesting to have acceleration on the right stick, turning on the left stick, r1 as brake, L1 as handbrake, and L2 and R2 as shift down shift up respectively. to be honest i thought i'd change it back within seconds. but i've been using it for a while and its ****in tits, complete analog control over your acceleration, and your turnin, and you can control high degree drifts and low degree drifts and hold them. im not sayin its magic, i've been practising drifting for a long time, but you'd have an advantage starting out using them.
DoRi BaTTLe cAr:
white fc3s RX7. INspired by ryosuke takahashi (is that it? im not japanese) from initial d. at the moment i only have 5 gears, stage 3 turbo, stage 3 lightweight and i can't remember which suspension, but as long as you can adjust the ride height, its all good. (the reason i dont have all the best stuff for it is notbecause i believe its better half stock, its cos i can't be ****ed earning the money). make it low as can be, tighten the suspension, about 14kg/mm or whatever it is, harder if you wish. i also have traction control on level one or 2, i can't remember, this is helpful just for takeoff and comin outta corners, or else it's a **** to use analog to takeoff cos its usually always slower. its not really a driving aid. turn off everthing else, asm, and all the other help stuff. sim tyres are highly recommended
TEcHnoNIQUE:
pretty much i use the combination of brake and feint, sometimes the handbrake. when comin up to a nice corner, like the one after the first hairpin on grand valley. i turn away from the corner, (you really need to go on instinct and experience to do this, its not something you read) then brake down, shift down, to a gear, that idealy your revs are high but not getting cut off.
weight shifting is the most important part, so make sure your not trying to burn rubber the whole way into the corner, or else you wont make it through. just brake before your turn going reasonably fast,turn in without accelerating, then once you feel you could almost loose traction start applying the accerator lightly to begin with. so you get a feel of how much it'll flick around and how fast. once you become more adept, you know easily how much to accelerate or brake and everything to drift. given its difficult to begin with as it is, i suggest you start using the controller setup i used before everything is analog except the brakes, but as long as you dont lock them, its all sweet.
TrAcK:
personally, apricot hill raceway is nuts because of the first couple of corners. the long one right after the straight where theres a slight turn a short straight then a tighter turn, theres nothing like linking that and watching it in the replay. special stage r5 rocks to, just for the replays and the headlights, theres so many good turns in this, but for some reason i dont like playin it so much one player, but 2 player battles, look incredible. Um, laguna is good to, for beginers because the corners are closer to 120degree turns and not really long bends.and lastly, grand valley is just a cool track, it gives you a mountain feeling which is fabulous for an initial d fan.
Summary: the biggest bit of help i could give you aside from saying practise and read what other people do and their setups and car choice, is try download, or buy the drift bible, by keichi tsuchiya (i think thats it, once again im not japanese so i can't remember the names) it can be applied straight to gt3. um, thats it, the only other thing i can say is make it fun, have a mate who loves drifting around, pump the initial d music, and try focus on making the coolest lookin replays you can. like if you get ahead, wait for him to catch up, and if he's comin up fast from behind and your headingto a corner, drift the corner slower so he can drift overtake on the outside or something, crazy ****, it makes the replays as fun as playin it. also, if your drifting tight corners, make sure you get as close to the apex as you can, on long corners this isn't so important. (this doesn't help you drift its just what looks good in replays. if your trying to tandem drift a corner, like paralell, put the faster car behind, i know it sounds weird, but put the slow car ahead and make quite a bit of distance. if you've ever been attempting a tandem and your drivin up your mates arse you can't see the corner for **** ( i forgot to say, in car view is highly recommended, i think thats understood, just like using a FR or MR, but i've heard you can use awd, i dunno) but yeh, you can't see **** and judging the corner is almost impossible, so put the faster guy a good bit behind so he can catch the other guy at the start of the corner. if he's further behind he can see the whole corner, make a decision on what hes doin, then as he starts drifting he should be close to his friend. looks nuts. or you could come in side by side, just as long as theres enough room and you can get into the right positions. Another point for beginers is as long you have tcs off and asm off and a fairly powerful car with tight suspension, you should easily be able to steer into longer drifts and practise holding them. maybe it'll give you an insight into weight shifting befor you actually need to know it. it sucks cos i can't remember how i learnt, which could be useful, but ah well. people are entitled to disagree with me, im posting this only for the people who can learn from it and for people who are interested in how others do it, if nobody learns from it, and the majority of people think i dont know what im talkin about, then say so, but i'd rather people gave me their opinion of how they do it, rather then say "yeh you should try this and this, cos chances are i have" and i dont wanna sound like a gay **** saying i know, i know, yeh but i couldn't do that cos of this, etc. **** you all and goodnight 👍

Good attempt at making a guide, but there are others that have been made already.

Welcome to GTPlanet.net Forums also.

 

[klazyviet]

muahaha i got drifting down in like 1 or 2 days lol VERY EASY!!! i just practice with an nsx since i didnt have a memory card n after i did badabing i got a skyline r34 n posted a video, about 1 or 2 weeks of drifting now XD ...hmm the only info i an give u like any other guy who cant explain it PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE... practice makes perfect ... n yes use a manual, allthough some drifters can use auto most preferred is manual since u can redline it without having to hold r2 thru the whole thing n u can control throttle... well i dont knoe its my way of explaining it... hope it kinda helps

 

[JaEYuN]

Gran Dori Dori​

A Guide To Drifting in GT3
By Bryan C.​

In this guide, I will be discussing drifting basics, the physics behind drifting, getting the car sideways, keeping it sideways, and getting it back straight again. I cant really make a video right now, so I am writing this instead. When I get the chance to make a tutorial video, I will. Ok, so lets get started.

Drifting Physics:​

Ok, before you go out and start trying to get sideways, lets go over whats occuring when your car is sideways. In an ideal drift, traction to the rear wheels is upset while maintaining as much grip to the front wheels as possible. As the rear end loses traction, action is taken to spin the back end outward pointing the car toward the center of the curve. At this point, opposite lock is applied (the drive steers out of the slide, or in the direction of movement), and at the same time, the throttle is applied. When done properly, this sets up a balance of sorts. As the wheels in the front pull the front end around the corner, the rear end is sliding along due to loss of traction. A more advanced technique to add to this is, as you are entering a corner, lightly apply the brakes to shift the weight of the car forward over the front wheels. This allows the rear wheels to travel more lightly over the pavement, and gives your front tires better grip, allowing you to get better angles, and travel faster around the corner than you normally could.

Opposite Lock/Tracing:​

As the rear end comes around, the amount of opposite lock applied is critical. The amount which you opposite lock should be just barely more than the amount that rear end has slid out. Any less and the car will not stay sideways, and any more and the car will begin to gain too much angle, eventually resulting in a spin. If at any point during a drift you need more angle (i.e. the curve becomes sharper, the car is going to straighten out, or you just wanna see how much angle you can get), a slight push of the steering further than the proper opposite lock will give you more angle, just make sure that you go back to your balance point quickly afterwards to avoid spin. Be careful, because once more angle is applied, your balance point will require more opposite lock. If you cause the car to come to such an angle that the opposite lock can no longer compensate, then you will spin.

Throttle Control::​

Once the car is sideways, the throttle takes a major role in pushing the car around the corner. Without throttle, the car will simply slide sideways in a mostly straight line, resulting in you smashing into the outside wall. In most drifts, the throttle is applied to encourage the back end to swing outward, after which the throttle is released to allow the tires to begin gripping just slightly. As the tires begin to grip again, the throttle is feathered. Pushing the gas will cause the car to go more toward the inside of the corner, and letting off will cause the car to drift outward toward the outside of the corner. However, if you carry too much speed into your drift, the exact opposite is true. If you come into a corner too fast, the best way to compensate is to brake at the same time as applying more opposite lock than normal to keep the car balanced, and then let off the gas so that the natural resistance of the tire against the road slows the car until the car returns to a normal drift line. We'll talk more about techniques later.

Preparing For a Drift:​

As you approach the corner from a straight, begin to very slightly disrupt the balance of the car by shaking the steering a bit (steer one way, then the other, as if you were going to fishtail), this should be a very feint and hardly noticeable motion, just so that the car will break loose easier when you reach your turn in point. In exhibition drifting, this can be done in a very exaggerated manner if you wish to be showy.

Entering the Drift:​

My method for entering a corner is usually a combination of lift-off oversteer and braking entry techniques. As I was going down the straight preparing for the corner, I already began upsetting the balance of the vehicle, and as I get to my turn in point, I will lift completely off the gas, causing the car to oversteer and the rear end to slide out, and as it does, I apply brakes to slow down to cornering speed and control the car entering the corner, and then quickly get on the gas to maintain the drift.

Corner Entry Methods:​

Feint: This is where you steer in the opposite direction of the corner, and then hard in the direction of the corner. This must be time perfectly, as the second steering motion must be done right at the entry point of the corner. This is more of an advanced technique, and is usually used in exhibition drifts, or when speed needs to be maintained as long as possible. When done properly this will allows you to come into a corner faster and use the brakes less.

Braking: This is where the brakes are used to upset the balance of the car in combination with the steering. This is actually a very fast entry method for longer corners if you just need to kick the back end out quickly. Simply turn hard and stab the brakes and catch the slide with the throttle.

Over-Power: This technique uses the throttle to over-power the rear tires, disrupting grip and allowing the rear end to slip out, this is usually used in high-power drift cars for longer corners, but many use it on all corners. It comes in handy in a bad spot if your car has enough power to pull it off (you have to have enough hp to spin the rear tires at the speed you are travelling).

Lift-Off Oversteer: This is a very often over-looked method of drifting. As you accelerate, the weight of the car is pushed backwards, as you let off the accelerator, the weight is transfered to slightly more forward than its nuetral position, putting more downforce on the front tires, causing over-steer. This can be harnessed to throw the car sideways. This is the most used technique for intertia drifting and linking corners, but is usually over-looked in other circumstances.

Exiting Corners:​

Ok, so now you've got the hang of getting it sideways, and you can keep it sideways, but if you're anything like me, your biggest frustration comes when you go to exit the corner. I dont know about anyone else, but I struggled with my exits more than ANYTHING. I ALWAYS spun when I went to exit a sharp corner. Exiting has the most basic theory behind it, but its so hard to get down. As you come to your exit point of your corner, start dialing out opposite lock. As we discussed before in opposite locking and tracing, this will cause the car to begin straightening out. If the car wont pull out, let off of the throttle a little until it does. If the car over-corrects on you, just opposite lock and try and get it back to straight. Dont give up, you'll get the hang of it!

-----EDIT----

While drifting today, I noticed that when I am exiting a corner, right when I want to initiate the exit, I push the opposite lock a bit more than it already is, and this begins to straigten out the car, and THEN I start dialing out opposite lock. I think this is a point alot of people miss when writing a tutorial because its muscle memory and not a conscious thing we do.

Linking Corners:​

Ok, so now you can drift through a corner like a PRO...... well, until you get to those two stupid corners that are impossible close together and you go flying into the wall while trying to exit the first corner. Pain in the arse aint it? Well this is where linking comes in handy. To link a corner, as you near the entry point of the 2nd corner, let off the throttle and steer slightly more into the second corner (you should already be steering toward it if you are opposite locked), this will cause lift-off oversteer as discussed. Allow the car to over-correct and slide the other direction, and as the car passes center point and the back end slides out, simply do what you would do in any other drift. In most cases, I will use the brakes to re-center the weight of the car. To do this, just as the car reaches its center point (the position the car would be in if you were grip racing) lightly press the brakes to transfer the weight of the car forward over the front tires.

Gears, The Power Band, And Wheelspin:​

Alright, so you have done drifting, but you dont quite have it down why your car responds differently sometimes at the same speeds, on the same corner, of the same track, when you use the same entry point, and do the same things with the gas and steering. Well, there is a reason, and that is you are at a different place in your power band.

When approacing a sharp corner, you will do things differently than when approaching a broader corner. The quickest way to stop is to use your gears. If you are doing 120mph in 5th gear and you need to make it around a right hairpin, lets say the one off the straight on Apricot Hill, then downshift to 4th, but stay in fourth until you reach your desired entry speed, then shift quickly from 4th to 2nd to throw your rev's back into the power band so you can get around the corner. This will allow you to stop faster and over a shorter distance, allowing you to brake later, and turn it at the proper time, and since you go straight from braking to acceleration, its easier to balance your car this way as well.

Now, remember, you need to know where you cars power band IS, in order to use it. This power band varies greatly from car to car, so you will have to find it with each different car you use. Some cars have a very narrow power band, and some have a very broad power band. The power band is the range of RPM's during which the car is acheiving its greatest power. When you are outside of that power band, you lose alot of power, and alot of times, you wont have the power to keep the rear wheels spinning, but more about that later.

To find your cars power band (average, its changes in different gears), accelerate through 2nd, and toward the end of the gear, pay attention to where your acceleration begins to slow before you shift to the next gear. Where you begin to lose acceleration is the top end of your power band. Then, upshift to 3rd, and pay attention to where the RPM's drop to, this is the rough beginning of your power band. The game will state the max HP of car at a certain rpm (320hp @ 6,500 rpm), and your power will slowly increase from the beginning of your power band to that point, and that point, most of the time, will be your ideal shift point, because after that point, you begin to lose power. That is a good guide to learn your cars ideal shift point, but remember, shifting at your ideal shift point allows you to accelerate faster, but sometimes it is necessary to run your gears in order to time your corners properly. Running your gears is using the full RPM range all the way to redline instead of shifting at your ideal shift point before shifting.

Now if you remember properly, accelerating causes more angle, and letting off of the throttle decreases angle. Well, you can also let off the gas too much, causing your revs to exit the power band. When this happens, they spinning slows to the point that the tires will grip, causing a spin if it happens too suddenly, and since you no longer have the power to initiate will spin, the car IS going to spin, so be careful not to push this point too far, if you feel the revs slipping too low, dont be afraid to downshift.

Which brings us to the last thing I am going to discuss, wheel spin, it helps, and it hinders. A little wheelspin will hold you nicely through a corner, even more wheelspin will give you a nice angle, and even MORE wheelspin will give you great distance sideways. By accelerating wayyyy to much and perhaps even going up a gear, you can cause MASSIVE wheelspin (with TCS off of course) thus allowing you to travel greater distances over straights to link corners without having to sway. But be warned, this is very tricky, as you have to reduce wheelspin SLOWLY, or face the hells of the spinning we discussed earlier. Ideally, begin letting off the gas slowly, and enter the corner as you brake lightly to bring the car gracefully into the next corner.

In Closing:​

I CANT DRIFT I CANT DRIFT!!! No matter what I do cant drift! how the hell did you get so fekking good? This shi* is impossible! Yah... I hear that all the time, well, not the good part, cuz I suck, but you get the point. I'll tell you what I tell everybody.... TRY! Seat time is the best teacher in the world. The more time you spend behind the wheel, the more comfortable you will become with being sideways. At this point, I am actually more comfortable sideways in GT3 than I am grip racing, lol. Just sit down, play, drift, and keep at it. I do about 40/50 laps average a day (because I have the most boring life in the world), and I still suck, so just keep at it, cuz this takes alot of practice, period. This is not something you are going to pick up over night, and while some people will be naturally better than others at this, we ALL have to practice practice PRACTICE!!

Hey could you go into more detail about finding a car's powerband? BTW, the whole guide is awesome!

 

[Wraith Zabuza]

Ahah Thanks this realy helps

 

[nuno562]

what kind of tires do u hav 2 use?

Gran Dori Dori​

A Guide To Drifting in GT3
By Bryan C.​

In this guide, I will be discussing drifting basics, the physics behind drifting, getting the car sideways, keeping it sideways, and getting it back straight again. I cant really make a video right now, so I am writing this instead. When I get the chance to make a tutorial video, I will. Ok, so lets get started.

Drifting Physics:​

Ok, before you go out and start trying to get sideways, lets go over whats occuring when your car is sideways. In an ideal drift, traction to the rear wheels is upset while maintaining as much grip to the front wheels as possible. As the rear end loses traction, action is taken to spin the back end outward pointing the car toward the center of the curve. At this point, opposite lock is applied (the drive steers out of the slide, or in the direction of movement), and at the same time, the throttle is applied. When done properly, this sets up a balance of sorts. As the wheels in the front pull the front end around the corner, the rear end is sliding along due to loss of traction. A more advanced technique to add to this is, as you are entering a corner, lightly apply the brakes to shift the weight of the car forward over the front wheels. This allows the rear wheels to travel more lightly over the pavement, and gives your front tires better grip, allowing you to get better angles, and travel faster around the corner than you normally could.

Opposite Lock/Tracing:​

As the rear end comes around, the amount of opposite lock applied is critical. The amount which you opposite lock should be just barely more than the amount that rear end has slid out. Any less and the car will not stay sideways, and any more and the car will begin to gain too much angle, eventually resulting in a spin. If at any point during a drift you need more angle (i.e. the curve becomes sharper, the car is going to straighten out, or you just wanna see how much angle you can get), a slight push of the steering further than the proper opposite lock will give you more angle, just make sure that you go back to your balance point quickly afterwards to avoid spin. Be careful, because once more angle is applied, your balance point will require more opposite lock. If you cause the car to come to such an angle that the opposite lock can no longer compensate, then you will spin.

Throttle Control::​

Once the car is sideways, the throttle takes a major role in pushing the car around the corner. Without throttle, the car will simply slide sideways in a mostly straight line, resulting in you smashing into the outside wall. In most drifts, the throttle is applied to encourage the back end to swing outward, after which the throttle is released to allow the tires to begin gripping just slightly. As the tires begin to grip again, the throttle is feathered. Pushing the gas will cause the car to go more toward the inside of the corner, and letting off will cause the car to drift outward toward the outside of the corner. However, if you carry too much speed into your drift, the exact opposite is true. If you come into a corner too fast, the best way to compensate is to brake at the same time as applying more opposite lock than normal to keep the car balanced, and then let off the gas so that the natural resistance of the tire against the road slows the car until the car returns to a normal drift line. We'll talk more about techniques later.

Preparing For a Drift:​

As you approach the corner from a straight, begin to very slightly disrupt the balance of the car by shaking the steering a bit (steer one way, then the other, as if you were going to fishtail), this should be a very feint and hardly noticeable motion, just so that the car will break loose easier when you reach your turn in point. In exhibition drifting, this can be done in a very exaggerated manner if you wish to be showy.

Entering the Drift:​

My method for entering a corner is usually a combination of lift-off oversteer and braking entry techniques. As I was going down the straight preparing for the corner, I already began upsetting the balance of the vehicle, and as I get to my turn in point, I will lift completely off the gas, causing the car to oversteer and the rear end to slide out, and as it does, I apply brakes to slow down to cornering speed and control the car entering the corner, and then quickly get on the gas to maintain the drift.

Corner Entry Methods:​

Feint: This is where you steer in the opposite direction of the corner, and then hard in the direction of the corner. This must be time perfectly, as the second steering motion must be done right at the entry point of the corner. This is more of an advanced technique, and is usually used in exhibition drifts, or when speed needs to be maintained as long as possible. When done properly this will allows you to come into a corner faster and use the brakes less.

Braking: This is where the brakes are used to upset the balance of the car in combination with the steering. This is actually a very fast entry method for longer corners if you just need to kick the back end out quickly. Simply turn hard and stab the brakes and catch the slide with the throttle.

Over-Power: This technique uses the throttle to over-power the rear tires, disrupting grip and allowing the rear end to slip out, this is usually used in high-power drift cars for longer corners, but many use it on all corners. It comes in handy in a bad spot if your car has enough power to pull it off (you have to have enough hp to spin the rear tires at the speed you are travelling).

Lift-Off Oversteer: This is a very often over-looked method of drifting. As you accelerate, the weight of the car is pushed backwards, as you let off the accelerator, the weight is transfered to slightly more forward than its nuetral position, putting more downforce on the front tires, causing over-steer. This can be harnessed to throw the car sideways. This is the most used technique for intertia drifting and linking corners, but is usually over-looked in other circumstances.

Exiting Corners:​

Ok, so now you've got the hang of getting it sideways, and you can keep it sideways, but if you're anything like me, your biggest frustration comes when you go to exit the corner. I dont know about anyone else, but I struggled with my exits more than ANYTHING. I ALWAYS spun when I went to exit a sharp corner. Exiting has the most basic theory behind it, but its so hard to get down. As you come to your exit point of your corner, start dialing out opposite lock. As we discussed before in opposite locking and tracing, this will cause the car to begin straightening out. If the car wont pull out, let off of the throttle a little until it does. If the car over-corrects on you, just opposite lock and try and get it back to straight. Dont give up, you'll get the hang of it!

-----EDIT----

While drifting today, I noticed that when I am exiting a corner, right when I want to initiate the exit, I push the opposite lock a bit more than it already is, and this begins to straigten out the car, and THEN I start dialing out opposite lock. I think this is a point alot of people miss when writing a tutorial because its muscle memory and not a conscious thing we do.

Linking Corners:​

Ok, so now you can drift through a corner like a PRO...... well, until you get to those two stupid corners that are impossible close together and you go flying into the wall while trying to exit the first corner. Pain in the arse aint it? Well this is where linking comes in handy. To link a corner, as you near the entry point of the 2nd corner, let off the throttle and steer slightly more into the second corner (you should already be steering toward it if you are opposite locked), this will cause lift-off oversteer as discussed. Allow the car to over-correct and slide the other direction, and as the car passes center point and the back end slides out, simply do what you would do in any other drift. In most cases, I will use the brakes to re-center the weight of the car. To do this, just as the car reaches its center point (the position the car would be in if you were grip racing) lightly press the brakes to transfer the weight of the car forward over the front tires.

Gears, The Power Band, And Wheelspin:​

Alright, so you have done drifting, but you dont quite have it down why your car responds differently sometimes at the same speeds, on the same corner, of the same track, when you use the same entry point, and do the same things with the gas and steering. Well, there is a reason, and that is you are at a different place in your power band.

When approacing a sharp corner, you will do things differently than when approaching a broader corner. The quickest way to stop is to use your gears. If you are doing 120mph in 5th gear and you need to make it around a right hairpin, lets say the one off the straight on Apricot Hill, then downshift to 4th, but stay in fourth until you reach your desired entry speed, then shift quickly from 4th to 2nd to throw your rev's back into the power band so you can get around the corner. This will allow you to stop faster and over a shorter distance, allowing you to brake later, and turn it at the proper time, and since you go straight from braking to acceleration, its easier to balance your car this way as well.

Now, remember, you need to know where you cars power band IS, in order to use it. This power band varies greatly from car to car, so you will have to find it with each different car you use. Some cars have a very narrow power band, and some have a very broad power band. The power band is the range of RPM's during which the car is acheiving its greatest power. When you are outside of that power band, you lose alot of power, and alot of times, you wont have the power to keep the rear wheels spinning, but more about that later.

To find your cars power band (average, its changes in different gears), accelerate through 2nd, and toward the end of the gear, pay attention to where your acceleration begins to slow before you shift to the next gear. Where you begin to lose acceleration is the top end of your power band. Then, upshift to 3rd, and pay attention to where the RPM's drop to, this is the rough beginning of your power band. The game will state the max HP of car at a certain rpm (320hp @ 6,500 rpm), and your power will slowly increase from the beginning of your power band to that point, and that point, most of the time, will be your ideal shift point, because after that point, you begin to lose power. That is a good guide to learn your cars ideal shift point, but remember, shifting at your ideal shift point allows you to accelerate faster, but sometimes it is necessary to run your gears in order to time your corners properly. Running your gears is using the full RPM range all the way to redline instead of shifting at your ideal shift point before shifting.

Now if you remember properly, accelerating causes more angle, and letting off of the throttle decreases angle. Well, you can also let off the gas too much, causing your revs to exit the power band. When this happens, they spinning slows to the point that the tires will grip, causing a spin if it happens too suddenly, and since you no longer have the power to initiate will spin, the car IS going to spin, so be careful not to push this point too far, if you feel the revs slipping too low, dont be afraid to downshift.

Which brings us to the last thing I am going to discuss, wheel spin, it helps, and it hinders. A little wheelspin will hold you nicely through a corner, even more wheelspin will give you a nice angle, and even MORE wheelspin will give you great distance sideways. By accelerating wayyyy to much and perhaps even going up a gear, you can cause MASSIVE wheelspin (with TCS off of course) thus allowing you to travel greater distances over straights to link corners without having to sway. But be warned, this is very tricky, as you have to reduce wheelspin SLOWLY, or face the hells of the spinning we discussed earlier. Ideally, begin letting off the gas slowly, and enter the corner as you brake lightly to bring the car gracefully into the next corner.

In Closing:​

I CANT DRIFT I CANT DRIFT!!! No matter what I do cant drift! how the hell did you get so fekking good? This shi* is impossible! Yah... I hear that all the time, well, not the good part, cuz I suck, but you get the point. I'll tell you what I tell everybody.... TRY! Seat time is the best teacher in the world. The more time you spend behind the wheel, the more comfortable you will become with being sideways. At this point, I am actually more comfortable sideways in GT3 than I am grip racing, lol. Just sit down, play, drift, and keep at it. I do about 40/50 laps average a day (because I have the most boring life in the world), and I still suck, so just keep at it, cuz this takes alot of practice, period. This is not something you are going to pick up over night, and while some people will be naturally better than others at this, we ALL have to practice practice PRACTICE!!

 

[racer -x-]

hey drifters...i need help on my skills, i have two cars that i tuned up nicely for drifting( mazda infiniti rx-7, an my 240sx)...but thats not the problem...the problem is that i cant drift the first turn on midfield raceway, and i started to wonder, are the cars that i use not the rite ones? so bought a s15, a wrx, and a couple of skylines(s-tune and r32 to be exact) but i need to know wat im doin wrong...please help...thanx:tup:

 

[racer -x-]

i also need to know what tires i need to use in order to make drifting successfull

 

[honda2000-DRIFT]

sim tyres are the best for drifting, but requires alot of skill to use properly, for beginners id recommend Normal or Medium racing tyres.

 

[max_speed4ever]

This is my first replay
and thanx all for the info

 

[baumaxx1]

hmm...
sortra useful
I've mostly been using clutch kick, left foot braking, and locking my tires before turning. I can control it, but I lose speed and stop drifting during long bends.
I've used feint a few times, and it's worked.
Manual is my weakness.
I've played 3 hrs and I've improved hugely. The guide isn't really much help, I've been doing that anyway.
I'll try manual to stay in the powerband.
Drifting is totally different to grip (it's now like "Yawn!")
Takes time to get used to.
I would rather not know what a NOOB is. I might be one when it comes to drifting, but a I'm an expert in grip. I have a controlled style compared to others, pretty boring at times. I'll have to get over that.

"yo street fighter i use the reverse for the clutch sometimes i tap it and it acts just like the e-brake tap" Circles closer, just use that Drifter 7.

Anyway, enought of my raving on, i kinda realised what i was doing wrong while writing this, i've got drifting to practise...

 

[Home5quirt]

hey drifters...i need help on my skills, i have two cars that i tuned up nicely for drifting( mazda infiniti rx-7, an my 240sx)...but thats not the problem...the problem is that i cant drift the first turn on midfield raceway, and i started to wonder, are the cars that i use not the rite ones? so bought a s15, a wrx, and a couple of skylines(s-tune and r32 to be exact) but i need to know wat im doin wrong...please help...thanx:tup:

You will need slicks or super-slicks. You need to come from the outside, brake, start turning, tap the e-brake, and on and off the gas while counter steering.

 

[Home5quirt]

hope that helped.

 

[Home5quirt]

and the 240SX is fine, just supe it to the max.