How to Drift Your Car

Drifting is a technique in which you lock the rear wheels of your vehicle while turning, maintaining control over the car while not allowing it to lose speed. The best method for you to learn how to drift your car involves using a rear-drive, standard-shift car with a reliable hand brake. The key to drifting is practice. Practice will allow you to drift your car at any speed because you will have come to know exactly what to expect from your car when you enter a drift. Another essential part of drifting is having a few spare sets of rear tires--a drift wear them out quicker than you thought possible.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Plastic trash can
• Parking lot

1. Set a plastic trash can up in the center of an empty parking lot. You want enough room to approach, circle the can in a drift and then pull out of the turn. Make sure there won't be any random shoppers appearing and wanting to leave their cars there.

2. Drive toward the trash can and keeping to the right, make a 180-degree turn around the can, drive away from the can in the same direction that you drove toward it. Note in your mind the point at which this is at.

3. Drive toward the can again, maintaining a speed of 20 to 25 mph and begin to make the same turn. As soon as you feel the weight of the car begin to shift into the turn, engage the parking brake (literally yank it up and on as fast as you can) and apply slight pressure to the gas pedal, just enough to maintain your speed. Hold your steering wheel steady as you begin to drift into and around the can.

4. Release the parking brake when you begin to feel the weight of the car shift to the outside of the turn. Give your car a little more gas while steering into the direction of the drift (away from the can) until the car catches and you are driving away from the can in the same direction as you drove toward it.

5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4, adjusting your timing for engaging the parking brake and releasing it and learning just how much gas to give your car to control the speed of the drift. When you are comfortable with your ability, repeat Steps 3 and 4 again, only begin to increase your speed each time until you can comfortably handle a drift at 45 mph.

Tips & Warnings

• Set up a second can about 100 yards away from the first and practice making a "snake turn" (two 180-degree turns in opposite directions), using left and right drifts to become proficient in executing a drift in either direction.
• Always check your rear tire pressure and tread wear after you have practiced drifting. Drifting puts enormous wear on the rear tires; they will need to be replaced often to prevent accidents from blow-outs while driving.

References

• Rear-Drive, Standard Shift Car with a Good Hand Brake

Resources

• Learn from the Masters at DriftinJapan