How did you guys begin drifting? Advice?

[spooled240]

well i've got an s14 kouki, open diff, stock suspension, with a ka24de-t probably around 240 whp. It's been raining quite a bit here lately and I've been anxious to drift my car, why else would you drive a s14 in the rain? lol

I tried on thurs. pretty much for my first time on this 90 degree turn at about 30 mph..started to get the back end out and steered into the slide but let off the gas and I spun mad quick the other way outta control lol. I'm guessing I should of stayed on the throttle? Then I tried again at this parking lot at low speeds but couldn't get much angle, more speed?

I just need a little advice for the BEGINNER level drifter, I don't know how you guys started out but I don't wanna slide at 50 mph yet. I just want to feel what a controlled slide feels like, o and this turbo kicks in like a toggle switch at around 3,000 rpm's..

[Drifter S]

well like everyone else i was trying it on streets and parking lots like a moron and thought i was pretty good.. till i found drift events and found out that parking lot sliding doesnt teach u jack ****..lol.. u are in cali.. there are events everywhere.. go to them.. ull learn faster and more and be safer too.. its a win - win.

[mzeo]

An LSD will help you with your angle and sustained drifts, but track time will help you more. Like Drifter S said, you will learn 100 times faster, and you don't have to worry about cops or killing innocents.

Anywho, yeah, when you let off the throttle, you've stopped the drift. Stay in it, but you don't need to be redlining.

Read up on here. A lot of good drifters have posted a lot of good information to help you get started. Don't be phased if you don't get the hang of it right away. Find a track and practice as much as possible, and if you can, go for a ride along with other drivers.

edit: This is a good read: zerothread/132583

[spooled240]

thanks guys, i'll read up on that..

anyone else wanna share how they got started, feel free!

[Slappy]

edit: This is a good read: zerothread/132583

Thank you sir!

[spooled240]

by gut instinct I don't wanna take you seriously, having a clown in your avatar..just reading your write up makes me think of a clown drifting a 240sx on the way to a birthdayday party lol, good write up man

I think I will try and get a 95-96 j30 vlsd (for cheap hopefully) so I can drift easier at lower speeds..in the mean time I will practice some 180's and other little things in the parking lot to get a better feel of the car.

[Slappy]

by gut instinct I don't wanna take you seriously, having a clown in your avatar..just reading your write up makes me think of a clown drifting a 240sx on the way to a birthdayday party lol, good write up man .

I think I will try and get a 95-96 j30 vlsd (for cheap hopefully) so I can drift easier at lower speeds..in the mean time I will practice some 180's and other little things in the parking lot to get a better feel of the car.

J30 VLSD's have higher gears. You will loose like 4% of acceleration. Try either one of these if you dont want a diff with tall gears....

S13 Hicas VLSD

S13 JDM VLSD

Z32 (non turbo) VLSD

Skyline GTS VLSD (what i have)

[xckid]

just get to know it thru daily driving and messing around. Especially since you have a turbo things going to be different. just learn how to maneuver your car

[spooled240]

I have a turbo so i think the 391's in the diff wouldn't be too bad. I would get better hwy mileage too

i have a bad habit of letting off the gas which disrupts my slide...have to stay on that throttle!!

[supreamS14]

3 years ago I was driving a ford bronco 2 (rwd open diff) in the rain and gave it some gas around a corner and abra cadabra I had this suv with mad body-roll at full lock! After that every time I went for it that day I spun out! I WAS HOOKED!!! I would always powerslide my fwd 96 cavalier and IT hit me I NEED A RWD CAR!!! 3 months later I got a stock 96 240sx base with a blown head for $2500.I fixed the head and added dry nitrous. After 3 months a 60 shot of dry killed the ka! I spent $10,000 in parts in the last year doing an SR swap + some other stuff all because I love driving my car and getting it sideways!!! The BEST MONEY SPENT WAS $600 FOR MY new NISMO 2 WAY LSD(very street-able)!!! I had a vlsd in my 90 300zx and It was ok for short drifts but this nismo lsd makes drifting alot smother and it actually LOCKS!

[SR24DET]

The BEST MONEY SPENT WAS $600 FOR MY new NISMO 2 WAY LSDQUOTE]

Where did you get a nismo 2 way lsd for $600?! I found one for $800. I wanted to get that instead of a tomi or kaaz.

[SR24DET]

O and i started in the snow. later i moved into the rain, and finally i started in dry weather in a parking lot at 20mph. I eventully got faster and faster and i started doing it on the street but only at 3 am so theres no other people out. This summer i am going to drift events. im excited!!

[spooled240]

^that's what I'm gonna try and do, start with low speeds in the rain (or snow if we ever get any out here)..but I think I'll definitely need an lsd for that, with low speed drifting it seems as though the stock diff is not getting the rear end around and getting my car enough angle

[SR24DET]

You can with an open drift. It wont be as long as one on tv but you can. If you try to go side to side you will likely spin out easy because one tire is going to spin way fast then the other but you definitly can go sideways open. Its a good way to learn. I would get coilovers first. Then get an LSD. Personaly i dont know the style of drift you like but mine was clutch kick. I have yet to do an ebrake drift. I started try the clutch kick and kept trying untill i figured out how to do the clutch kick and what to do with my steering wheel afterwards. Then it all just got better from there.

I still wana know where to get a NISMO LSD for $600.

[Slappy]

If you practice for a long time like i did with an open diff , you'll learn better car control and will become a better driver IMO. Once i got my Skyline VLSD , i found it alot easier to initiate a drift. When i had my open diff , people swore i had a 2 way , i just became that good.

[spooled240]

nice, I prefer the clutch kick style. I just feel like I have more control. But I don't think coils would make too much of a difference at my level and low speeds..

man the hard part is trying to find the right place and time to practice..I have yet to find a nice secluded paved area without curbs, lightposts and parking stops. I'm so done with practicing on the street lol

[Joe]

go to events. there is an event nearly every weekend in CA.

and if you cant afford it, dont do it. you have no idea how much more you will learn with 1 day on track driving than d!ck around for a couple hours in a parking lot at 2am thinking you are the next drift king.

<- has never street drifted, EVER.

[SR24DET]

Coilovers will help alot. Not only do they lower your car but they help eliminate body roll which plays a big roll.

[spooled240]

well, I don't think I'm the next drift king...I just wanna have some fun without paying 100+ for drift events

still need some parts for my car..

[Joe]

well, I don't think I'm the next drift king...I just wanna have some fun without paying 100+ for drift events

still need some parts for my car..

nobody ever said you were going to be.

but you should have more respect for yourself than to look like a tard on the street. street drifting gives all of us a bad name, and increases profiling for 240's everywhere.

100$ its a drop in the bucket, trust me. and its worth every penny. you have no idea how much seat time you get in a day on track vs. a night in a parking lot being a moron.

[spooled240]

yeah I know, I'm against street racing/street drifting all together...I'll look into going to some drift events, they sound fun and professional anyway.

But would it be practical to take my 240 with stock suspension and an open diff to these events? Or should I just get a few more things like an lsd and springs/coilovers?

[Joe]

stock!

upgrade as you learn. that way you can learn what each part does to your car and grow your ability with your car. i started with a bone stock rb25 and lowering springs.

theres nothing funnier than a fully built car, and a total noob behind the wheel.