When you visit us you’ll learn some of the techniques the pros use to keep the car flat out at all times.
This is the popular sideways method. No cheating with the handbrake, just a clever use of power and technique to pendulum the car into position and get you around tight corners in style.It works by moving weight around the car by position and coming on and off the power. As you reach the corner steer away from it and get on the power. Then turn into the corner and come off the power. This will cause the back end to swing around and follow the line that you’ve just set up by turning into the corner. As it swings around, get back on the power to continue the slide and swing the car around to where you want to - at which point you’ll go too far and have to apply opposite lock.
As is the norm with rally cars the LRS Escorts are all equipped with hydraulic fly-off handbrakes. The reason for this is that the cable on a standard style handbrake stretches when you give it a yank and so every time you use it, you have to pull it up further and further until you have to adjust it.
Using fluid means a hydraulic handbrake works the same way as your standard brake system and is more efficient in hauling the rear wheels to a standstill.
The handbrake turn is used in tight turns. The basic theory is that you turn the front wheels in just past the apex of the bend, yank on the handbrake, which locks the rear wheels (you dip the clutch in as well to cut drive). This then causes the back end to swing around. Once you’re pointing where you want to go to, come off the handbrake and get the power back on.
