Hobbies And Interests
Car Set-up
You won't be able to get a good drift going without the right set-up for your car. This begins with the car itself. For drifting you'll need an electric RC car. Drifting needs precise control over the throttle, and an electric car has more control than a nitro for the minute adjustments necessary. Another way to get better control of the throttle during drift maneuvers is to equip your RC car with a shaft drive rather than a belt driven transmission, as belt drives can have backlash problems. A 4-wheel drive will increase your control over the car as well.
Choose an engine that's high in torque. You'll want to gear your car for acceleration and the extra power from start to top speed will be a big help in performing drifting maneuvers.
For best results use specially made drifting tires like those offered from Yokomo. These are smooth tires that are better able to work in the low friction drifting style of driving.
Drifting Tips
Drifting is done at high speed, so you'll need to get your car up to speed when approaching the curve quickly. Here's where the high torque engine pays off. When you hit the curve the rear tires will begin to lose traction. Steer your car into the skid. This should pull the front end of your car into the same direction as the car's rear, helped by the front tires. The car will want to begin a 360 degree turn or flip, this is where the throttle control comes into play.
You'll need to control the spin so that your car goes through the curve in a forward motion with its side facing the direction of the turn. The trick is to keep all four tires spinning while you countersteer to keep the car from completing a loop. Be careful when countersteering not to overcorrect the turn and lose the drift. When the curve has ended, you can immediately dart forward, having maneuvered through the curve without losing speed, or continue drifting down the straightaway.