What is the Principle of Drifting?
2 Answers
The principle of car drifting is that the rear wheels lose most or all of their grip, while the front wheels must maintain their grip, at most losing only a small portion, and preferably gaining additional grip. At this point, as long as there is a certain amount of lateral force on the front wheels, the car will fishtail, resulting in a drift. The methods to initiate a drift are as follows: 1. Pull the handbrake while driving straight and then turn the steering wheel. 2. Pull the handbrake during a turn. 3. Slam the brakes while driving straight and then turn the steering wheel. 4. Slam the brakes during a turn. 5. For rear-wheel-drive cars with sufficient power or all-wheel-drive cars with a rear-wheel-drive bias, sharply press the accelerator and turn the steering wheel when the speed is not too high.
Drifting is actually a technique that intentionally makes the car slide during turns, with its core principle being to break the tire's grip. When steering too sharply or accelerating too quickly, the vehicle's weight shifts—for example, hard braking shifts the weight forward, while hard acceleration shifts it backward. Then, by coordinating with the steering wheel angle, you cause the rear wheels to lose friction, and the whole car starts to slide sideways. It's like ice skating; you need to control the power and direction well to slide coolly and steadily. I find this process fascinating because it's based on physics: balancing centrifugal force and power output to maintain controlled sliding. However, in reality, drifting is extremely hard on tires and can even damage the suspension, so I've only tried it at racetracks and never on public roads. When practicing, it's safer to use a rear-wheel-drive car and slowly hone your skills. For everyday driving, it's best to avoid such maneuvers to prevent losing control and causing trouble. Remember, the basic physics is that simple—the key is not to overdo it and damage your beloved car.
