How to learn to Left-foot Brake: It will take some practice to become good at it. Start on a flat dirt area. Shift to 4L. With your right heel firmly on the floor, squeeze the throttle pedal as slowly as you can to get a feel for how the rpm’s rise, and where your Jeep wants to start to move. Next, get your left foot accustomed to the brake pedal—it’s not easy for most, even if you have a lot of clutch experience. Let the vehicle idle slowly forward, and with your left foot, heel firmly on the floor, slowly squeeze the brake pedal until there is enough resistance to stop completely, then practice releasing the brake pedal slowly until the brakes release enough to let the Jeep start moving forward again. Now combine them—the idea is to apply brake first, then slowly apply easy throttle—your rpm
should range from no more than 1000-1500. Ease off of brake as necessary until forward motion engages. Once you are comfortable with that, put it to use on the trail.
Remember to not over-use left-foot braking—it is only for the intermittent use on the rougher parts of the trail. Don’t ride the brakes the whole time, so that your brakes endure unnecessary wear or heat up so that they are ineffective when you really need them.
As with all skills, your left-foot braking will improve with practice and trail time.
Related – Practice Makes Perfect
* Published by JPFreek Adventure Magazine – The leader in Jeep and adventure enthusiast publications.
