You want to know How to drift Mazda Miata and be very good at it? Look no further! In this article we will explain how to drift your Mazda Miata.
Drifting is a driving technique that allows the driver to go through the curve while intentionally oversteering with loss of traction in the rear wheels. This is a very demanding technique because the driver needs to keep control of the car movement at all times. What actually happens is that the rear slip angle (the angle between a rolling wheel’s actual direction and the direction towards which it is pointing) is greater than the front slip angle. This often causes the driver to turn the front wheels in the opposite direction from the desired. In short-you turn your wheels left and drift to the right.
The origins of drift
The 70’s gave birth to more than just disco music. When Japanese drivers started to use this exciting technique, little did they know that in just a few decades drift would become a racing event on its own? Soon the art of controlled oversteering became popular outside the Land of the Rising Sun, with street racers organizing local and international events dedicated to drifting.
Sport car manufacturers became aware that they need to start thinking in a new direction and this included to keep in mind drift capabilities of their cars.
Luckily, Miata is one of the most satisfying cars when it comes to safe gliding along the curve.
How to make your Miata drift ready
As we could see, drifting is a peculiar racing event. It demands excellent steering control, stable brakes, and powerful suspension. Cars with rear wheel drive have the advantage over those that pull the weight with the front wheels. Nevertheless, let us look at the essentials:
Drivetrain
In order to maximize your drifting performance, it is essential that your car has a clutch type mechanical limited slip differential. The viscous or open differential has a lesser performance effect. If you really want to take your drifting to a completely different level, you can weld your differential side gears. Welding reduces maximum traction, but there is a catch: driving in a straight direction is not impressive at all.
Jass Performance Drift Button
Brakes
There are two effective drifting techniques: Lift-off and clutch-kick. Lift-off technique demands that you drive until you reach the apex of the curve. In that moment, you need to lift your foot from the gas pedal and rapidly apply the brakes. V-MAXX Big Brake Kit is an option that you may consider. In addition, you can maximise your performance with a special hand brake drift button. It has a double functionality, allowing you lock the rear wheels without engaging in position, as well as a normal parking brake function.
Suspension
Driving through all those curves with weight moving from the rear to the front and back again puts a lot of stress on the car. That is why having a durable suspension kit is as important as having good brakes and drivetrain. V-MAXX XXTREME Coilovers kit allows you to shake through even the most demanding tracks. For maximum front end grip, you’ll want to dial in a lot of negative camber. This can be done by using camber plates, bolts, bushings and adjustable arms.
To sum up
Drifting is a fun and exciting racing techniques and these types of events always attract a large crowd. If you plan to tune up your Miata for occasional Sunday drift, then this article should be of help and we hope that it helped you get a bit clearer picture about the drifting potential that your Miata holds in it. As always, it’s not all about the technique, you want your Miata to look good while you burn those tires. A CarbonMiata body kit can improve your car’s exterior and make it more noticeable.
This goes without saying, don’t drift while in traffic, go wild on the racing track and be safe.
Cover photo creds: Beeoneoneoh (startinggrid.org)
