If you have ever been drifting, you know that clutch kicking is a very effective way to initiate a drift in a rear wheel drive car. Clutch kicking is really very simple. Just keep even throttle, push the clutch in quickly and then release it quickly. What this does is rev the engine up so that when you release the clutch, it sends a sudden surge of power to the drive wheels. This often results in the rear wheels losing traction.
Clutch kicking is most useful at lower speeds. When you are going slow on a high traction surface, just matting the throttle often isn’t enough to break traction. This is why this skill is very popular for drifting where the speeds are relatively low. You can also use clutch kicking if you need a short burst of power to and you don’t want to downshift. This works in front or all wheel drive cars as well.
At higher speeds, there are often better ways of initiating a slide. In a rally scenario, trail braking or shift locking might be a more appropriate method. On a loose surface, you might find simply applying a lot of throttle is enough to get the drive wheels to break traction and get the car sideways. Another thing to bear in mind is that clutch kicking is very hard on your vehicle.
When you dump the clutch, your driveline components such as the clutch, throwout bearing, transmission, driveshafts and bushings all experience a hard shock. This causes premature wear and can break these components. On slippery surfaces, this is less of a concern but still something to consider. If you want to get some practice clutch kicking, come on out to our drift school!
