How to do a Bootlegger Turn
Have you seen that car stunt in movies where the vehicle hurtles towards a roadblock, then swerves on the spot, making a 180 degree turn, before coming back the other way? This is called a bootlegger turn. It’s impressive when done precisely and smoothly, but dangerous if safety concerns are not followed. If you want to perform this, here’s what to do:
What You’ll Need:
Car
Open space
Bootlegger Turn Safety
Before you do a bootlegger turn, there are some important concerns you must follow:
Keep your speed at 50mph. If you go lower than that, your car will skid to a stop before finishing the spin. If too fast, the car will be put at an uncontrolled spin and might point at any direction when stopped.
You should have a low wheel base. Doing this in a tall vehicle might make it fall over.
Find plenty of room. Never do this in a small and narrow street, or you might crash into a wall. Find a wide open space which will give you a good run-up.
Steps:
Once you’ve made sure you have the safety concerns in mind, strap on your seatbelt and get ready to do the bootlegger turn.
Go to the wide open space, and start driving. Keep going until you reach 50 mph.
Yank on your handbrake, then turn your car whichever way you want to go. The handbrake will cause the brakes to lock.
When the brakes have locked, let go of the handbrake. You should be just pushing down to release the handbrake immediately. Allow the wheels to be turned in the direction where you’re going.
As your car points to where you want to go, straighten the wheel, then give the accelerator a push. You’ll now be going in the opposite direction as before.
Doing a bootlegger turn isn’t a very difficult feat. Just as long as you can drive properly and you remember the safety tips, you’ll end up with an impressive stunt.