Glossary of Drift Terms — From Angle Kit to Zenki

A–C

• Angle kit — modified front suspension geometry that lets the wheels turn further. Wisefab, GKTech, PowerTrix are the big three.
• Aero — splitters, wings, diffusers. On a drift car, aero is 30% function and 70% style — unlike grip racing.
• Battle — the head-to-head portion of a drift event. Tandem two cars, lead and chase, judged on proximity and line.
• Boost — forced induction pressure measured in psi or bar. "20 psi of boost" means 20 psi above atmospheric.
• Cage — roll cage. 6-point minimum for competition. NHRA-spec for SCCA / NASA events.
• Carbon canister — fuel vapor recovery system. Often deleted in race builds; required for street registration in CA.
• Coilover — combined coil spring and damper unit, height-adjustable. Drift staple.
• Comp tire — 100TW competition tire. RT660 (200TW) is "competition" only in price.

D–H

• Diff — differential. Welded diff = both wheels locked together. LSD = limited-slip, less harsh, more expensive.
• Drift Tested — marketplace badge here on Drift Offers that requires video proof of the part on a sliding car.
• E-brake — hand brake. Mechanical (factory) or hydraulic (race) — hydro handbrake unlocks rear wheels for initiation.
• FFE — Friends of Final Bout Eternity. Inside joke that became a sponsor.
• FF / FR / MR — front-engine front-drive / front-engine rear-drive / mid-engine rear-drive. Drift requires FR or MR.
• Final Bout — grassroots drift event held annually in Indiana since 2014. The taste-maker of US drift.
• Front lip — the lower front bumper aero piece. First thing to scrape on entry curbs.
• Header — exhaust manifold, performance grade. Tubular, not cast.

I–O

• Initiation — the moment you break traction to start the drift. Clutch kick, handbrake, weight transfer.
• JDM — Japanese Domestic Market. A JDM engine is a Japan-spec engine imported to the US (e.g. KA24DE vs. SR20DET).
• JZX — the Toyota platform code for Mark II / Chaser / Cresta. Houses 1JZ-GTE turbo straight-six.
• KA-T — a turbocharged Nissan KA24DE. Budget alternative to SR20DET swap.
• Kouki — "late model." S14 Kouki = 1997–98 facelift. Generally the more desirable trim.
• LSD — limited-slip differential. 1.5-way (locks under throttle and coast) or 2-way (locks both directions).
• Lock — maximum steering angle achievable. "60 degrees of lock" is competition-class.
• OEM — Original Equipment Manufacturer. Factory parts, not aftermarket.

P–S

• Plate — license plate or, on this site, your Heritage Plate (the permanent serial number that follows a listing across resales).
• ProAm — stepping stone between amateur and Formula Drift. Must finish top-3 in a sanctioned ProAm to get FD license.
• RB — Nissan inline-six engine family. RB25DET (Skyline 25GT-T), RB26DETT (GT-R).
• Roll cage — see Cage.
• Run-back — the second run in a competition pair when one car spins or hits.
• Single-turbo — converting a factory twin-turbo (2JZ-GTE, RB26DETT) to one larger turbo. Standard upgrade for serious power.
• Spec-R — the top trim of the S15. Helical LSD, 6-speed, factory aero.
• SR20DET — Nissan 2.0L turbo inline-four. S13 / S14 / S15 factory option in Japan.

T–Z

• Tandem — two cars drifting together with proximity-judged proximity.
• TC — traction control. Disabled or removed in drift cars.
• Throttle modulation — controlling drift angle with the gas pedal. The skill that separates the top 10% from everyone else.
• Tune — ECU programming. Standalone (Haltech, AEM) or piggyback (Apexi PFC). Worth $800–1500 done right.
• Wisefab — Estonian manufacturer of premium angle kits. The benchmark.
• Welded diff — differential with the spider gears welded so both rear wheels turn together. Cheap, harsh, perfect for learning.
• Yaw — rotation of the car around its vertical axis. Drifting = sustained yaw.
• Zenki — "early model." S14 Zenki = 1995–96 pre-facelift. Cheaper than Kouki.