SOme things I have learned from reading a few books. I repeat myself and am not very concise or clear. If you want that go to the second or third to last paragraph and buy a book and write a better version of this. I will not be offended
under steer- when the front wheels lose traction before the rears.
over steer- when the rear wheels lose traction before the front wheels
With a car that has understeer your car will push out of a turn. Turning the wheels won't accomplish much since the tires have lost traction. Straightens the turn you wanted on the car.
If it has a tenedency to oversteer your ass end is going to come around. Think drifting.
Cars that are front wheel drive have a tendency to understeer and rear wheel drive cars have a tenedency to oversteer.
It does come in hady to tap the brakes at the very beginning of a turn to get the car properly weighted for the turn, but obviously not too hard or once you are fully into the turn.
If you go into a corner and your at the limit of adhesion, the power driving the wheels takes away from the wheels abillity to adhere to the road. So does braking, and all cars (in proper working order) have the brakes stronger in the front than the rear. (If you want to know why, physics man phsyics)
Braking when your in a turn takes the weight off the rear tires and adds weight to the front tires, causing the rear end to lose traction and swing out.
Giving the car gas at the limits of adhesion will have different affects depending on whether is is front or rear drive (see above). But when you let off the gas at the limits it unweights the car and has a tendency once again to let the rear of the car slide around.
If you find your going into a corner too fast you can hit the brakes as long as you are going in a straight line still. You can also let off the gas SLIGHTLY and hope that is enough. If you are in a car that is understeering you can do something to induce oversteer (let off the gas faster, or even tap the brakes), but then you are going to have to control the resulting oversteer.
Well I am losing motivation, but if you go into a corner to fast the result is different in different kinds of cars. If you front wheels are sliding out and your starting to go straight you will need to do something to induce oversteer (letting off the gas, the natural panic thing, will induce it, but then your going to need to get back on the gas to control the oversteer. It will be way worse if you paniced enough to hit the brakes). If your car is in a oversteer situation you need to keep on the gas (do not floor it or cut the gas too much, some is ok just not jerky or hard) and turn the wheel in the direction your rear is sliding out. If you went around a right hand turn and your rear end slid out you will need to correct by turning the wheel to the left untill it has straightened out.
If anyone wants to add to this or correct me please do. I may have messed some of this up so use your own head. If you are interested in learning more there area number of books out there. Secrets of Solo Racing puts all the driving tips in a short concise section and then talks about autocrossing and what is involved (setting up the car, what to expect at a race, different classes, etc, etc). Sports Car and Competition Driving is good and has a decent sized section about driving with a smaller section on what is involved with a race. Speed Secrets, well now that I look at it again I don't think I have read any of it. Going Faster is a very in depth book, so in depth I do not know if I even made half way through it. If you go to a Skip Barber racing school that is the text book, and most of the in class training is just going over what is in the book. If I were to get one that I was serious about learning I would get Going Faster, if I wanted and easier and quicker read I would go with Sports Car and Competition Driving (which actually might have more that is oriented to street cars compared to the Barbers book which is geared more for race cars). Like I said apparently I have not read Speed Secrets and that might be a great book. If your really interested get them all and teach me
If you try any of this on the street, don't come crying to me when you wreck. If your driving at the limit you will wreck at some point. Go to the track where there is less of a chance to total your car and everyone there accepts the risk of what your doing. All around you need to be safe and for ****s sake stick to your own side of the street whether your driving fast or not especially in the hills where you may not be going that fast but you still will not have time to get back to your side of the street because of the limited amount of road you have (sorry just drove with someone who did not understand that concept)
Don't be idiots, trust me you don't want to pay the price for screwing up. It is fun when you get it right though
My little driving schpeel
Yep
If I could afford it I would. I would love to take one of the driving classes offered at a number of tracks (Bob Bondurant, Skip Barber or any other), but even those are out of my price range for a weekend of driving. If I get this Beemer I am driving in decent shape I would autocross that. It is a 89, made in 88, but it would be fine since I don't expect to be competitive. I have never heard of an autocross around here though. I would be willing to drive to do it just to get the experience, but it is a would not be any time soon
If I could afford it I would. I would love to take one of the driving classes offered at a number of tracks (Bob Bondurant, Skip Barber or any other), but even those are out of my price range for a weekend of driving. If I get this Beemer I am driving in decent shape I would autocross that. It is a 89, made in 88, but it would be fine since I don't expect to be competitive. I have never heard of an autocross around here though. I would be willing to drive to do it just to get the experience, but it is a would not be any time soon
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YARDofSTUF
- Posts: 70006
- Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2000 12:00 am
- Location: USA
A lot of folks with four wheel drive use it to get up the driveway, which I think is pure silliness. I also know some people who will not come up it in their cars. It is 1 1/2 miles put it is the last half a mile that is sort of brutal on cars. Up hill and down to the boulders that were used to build up the road. We were supposed to put several loads of gravel down but the rains hit first, so it is going to have to wait.
I does take its toll on vehicles, but if you drive slow it is not bad.
I does take its toll on vehicles, but if you drive slow it is not bad.
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YeOldeStonecat
- SG VIP
- Posts: 51171
- Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2001 12:00 pm
- Location: Somewhere along the shoreline in New England
