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Oversteer in a front wheel drive car...
Ok, imagine your driving your nice front wheel drive car (something like Corsa, or a Civic) on a nice involving B-Road, you turn into a corner realise you're going slightly too far, so you lift (as in release the accelerator), to scrub some speed off. Then the rare occurance in a front wheel drive car, the rear of the car starts to slide out. Do you...
A) Slam the brakes on
B) Floor it
C) Apply opposite lock
Discuss.
I know exactly what I would do, but lets see what you guys think. Also explain why you do it.
A) Slam the brakes on
B) Floor it
C) Apply opposite lock
Discuss.
I know exactly what I would do, but lets see what you guys think. Also explain why you do it.
Scroll to see replies
Reply 1
17
Im not too sure but i reckon the answer is "floor it". If its front wheel drive and you just floor it, wont the back straighten out? Or maybe im just talking crap 
Reply 2
Instinctively I think opposite lock. That way you can catch the slide and get the back end gripping again fairly quickly (hopefully). In theory I suppose flooring it would have a similar effect by causing weight transfer to the back and giving more rear grip, but could also cause the front wheels to lose traction resulting in a kind of 4 wheel drift, plus the fact you are increasing speed which is not really what you want to do. Pretty much all cars are naturally understeery, and so the oversteer you get when you lift off is only temporary while the sudden weight transfer happens. As soon as you are off the throttle and just coasting the car will want to understeer again, so once you have caught the slide with a bit of opposite lock it should be ok.
Reply 3
stevoboy
Instinctively I think opposite lock. That way you can catch the slide and get the back end gripping again fairly quickly (hopefully). In theory I suppose flooring it would have a similar effect by causing weight transfer to the back and giving more rear grip, but could also cause the front wheels to lose traction resulting in a kind of 4 wheel drift, plus the fact you are increasing speed which is not really what you want to do. Pretty much all cars are naturally understeery, and so the oversteer you get when you lift off is only temporary while the sudden weight transfer happens. As soon as you are off the throttle and just coasting the car will want to understeer again, so once you have caught the slide with a bit of opposite lock it should be ok.
If you apply opposite lock, you also need to take it off very quickly as soon as the car straightens out, if you don't you will overcompensate and the car will be pointing the other way with the tail in an unruly position.
Reply 4
Understeer in a low powered FWD car? Unlikely at typical road speeds.
However, turn into the slide and use full throttle
However, turn into the slide and use full throttle
Reply 5
10
Turn into a skid.
Turn into a skid.
Turn into a skid.
Turn into a skid.
Turn into a skid.
Reply 6
pghstochaj
Understeer in a low powered FWD car? Unlikely at typical road speeds.
However, turn into the slide and use full throttle
However, turn into the slide and use full throttle
I remember that the 306 Rallye, and 205 Rallye were both guilty of heavy lift-off oversteer.
Reply 7
Hardly "low powered FWD cars" though 
Reply 8
Combination of 2 and 3. Not a complete constant opposite lock, but just counter steer it, and ease on the throttle. I don't think flooring it would be such a great idea if you've come too quickly into a tight corner. You'll have the front tyres pointed towards off-road, away from the new direction of the road. Everything needs to be fluid, you shouldn't really need to floor it, unless of course you do have the wheels pointed in the right direction, despite the direction the whole car is pointed.
I love when it snows. I get to practice this sort of stuff, except at about 10mph
I love when it snows. I get to practice this sort of stuff, except at about 10mph
Reply 9
3
floor it and slightly do the opposite lock, i think
Reply 10
snmichaels
Combination of 2 and 3. Not a complete constant opposite lock, but just counter steer it, and ease on the throttle.
I was going to say exactly the same - I tend to pump the accelerator a bit and then turn the wheel just enough to get it back straight.
Reply 11
chaoringmeister
Ok, imagine your driving your nice front wheel drive car (something like Corsa, or a Civic) ...
Reply 12
15
chaoringmeister
I remember that the 306 Rallye, and 205 Rallye were both guilty of heavy lift-off oversteer.
Absolutely correct. Floor it in the Rallye in wet conditions, and you may well be looking at the central reservation. It took me 2 weeks to understand how the car worked. Understanding what the car can actually do will take another month.
Regards to the subject title, I would use opposite lock, instinctively.
Reply 13
when i span my car 180, the back end came out when i was goin roun the corner. so i turned the wheel full lock to "turn into" it but the car jus span and the steering had no affect......!!
if u dont want to die, lol, best thing is brake and turn the wheel slow.
if u want to av fun, i'd agree with opposite lock and and flooring it but not too heavily or the front wheels may spin, but tht depeds on the engine, weather etc...
if u dont want to die, lol, best thing is brake and turn the wheel slow.
if u want to av fun, i'd agree with opposite lock and and flooring it but not too heavily or the front wheels may spin, but tht depeds on the engine, weather etc...
Reply 14
samie
if u dont want to die, lol, best thing is brake and turn the wheel slow.
Brake? You are joking, right?
For lift-off oversteer, a combination of slight power and opposite lock would probably work best. Thats what I'd do, anyway...
Reply 15
pghstochaj
Hardly "low powered FWD cars" though
less than 200 Hp
Reply 16
Dickie
Brake? You are joking, right?
For lift-off oversteer, a combination of slight power and opposite lock would probably work best. Thats what I'd do, anyway...
For lift-off oversteer, a combination of slight power and opposite lock would probably work best. Thats what I'd do, anyway...
Autocar's Steve Sutcliffe who is doing a series on "car craft", and he says a you use a bootfull of power to straighten the car out as it pulls it forwards more.
To brake is will lock all four wheels and send you facing the other way.
As i said earlier with opposite lock it is easy to send the car sliding the other way.
Reply 17
15
Dickie
For lift-off oversteer, a combination of slight power and opposite lock would probably work best. Thats what I'd do, anyway...
For lift-off oversteer, a combination of slight power and opposite lock would probably work best. Thats what I'd do, anyway...
For lift off oversteer which has happened many times with me
, I'd say an increase in throttle and pray. If in wet conditions, do it with opposite lock with foot coming off throttle. Very very risky. It's not like turning a corner where you know your car is heading. The car is loosing control due to the amount of power you are driving through the front wheels and tends to slide either way.
I remember accelerating from the lights one day, and my wheels where spinning in 1st and then 2nd where I then lost control and slipped a lane. In that instance I applied opposite lock and took my foot of throttle and thanked god for being alive.
Reply 18
chaoringmeister
To brake is will lock all four wheels and send you facing the other way.
Yep. I did that (stupidly) a while ago. Luckily there wasnt anything coming the other way. Quite silly, actually - I *thought* the right thing to do, but *did* the absolute wrong thing. I've since managed to do it right, though. Which is nice.
Reply 19
you shouldnt of lifted off the accelerator fully just lifted slightly
but steer into it slightly and boot it.
but steer into it slightly and boot it.
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