I was coming off the freeway onto a 90 degree curve that had a median (cement wall) all the way through the curve.

I've nailed this corner at 60 no problem before (some squealing) and decided to try it at 70.....I have Tokico's and Sprints with 18" TSW's.

As I took the curve I felt the back end begin to slide out and then I was drifting right into the wall.

Using my reflexes and .org knowledge, my first thought was "Don't slam the brakes". I lightly depressed the brake pedal, straightened the back end out, and then gassed it through the rest of the curve.

Stupid yet exhilerating.

I don't think if it wasn't for knowing the limits of my car, and what I've learned about safe driving habits on this forum, I would have made it.

So this is mostly a thanks to all of you for teaching me all about this car which I love so dearly.

IanS

 

go get a RSB and SFCs and take that curve at 90!!! lol

 

you got lucky definitely, i understand the sfc's make quite a difference, so in case you want the high speed turns you may try them, also dru would you like to attend our meet in austin on 6/22? there are quite a few people coming from dallas, check the link in my sig for info, and there are a few posts in the texas forum too

 

Or slow down?

 

how is the ride of the sprints on the tokicos? I have Tok's right now and debating whether to get Progress or Sprints...i like the drop of the sprints but i think the ride of the Progress would be more managable...let me know...thanks...

 

Can't some of you read? He already said "the back end came out". How is the RSB gonna help that?

Ian, where was it? I'll try it at 70 also.

 

Um, an RSB would have spun him into the wall. The RSB reduces the relative grip of the rear, reducing understeer.

 

I have sprints on new OEM struts. The ride is not as bad as i was expecting although it could be stiffer, a tad bouncy. but i will blame my strust for that. i will most likely get some KYB GR2 or AGXs.. not sure though, but im completely satisfied with sprints.

 

you guys r gonna get seriously hurt tryin to push your car, i read about this stuff on here like every other day. It's a 4-door sedan not a top dollar sports car.

 

Yeah, I better just slow down.

 

It was a curve I hit every day. I know it well....

I don't drive like that everywhere....And I kept it in control, and there was no danger of hurting anyone but myself. I now know not to try iut at 75, however.

And with Sprints and Tokicos, you can't help but push it a bit. I like my ride, and I like the cornering it gives. Ask airmattdog. We compared our cars one day. He has OEM Struts and Sprints, I have Tokico's and Sprints. My ride feels nicer and way less bouncy.

Anyway, Jeff, it's coming off I-5 onto the Michigan St. Exit heading from Seattle South.



IanS

 

how long have you had this setup?

 

Almost a year.

 

i know what u mean. You just have to test your limits on certain turns and stuff, i do it myself.

 

In general it's not a good idea to just up the speed around a curve by 10 mph especially if the tires were already squeeling a little. You should go around the curve a few times each time increasing speed by an mph or 2 so you get a feeling of what the car can handle.

 

Captain obvious strikes again!

I hit that curve every day, I felt confident, and I was a little wrong.

But I made it out fine thanks to my driving experience and KNOWING what my car can handle.

IanS

 

HMM, I have ABS, I wonder if you hit the brakes harder with ABS in Ian's situation, what would happen?

 

You'd slam into the wall, maybe going a little slower... hehe

ABS isn't designed to handle dynamic yaw/pitch/roll like the more advanced "handling" systems today in more expensive cars...


-RMB

 

So when is ABS effective besides driving in ice or snow, if you slam your brakes, does it prevent it from skidding or the brakes locking up? Any advantage on high speed corners?

 

All ABS does is prevent the wheel from locking up through a sensor on the wheel/rotor.

In a high-speed corner braking is ill advised because it tends to shift the weight around depending on the corner and which wheels are weighted. In other words you don't have to lock a wheel up with the brakes first to end up screwed and that's the only thing ABS would help with.

ABS is intended for straight-line assistance in braking. And some systems are dreadful while others are excellent. Lexus's system is about the best I've ever driven. I didn't like the ABS that came with the 98' Maxima anyway so I went without. That's not to say I'd have a prayer out-braking someone in an identical car with ABS in the snow, rain, or ice....

-RMB

 

I have ABS and you would of slammed into that wall. I flew off the road two days ago coming home from pennyslvania, luckly did not hit anything only a few scratches on the bumper. Anyway, I made this sharp turn before going around 70-80 mph only with gas and everything was squeeling etc... I did the same turn later this time going around 40-50 mph but I hit the breaks because some stupid **** ran across the rode. My car went into a rear spin and I went off the road nailing some small rocks... just a few scratches to the bumper but if I was going any faster it could of been nasty.

 

hmmm, good info guys, what though, if u need to slow down for some reason during a turn, would the 5spd do anything? Like engine braking, how would you do it? Thanks.

 

It all depends on the turn but even more if you're on the track or the street. The best and only place to practice is really the track or a huge abandoned parking lot... Taking corners on back roads at 90% of your ability is bound to kill either you or someone else eventually.

Brake heavily BEFORE the turn. Go into the turn wide and turn in so that you clip the apex of the turn and accelerate out. People tend to hug the inside of a corner which is much slower. Or they tend to drift and slide around the corner like a rally car. Unless you're driving a rally car this is also usually slower and much more abusive on tires...

A stick allows you to be in the perfect gear for exiting that turn. Practice downshifting tecnique first on a straight road by matching revs and slipping the transmission down a notch without any sudden jerk or any other interruption other than higher revs. So, blip the throttle to raise the revs, light pressure on the stick down a gear, drop it in when the revs match and release the clutch briskly. It takes a lot of practice. You can watch the tach for some help. When you finally release the clutch, the tach needle shouldn't go up or down much at all if you matched it right. If it goes up then you didn't blip the throttle high enough or you waited too long to shift and unclutch. If it goes down then you rev'd it too high or didn't wait long enough to drop it in gear......

But if you can master this, it allows a very very smooth downshift in the corner without interrupting the line of the car with poorly matched revs (and loss of control if you're right on the edge.....). Also known as "heel and toeing" with your heal on the clutch and the toe on the gas.

Have fun and practice somewhere safe with tons of runout no trees, bridges or people...

-RMB


That's why 5spds rule and always will....


-RMB

 

That would have meant no S/C...

 

thanks for your post RMB, it was quite helpful, my only question is when rev matching, how do I know the correct revs to match to? What if I'm in neutral, how do match revs then, I assume when you want to accelerate or race, you revmatch to like 3000~3500 and then downshift and go, thanks.

 

Let's say your in third gear doing 40mph and want to downshift to second. You can feel in the stick when the syncros match up and the revs are perfect... Try this on a straight road with lots of room.

Clutch in.

Quick blip of throttle way up to 5800 or so....

Now quickly move the stick as if you would drop it into second gear but don't force it in gear. As the revs are dropping off from 5500 and you have an even pressure down into 2nd there will be a point that the stick will want to just drop into gear without being forced. Use two fingers to shift, it makes it a little easier to be light. If you shift right there and are quick and smooth with the clutch the tach should stay right where it was. Practice a bunch of times until you've got the downshifts perfect from all different gears.

Now when your downshifting in a corner it'll be as smooth as butter, it won't screw with your line, and you can be in the perfect gear for a screaming exit....

Proper shifting technique is a lost art it seems. So many people are focused on 1/4 mile times. Why someone bought a Maxima to drag race I can't figure out...

-RMB