Anachronism

Near my house there is an on ramp where I feel I can safely test the cornering limits of my Maxima. I can take it at about 50 MPH and get some pretty loud tire squeal, does this mean I am near the limits of traction? There seems to be only a little body roll at this speed. I have the stock SE suspension an Addco RSB, my FSTB is on backorder. What will the car do when I push it to far? The tires are cooper cobras on the Stock SE 16" rims, they were on the car when I bought it. I have no idea how good these tires are.

max7

When your tires start to squel, that means you are starting to lose tracktion. Little more gas and you may over steer. As far as tires I don't know much about those.

Stereodude

Your tires are starting to squeel cause they are losing traction.

If you push the car too far it will leave the road. Basically you will not turn fast enough to stay on the road and you will slide off the side. That is probably not a very good idea to see what happens at the limit on a freeway ramp. Use a large mall parking lot (at odd hours when the lot is empty) or something large flat and open so that if you slide out of control you don't end up in a ditch off of the road. It's always a good thing to know the limit of your car, but you don't want to wreck the car finding out where that limit is.

My guess is you need better rubber on the car if you want to go faster.

Stereodude

brubenstein

You're driving a car, not playing a violin. Different tires start to squeak at different points relative to thier limits. What you have to learn, is to feel the "rumble" in the steering wheel as the front end really begins to lose traction. (On a highway ramp the corner is close to steady state and these nose heavy, FWD cars will lose the front end first: understeer.)
Signing up for an Auto-X is probably the quickest and cheapest way to learn some good basics.

Stereodude

I've found out that on my Lumina LS (Max is on order) the back end will step out if the car is pushed far enough on a freeway onramp. Going into a flat corner too fast the car understeers badly.

Stereodude

dm7297

iTrader: (1)

Those tires blow big time, i got them put on till i could afford a new set, they go for like 80 bucks each. there pretty good in the snow though. Get a new set, i put a pair of falkens on 225/45/16's on my stock rims big diff!
Dave

Anachronism

I was afraid of that, I hate to replace them because they are almost new. Glad to here there good in the snaow, I will probably keep them threw the winter, then look for some better tires.

JUDE

iTrader: (7)

Its the tires. My Pirelli P7000 were getting bald and would squeal in turns. Once I replaced them with the Kuhmo's, it stopped.

Eric L.

It's pretty tough to oversteer a Maxima. Well, not that hard, but with stock suspension, the car understeers quite a bit on hard turns. With lowered suspension, performance struts, and the strut and sway bars, the car is actually quite neutral, but with still a hint of understeer. No matter how hard I try, it's very difficult to kick the tail out on my Maxima.

Bman

Be cautious with your car's setup and testing its limits. I don't know for the 4th Gen SEs, but guys with the 3rd Gen Max and a rear only Addco sway bar report neutral/slightly oversteering handling. The Addco rear bar is pretty big, and will stiffen up the rear significantly, making oversteer more likely.

wdave

Squeal is a warning but not consistent among tires - some squeal a long way before they let go, some don't squeal at all. Be careful. Pressure has a lot to do with tire squeal too - less air = more squeal. You might try 33 or so psi in your fronts and 29-30 psi in your rears.

got rice?

iTrader: (2)

each tire has a different slip angle depending on the tread design, sidewall design, compound, temperature of the road, the type of road, etc etc

street tires at their highest slip angle will squeel slightly but if you're getting a loud squeel, you're overbearing your tires.

Evil Yak

yup, 3rd gen w/ addco = oversteer
scary

roggie93ser96se

what we always say at skip barber is a squeling tire is a happy tire!!! But thats different circumstances..ie not public street....whoever already advised was right... learn your specific packages limits in a controled enviroment,, then maybe play,, always be safe for yourself and others though.....

costcowholesale

iTrader: (12)

its easy to slightly over steer in rain in the middle of a freeway ramp with stock supension, low speed cornering is impossible to oversteer with the supension I have now(except ebrake). lowest speed I've oversteered was in rain turning a 30km/h corner @ 65km/h with stock badyear eagles.

blueghost75

good info, usefull post...

my tires squeal just before their limit, or on the limit

I have noticed that my car (4th gen stock) has under steer on dry roads, but a little oversteer when it is wet and slick (ie....i can get the back end to begin to come out). I will have to go find a parking lot somewhere and do some practice.

How hard is it to flip one of our cars?

ericdwong

I can kick the back end of my car if I push the limits really hard and do somethin stupid to overcorrect. it never did this before I added the Quaife, but the Quaife differential changed the handling characteristics of the car. Probalby because now the front remains so much more planted, instead of the front letting go first, the front becomes the pivot point. This in addition to the addco RSB as well as heavy stereo equipment in the trunk also adds to it. I'll have to test it out in a big parkin lot.
I still have stock SE suspension otherwise.
I usually run the tires at 34 front and 31 rear. 225 50 16 BFGoodrich Comp TA V rated tires.

ru4real

iTrader: (3)

In New England, you can find a nice big rotary to practice on.