How do you resolve understeer?
How do you resolve understeer?
So.. you're cruising at highway speeds and you take a ramp... let's say left bank.
You turn and realize you're not making the angle of turn...
Hmm.. you have understeer.
What is the best way to accomodate this?
Do I...
(A) Get wider or better tires
or
(B) Get a Front strut bar
or
(C) Get a limited slip differential
Obviously, the answer would be to go slower or get all of the above... but what would be the single most helpful option?
You turn and realize you're not making the angle of turn...
Hmm.. you have understeer.
What is the best way to accomodate this?
Do I...
(A) Get wider or better tires
or
(B) Get a Front strut bar
or
(C) Get a limited slip differential
Obviously, the answer would be to go slower or get all of the above... but what would be the single most helpful option?
Member who somehow became The President of The SE-L Club
iTrader: (19)
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 16,024
Upgrade to a more performance oriented tire tread compound.
Make sure your tire pressures are set correctly.
35F/32R COLD is nice for slightly agressive driving.
If that doesn't help you out enough, then start upgrading the suspension.
Make sure your tire pressures are set correctly.
35F/32R COLD is nice for slightly agressive driving.
If that doesn't help you out enough, then start upgrading the suspension.
Before setting: Front Sway bar
My steering wheel was very loose. Any bump on the road would make my steering move left and right.
After setting: Front sway bar and rear sway bar
The steering wheel is not as lose and it holds its position when I hit a bump. Correct me if i'm wrong, I would say the rsb tighten the steering wheel.
My steering wheel was very loose. Any bump on the road would make my steering move left and right.
After setting: Front sway bar and rear sway bar
The steering wheel is not as lose and it holds its position when I hit a bump. Correct me if i'm wrong, I would say the rsb tighten the steering wheel.
Originally Posted by Max96GLE
Before setting: Front Sway bar
My steering wheel was very loose. Any bump on the road would make my steering move left and right.
After setting: Front sway bar and rear sway bar
The steering wheel is not as lose and it holds its position when I hit a bump. Correct me if i'm wrong, I would say the rsb tighten the steering wheel.
My steering wheel was very loose. Any bump on the road would make my steering move left and right.
After setting: Front sway bar and rear sway bar
The steering wheel is not as lose and it holds its position when I hit a bump. Correct me if i'm wrong, I would say the rsb tighten the steering wheel.
What does any of that have to do with understeer?
A bigger front sway bar, with no changes to the rear, will make understeer worse.
I have a limited slip differencial on my car (canadian spec 5-speed), and let me tell you, while it doesn't help that much in straight lines or the 1/4 mile, it does wonders in curves. I still bought a FSB/RSB combo, it'll be even better.
The only time an LSD sucks is in our ****ty winters. But I have a beater.
The only time an LSD sucks is in our ****ty winters. But I have a beater.
Originally Posted by DaBombX
so getting a FSB alone won't help at all?
Darn.. I was kinda hopin it would help cuz it's the cheapest....
but I guess you get what you pay for....
Darn.. I was kinda hopin it would help cuz it's the cheapest....
but I guess you get what you pay for....
No one makes an aftermarket FSB for our cars.
Originally Posted by bignutts
next time just turn the wheel all the way to the right and hold it there that should take care of your understeering
And yeah, RSB = the way to go, I love mine. Well worth the $$
Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 35
Originally Posted by mzmtg
A bigger front sway bar, with no changes to the rear, will make understeer worse.
Depends on the geometry of the front suspension and the compliance of teh rear suspension.
If the car does not have a FSB, or big enough FSB, as the outher suspension compresses, camber changes can result in understeer (as the tire is loosing it's contact patch while being loaded).
Now in the real world, adding a RSB will "loosen" up the rears's level of traction, resulting in a rear that will kick out prior to the the front loosing traction, hence understeer.
Be reducing the rear traction by stiffening up the rear suspension to the point that you will have oversteer is not the fastest way to drive.
Balance is what you are looking for, young grass-hoppah.
Strut valving, springs, and sway bars that compliment each other without reducing the level of traction available from the tires is what you seek ($ being what it is).
On the cheap end of things, get a good alignment with as much negative camber in teh front as possible, and a slight amount of toe in to provide straight line stability and reduce the inner tire wear that the negative camber provides.
Think in numbers like -1.5 degrees camber on each front tire and 1/16 inch of toe IN.
This will reduce understeer, as the outside tire, under suspension loading, will stand straight up in a turn, giving you the maximum amount of traction available from that tire.
Also, running about 2 lbs more air pressure in the rear will also help reduce understeer, at a cost to traction.
Peace,
Kevin
4x State Autocross Champion
Originally Posted by bluevr6
Not always the case.
Depends on the geometry of the front suspension and the compliance of teh rear suspension.
If the car does not have a FSB, or big enough FSB, as the outher suspension compresses, camber changes can result in understeer (as the tire is loosing it's contact patch while being loaded).
Now in the real world, adding a RSB will "loosen" up the rears's level of traction, resulting in a rear that will kick out prior to the the front loosing traction, hence understeer.
Be reducing the rear traction by stiffening up the rear suspension to the point that you will have oversteer is not the fastest way to drive.
Balance is what you are looking for, young grass-hoppah.
Strut valving, springs, and sway bars that compliment each other without reducing the level of traction available from the tires is what you seek ($ being what it is).
On the cheap end of things, get a good alignment with as much negative camber in teh front as possible, and a slight amount of toe in to provide straight line stability and reduce the inner tire wear that the negative camber provides.
Think in numbers like -1.5 degrees camber on each front tire and 1/16 inch of toe IN.
This will reduce understeer, as the outside tire, under suspension loading, will stand straight up in a turn, giving you the maximum amount of traction available from that tire.
Also, running about 2 lbs more air pressure in the rear will also help reduce understeer, at a cost to traction.
Peace,
Kevin
4x State Autocross Champion
Depends on the geometry of the front suspension and the compliance of teh rear suspension.
If the car does not have a FSB, or big enough FSB, as the outher suspension compresses, camber changes can result in understeer (as the tire is loosing it's contact patch while being loaded).
Now in the real world, adding a RSB will "loosen" up the rears's level of traction, resulting in a rear that will kick out prior to the the front loosing traction, hence understeer.
Be reducing the rear traction by stiffening up the rear suspension to the point that you will have oversteer is not the fastest way to drive.
Balance is what you are looking for, young grass-hoppah.
Strut valving, springs, and sway bars that compliment each other without reducing the level of traction available from the tires is what you seek ($ being what it is).
On the cheap end of things, get a good alignment with as much negative camber in teh front as possible, and a slight amount of toe in to provide straight line stability and reduce the inner tire wear that the negative camber provides.
Think in numbers like -1.5 degrees camber on each front tire and 1/16 inch of toe IN.
This will reduce understeer, as the outside tire, under suspension loading, will stand straight up in a turn, giving you the maximum amount of traction available from that tire.
Also, running about 2 lbs more air pressure in the rear will also help reduce understeer, at a cost to traction.
Peace,
Kevin
4x State Autocross Champion
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 29
can't u just apply a bit of braking via foot brake the shift the weight to the front so it would have more traction those easier to turn? and since your on the highway u might want to apply it with ur left foot, but this is my first time posting so listen to the other people =-D
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 137
Better tires definetly and learn to shift the weight around id say. Going on or off an onramp with some good speed while using some good braking and steering technique to shift the weight forward at the right part of the turn i could actually get my car to oversteer ever so slightly as i went through the turn. But i drive pretty agressively and ive had mucho practice and in the end id recommend just getting used to it and take it slow. Keep it safe.
Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 35
Originally Posted by DaBombX
Yeah, I'm gonna get a Front strut bar and 18"... I might even switch to coilovers at some point... but for now, I repressurized my tires to specs.
The FSTB will only deal with chassis flex in the strut towers. Not a hugh problem in these cars (especially compared to a Fiat 128 2 door sedan or a Mk1 VW Scirrocco).
GET A GOOD ALIGNMENT, SET TIRE PRESSURES TO MAXIMIZE AVAILABLE TRACTION, AND GET SOME MORE EXPERIENCE DRIVING AT THE LIMIT (Driver's School).
Other money spent is wasted until you have doen these things.
Best regards,
Kevin
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