Understeer question

[LeVeL]

Ok, on another forum Im on we're having an argument over how you should recover from understeer in a FWD car. Everyone is saying that you just hit the brakes and get the car to oversteer. I can see that that would work but I think you could hit the gas instead and go for grip, rather than rear-end slide. I can provide many more details to this argument and how both techniques work (at least in theory). Any input?

[MorpheusZero]

Roll off the throttle.

Mashing the gas will transfer more weight to the rear tires as well as put more stress on the fronts, not what you'd call "going for grip."

What do you mean by "recover from understeer?" Overcook a turn and are running wide?

[gdmaxse]

You can do either. Most autocrossers will hit the gas to force the front tires to roll and drive out of the understeer. this way you dont lose as much time by scrubbing off speed. the reason this works is because the car is understeering because the front tires are sliding sideways instead of rolling. hitting the gas forces the front tires to roll and CAN pull you out of the slide. however sometimes you end up sliding into some cones

rolling off the gas will transfer more weight to the front to regain front grip also. easing onto the brakes will tranfer weight to the front as well.

It really depends on what you are doing when you get the understeer. if you are hard on the gas and you are understeering you should probably lift off a little. If you are on the breaks and you are understeering you probably want to get on the gas to pull yourself through of the slide.

[LeVeL]

gdmaxse - great explanation, thanks!

[MorpheusZero]

Originally Posted by gdmaxse

It really depends on what you are doing when you get the understeer.

This.

[G4nismo]

Originally Posted by gdmaxse

however sometimes you end up sliding into some cones

i eats teh cones for breakfast

[97SEdriver]

Originally Posted by gdmaxse

You can do either. Most autocrossers will hit the gas to force the front tires to roll and drive out of the understeer. this way you dont lose as much time by scrubbing off speed. the reason this works is because the car is understeering because the front tires are sliding sideways instead of rolling. hitting the gas forces the front tires to roll and CAN pull you out of the slide. however sometimes you end up sliding into some cones

rolling off the gas will transfer more weight to the front to regain front grip also. easing onto the brakes will tranfer weight to the front as well.

It really depends on what you are doing when you get the understeer. if you are hard on the gas and you are understeering you should probably lift off a little. If you are on the breaks and you are understeering you probably want to get on the gas to pull yourself through of the slide.

that was a borderline Norm-like response.......