Car Handling Characteristics....a non exhaustive list.

[Zak33]

OK...this is for you all to join in on.

Ready? We need a list of handling characteristics and their meaning. I will add and remove stuff according to what sounds best or is worded best.

I'll compile them here...so go ahead.....add em

I'll start:

Understeer:- the front of the car drifts wide. It is caused by either too much speed and not enough front grip and/or a front wheel drive car putting excess power through the front tyres while cornering, causing the front to drift wider than it would normally if it had been a neutral throttle. In rare cases its caused by the driver BRAKING mid corner, normally with TOO MCUH steering lock on, and asking so much from the tyres that it just goes straight on and into a kerb

[Zak33]

no body wanna play?

Ok..I'll do another..

Oversteer: the rear of the car drifts wide, making the front tuck in more than normal and the car corners tighter. In a rear wheel drive car, providing the front has sufficient grip and that it has sufficient power to the rear wheels, the art of power sliding involves putting enough power to the back tyres that grip levels are reduced laterally, and the back end slides out.

Possible from stationary with big-power and the aided by a limited slip diff, to turn a car straight round with just the back tyres "lit up". Called a Doughnut
Oversteer ALSO hapens to ANY car, front OR rear OR 4 wheel drive if the driver corners at sufficient speed, normally while lifting off the power, causing the front to dip, gain grip, and the rear to rise, losing grip. Immensely useable driving style, best suited to front hweel drive hot hatchs, but possible in anything. Important point......if you are going really fast, then the front grip WILL BE HIGH, because not very much ACCELERATION is left, as you are at top speed and the engine is bearing down on the front wheels.....hence cars on motorway slip roads and fast dual carriageways are actually oversteering all the way round without drivers awareness. (Look in your rear view mirror at the guy behind).
Another case of Oversteer, is under heavy braking, in a corner...the front gains MASSIVE weight transfer and the rear goes very light...Caution on Motorway slip roads...especially Hemel Hempstead coming from the north

[sdp]

omg we're gonna die The phrase that often accompanies unexpected occurances of major oversteer.

Turning circle: The distance a vehicle can negotiate a 180-degree turn in with the steering at full lock.

[Devilbod]

Hoon - ("I really hooned it then") :To travel at fast speeds.

Blat - ("Going for a blat") :To travel at moderate to fast speeds.

Bimble - ("I'm off for a bilmble") : 1.To travel at slow to moderate speeds. 2.A leasurly cruise.

Skid Mark - ("I bet that left a skid mark") : 1.The marking of the road by appication of the brakes too hard causing the tires to lock. 2.The aftermath in the trouser department after a particulary scary moment.

Burnout - ("I did a cool burnout at the lights") : 1.The spinning of the rear tire in a stationary postion or very low speeds to make the rear tire smoke. 2.A computer game.

De-Cloak - ("It just de-cloaked off the starboard bow") :The sudden appearance of a car/motorbike along side/in the mirror due to said car/motorbike traveling at excesivly fast speeds.

Can - ("You should have seen the size of the can on that") : 1.The end part of the exhaust, usally in refference to an overly large one that has no real use other than to make the car/motorbike sound like a tank. 2.A container for food.

Handbag - ("Whoops! Handbag!") : 1.Womans clothing accessory in the form of a small bag. 2.The Application of the Handbrake to make the car skid. 3.An old rough looking lady thats more than a bit grumpy.

Chav-Mobile - ("Hahahaha CHAV-MOBILE!") : 1.Usally a small car bellow the 1.5 litre engine capacity that has been moddified with skirting boards, an excesivly large airofoil and go faster strips along the side.

Rubbernecking - ("Oops theres been a crash, I bet everyones rubbernecking") : To slow down and stare at the sight of an accedent.



Motorbikes:

Endo- ("I put on the anchors too fast and endo it") :1.The motion of traveling on the front tire only usally acheived by only using the front brakes. 2.A front tyre wheelie.

Stoopie - ("Opps I did an Stoopie") :1.To come to a halt on the front tire with the back tire in the air. 2.A poor mans endo.

Wheelie - ("Did a bit of a wheelie there") :1.To accelerate at a high speed which in turn makes the front tire lift off the ground. 2.To use the clutch to make the front tire lift off the ground. 3.A lie used down the pub to impress mates.

Tank Slap - ("Went over the bump and the front went into a bit of a tank slap!") :The violent side to side motion of the handlebars.

Tank Slapper - see Tank Slap.

Spill - ("Had a bit of a spill") :To fall off a motorbike and slide down the road.

Bib - ("He looked a bit of a twit in that bib") : 1.The day-glow waistcoat often seen worn by industrial workers. 2.An anti-mess device worn by babies.

Lid - ("Nice lid!") :Helmet.

Gravel Rash - ("He had a big scar from gravel rash") : 1. The wearing away of skin and bone on the road after a spill. 2. The bits you leave behind.

Sorry I think I got carried away...

[Shad]

The following are listed in order of difficulty and should be tried on empty (preferably private) roads first, but they all help in keeping a car handling the way it should

Blipping the throttle
When changing down the gears at leisure (i.e. not braking at the same time, e.g. kicking down to over-take) it helps to blip the throttle while depressing the clutch, so that when you engage the next gear and bring the clutch back up the engine is at the same speed as the gearbox/wheels. This means the clutch doesn't have to drag the engine up to the right rpm, and also makes for a seemless gear change when mastered. Also saves on a LOT of clutch wear

Heal 'n' Toe
The only problem with the above is when you are braking, because obviously you've only got 2 feet and there are three pedals! So the idea is that you have the upper part of your foot pressing the brake as normal, but pivot your foot when you need to blip the throttle, so that the heal is on the throttle. More often than not it will be the side of your foot that is enough. This is difficult to do smoothly because when you pivot you are reducing the amount of pressure you can put on the brake. However for keeping a car balanced when approaching a corner it's very very effective.

Left foot braking
Finally the most difficult of the three to get used to. As Zak's already mentioned, a FWD car in particular will always have a tendancy to understeer through a corner when pushed or right on the limit. We can help correct that by lifting the throttle slightly to slide the car a fraction, but lifting and re-applying isn't the smoothest way to do it. Using your left foot on the brake, whilst keeping your right foot on the throttle, you can balance a car through high speed (single gear) corners by gently decreasing the throttle slightly and gently applying the brake slightly. Before you go anywhere near a corner to do this you should get used to braking with your left foot in a straight line - you will be very surprised how hard you hit the brake. A certain M. Schumacher uses this technique to consistently p*** all over the opposition

I'll include some video clips of all of the above later

[Howard]

"For the love of God... <expletive>" - Often exclaimed by a passenger accompanying me in my vehicle whilst I learn to drive. Usually experienced whilst I hurl said vehicle round a 90 degree bend at 40MPH.
Also applies when negotiating a roundabout at 35.

[Rob]

The following are listed in order of difficulty and should be tried on empty (preferably private) roads first, but they all help in keeping a car handling the way it should

Blipping the throttle


Heal 'n' Toe

Left foot braking

I'll include some video clips of all of the above later

I can do these . Although heal 'n' toe is easy with size 10's (use the side o me foot)

Left foot braking is the hardest. I practised with NOBODY BEHIND ME, just as well cos first few times caused close introduction of nose to steering wheel.

Look forward to vids mate!

[Shad]

I don't think the video is gonna happen, can't find anywhere to mount the camera :/

[Devilbod]

been having that problem with the bike, want to make a vid but no way of mounting the camera somewhere safe.

[Jiff Lemon]

AQUAPLANING: The grooves in your tread are not only designed to look pretty, they're designed to shift water, allowing the tyre to remain in contact with the road. Sometimes there can be simply too much water for the tyre to move and the tyre rises up, surfing on the top of the water. Braking or steering are both useless and can actually make matters worse; Hope your wearing clean underwear and the deity of choice is watching over you.

[gobbo]

Tailgating The art of driving at 85mph and keeping a distance of 2 inches from the car infronts bumper. This art has been mastered by the following drivers: Moped/Skooter riders, BMW Drivers, Mercedes Benz drivers, White Van drivers. Note BMW's now come with this as standard, known as "Auto Tail"

Auto-Weave The ability of BMw drivers to weave in and out of moterway moving at 70mph+, fitting into gaps only inches wider than their car

Pseudo-Zoom Another art mastered by the BMw and Mercedes drivers. This auto mode flashes their 10kw headlights in your rear view mirror, whilst they are travelling at over twice the legal speed limit

[sdp]

Stability

A car should tend to follow the road without major wobbliness or erratic response to pot holes, and go through corners without tipping over.

Feedback

Being able to feel the road through the steering wheel and know exactly what the tyres are doing.

[jon bda]

...waits for a passing Pug owner to describe the pant browning moment also known as 'lift off oversteer'...


*Zak edit*
Me too mate...me too

I'll do one later if no one else does

[Zak33]

Right....lift off Oversteer. A Peugeot Owners definitive guide
(this applies to ALL front drive cars, AND a few 4wheel drivers too, but is most pronounced in 205 and 306 Pugs)

On some front wheel drive cars, the rear axle is designed to "flex" while cornering. In a 306 it is most obvious...and the lower the suspension setup is, the more pronounced it is. 205's do it too, but for a different reason....the outcome is the same.

The rear axle actually helps steer the back of the car out of the corner a tiny tiny bit....and so while the front tucks in, when the wheel is turned, the back moves out a fraction. It is by NO MEANS 4 wheel steering. That is a Honda trick when the rear wheels have a steering rack and move visably. We are simply talking a subtle flex.

Even a Nova or a Fiesta will do the following, but in differening amounts.

While accelrating, a car leans BACK...the rear gets more grip as the weight moves rearward. And in oppostion, as you SLOW the front dips and gains weight....and gains grip.

If you are in a low gear, with high revs, when you lift off the power, the engine helps to slow the car. down...it makes it dip gently at the front.

In a fast corner, with power on, you have an allowance of grip at the front, and if too much power is put through the front tyres, the front might go wide. If it does, the driver can lift off the power and as the power subsides the request for FRONT grip reduces and lets the tyres to a better job gripping sideways....PLUS the weight moves back (mildly) over the front wheels to further increase grip.

If you increase your turn at this point the car always grips better and turns in harder...its called Trail Braking...cos you can then gently apply brakes to further increase the front grip AND get the back to lose weight and grip and shift gently sideways.

In a 306 or a 205, the next thing happens....the arse goes wide.

Big time.

Its a fantastic ability IF you expect it, IF you compensate as it does it by steering less and IF you have room.

A cracking example is into a round about.....you go in at high revs, still accelerating, fast fluid left, to go wide and then as you tuck in right, to the apex of the roundabout, intending to go straight on, you lift-off and gently steer in one fluid, smooth, calm move.....and the faster you snap OFF the throttle and the more speed you carry, the further you can expect the back to steer you.

I USE A ROUNDABOUT IN THE BROADEST POSSIBLE CONTEXT...ITS NOT A REAL ROAD ROUNDABOUT...ITS A CORNER IN THE SHAPE OF AN S BEND THAT YOU ALL RECOGNISE in your heads. Dont do this on a road guys. You'll get tugged. and you might endanger someone.

As the tail gently slides the nose tucks in further and the finest thing to do now is to reaplly power so that the front drifts wide with it.....you come out of the corner with all 4 wheels drifting wide....all the car is going very subltly sideways.....its like a car on ice........and you litterally unwind the lock and drift out the other side.

WHAT GOES WRONG.....? Lots

If you get nearly half way and tug too much on the front before the weight transfer t the front, the front might stop gripping and go wide...UNDERSTEER from hell....you asked to much of those tyres and they gave up. Wide....slap...into a hedge.

If you get halfway and its working a treat and THEN you tighten your turn, the arse will whip right round....Peugeot Styleeee

If you're good, you wait until that arse end is half way round and then you grap a lower gear and hit the power, and pendulum all the way round to the next exit and look like you always meant it

So.....the worst case is when you dont know its coming.....motorway....slip road.....off at 60 ish.....it tightens.....christ this thing goes ALL THE WAY ROUND and OVER the top, you're already off the power, the front is gripping, the tail is gently coming round...you cant hit the power, the amrco is real close...you cant brake....not hard...it'll go right round....

Its now you know you might have cooked it....and only a perfect right foot control, a fluid smooth stroke of the brakes to slow you WHILE OPPPOSITE LOCK goes on to stop you spinning and then power when you need it to regain the corner when the back slows.....

dont do it....you'll get hurt.

[Stoo]

I think this could possibly do with being a sticky in the main forum?

[Zak33]

Body Roll:

This is simple....the car rolls about its length....as though is had a pole along from the rear to the front, above the road....its a centre of gravity thing.

If a car is TALL, like a 4x4, it has a high centre of gravity....and as you corner the body "rolls"

This sounds bad, right? Wel it is bad in a way...but for many reasons, its a god thing.

The REASON we need body roll is for grip!!!! NO.....you cant mean that.....surely? I do....

In the dry, on a good road, the springs need to be hard....the tyres can do it all...they have lots of grip...so HARD springs stop the body leaning and we ask lots from each tyre. Its fine and dandy....

but if its wet.....what we want is the car itself to lean BEFORE the weight on each tyre is altered.

Cos if the suspension is nice and soft, when we corner, the first thing that happens in the body leans and the springs take up the movement....it gives the car a short period of time where the weight on the tyres doesn't change too fast....its more forgiving AND gives more grip.

Which is WHY you get these options on Grand Turismo guys...

Body roll also allows the driver to experience the cars un-balanced nature before killing himself.

What else happens...?Well, if we go barreling into a corner and swing into it, and then straight out, the suspension leans one way...and then the other, really fast...in fact the interia makes the second roll to the other side, more pronounced....it MIGHT even create a slide at the back....and thats when you are TRYING to go straight....

SHOCK ABOSRBERS.....DAMPERS (same thing) STOP THIS HAPPENING.

If you ever get a chance to drive a car with knackered shocks and then immediately after they are changed....DO SO. Its eye opening.

For the record, Lotus make quite mildly sprung cars....they always have. An old Mk 1 Elise rolled a lot....but it was heaven to drive. Very forgiving. So dont think you NEED hard springs guys....it rains here in England a lot.....yu might be better with simply better shock abosorbers.

"Let her roll"