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Correct cornering in Front Wheel Drive?

  • 23-07-2010 1:00pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 491 ✭✭


    I've been driving FWD for a long time and seem to get around corners fine, but I would like advice or a link about the best way to corner. I suppose brake, half throttle around and accelerate as you straighten up? Sometimes I find myself in a fast corner with bad camber and running a bit wide and a good understanding of the dynamics would be nice. Ta.


«13

Comments

  • Posts: 23,339 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Is this for road driving ? Hopefully not. For road driving advanced driving folks reckon you should take corners closer to the white line than the verge. On the track it's totally different.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,930 ✭✭✭Martron


    woody33 wrote: »
    I've been driving FWD for a long time and seem to get around corners fine, but I would like advice or a link about the best way to corner. I suppose brake, half throttle around and accelerate as you straighten up? Sometimes I find myself in a fast corner with bad camber and running a bit wide and a good understanding of the dynamics would be nice. Ta.

    if you were running wide you going too fast.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 491 ✭✭woody33


    Yes road driving. Going too fast maybe, but I'd still like to know how to handle the situation.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    Take the corner at the correct speed and you wont have to worry about it.

    FWD cars understeer, which means then when you power on they tend to drift outwards away from the apex of the corner (Im talking about at speed; under normal driving conditions you wont notice it). The way I have always learned is to brake sufficiently so that you can take the corner safely, hold enough power to take the corner and accelorate out of the corner as you straighten.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,930 ✭✭✭Martron


    in a situation like that especially if you are caught out you could experience something called lift off over steer. which essentially means when you stop applying power to the front wheels they grip again and the back could step out.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,620 ✭✭✭✭dr.fuzzenstein


    Approach the corner on the opposite side, left for right and vise versa, remember your braking point.

    racing_line.png
    Change gear before you're in the corner, heel and toe, i.e. blip throttle to get revs up with your heel while your toe is on the clutch so as to not loose speed when you switch down a gear as the engine will be at correct revs.
    Make sure to kiss the apex of the corner, don't throttle up yet and after the car has straightened put the foot down.
    Of course it might be different on the track...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,930 ✭✭✭Martron




  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,025 ✭✭✭Tipp Man


    If you are going wide in a bend to me it indicates that you are in too high a gear and going too fast

    On our country roads most bends should be taken in 3rd gear allowing the driver to be in control of the car and not running wide


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 856 ✭✭✭firefly08


    You can start to add the throttle before you are fully straightened up...can't really explain how you know when it's safe, you get a feel for it though...

    You want to brake in a straight line obviously, then ease off the brake as you steer around the corner, then ease back onto the power as you straighten up - it's as if your right foot is tied to the steering wheel: steering wheel goes one way, foot goes up (off the brake), steering wheel goes the other way, foot goes down (on the power)

    Also obviously make sure you pick a low enough gear, that has a big affect on safety and how tightly you take the corner.

    But for gods sake don't treat the road like a racetrack. If you do find yourself going round a bend too fast, be careful to brake gently, adjusting your braking in either direction in a corner can be dangerous!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,399 ✭✭✭Bonito


    woody33 wrote: »
    Yes road driving. Going too fast maybe, but I'd still like to know how to handle the situation.
    I find using my brake, the middle pedal, to slow before the corner helps, a lot. Depending on how tight the corner is I may continue braking 'til I need to drop a gear, maybe even 2.

    I then slowly accelerate as I come out of the bend while straightening up the wheel.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 491 ✭✭woody33


    Good stuff, keep it coming. I never did master heel-and-toe, you mean blip throttle with toe on brake, I take it?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,399 ✭✭✭Bonito


    woody33 wrote: »
    Good stuff, keep it coming. I never did master heel-and-toe, you mean blip throttle with toe on brake, I take it?
    Blip the throttle while dropping a gear to make the gear change smoother.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    woody33 wrote: »
    Good stuff, keep it coming. I never did master heel-and-toe, you mean blip throttle with toe on brake, I take it?

    If youre driving a road car on a normal road (ie not in Mondello on a track day) then you do not need to heel and toe, double clutch, or anything like that.

    Its somewhat worrying that you are asking about racing techniques while presumably taking about driving on the road...


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,620 ✭✭✭✭dr.fuzzenstein


    Bonito wrote: »
    Blip the throttle while dropping a gear to make the gear change smoother.

    Heel and toe is actually braking and blipping the accelerator at the same time with your right foot.

    Here's an article:

    http://www.diseno-art.com/tutorials/heel_and_toeing.html

    and here's a picture:

    heel-and-toe-downshift.jpg

    Once again, all of this is absloutely useless to you outside a race track. Unless you need to get your time to the shops down by a couple of tenths.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,399 ✭✭✭Bonito


    Heel and toe is actually braking and blipping the accelerator at the same time with your right foot.

    Here's an article:

    http://www.diseno-art.com/tutorials/heel_and_toeing.html

    and here's a picture:

    heel-and-toe-downshift.jpg

    Once again, all of this is absloutely useless to you outside a race track. Unless you need to get your time to the shops down by a couple of tenths.
    3 pedals. 2 feet. Does not compute. :pac:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 491 ✭✭woody33


    I don't think i'm boy-racering around the back roads, and my usual ride is a little 1 litre Polo on skinny tyres, but I enjoy it and want to keep safe, so any extra knowledge on dynamics would be useful and help keep me out of trouble. An advanced driving course would be great but you know how it is...time and money (and geograohy). Must try left foot braking (not).


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 916 ✭✭✭Joe 90


    Heel and toe is actually braking and blipping the accelerator at the same time with your right foot.

    Once again, all of this is absloutely useless to you outside a race track. Unless you need to get your time to the shops down by a couple of tenths.
    Not quite true about it being useless. With a non synchromesh gearbox you just don't have a choice. You have to double clutch. OK not many non synchro boxes around now but its not that long ago that you found them in a lot of trucks.
    Pretty pointless though driveing a road car at road speeds.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,683 ✭✭✭✭Owen


    Don't mind the heel-toe/which side of the road stuff. Only applicable if you're on the track.

    The best way to corner regardless of the car you're in is to visualise the point where the left hand side of the road and right hand side of the road meet in the corner. It's called the vanishing/limiting point. As you drive into a corner, the ideal scenario is to have this point moving away from you at a constant speed that your car is matching. If it's moving towards you, you're going too fast and you need to brake. If it's moving away, you need to accelerate.

    Ideally you'll go into the corner matching the vanishing point, and after you've gone through the apex, the point should move away rapidly, allowing you to accelerate out of the corner.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,688 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    I dont understand all the people telling the OP he is going too fast.
    Is there anyone here who hasnt gone into a corner & almost got caught out? I certainly have specially when driving **** box of a car therefore any tips the OP can get are going to help.

    I know exacty what you are talking about OP. You go into an unknown off camber bend at a speed which would be perfectly safe if the road was cambered properly & you find the front scrubing wide.
    A Polo can easily be made to understeer or oversteer depending on driving style. If you run it into a bend in too high a gear with the effect of the engine almost dragging you along, it will tend to slide wide. You are then caught in the middle of the bend in a high gear & with limited options.
    I would tend to be in a lower gear. braking into the bend, loading up the front wheels and getting a pretty certain turn in. Even with a low powered front drive car, you can then play with the accelerator to control it through the bend, whereas if stuck in top gear, you really cannot.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,718 ✭✭✭Matt Simis


    mickdw wrote: »
    I dont understand all the people telling the OP he is going too fast.
    Is there anyone here who hasnt gone into a corner & almost got caught out? I certainly have specially when driving **** box of a car therefore any tips the OP can get are going to help.

    Not really no, though in my FWD car it is a lot more prone almost getting to that point. But there is still plenty of steering traction left to correct.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    mickdw wrote: »
    I dont understand all the people telling the OP he is going too fast.
    Is there anyone here who hasnt gone into a corner & almost got caught out? I certainly have specially when driving **** box of a car therefore any tips the OP can get are going to help.

    If I ever feel like Ive almost been caught out (and its rare) its because I took the corner too fast. Enter the corner at the correct speed and camber or anything else doesnt come into it. Its rare (if at all) that I ever get understeer in my Integra, and I would imagine I would want to really throw it into a corner then hit the power fairly hard to notice any real understeer. Neither are sensible ways of driving tbf...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,688 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    djimi wrote: »
    If I ever feel like Ive almost been caught out (and its rare) its because I took the corner too fast. Enter the corner at the correct speed and camber or anything else doesnt come into it. Its rare (if at all) that I ever get understeer in my Integra, and I would imagine I would want to really throw it into a corner then hit the power fairly hard to notice any real understeer. Neither are sensible ways of driving tbf...

    Ok but the OP is driving a Polo & from experience a drop of rain can make things very interesting in one of those. More so after getting out of good car.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,035 ✭✭✭✭-Chris-


    Get yourself a copy of Roadcraft OP, it'll tell you all you need to know about cornering safely on the road.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,815 ✭✭✭✭Anan1


    mickdw wrote: »
    I dont understand all the people telling the OP he is going too fast.
    Is there anyone here who hasnt gone into a corner & almost got caught out?
    Yes - when I was going too fast.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,688 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    Anan1 wrote: »
    Yes - when I was going too fast.

    Well that is my point - most of us have gone in too fast, at least know how to handle it best. Ok, I might not have stated original post that well


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,012 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    Don't mind the heel-toe/which side of the road stuff. Only applicable if you're on the track.

    The best way to corner regardless of the car you're in is to visualise the point where the left hand side of the road and right hand side of the road meet in the corner. It's called the vanishing/limiting point. As you drive into a corner, the ideal scenario is to have this point moving away from you at a constant speed that your car is matching. If it's moving towards you, you're going too fast and you need to brake. If it's moving away, you need to accelerate.

    Ideally you'll go into the corner matching the vanishing point, and after you've gone through the apex, the point should move away rapidly, allowing you to accelerate out of the corner.


    With the added effect of increased visibility as you start looking past corners and not at the car in front.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 491 ✭✭woody33


    I might add that I was driving these same roads in a friend's 300hp Subaru recently, he was telling me to take corners faster that the car could handle it, and I'm thinking there could be a cyclist around that left hander and a car coming the other way. In fact just a couple of days ago I came to a right hand curve and a bunch of cyclists popped into view. Fine, but there was a patrol car edging out to see if they could get past them. Well, I tucked pretty tight to the left I can tell you. Thanks for the ideas, I'll check them out, vanishing point was a thing I used to know but had forgotten. Drive safe, I was thinking of getting those Cooper Rain Experts, but that's for another thread.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,091 ✭✭✭✭Esel
    Not Your Ornery Onager


    RoverJames wrote: »
    For road driving advanced driving folks reckon you should take corners closer to the white line than the verge.
    More than a bit simplistic!

    Keep to the left approaching a right-hand bend; the apex will be near the centre line.

    Keep to the centre approaching a left-hand bend; the apex will be near the verge.

    Still a bit simplistic, I admit - but way better than your advice.
    Approach the corner on the opposite side, left for right and vise versa, remember your braking point.

    racing_line.png
    Change gear before you're in the corner, heel and toe, i.e. blip throttle to get revs up with your heel while your toe is on the clutch so as to not loose speed when you switch down a gear as the engine will be at correct revs.
    Make sure to kiss the apex of the corner, don't throttle up yet and after the car has straightened put the foot down.

    Of course it might be different on the public road...
    FYP. Wtf?

    _______________________________________

    PaintDoctor
    's advice on the vanishing point is on the ball.

    As -Chris- said, get a copy of Roadcraft - and study it.

    Not your ornery onager



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,069 ✭✭✭✭CiniO


    woody33 wrote: »
    I've been driving FWD for a long time and seem to get around corners fine, but I would like advice or a link about the best way to corner. I suppose brake, half throttle around and accelerate as you straighten up? Sometimes I find myself in a fast corner with bad camber and running a bit wide and a good understanding of the dynamics would be nice. Ta.


    First of all your rule (brake, half throttle and full throtle at the end of the corner) not necceserily is right.

    1. Brake - only if you are going too fast for the corner. If not, there's not a point to brake before a corner.

    2. Half throttle - i wouldn't just say half. Perfect would be if you could give that much throttle, to make wheels nor accelerate, neither slow down. When no braking or accelerating forces work between tyre and surface, then tyre has the best grip on the sides, which is what you need on the corner.

    3. Full throttle - that's pretty much fine.


    If you are going a bit wide on a corner (I understand that car is going outside a corner) it means that you are going too fast for this corner.
    Try cutting it (making angle of the corner bigger), but remember never to cut a corner outside your lane on normal public road. (that's pretty much dificult, because most Irish country roads have a lanes not more wider than a car, or sometimes even less narrow than them.

    If it happens that you go too fast into the corner - two things can happen - the front of the car will skid or the back of the car will skid. In FWD it's most likely front wheels skid, unless you brake during the corner.

    If it's back wheels skid, you just need to keep throttle at the same position as it was or even add a little bit, and contrturn the steering wheel the opposite direction. Then the car will start to come back to it's track, but even before it will, straighten the steering wheel, because otherwise you will make it skid the other way. It has to be done very fast - generally the faster you go the faster it has to be done.


    If it's a front wheel skid (front wheels tempt to go outside the corner) you can help it in couple of ways.
    The easiest is to slam on the brakes for a second or less. If the car doesn't have an ABS it will go straight (towards outside of the corner) but it will slow down, and when you release the brake, car should start turning into the corner. Make sure you don't hole brake pedal pressed for too long, because you will just crash toward outside of the bend.
    The other way is to try to convert a front wheel skid into rear wheel skid. To do this add some more throttle, and press a brake pedal with your left foot. This should sharpen an angle of the bend, but it can also cause a rear wheel skid, so you have to be ready to control it.

    But to be honest, all this might seem easy when reading, but to do this properly, you need tens or hundreds of hours of training.
    After that time, you might be sure, that even if you go too fast into the bend, you will be able to control it.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,704 ✭✭✭Mr.David


    CiniO wrote: »


    Perfect would be if you could give that much throttle, to make wheels nor accelerate, neither slow down. When no braking or accelerating forces work between tyre and surface, then tyre has the best grip on the sides, which is what you need on the corner.
    dy to control it.

    I know what you mean, but I don't think I agree. I think you should brake slightly below the cornering speed limit and then throttle through the corner - so in effect the car is 'dragged' through the corner by the accelerating force and as such has less lateral force acting on it (so rolls less through the corner).

    I was taught that if you find yourself half way through a corner and going too fast that you should slam on the brakes briefly. DO NOT feather the brakes or you will likely end up in the ditch. Its a result of weight transfer etc.

    The stages I use (and was taught) are:

    1. Evaluate - road condition, vanishing point, weather, oncoming traffic, mud/oil etc etc

    2. Position - position yourself correctly (on your side of the road only obviously) relative to the direction of the bend.

    3. Brake - in a straight line brake down to the required entry speed.

    4. Gear down - after braking drop into the required gear (without cycling down) for example drop from 5th to 3rd.

    5. Drive through - Not necessarily accelerating much through the corner but you do need to drive positively through the corner. There's nothing worse than being in the passenger seat with someone who just turns into a corner and all the force acting on the car is lateral - its very uncomfortable.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,069 ✭✭✭✭CiniO


    Mr.David wrote: »
    I know what you mean, but I don't think I agree. I think you should brake slightly below the cornering speed limit and then throttle through the corner - so in effect the car is 'dragged' through the corner by the accelerating force and as such has less lateral force acting on it (so rolls less through the corner).

    Was I said was pure physics. If tyre works with some force (accelerating or braking) then a grip to the side (needed on the corners) is smaller. If you want I can try to find correct calculations for it.

    On the other hand though, if the car has a tendency to oversteer, sligh acceleration is needed, as then the back of the car will be heavier and it will provide a better grip for the rear wheels.
    In a car with tendency to understeer, the way I described would be probably the best - to keep to most grip for front tyres.
    I was taught that if you find yourself half way through a corner and going too fast that you should slam on the brakes briefly. DO NOT feather the brakes or you will likely end up in the ditch. Its a result of weight transfer etc.

    It depands. If you realise in the middle of the corner, then you are going too fast and f.e. the corner tightens, then slightly braking might help. Remember though, that any braking in the corner might make the car skid - even if you have ABS, ESP, etc.
    If you are in the situation that your car already started skiding the front wheels on the corner, and what actually is happening is a car turning less then it should turn according to how much you turned the steering wheel (because front wheels skid on the side) slightly breaking won't help. You have to reduce speed as fast as possible, otherwise you will end up outside the road. Easier is the option with slamming on a brakes for a moment (might be even less that 1/4 sec). This will make car go ever further outside the corner, but it will reduce speed, and when brake is released, then car should turn according to how much the steering wheel is turned. Other way with making a car to skid it's rear wheels with pushing a brake with left foot while accelerating with right foot is very difficult, and needs loadz of training.
    The stages I use (and was taught) are:

    1. Evaluate - road condition, vanishing point, weather, oncoming traffic, mud/oil etc etc

    2. Position - position yourself correctly (on your side of the road only obviously) relative to the direction of the bend.

    3. Brake - in a straight line brake down to the required entry speed.

    So far I agree. The only thing - we can almost always hear that you need to brake before the bend. That only applies while the speed is higher that speed we car go through the bend.
    Let's say safe speed on the bend would be 90km/h, so someone going 110km/h will have to brake, but someone going 70km/h can go through the bend without doing anything.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,704 ✭✭✭Mr.David


    CiniO wrote: »
    Was I said was pure physics. If tyre works with some force (accelerating or braking) then a grip to the side (needed on the corners) is smaller. If you want I can try to find correct calculations for it.

    I don't agree. Based on what you are saying, the fastest way around a corner is in neutral (i.e. no accelerative/deccelerative force only 100% lateral).


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,069 ✭✭✭✭CiniO


    Mr.David wrote: »
    I don't agree. Based on what you are saying, the fastest way around a corner is in neutral (i.e. no accelerative/deccelerative force only 100% lateral).

    That's true if you assume the car is perfectly balanced (not oversteering or understeeing).

    But as perfectly balanced cars don't exist in real world, you need to be on the gear and operate the accelerator to maintain stability.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 131 ✭✭2yung2adm


    All I can say is I would hate to be the car coming in the opposite direction meeting many of the posters.
    Before you enter a bend you take cognisance of the road conditions, weather conditions and amount of traffic on the road or expected to be on the road, to include pedestrians and the vehicle you are driving.

    You adjust your speed accordingly-if necessary- by initially lifting off on the accelerator or by applying the brakes if you have not reacted in time.
    You do not use your gears to slow the car down - You gear down to go not to slow. Gearing down upsets the balance of the braking system front and rear and you will finish up with over braking on the driving wheels. And of course from another point of view it is a lot easier and cheaper to renew a set of brake pads.
    Having adjusted your speed on the straight approach you will also select a gear-if necessary- that gives you instant acceleration above the momentum of the car.

    On a left hand bend you will take up position near to the centre line of the road if it is safe to do so-taking into account the road traffic act that states that you keep as close as possible to the left hand side of the roadway-The reason you take up a position towards the centre of the roadway is that it allows you see any obstructions on your side of the road earlier, be it a slow moving vehicle, a stationary obstruction or pedestrians. You mantain a gentle acceleration around the bend ahead of the momentum of the car and you accelerate to the desired speed as you exit. Very simple very straighforward without all this heeling and toeing and what ever you do try, do not try and heel and toe the clutch and accelerator as suggested. From an advanced driver.
    Now, what do you do in a series of bends?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,091 ✭✭✭✭Esel
    Not Your Ornery Onager


    2yung2adm wrote: »
    ...what ever you do try, do not try and heel and toe the clutch and accelerator as suggested.
    I know you meant 'brake and accelerator'.

    Not your ornery onager



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 131 ✭✭2yung2adm


    esel wrote: »
    I know you meant 'brake and accelerator'.
    No, no, I was referring to a previous post that stated "Clutch and accelerator"!! this remark was to emphasise what is being written here.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,091 ✭✭✭✭Esel
    Not Your Ornery Onager


    2yung2adm wrote: »
    No, no, I was referring to a previous post that stated "Clutch and accelerator"!! this remark was to emphasise what is being written here.
    Ah right - I didn't spot that in a previous post. You could have made it a bit more obvious that was your point, though! :D

    Not your ornery onager



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,755 ✭✭✭ianobrien


    Right, here's my two cents on how go drive a front wheel drive. I'll preface this by saying that most of what I've learned was driving hot hatches in low grip situations, ie gravel and mud lanes.

    The main thing when driving a FWD is not to lift off the power mid corner. Left foot braking can help settle the car over bumps, but keep the power on is the key. Brake before the corner, and if you reckon you're going too fast, turn in anyway. If the car is understeering, a pick of the handbrake is needed, while keeping the throttle wide open. Having said that, modern cars have massive levels of grip, and 99% of people never get near the limits of the car in normal day to day driving.

    On dry tarmac, you'll only start to run out of grip when the tyres stop squealing. If they are still making noise, they're fine. As an example, I've often entered roundabouts at 70kph in the dry with no problems.

    When the grip is low, I've learned to accelerate before the corner, and not lift. Braking into a corner promotes understeer, and lifting off mid corner typically reduces rear end grip due to weight transfer to the front. Lifting off the throttle in the AX GT on low grip situations would result in lift-off oversteer (usually corrected with the throttle wide open)

    Just in case you peg me as a hooligan and boy racer, I have learned all this by driving on mud lanes, gravel lanes and quarries, wet grassy fields etc. The principles are the same, it's just things happen quicker on the road....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,777 ✭✭✭meathstevie


    -Chris- wrote: »
    Get yourself a copy of Roadcraft OP, it'll tell you all you need to know about cornering safely on the road.

    +1 It's dry as cereal without milk to read but it's THE driving manual to get. I've done an advanced driving course entirely based on it and I came out the other end driving faster ( alerter and more responsive is probably a better way of putting it ), smoother, more in control AND safer. And I wasn't exactly an unexperienced driver before either.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,091 ✭✭✭✭Esel
    Not Your Ornery Onager


    I've done an advanced driving course entirely based on it.
    Where, and how much?

    Not your ornery onager



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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,056 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    2yung2adm wrote: »
    ...You do not use your gears to slow the car down - You gear down to go not to slow. Gearing down upsets the balance of the braking system front and rear and you will finish up with over braking on the driving wheels. And of course from another point of view it is a lot easier and cheaper to renew a set of brake pads........

    You mean engine braking. So named because uses the engine not the gears, and it doesn't wear anything out anymore than driving does, and done properly you don't use the brakes at all.
    Its most practical use is down hills or mountains to save your brakes from overheating and failing.

    and...
    2yung2adm wrote: »
    You adjust your speed accordingly-if necessary- by initially lifting off on the accelerator .......

    ...this is engine braking...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,509 ✭✭✭Donnelly117


    heel and toe, i.e. blip throttle to get revs up with your heel while your toe is on the clutch so as to not loose speed
    Of course it might be different on the track...

    jesus, how big are your feet? ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,035 ✭✭✭✭-Chris-


    ianobrien wrote: »
    Right, here's my two cents on how go drive a front wheel drive. I'll preface this by saying that most of what I've learned was driving hot hatches in low grip situations, ie gravel and mud lanes.

    The main thing when driving a FWD is not to lift off the power mid corner. Left foot braking can help settle the car over bumps, but keep the power on is the key. Brake before the corner, and if you reckon you're going too fast, turn in anyway. If the car is understeering, a pick of the handbrake is needed, while keeping the throttle wide open. Having said that, modern cars have massive levels of grip, and 99% of people never get near the limits of the car in normal day to day driving.

    On dry tarmac, you'll only start to run out of grip when the tyres stop squealing. If they are still making noise, they're fine. As an example, I've often entered roundabouts at 70kph in the dry with no problems.

    When the grip is low, I've learned to accelerate before the corner, and not lift. Braking into a corner promotes understeer, and lifting off mid corner typically reduces rear end grip due to weight transfer to the front. Lifting off the throttle in the AX GT on low grip situations would result in lift-off oversteer (usually corrected with the throttle wide open)

    Just in case you peg me as a hooligan and boy racer, I have learned all this by driving on mud lanes, gravel lanes and quarries, wet grassy fields etc. The principles are the same, it's just things happen quicker on the road....

    Do you regularly practice these techniques on public roads?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    -Chris- wrote: »
    Do you regularly practice these techniques on public roads?

    I think (hope) he may have missed the point of the thread and is referring to rally driving. I hope...


  • Posts: 23,339 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    He mentioned a couple of times that he learned these techniques off road, I would be 99% sure he doesn't drive like that on public roads.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,035 ✭✭✭✭-Chris-


    Well then I'm not sure if the advice is relevant at all.

    (also, the reference to "often entered roundabouts..." gave me the impression that it was learned on gravel/mud but is being used on public roads. Maybe I'm just being paranoid :p).


  • Posts: 23,339 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I've entered roundabouts at 70kph too :o


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,035 ✭✭✭✭-Chris-


    RoverJames wrote: »
    I've entered roundabouts at 70kph too :o

    Oh, me too, and on some roundabouts it'll feel terribly slow, and on others it'll be lunatic fast (and I'm sure we've done both).

    If you're left foot braking and feeling the necessity to give a dab of handbrake to correct the understeer, you're probably overcooking it a little too much... :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 704 ✭✭✭itarumaa


    ianobrien wrote: »

    The main thing when driving a FWD is not to lift off the power mid corner. Left foot braking can help settle the car over bumps, but keep the power on is the key. Brake before the corner, and if you reckon you're going too fast, turn in anyway. If the car is understeering, a pick of the handbrake is needed, while keeping the throttle wide open. Having said that, modern cars have massive levels of grip, and 99% of people never get near the limits of the car in normal day to day driving.

    Well, based on my experience driving in winter with fwd car, handbrake is way too on-off tool to correct the car handling. So if you get understeer, I think lift off would be a better idea, of course depending a lot of situation. Left foot braking is even better (IF you know what you are doing), but handbrake is hard to control accurately.

    The only issue with lift off is that when car turns to oversteer, it is important to keep the throttle open and do only small corrections with the steering wheel.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    itarumaa wrote: »
    Well, based on my experience driving in winter with fwd car, handbrake is way too on-off tool to correct the car handling. So if you get understeer, I think lift off would be a better idea, of course depending a lot of situation. Left foot braking is even better (IF you know what you are doing), but handbrake is hard to control accurately.

    The only issue with lift off is that when car turns to oversteer, it is important to keep the throttle open and do only small corrections with the steering wheel.

    The idea of suggesting that anyone use the handbrake to correct the handling in the car shows either how out of touch with reality the guy is or else that he really is talking about purely off road driving. For normal road use the handbrake is there solely to keep the car stationary, nothing else! Most people would sh1t bricks if they pulled up the handbrake while the car was moving, especially if they were taking a corner at the time...


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