How are people driving to test these things?!?
Discussion
It always strikes me on these threads when people make comments like:
With new winter tyres I've not broken traction once
I adjust my tyre pressures 1psi and it feels so different
Doing this helps with understeer
Doing that has increased levels of grip
Always written clearly as experienced on the road rather than the track. Now I'm not having a go about peoples actions on the road, but I drive a few moderately powered cars and do a lot of miles in all conditions and am not impartial to putting my foot down. But, can honestly say I've only broken traction once or twice, never had problems with understeer or oversteer, needed anymore grip or to be honest ever felt any differences from changes in tyre pressures! Part of this may be from me not reading the changes but I think all of these things could only really felt if properly pushing it!
Are people really wheelspinning off from every lights, power sliding around every roundabout and then doing 0-100-0 between every street?
With new winter tyres I've not broken traction once
I adjust my tyre pressures 1psi and it feels so different
Doing this helps with understeer
Doing that has increased levels of grip
Always written clearly as experienced on the road rather than the track. Now I'm not having a go about peoples actions on the road, but I drive a few moderately powered cars and do a lot of miles in all conditions and am not impartial to putting my foot down. But, can honestly say I've only broken traction once or twice, never had problems with understeer or oversteer, needed anymore grip or to be honest ever felt any differences from changes in tyre pressures! Part of this may be from me not reading the changes but I think all of these things could only really felt if properly pushing it!
Are people really wheelspinning off from every lights, power sliding around every roundabout and then doing 0-100-0 between every street?
t at driving that you should walk, you do tend to need to make a conscious effort to get into traction loss situations in a car. Depends on the car a lot I guess. I get half a turn of opposite lock at least once a week when I feel it's safe to play. In the snow I generally drive to work via the side windows even with winter tyres on 
As for tyres pressures, some cars are more susceptible to it than others. 2 psi can honestly make an otherwise very well balanced car surprisingly tail happy when you least expect it, especially on light weight cars.
As for tyres pressures, some cars are more susceptible to it than others. 2 psi can honestly make an otherwise very well balanced car surprisingly tail happy when you least expect it, especially on light weight cars.
Kiltox said:
So you've never broken traction in snow/ice?
I know most PH users are driving gods.....
Lost traction in snow and ice yes, that comment about winter tyres was people saying it when driving in normal sub 7 temps. Let's not go there with this thread but yes can honestly say I don't break traction even in minus 10 so long as it's not on snow or ice.I know most PH users are driving gods.....
Not really had a problem with tramlining no! As somebody mentioned I prob do feel tyre pressures more when bigger profiled tyres.
Depends on the car.
Most modern stuff has traction and are massively over tyred.
My 210bhp MX5 without traction and with 195 tyres I can get sideways easily and break traction off the line without slipping the clutch and I do so as often as possible - it makes me smile.
My shopping car is a 180bhp Leon - if I turn the traction off I'll get slight wheelspin from the lights, if I leave the traction on it kills all the power way before wheelspin occurs and is very slow off the line.
Wife's TDi A6 has a strange Auto / traction combination that means you get a little wheel spin whenever trying to make a reasonably quick getway from standstill.
My old E46 328 had a clutch delay valve and 225 tyres and pretty much no matter what it wouldn't wheelspin - absolutely hated it and sold it after a few months.
Most modern stuff has traction and are massively over tyred.
My 210bhp MX5 without traction and with 195 tyres I can get sideways easily and break traction off the line without slipping the clutch and I do so as often as possible - it makes me smile.
My shopping car is a 180bhp Leon - if I turn the traction off I'll get slight wheelspin from the lights, if I leave the traction on it kills all the power way before wheelspin occurs and is very slow off the line.
Wife's TDi A6 has a strange Auto / traction combination that means you get a little wheel spin whenever trying to make a reasonably quick getway from standstill.
My old E46 328 had a clutch delay valve and 225 tyres and pretty much no matter what it wouldn't wheelspin - absolutely hated it and sold it after a few months.
Edited by redgriff500 on Friday 11th March 23:19
Interesting, I hadn't really thought about it, but now I think about it, some of these are a bit of a stretch. I suppose a statement about not breaking traction on winter tyres would be understandable in the context of driving in snow, slush or icy conditions.
Otherwise, I think you have a point. The only time I've noticed a difference with tyre pressures has been when I got a car back from a service with 10 psi too much in them - the handling was all over the place till I put it right. The only other things I've really noticed have been really obvious ones like changing tyres etc, etc.
I suppose the driving gods on here might well be able to tell if 1 psi makes a difference, but I guess it's beyond me!
Otherwise, I think you have a point. The only time I've noticed a difference with tyre pressures has been when I got a car back from a service with 10 psi too much in them - the handling was all over the place till I put it right. The only other things I've really noticed have been really obvious ones like changing tyres etc, etc.
I suppose the driving gods on here might well be able to tell if 1 psi makes a difference, but I guess it's beyond me!
torqueofthedevil said:
It always strikes me on these threads when people make comments like:
With new winter tyres I've not broken traction once
I adjust my tyre pressures 1psi and it feels so different
Doing this helps with understeer
Doing that has increased levels of grip
Always written clearly as experienced on the road rather than the track. Now I'm not having a go about peoples actions on the road, but I drive a few moderately powered cars and do a lot of miles in all conditions and am not impartial to putting my foot down. But, can honestly say I've only broken traction once or twice, never had problems with understeer or oversteer, needed anymore grip or to be honest ever felt any differences from changes in tyre pressures! Part of this may be from me not reading the changes but I think all of these things could only really felt if properly pushing it!
Are people really wheelspinning off from every lights, power sliding around every roundabout and then doing 0-100-0 between every street?
Sounds like you drive like an OAP and have no clue what spirited driving is, carry on with the With new winter tyres I've not broken traction once
I adjust my tyre pressures 1psi and it feels so different
Doing this helps with understeer
Doing that has increased levels of grip
Always written clearly as experienced on the road rather than the track. Now I'm not having a go about peoples actions on the road, but I drive a few moderately powered cars and do a lot of miles in all conditions and am not impartial to putting my foot down. But, can honestly say I've only broken traction once or twice, never had problems with understeer or oversteer, needed anymore grip or to be honest ever felt any differences from changes in tyre pressures! Part of this may be from me not reading the changes but I think all of these things could only really felt if properly pushing it!
Are people really wheelspinning off from every lights, power sliding around every roundabout and then doing 0-100-0 between every street?
not impartial driving you sprocket 
torqueofthedevil said:
I know it's not hard to induce, I have fwd car too which can be susceptible but I never feel it on the road! Just don't drive that fast into corners for it to be an issue!
You obviously never go for a hoon. That's absolutely fine, but some people do like to explore the limits of their car on an empty and well-sighted series of corners.I quite regularly make the little yellow light on my dashboard light up. Sometimes I even turn the TC off.
Oh, sorry officer... what is that? You're arresting me and charging me with first degree kitten murder? There must be some mistake?
Face it, some people do drive hard when no one is looking. I don't do it so much in the car, but I do on the bike.
Oh, sorry officer... what is that? You're arresting me and charging me with first degree kitten murder? There must be some mistake?
Face it, some people do drive hard when no one is looking. I don't do it so much in the car, but I do on the bike.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff