Drifting a Chimaera

[tvrbob]

Why is it so difficult to drift my Chimaera? I have had several RWD cars in my time, some powerful some not and I've always been able to flick the back end out and hold it. This Chimaera is a different animal. I have to put so much lateral force on that when it does go it's all too quick and the car is pirouetting before I can react. I have no problem catching little sticky-outies on the road. What I want to do is drift the occasional corner when I have the car on the track. I've had SO2pp's, SO2's and Toyo T1S's and they all react about the same.

[Fire99]

Im no expert but i think the Chimaera is very well planted with alot of grip. (well in the dry anyway)
Mine reacts much differently from my old Jap rear wheel drive turbo car.

The combination of fairly high profile tyres and very low centre of gravity and compliant suspension i think affects this.

Judging by what they say at drag racing meets, if you went for big rims with ultra low profile tires i think it would reduce grip at moderate speed..

well thats my 5 penneth worth anyway

[SharkyTVR]

Fire is spot-on with regard to the comparatively high profile tyres and lowish tyre pressures - there was an article in EVO magazine a month or two back about why F1 cars dont run low-profile rubber.

And I understand it's virually impossible to drift an F1 car....

[rpulley]

I am afraid it pretty much down to how good the suspension setup is in getting grip out of the tyres despite the relativly narrow tyres fitted to the Chim compared to other cars.

[Fire99]

SharkyTVR said:

Fire is spot-on with regard to the comparatively high profile tyres and lowish tyre pressures - there was an article in EVO magazine a month or two back about why F1 cars dont run low-profile rubber. And I understand it's virually impossible to drift an F1 car....

Cheers Sharky..

When i was last at Santapod they were talking about grip etc. The huge HP Supra's etc were running high profile rear tires with low pressure as when warm can expand their contact area by 50%.

There was a Japanese Home Market Lexus GS300 (twin tubro) and that had big rims and ultra low profile tires and those wheels were spinning faster than my washing machine on Spin Cycle!!

[joospeed]

there's lots of things that count agaist a chim as a drift car .. especially if you have a 4 litre version ..

relatively wide rear tyres
poor throttle response
heavy wheel/tyre conbination gives high angular inertia and momentum so wheel speed difficult to control accurately.
more rear weight bias than most front engine/rear drive cars.
camber change during roll changes tyre contact patch.

light rear end, live axled, responsive, locked diff cars make great drift cars.

[Fire99]

Well im obviously a Chimaera owner but if you REALLY want to drift then you really cant do much better than my old car a S14a Nissan 200sx.

They often win drifting competitions both here and in Japan..

I think the combination of the Turbo Engine (tweaked of course!), suspension setup, the light rear end and it being rather loooong..

Used to spend quite alot of time pointing in other directions than forwards!

[bassfiend]

Fire99 said:

Well im obviously a Chimaera owner but if you REALLY want to drift then you really cant do much better than my old car a S14a Nissan 200sx. They often win drifting competitions both here and in Japan.. I think the combination of the Turbo Engine (tweaked of course!), suspension setup, the light rear end and it being rather loooong.. Used to spend quite alot of time pointing in other directions than forwards!

HELL YES!!! Many happy memories of having my old 200SX sideways.

Phil