Severe understeer help!

[Nic Jones]

thunderbelmont said:

Nic, We have to think like the car designers. They are designing a car for the average numpty to drive. If you regularly have severe understeer, then you have a distict lack of connection between the grey matter, the optical interfaces, and the right foot (ie: you clearly cannot judge your speed in relation to the conditions in which you are driving - please park your car safely, and call a taxi or catch a bus, hand your licence in at the nearest police station, and help keep the insurance premiums lower for the rest of us). If you have mild understeer, and understand the situation, you are obviously "switched on" to the situation, and are most likely open to instruction as per the solution - hence your final comment about wishing to hook up with the instructor at your local skid pan. I would recommend this to anyone, whether they consider their driving one step up from Ernie with is Milk Float, or "know everything" and fly fighters for a living. It's good for the soul, as well as the skillset, and a refresher is always much better than finding that your skills are not that good as you thought when you find the immovable object modifying your pride and joy's aestetics. To get shot of that mild understeer, you need your suspension tweeking. More static camber, and more caster, and the best trick - get shot of the ackerman on the front. It's great for normal road use, slow speed, but it's a pain in the arse at high speed, causing mild understeer. To get shot of oversteer on your rwd car, the pedal on the right goes up (but only do it gently!), as well as down. Rob. former ARDS Instructor (temorarily retired!)

Thanks for the advice, it's very rare that this occurs, and on the occasion in question it was very wet and I admit I simply overcooked going into the roundabout through poor judgement.

I am starting to look into the costs of a session on a skid pan with the instructor I know, who has a lot of experience in this area.

I'm still on a steep learning curve even thoug I've had my licence 2 years now, and admit I do have the odd mad 5 minutes, as I'm sure a lot of people do.

I am willing to learn and further my driving since passing my test i completed the pass plus course, which taught me a great deal about how to drive on the motorway, in lanes, at night etc, something i really believe should be essential.

Thanks for all your advice, I'm not a complete clown behind the wheel I just enjoy driving, and I've still got clean licence!

Regards Nic.

>> Edited by Nic Jones on Monday 29th May 21:58

[thunderbelmont]

Nic Jones said:

I'm still on a steep learning curve even thoug I've had my licence 2 years now, and admit I do have the odd mad 5 minutes, as I'm sure a lot of people do. I am willing to learn and further my driving since passing my test i completed the pass plus course, which taught me a great deal about how to drive on the motorway, in lanes, at night etc, something i really believe should be essential. Thanks for all your advice, I'm not a complete clown behind the wheel I just enjoy driving, and I've still got clean licence! Regards Nic.

Nic, you don't know how refreshing it is to hear that (the willing to learn).

I remember instructing for Redline (before it turned Lax Powa/Fart Car styleee) at Oulton Park when we had a Citroen Saxo day. A young lad basically told me to piss off as he knew what he was doing, and ended his day early on his way home on the back of a wrecker with a scuffed and bent car. Most of the others there took the chance to get some instruction, and I'd say that most of them would have fitted in with you!

Quite interesting to find, just as I turn into Cascades on a fairly hot lap, that there's a honking great speaker/amp box in the boot, which isn't fixed very well (read into that: At All!) Made life interesting I can tell you!

But that's another story.

Go get yourself some tuition. As you say, you've passed your test, now learn to drive.
And what's more - enjoy it!

Rob.