Pulling away in the wet with FWD

[cbcbcb]

Hi all,

What is the recommended technique for pulling out of a junction quickly in the cold and wet conditions we have this time of year? In a FWD car without traction control the wheels tend to spin up if too much power is applied, and although I'm comfortable with lifting off to recover control when that happens it does mean I'm left not going anywhere for a brief time.

What do the advanced drivers do? Is it a case of taking it easy and avoid any risk of wheelspin, or is there a technique to get nearer the grip threshold?

[Mattt]

cbcbcb said:

What do the advanced drivers do? Is it a case of taking it easy and avoid any risk of wheelspin, or is there a technique to get nearer the grip threshold?

I use the technique of using the throttle sensibly. Surely you shouldn't be getting that much wheelspin?

[Deva Link]

If you're struggling with this, then fir winter tyres.

[cbcbcb]

Obviously I can pull away without wheelspin by being gentle with the throttle, but if I try to pull away sharply then I usually end up with wheelspin. Seems there ought to be enough grip to get moving faster, providing I can maintain traction.

[Mattt]

What car is this? What tyres?

[cbcbcb]

Saab 9-3 Viggen Pirelli P7000s on the front P6000's on the rear. (both previous owner's rather strange choice)

[sleep envy]

bin the tyres, Pirellis are rubbish

[Mattt]

sleep envy said:

bin the tyres, Pirellis are rubbish

Useless italian crap, the tyres aren't very good either.

[sleep envy]

for that you can buy me a pint tomorrow

[Mattt]

- i'll probably start ranting about 'T' anyway

[sleep envy]

now THAT I'd like to see - MC's aren't her flavour of the month ATM...

[mrmr96]

If this happens to me I dip the clutch slightly.

[TripleS]

Mattt said:

cbcbcb said:

What do the advanced drivers do? Is it a case of taking it easy and avoid any risk of wheelspin, or is there a technique to get nearer the grip threshold?

I use the technique of using the throttle sensibly. Surely you shouldn't be getting that much wheelspin?

Exactly. Pirelli P6000s on our Pug. 406 get me out of junctions perfectly adequately on wet roads. I wonder if the OP is trying to do it too quickly, when there isn't really sufficient time for it to be done with a normal start.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[DavidY]

Too much right foot!!!

Being a turbo-charged car, it will a low compression and therefore realitively gutless before the turbocharger kicks in. At low RPM it should be a doodle to get off the line in the wet, only when you get boost could the wheels start to spin.

I suggest not driving as aggressively

davidy (a Saab Turbo owner who does not have this problem)

[Don]

Pirellis ain't great but that isn't the problem.

For a faster getaway in slippery conditions:

a) Apply the throttle very gently
b) Get the car rolling
c) Feed in throttle, lifting the moment you feel any loss of grip

You can't get away as quickly as in the dry but a sure-fire recipe for tyre-spin is too much throttle from stationary. Once you are rolling you can apply more throttle and accelerate...

Yes you need bigger gaps to pull in to. Comes with the territory...

[Don]

Alternatively buy a Scooby, Evo, Carrera 4/s or Turbo. The 4WD system distributes the power to all the wheels thus requiring the fronts and rears to individually do less work therefore requiring less grip (per wheel) thusly allowing faster getaways in shitty conditions.

[7db]

Don said:

Alternatively buy a Scooby, Evo, Carrera 4/s or Turbo.

That would appear to be quite the sledgehammer to crack the don't-floor-it-and-dump-the-clutch nut

[Hooli]

pull out sensibly & give it more boot as you straighten the steering. im not sure of the reasons (i guess equal load & best direction for traction) but with the wheels pointing forwards they grip better. probably something to do with the wheels trying to do the same speed but the inside one needing to go a lot slower with lock on.
just back off as they start to spin, with practise you can hold them on the limit where you can feel it scrabble for grip without spinning uselessly.

[Pigeon]

Hooli said:

pull out sensibly & give it more boot as you straighten the steering. im not sure of the reasons (i guess equal load & best direction for traction) but with the wheels pointing forwards they grip better. probably something to do with the wheels trying to do the same speed but the inside one needing to go a lot slower with lock on.

The weight transfer takes the weight off the inside wheel but the action of the diff puts more torque through the inside wheel. Just what you don't want...

[Don]

7db said:

Don said:

Alternatively buy a Scooby, Evo, Carrera 4/s or Turbo.

That would appear to be quite the sledgehammer to crack the don't-floor-it-and-dump-the-clutch nut

This is PH. We like that sort of thing...