Ways to combat understeer

[Guest]

Hi all,

Just did the manfield track day today, and I had some mad understeer.

Version 7 STI with RE001s.

fiddled with the tyre pressures but not much difference.

its had a wheel allignment about 2000ks ago

Would a nice and thick rear sway bar be the way to go?

Rob

[nztintin]

That will increase oversteer rather than decrease understeer from my understanding, but that seems to be the easiest way to go

[GravelBen]

That should help, or a pointier alignment spec should help too - more front camber, less toe-in etc as standard alignment specs are generally very conservative.

Other than that (and this is just speculation as I've never seen you drive) but the issue could be due to driving style as well, especially if you're used to Rwd cars.

[Guest]

I've had FWDs and this is my first 4WD. Kinda similar, power off oversteer

The ABS was constantly on under brakes (Brembos)

[subiv5]

Change your driving style?

[Guest loren]

learn to drive around it, or reduce rear grip, or increase front grip.

[Guest]

 loren said:

learn to drive around it, or reduce rear grip, or increase front grip.

Front grip is the biggest concern, it doesnt seem like 225s suit the car.

the factory 225/45/17 RE070s that come on from factory are the same width or wider than a 235 apparantly. really wide for a 225.

Plus they are a much stickier tyre

[GravelBen]

 555v7sti said:

I've had FWDs and this is my first 4WD. Kinda similar, power off oversteer

The ABS was constantly on under brakes (Brembos)

Might need to brake slightly earlier and ease the brakes on (rather than slam them on), that uses the forward weight transfer to your advantage instead of triggering ABS too early. Then fade off the brakes as you turn in rather than releasing completely before turning.

Hard to say just based on a description, but most often major understeer is driver induced, sometimes its as simple as being overenthusiastic and trying to carry too much entry speed.

[Guest]

 GravelBen']

[quote name='555v7sti said:

I've had FWDs and this is my first 4WD. Kinda similar, power off oversteer

The ABS was constantly on under brakes (Brembos)

/quote]

Might need to brake slightly earlier and ease the brakes on (rather than slam them on), that uses the forward weight transfer to your advantage instead of triggering ABS too early. Then fade off the brakes as you turn in rather than releasing completely before turning.

Hard to say just based on a description, but most often major understeer is driver induced, sometimes its as simple as being overenthusiastic and trying to carry too much entry speed.

True, you make a good point.

However I wasn't going flat out, but still managed to get understeer.

[GC8E2DD]

There are quite a few good guides on it floating around. Rolling off the brakes and onto the throttle at turn in seems to be quite cruicial, as you don't want to pull all that lovely weight transfer off the front wheels before they've bitten.

[caspros]

I also found a lot of understeer yesterday, a lot of it was just coming in too hot.

However, I also have an adjustable rear sway bar, before the final race we ( by we I mean Tony ) put it to the hardest setting, and it did make a difference.

Still doesn't feel 100%, but it was an improvement.

I think the rest is my driving.

[Joker]

I cant help at all - scandi flick for me

(see told ya)

[pedro]

I had very little understeer.

Direzzas on the front and chinese goodride on the rear.Back end was floating round all day with only a hint of understeer on the slow hairpins..

[Guest]

 JoKer said:

I cant help at all - scandi flick for me

(see told ya)

STIs love the scandi flick, seriously. Ive see it done by like petter solberg driving a road going STI, doesnt seem to understeer.

[Pappu1]

a set of adjustables

thicker rear sway bars

rear brace

these would def make the car more neutral..

hmm a shimmed up rear diff if u want ti be adventerous...

what area u from?

[Koom]

 GC8E2DD said:

There are quite a few good guides on it floating around. Rolling off the brakes and onto the throttle at turn in seems to be quite cruicial, as you don't want to pull all that lovely weight transfer off the front wheels before they've bitten.

I agree, lots. I find trail braking to the point where the back is starting to step out of line just before you start to slowly feed it the gas works nicely.

Although you can't beat a decent alignment i.e. toe and camber (at least) set perfectly and rake if you have adjustable height dampers to make the car more neutral in the first place.