What is understeer

Understeer - currently reading Can't get your head around understeer? And want to know how to control it? Our handling guide explains Oversteer If you're confused by oversteer and want to know how to control it, just read our handling guide Our handling guide will teach you about both Torque steer Don't know what torque steer is? Fear not, our handling guide will bring you up to speed. Car Tech. Share this on Twitter Share this on Facebook Email.

The mnemonic device to remember is CPR: Correct. That may consist of adding more and more steering input as the rear of the car gets further off line. Pause as the rear stops sliding, possibly adding a little throttle to keep the weight in the back, and then recover by bringing the wheel back straight, hopefully timing it so that when the rear is pointed where you want to go, the steering wheel is pointed in the same direction.

If the car begins to counterslide in the opposite direction, then the process needs to be repeated. Trying to brake hard and turn sharply at the same time asks too much of the tire.

Taking things a little slower will avoid most instances of understeer. Of course you might run out of road still, but this will increase your chances of getting control of the car back before that happens. Oversteer is an extremely similar set of circumstances to understeer, but affecting the back of the car. Professional racing drivers are trained to hold the car in this state in the sport of drifting. Oversteer normally occurs on cars that drive the rear wheels and happens when the car is turning and the driver applies more power than the tyres can deal with.

This makes the tyres slip and try to push in the opposite direction to the turn, kicking the back end of the car out. The same effect can happen by braking too hard while turning or by suddenly removing your foot from the throttle. Much the same advice applies as for understeer — slow down! If you can, try to modulate the throttle to gradually bring yourself to a halt. This is even worse in the snow so always pay close attention to the weather conditions. Since tyres are a significant component of the phenomenon, make sure yours are always at the appropriate pressure and sufficient tread depth to deal with surface water.

Symptoms of understeer include: Tyre screeching from the front wheels Drifting towards the outside of a bend Steering that feels light Vibration through the steering wheel How to correct understeer We know that understeer is a result of the front tyres losing adhesion to the road surface.

These include: Reducing tyre pressure or using softer tyres at the front of the car. Softening the anti-roll bar or front springs. If aerodynamics are fitted, increasing the front downforce. What is oversteer? What causes oversteer? Oversteer is a result of one of three driver actions: Applying excessive, sudden throttle in a powerful gear whilst steering in a rear wheel drive car.

Is there excessive forward weight transfer entering a bend, the transition leaving the rear tyres with insufficient grip on the road lift-off oversteer As the causes are different, so too are the techniques to recover the situation. Top Driving Tip: Your hands on the steering wheel should normally follow where your eyes lead, so keep looking in the direction in which you want to go. Correction if oversteer has been caused by too much power To correct a slide caused by power, release the throttle smoothly to remove the cause.

If the oversteer has been caused by quickly releasing power In a lift-off oversteer situation, where the lack of rear-end weight is the problem, smooth acceleration transfers weight to where it is needed to restore grip.

Wrapping up Pretty much all modern cars are deliberately engineered to understeer before they oversteer. Driving Tips What is understeer and oversteer and how to control it. Optimum speed into bends.

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