I have just bought a impreza turbo AWD and am very very pleased with my purchase. But for some reason when i went round a roundabout this morning the back end decided to step out and spin me in a complete circle. ok it was wet but I wasnt going fast at all, is this normal for a 4wd car or do I have to go really slow in the wet from now on?

 

Check your tyres and pressures, they will spin if you lift off mid corner it takes a different techinque than RWD and FWD. I find Slow in fast out is the best way .

 

i think my tyres are going a bit but i dont think that they are really worn. Are you saying that my clio 1.2 is faster round a roundabout than my subaru? I dont like this slowing down business.

 

what car do you have ?

do you have the the power going to the rear wheels ?

was they anything on the road. oil etc ?

 

I have a s reg awd turbo impreza. What do you mean 'power to rear wheels' can i turn that off or something?

 

no really, what do you mean about power to the rear wheels?

 

sum scoobs have adjustable diff so can behave like rear wheel drive but presuming u dont have 1 of these special editions then ignore this it is likely 2b shyte rubber i did exactly the same on the 15" standard wheel which has sum carp dunlop things get sum decent rubber like toyo proxe T1s or similar i aint dun it since but having crap rubber with a high performance car is askin 4 trubble. i shud no
Si
PS may also have been diesel or sumin but im guessing u have poop rubber as the scoob is eccelent @ cornering in wet but everthing has limits

 

NB can behave like rear wheel drive when u select power 2 do so if u did have adjustable diff that is BTW but also an important note is did u lift off when u felt back end start 2 go? as that will also help u end up in a full spin c/o lift off oversteer. If u have decent rubber u shud b able 2 power out (within reason) of slight step out kinda fun
Si

 

i dont think mine is special edition, so i dont think i can turn any diff's off. I think some new rubber is what i need.
So, are you saying i need to put my foot down when i feel the back end go?

 

take it easy, hopefully its the start of a lasting relationship
so make sure you get a feel for the car before you try pushing
it too hard, you will learn to enjoy more as time goes on,
oh, and welcome and good luck taffyboyo

 

Draw

[Good Advice Mode ON]

When you go in fast to a roundabout expecting tramrail ability, DON'T lift off the loud pedal if you think you're going too fast for the corner (read - bottle it) as YOU WILL SPIN

This phenomena is known as Lift Off Oversteer when all the power is suddenly transfered to the rear after you lift your foot off the throtle, resulting in oversteer & spin...

[Good Advice Mode OFF]

 

Yeah there is a balance which i'd b lying if i said i new exactly where it lies but if u were 2 boot it on getting back end out ull probably end up in as much trouble as braking. But the gist is to keep a happy amount of gas on so that weight transfer as per Turnfast site with sum useful driving tips doesnt mean all weight shifts forward & thus back end is just guna continue going & thus spintime!
Enjoy m8 although as i say i aint no expert & havent overstepped my limits since but certainly is much happier turning in with 17" wheels with decent tyres.
Si

 

Puff lift off oversteer is from the weight transfer as per my previous message not sudden power 2 back end unless i'm seriously missing sumin? (been known 2 happen thou lol)
Si

 

thanks si, maybe i'll try not ****ting it when my **** end slides out and try and put more power into it and control it. Maybe i should practice somewhere quiet before i apply this technique to the road. lol

 

Draw,

The throttle on a Scooby is anologue not digital LOL
it a little respect and a little pratice feeding it whats needed for the right control

Tony

 

happend to me other day ended up snacking up road via a banking when only doing legal speed limit might had something to do with mud and rain and a merc on wrong side of road ,**** my pants when it was still going side ways after correcting 5 times

 

finding some probs with my new tyres unfortunately there marshals and the grip doent seem quite right for high speed cornering, and im not gonna write my car off to find out if i was wrong

 

i am using marshalls as well superb in dry but super sideways **** in wet
shocker

 

 

Fuel surge?

Sorry. Wearing coat already...

 

Sideways love it. Fast in, understeer, lift off, sideways, back on throttle straightens out and away you go. My usual roundabout antics

Jas

 

Are your tyres equally worn front and rear ?
Most people put new tyres on the front which then grips like s**t but the back end always steps out !
If they are different, put the best set on the rear and it will help the car to understeer, which is a little safer.

 

The difference made by tyre pressure is quite shocking, sounds like a patch of diesel to me. Been driving mine for 18 months and not had the back end step out yet, and I have been trying on occasions.

 

They sound similar to the Nankang Hedge Hunters. Don't scrimp on the rubber!

 

LOL!

The poor sod whose car was dropped off at my local dealers had those fitted... Take it easy out there. Learn to drive the car before exploring it's outer abilities and look very suspiciously at your tyres too

 

I am also running marshalls, Think the rubber compound is too hard. Good for tyre wear but dodgy for wet cornering. I thought they only made tractor tyres until I bought this car !!!
Siiiiiiiiidewayyyys. more power on.

 

I've only had my scooby for 3 months now and I've yet to get the back end to slide out. When pushing it hard on roundabouts it has done some 4 wheel drifts which is fun but on the whole the car feels totally solid even at stupid speeds round corners...

 

Sure there wasn't oil on the road or some other slippy deposit. All 4 wheels usually drift in mine on things like roundabouts. It'll eat your old Clio on handling

 

Quite correct for FWD drive cars but running new tyres and old tyres is expensive to the wallet on an AWD car. Big differences in tread depth can destroy diffs as well as handling. Tyres should be swapped in 4s not 2s IMHO.

[Edited by chrisp - 11/22/2002 8:10:58 PM]

 

After reading this thread before leaving work i decided to have a try on the way home. I'm a rwd veteran so I'm used to a bit of sideways action, but as a)its my first new car b)its not run in yet and c)I'm still getting used to the handling I've not pushed it in the wet.

Anyway, theres a huge, 3 lane underground roundabout beneath canary wharf on my way home that still gets wet from the volume of traffic, so I piled in at speed, let off fairly sharply and WOOoOOooooOHH there she goes...back end went floaty light and started coming around. I panicked and corrected it sharpish, but carried on right round and tried a few more times at different speeds and started getting some really sweet slides going. Didn't push it too much cos the needle was nearing 5k at times and I'm still running in, but I can't wait to pass the magic 1k miles now so I can have some fun!!!