If you want to try some real, lift off over steer try a 106 rallye. It will try to throw you into a hedge at the blink of an eye (still a fab car). As for scoobys, I think the slow in fast out technique is best

[Edited by Rab - 9/5/2002 1:15:03 PM]

 

Debatable which forum this lives but still...

Folks, I need some advice please. Here it is....I enter a smallish roundabout fairly quickly and as I turn get loads of understeer. More throttle makes no difference - still heading for the kerb. So, I very quickly backoff and then back on the power and suddenly, no understeer (lots of squirming from the back for a sec though ).
So, why is this ? How do you tackle sharpish bends ? Sure I could approach it slower and then power through and out. I'm just interested to know how you all maximise your speed through bends.

Comments / Advice ?

 

www.drivingtechniques.co.uk or similar

I wouldnt lift off mid corner regardless... I think its a case of slower in faster out...

I personally (not the right way) would try and take the straightest line, rather than trying to go around the roundabout... Maybe check tyre pressures and geometry first, then maybe get the prodrive settings put on, as the car is set up for more understeer than oversteer...

David

 

Lift off oversteer - at higher speeds it can be snappy and is only safely explored on a track. Lifting off suddenly removes the cause of the understeer (power), weight transfers to the front, tail goes light, round you go. Sometimes spin you go or hedge you go. Some reckon this is about 50% of the causes of Scooby single vehicle accidents. I am just learning it on the track. On the road I am always slow in fast out. Dipping the clutch and removing some lock and making smooth inputs to the controls can sort most understeer. Dipping the clutch does not tend to make the back end go silly just restores the front end grip more smoothly.

 

i have had mine for about 4 1/2 years now, i used to suffer from understeer till i loaded the **** with ice then it balanced it out.but we all have 2 grow up some time so i dont drive it like a c==t now & it dont understeer !!!

 

Thanks for the advice folks. One thing I don't get. Everyone raves on about the scooby being 'THE' car for B roads. Often as not I am driving on a B road I don't know so well and consequently find myself entering one or two corners a bit to fast. If the scoob is so liable to spin off when lifting off mid-corner that doesn't in my mind make a particularly great real world B road car. The real world involves the unknown. For me to classify a car as a great B road car it must help me out of these situations, not put me in danger of a spin.

 

I used to have a 106XSi and was the master of lift off oversteer... scooby needs to go a bit quicker though... Still fun though... (on private roundabouts!)

P20SPD will back me up on the above... (he has had similar and got similar)

David

 

Nichop - speaking for myself, in the first few days of having my Scooby I tended to enter corners, bends, kinks, etc. waaay faster than I should have. In more than once instance I backed off in the bend once I realised I'd misjudged the corner or my speed. I'm 99% sure a lesser can would have seen me off the road and in hospital. I do however try to take it easier on unknown roads, don't really need that much adrenalyn pumping.

 

Wimps! Drive a VTS, 205 GTI, or similar and you'll know all about lift off oversteer. The scooby needs to be positivly provoked to do this. It is fun though and if I was ever messing around on gravel I'd use it to get some rally lines

 

lift off oversteer. I find this controllable if you lift off gently or are only going a little bit too fast.

I spun myself through a hedge when I was WAY too fast on a wet road and was either lift off or head first into a tree. Unfortunately couldn't control the spin.

Ever since I'm slow in fast out. Especially when it's wet!!

 

Yep, had a 205GTI, however my scoob is more inclined to give lift off oversteer. Getting geometry done next week so will be interesting to see what kind of difference this makes.