dietbruboy

Got a MY05 WRX - had it about six weeks, no mods other than a Prodrive/WR Sport oval backbox.

I've never had a 4wd car before - plenty of fronts (most recently two MINI's) and one rear (Nissan 200SX) - any advice for a newbie to 4wd?

Done 1,250 miles so far it's felt completely planted and solid throughout. However, a couple of times I've had that momentary adrenalin surge feeling - when you 'think' you feel something happening through the steering wheel, but we're talking 0.1 of a second - and then everything is back to normal.

Maybe I'm not describing this well - but it's like that 'just-hit-some-black-ice-moment' and the steering goes light - does this make sense?

Both times I wasn't going anywhere like fast (maybe about 40mph both times) but I think I might have prodded it too hard - and the roads are manky and it both times were on bends with sweepy cambers.

I'm not talking Tiff Needlel style four wheel drifts (I wouldn't know how to!) but maybe one of the wheels lost grip for a fraction of a second and then refound it? That's all I can think it was.

I haven't lost confidence at all - though when I went to the manual it does say something about not taking it completely for granted because it is 4wd... i.e. you still have to remember the laws of physics!

Scooby_Sport

Well if your in a low gear where there's a bit more torque, especially on a manky corner, it would be fairly easy for the car to lose grip.

Slow in, fast out.

gso

I've had a similar experience..... very low speeds...about 25-30, 2nd gear.... I've kind of learnt not to floor it in the wet while going around the corner!

Diablo

Sounds like you've experienced loss of lateral grip at the front under power.

Next time keep the boot in, wait momentarily for the diff to send all the torque rearwards and enjoy the ensuing power oversteer

On second thoughts, maybe better to practice a bit first

Danny B

Yeah, don't lift off when you are half way through a corner..

Scooby-Doo

Try and find a large damp roundabout unoccupied and go round a few times understanding the feel of the car and you will discover the joys of lift off oversteer amongst a few other horrors.

Gutmann pug

slow down

gso

Dont you mean speed up?

WRXPete

Agreed...if it's all happening at less than 40mph, don't do less than that
Seriously though, slow in fast out.....all about limit point analysis, go in at the correct speed and as you touch the apex and the corner starts to open up, boot it with confidence.....
SWISS(OL) TONY MODE.....You know, cornering a scooby is much like making love to a beautiful woman.....

Mic

you mean in and out as fast as you can without doing any serious damage...lol..

WRXPete

...with a requirement to constantly throw money at to keep both happy!!!.....regularly leaving some juice in the hole helps too!!!

v8voodoo

Dietbru,

Good to see you on here after mini2..!!
Seems like you're going through EXACTLY the same learning process as me, I've had the same thing and have been researching AWD handling characteristics as opposed to MCS ones..lol

Nige,
Dover.

ethanrob

iTrader: (3)

You have just got get used to the car,its a big step from a mini to a scoob,two totally differant motors!

But i promise you this,you wont look back

As already said guys,steady in,fast out

mark

MikeWood

Sounds like you found the limit of the grip at the front. The steering is basically telling you that there is no more grip left and if you need more to get round the corner all you need to do is lift the throttle slightly. What you shouldn't do however is apply more lock as it will do nothing until you've given the tyres chance to grip again. If you do apply more lock and then lift off, the front will turn more than you expect and may even start the back sliding. Inexperienced drivers will call this lift off oversteer and tell you to never lift in the middle of a corner as it's dangerous, but more confident drivers will actually use this as part of their cornering technique to balance the car through the corner.

The way a WRX handles isn't significantly different to most fwd cars that are set up to be sporting. Once the grip runs out at the front, lifting the throttle will make it return. Snapping the throttle shut will make the effect more dramatic and may lead to oversteer but this is very easily corrected by opening the throttle to balance the car. The main thing to remember is be smooth with the controls but that's the same in any car. What gets most people into trouble that are used to a fwd car is that you don't get the same warning that it's slippy due to lack of traction.

An STi is basically the same until you run out of traction when it's quite easy to make it powerslide, which is nice!!

Mike

ARRON BIRD

Very well done
Nice appraisal
Shame it comes from someone with no driving ability at all

Geddon

As above, and do a bit of research on tyres.
I'm assuming you got Bridgestones on?
Goodyear eagles are brilliant in the wet and especially at this time of year with all the crap on the roads.
Make sure you find a big roundabout to practice on. Lift off oversteer was hilarious when I first encountered it

MadMark

A quick lift of the throttle then nail it again - lovely slide - here we come!

Dazza's-STi

I bit of advice for what its worth...

Don't get lead into the 4wd is faster around a corner line of thinking... you are still governed by the physics of what you are doing... 4WD won't allow you to get around the corner any quicker, just allow you to add more power sooner on exit... to the inexperinced not understanding this simple fact can end in tears!
switching to to 4wd can take some getting used to, the way the grip shuffles from front to rear, and back again as the ballance of the car changes is tricky to master... I could slide my 330i rwd at a constant angle all the way around a (large private roundabout) never had it on a track like i have with the Scoob!

but in the scoob when the grip starts to go you have to understand the wieight ballance of the car much more, as this affects the way the grip moves around compared to to FWD or RWD... 4wd is not infalable, the switch; understeer to oversteer can be induced very rapidly (especialy when wet) on the power whereas in the BM i would push it into the corner faint the wheel and use a little lift off oversteer catch it and then add the power... the speed at which the back whipped around was due to throttle input...
in the scoob you add the power and it undeer steers you then lisf and thats the trick part... lifting just enough to ballance the car... then power & you get a nice contolled slide...


My advice is to experiment...Do this obviously where its safe!!!
start by..
enter the corner... turn quite sharp... find the front ends natural grip level with no power...
next turn in less sharp, and apply the power early that should give you undeersteer...
next do the same and lift of midway, and it will swicth to oversteer

then if you put the two together you'll see how the grip moves about front to back... its a very odd feeling in the seat of your pants the first time... but you soon get the hang of it... the odd bit is when the front pulls then spins and then the back gips and then spins and it all feels a bit strange...

There are plenty of good driver on here who now how to master this... hopfully they'll agree with me...
But m8 it does take some bravery and some practice as i'm sure they'll all agree...

Keep it safe m8...

Dazza


then have some safe fun...

PhilA

don't drive in snow

ARRON BIRD

NO not like that like this


You will find it very difficult to powerslide a WRX in the dry mate unless you lift off oversteer a lot before the apex of a corner a bit like the above.
You need to sell that quicly and buy a car with DCCD.
It really is the only way forward if you want to have more RWD type fun
Oh and you really should only try this on a track somewhere till you have it mastered or you may not only hurt yourself but someone else too!!!
But I didnt need to tell you that as I guess you already know

Mike where are those pictures you had powersliding PRO300 black???
Remember seeing them somewhere??

wide

Good reading

sulli

That tickled me