FAST Novice School - Digital Edition

[mymomswagon]

This got me thinking about what I have learned about slaloming. Here is Philip's top 10 tips for better slaloming!

5. Very related to #4 but use the throttle to steer the car just as much as the steering wheel. This works for both FWD and RWD and I'm sure AWD as well. In a FR ( Front engine Rear wheel drive ) more throttle should make the car rotate more. If not you might not have gotten aggressive enough in the entry of the slalom and are late. A VERY sight lift of the throttle in a FR car should reduce rotation. A BIG lift of the throttle will add rotation but it will be hard and fast ( snap oversteer ). In a FWD or MR ( Mid-engine Rear wheel drive ) car it's the the exact opposite. A little more throttle = less rotation, A lot of throttle = snap oversteer , less throttle = more rotation.

Your FWD recommendations must be aimed at a driver of a bone stock FWD that understeers like a horse with a broken inside rein? If you use set up to eliminate as much understeer as possible (stiff rear sway bar, softer rear springs and fiddling with tire pressure adjustments)

what is the benefit of soft spring + stiff sway ? does it emphasize the effect of setting the rear of the car back when hitting the throttle (to bring the car back after lift / brake oversteer)?

I went the other way (unloaded bump springs and only a slightly stiffer bar) thinking rear stiffness was all that mattered, but I'm pretty green on most of this stuff

[friskyflea]

what is the benefit of soft spring + stiff sway ?

Ha! Good catch there. Make that softer front spring... (and stiffer in the back to make the rear tires looser). I shouldn't try to do too many brainiac things for longer than 12 out of 24 hrs, and it was a crazy and trying day at work yesterday

[Loren]

Guys, this thread is about Novice DRIVING tips, you're delving way into car setup. Completely different topic.

[Jamie]

"Front wheel drive cars are especially prone to lift off oversteer due to the forward weight transfer combined with light rear end."
Oh, yeah....

The trick to rotating the rear end in my car (and perhaps other FWDs of similar ilk) is braking, just in the right spot and just enough, to put/manage the weight and move it up front to increase front wheel grip/turn in and simultaneously take weight off the rear end so it can slip out... plus throttle.

Plus rapidly repointing the front tires and throttle. With some shock and tire pressure adjustments, I could do beautiful power-off drifts with the Prelude even on the stock suspension...but had to be aware of where the front tires were pointed when I wanted to roll back on the throttle!