Oversteer or understeer?

I always think oversteer is better because you don't see the tree that kills you. Yesss it is a Top Gear quote..... but it's funny, i think anyway.

 

A little bit of mild understeer is much more comfortable when you're really on it. Especially on roads, you dont want your back end to step out to much when traffic is coming from the other way, you don't want to get hit offcourse. Oversteer is much more fun but needs to be done properly.

Also, many people who experience oversteer often snap off the thottle, correct to much and as soon as their oversteer appeared, they're facing backwards on the other side of the road (or worse).

Saying that, if you know what you're doing there's nothing as satisfying and fun as having some oversteering fun at speed drifting in and out of corners and linking them together.

 

Unless you have people paying you to teach them how to drive fast, under steer is the only way to set up a car for aggressive street driving.

 

Manufacturers set their cars up for understeer because it is safer for a normal driver--when the front breaks loose, you simply back off of the throttle and wait for wheel speed and road speed to match.

It's just not as rewarding, though. My car has a rear beam axle that doesn't allow me to adjust my rear toe in, and so I'm stuck with a bit of negative toe. Which promotes understeer and is no fun.

But as was mentioned earlier, the problem with oversteer is that it can sneak up on you when you really don't want it too, which is bad on the road. A car set up for oversteer needs to be set up properly when approaching a corner to exploit it's full potential, and the road doesn't usually allow you to do that.

That said, take when Evo drove the Ford GT. IIRC, from the production line it wasn't set up as aggressive as possible so as to promote just a smidgen of push on the road. They loved it because it inspired so much confidence--they weren't worrying about the back end at the beginning of the turn but could then exploit it with the power on the exit if they wanted to. It gave it incredible road pace.

On the track, however, the car lost its edge because the understeer got in the way due to the accelerated pace. On the track, where corners can be prepared for properly, understeer simply does not allow the driver to exploit full cornering potential because the rear isn't turning the car as much as it should be. A proper driver needs that rear working with him as much as possible.

 

My goal has always been a neutral setting. Then induce slight understeer or oversteer with brake and throttle.

 

Fast on public roads? I don't do that much, anymore. Too many people not paying attention, too much to lose. Understeer, definitely. Good cars have less GROSS understeer. That's why they're fun.

Tracking? I do that nearly every weekend and many weekdays. I LIKE mild oversteer. I like that that "loose" balance helps the car do more of the work of physically changing direction. Plus, if I fall off, I usually have plenty more space to avoid contact, so I can afford the greater responsiveness of the the car.

 

You want the front end to hook up, and the back end to follow you. Any car that oversteers very much is going to be slow since you won't be able to get on the power early at all. A little bit of understeer at the limit is easily controlled by backing off a bit when you get to the end of the line and a little lift will hook the front end back up. For going quickly on the road and for the track this is the setup you want.

 

This is how my 77 handled stock - relatively neutral through the turn, Push it a bit and it understeers, Back off and the back end starts to ease around; None of these transitions are quick when the car is stock, it is a well set up car.

Taking things up a notch or two, with stiffer spring rates both front and rear, better aluminum shocks and significantly stiffer sway bars front and rear + wider wheels and curent tires - and the balance is still the same, but the car transitions more quickly BUT it is still very predictable, just quicker in all regards. I love this car.

QA-1 shocks, 400,350 springs, 7.5x18 fronts with 225/40 goodyears and 9x18 rears with 255/35 F1s; Saner 28mm front and 22mm rear bars with heim jointed drop links and poly suspension bushings.

The driver, alas is a 60 year old fad fugger that still likes to slide

gas it on,
chris
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on a public road you should never be in a situation where you need to utilize the under or oversteer charactor on a car.

 

+1

On road = Mild understeer
On track = Mild oversteer

 

Peter's right. On track, mild oversteer in low and medium speed corners, neutral in the fast stuff.



"Tracking? I do that nearly every weekend and many weekdays. I LIKE mild oversteer. I like that that "loose" balance helps the car do more of the work of physically changing direction. Plus, if I fall off, I usually have plenty more space to avoid contact, so I can afford the greater responsiveness of the the car."

 

Dont push it on public roads.

I have always been happy with neutral at turn-in with transition to mild understeer.

Per previous comments a lot of this is personal preference.

I recall another bit of philosophy on the subject (not top gear) In slow out fast, in fast out dead.

 

Sorry for the highjack, but I have to give you a quote from Curtis Turner, the great stock car racer from way back. He was asked by a reporter the difference between understeer and oversteer and he replied: "That's easy, understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car and oversteer is when you hit the wall with the back of the car".

Jimmy

 

I don't drive fast enough on public roads for either to have much influence, however on the race car I like to be able to induce a little understeer on fast corners. Most race cars have adequate power to induce oversteer to overcome understeer on slow corners if you need to.

Bear in mind I'm talking about very small increments of understeer here, not breaking tires loose, but inducing greater or lesser front slip angles as necessary for a particular corner.

Oversteer just wastes time in my opinion.

 

Mild understeer is safer i guess, but oversteer is usually more fun (if no else is around offcourse )

 

so true!

 

Neutral is best, since you want to be able to induce oversteer when you need it, but you don't want a car who's natural tendency is to oversteer as you turn-in for the corner. I can't think of a situation where you want understeer, unless as mentioned, for a "safe" street characteristic. Don't race and drive too fast on the streets, though. Really, there's no point. Take it to the track.