Pointless & impractical vehicles

[Gunk]

FWD lift off oversteer is almost uncontrollable, caused as it is by the changes rear suspension geometry as it unloads. There's not a lot to be done to catch it except hang on until the rear loads up again, not a lot a driver can do to bring that about - you didn't catch it, it loaded up and settled of its own accord.

It's a killer, to be avoided at all costs and definitely not deliberately induced.

I did Rob Gravett‘s Ultimate Car Control course about 20 years ago and he really teaches this well.

http://www.ultimatecarcontrol.com/

 

[Profpointy]

FWD lift off oversteer is almost uncontrollable, caused as it is by the changes rear suspension geometry as it unloads. There's not a lot to be done to catch it except hang on until the rear loads up again, not a lot a driver can do to bring that about - you didn't catch it, it loaded up and settled of its own accord.

It's a killer, to be avoided at all costs and definitely not deliberately induced.

Pretty much what happened to me, although the oversteer had very much started by the time I lifted off. Initially my thought process was along the lines of "shouldn't have lifted off" and "being more ready when it caught" as I had addressed the initial oversteer quite promptly, but then I had the revelation - the issue wasn't my skills gap in handling the problem but my judgement gap in getting anywhere near the car's limits in the first place. Even an 80s Maestro van had plenty of grip available even in the rain so I had no excuse for getting into the pickle in the first place, I'd simply been driving like an idiot.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

 

[Jody]

Well, there are degrees. Initially it's caused simply by reduced grip due to suspension suddenly unloading when the grip was near the limit. Lower weight on the axle = lower grip, but it's momentary. The type I'm talking about is acceleration to load up the rear a bit more, get to the edge of grip which is thus slightly higher than it would have been, then unload it.

I can see how geometry changes could exacerbate it but how catchable it is depends on the car. If I hadn't applied roughly the right amount of opposite lock I'd have just spun out. The back may well have "just loaded up and settled of its own accord" but without me altering steering input accordingly at the front I'd have been heading for the other armco.

All this lift off oversteer talk reminded me about this video sent last week. Absolute cracker for a bog standard Focus


View: https://youtu.be/bnO8jvs69wo?feature=shared

 

[classic33]

1942 Ford M20 6x6

 

[classic33]

 

[Reynard]

View attachment 758130

The engineer in me says that if someone has botched the lengthening of those chassis rails, that's not going to end terribly well. Namely, a collapso.

 

[raleighnut]

The engineer in me says that if someone has botched the lengthening of those chassis rails, that's not going to end terribly well. Namely, a collapso.

It might drive better if it had a propshaft.

 

[classic33]

It might drive better if it had a propshaft.

It has, front wheel drive.

 

[raleighnut]

It has, front wheel drive.

So why have 4 tyres on the back axle ?

 

[presta]

That's the trick with a " continuation " , they don't have to comply with modern rules . A whole new D type would have to of course but these collector car things don't as they are essentially an old car made with new parts.

As @FishFright posted they are classed as a continuation so the modern tests do not apply as they would for a 'new' model of car, there's a guy in Wales building 'new' Ford Escorts from scratch.

"Whether you view continuation cars as being here to make driving fun again or plunder the pockets of wealthy car collectors, there is one thorny issue that everyone agrees on: it’s a bit of a pain that the million pound reborn classics are not road-legal."

 

[classic33]

So why have 4 tyres on the back axle ?

Might be making the prop shaft for the rear!

 

[FishFright]

"Whether you view continuation cars as being here to make driving fun again or plunder the pockets of wealthy car collectors, there is one thorny issue that everyone agrees on: it’s a bit of a pain that the million pound reborn classics are not road-legal."

Cheers , I'm now better informed