illmatic_si

ok so I've been experiementing a bit with my car since I got it..

I'm trying to pull off some dukes-of-hazard style turns but I cant seem to get the technique right. I'm going to attempt to describe what I'm doing.. sorry if it gets too wordy:

note that the car is lowered on eibach sportlines.

ok so what I do is first look for the right type of right hand turn.. normally the ramp-style ones have a nice inward bank. so I go into the turn in 3rd and right when I'm entering I snap it into second.. so its at 5-6k rpm (around 45-50 km/h).

next, I turn the wheel to start the turn and when I hit the apex I give the wheel a SECOND twist, and do a double clutch (hit and release while still accelerating).

this results in the front wheels spinning, screeching on all 4's, and the back of the car doing a minor slide.

what I want to accomplish is the back to completely swing out, a-la dukes-of-hazard style. I know its difficult to accomplish with a front-drive car but there MUST be a way!! I'm thinking a rear-sway bar will help in the back sliding out... basically I want to emulate OVERSTEER.

auto-x-ers.. please advise!!

imported_Slvr-Bullet

What I experienced when I got into a minor mishap on the 401 on ramp was that I was entering the right hand turn fairly quick. I could hear the fronts screeching a bit so I slowed down by using the brakes a bit and then tapped on the accelerator. The the back *** just kicked out. All this was happening while yanking the steering wheel to keep the car in the turn.

Another way is to quickly yank the steering wheel opposite the direction of the turn (right hand turn yank it left) and then back into the turn. This will hopefully throw the *** end out.

Or just pull the E-brake handle

illmatic_si

nice!
yank it in the opposite direction then back into the turn.. never thought of that!! I'm gonna try it tonight.. watch me slam into a lamp post. hehe

what do you think of getting a rear sway bar?

SiR-Racer

just put some bald tires on in the back and some really grippy rubber in the front and you're set for drifting.

imported_Shaun

do some left foot braking.
when entering the corner, do some trail braking and try to lock ur rear end up. then do the turn. while turning, keep the gas steady and use ur left foot to gently get on the brakes. this should lock up ur rear tires and the rear end will swing around. but why drift? it's so slow...someone had too much initial d?

autoxer

SHaun's got the right Idea.

And anything you can do the stiffen your rear suspension will help tune out the understeer. Try a really stiff rear sawy bar and if you have coilovers swap the front springs to the back. The front springs are always stiffer.

imported_Shaun

or dont even spend money. lower ur front tire pressure and rais the rear tire pressures. this will cause more oversteer.

imported_dented dx

Ok just to be a smart *** im going to state the obvious.
a 1969 dogde charger is rear wheel drive, they can do drifting because of it with no effort. PLUS most of the driving was on dirt roads. You can't even begin to know what its like to drive like that until you drive a rearwheel drive car. especially one as bad *** as the GENERAL LEE! ok! drifting like shaun said is slow and a waste of rubber.

imported_Shaun

right. i dont see why anyone would want to drift?
U DRIVE A CIVIC MAN! u hate ur tires? u have too much money to burn>? give me some...or give me ur tires. i'll use them well
but actually, trail braking isnt necessarily slow...same with left foot braking.

imported_fine2ne

correct me if wrong but with a front wheel drive there should be no oversteer. as front wheels especially on civics with eibach sportlines tend to understeer especailly if given too much power

imported_Shaun

there can be oversteer. it depends on toe, camber, tire pressure, springs, struts and sway bars.

illmatic_si

trail braking.. whats that?? I'm trying to get some lock on the back wheels, but my car has FREAKIN ABS so its a little tough. changing the tire pressure's has helped out.. thanks for the tip.
actually I've been considering some REAL instruction at an auto-x school, rather than experimenting and f**ing up my car!!

I know drifting is probably a cinch with rear-wheel drives, so I guess what I'm trying to pull off is a slide??.. as for motivation, I'm just trying to get a bit more acquainted with my car and its limits. drifting may be slow but its HELLA stylish and very fun.

shaun, just like u said its a CIVIC.. so imagine the reaction after you see me pulling some sick-*** slide on an off-ramp, the dialogue would probably be as follows...

driver: holy ****, that guy is freakin nuts!! I didnt know you could do that in a civic!!
passenger: actually I think that was a demonstration of the finest driving skills i've seen in a while.

LOL

illmatic_si

situation: come into a right hand turn in 3rd. as you start the turn, snap it into second and FLOOR it. what happens?

at stock settings, the car will understeer.. so instead of following the course of the turn, the front wheels will lose grip/spin out and the car will skid forward.

however after upgrading the springs to sportlines, I no longer have this problem.. and I'm still rolling on the stock 14" firestones. flooring it in second on a right hand turn, the car rolls a bit, but ZERO understeer.

imported_Shaun

it'll torque steer like mad and plow through the corner. it cant even called understeer....it's almost zero steer! it pulls the car straight when u do this. let's not forget ur driving and FF car, u gotta go easy on the gas in the corners...more gas=more understeer, less gas=more oversteer. so keeping the steering angle the same, u can alter the car's directional course by getting on/off the gas. i suggest u go to some racing school before u do some crazy stuff. trail braking wont work effectively with abs u are right, but there is an alternative. before the enterance of a corner, break reallly freaking hard so all the weight goes onto the front wheels. then turn the steering wheel as fast and voilently as u can to do the turn and give it gas(note: i said give it gas, not mash the gas). ur rear end will slide out...and if u modulate the throttle properly, u'll be able to do a nice slide in a short corner.

imported_Shaun

actually have u seen the EG from the slide squad? he drifts like a mad man just like the FR cars can. it's not a matter of drive train but a matter of technique.

imported_JookSingKid

you could totally change the suspension set up in the rear to something really soft.

that might give you a little more body roll in the rear to help swing your car around a turn...

Just as long as you don't flip over

imported_Shaun

actually a stiffer rear suspension reduces rear end traction thus inducing oversteer. this is why people who use thicker rear anti-sway bars get more oversteer... soft rear suspension would just make the car respond really slow and be crappy in transitions.

illmatic_si

yes definitely, loosening the rear will not help in any way..

after reading clumzy's thread in the perf area I'm going to go with a rear sway bar.. then auto-x school (if I dont destroy my car first). lol

shaun whats the slide squad??

94turbolx

my friend randy does it all the time in his car...the egg...lol..no its not a typo......he is a part of maxbimmer.com his name is empowerd...u can pm on how to do this..he does it with ease...and has nothing done to his car