Fish tailing

[Jake654321]

2002 ACR. Going in straight line on street or highway. Punch the throttle, not floor it, and the car swings quickly to the left. Is this normal. Lift off and it straightens but almost feels like it's headed out of control.

Shouldn't the "posi-traction" help keep power th both wheels?

 

[CitySnake]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jake654321:
Shouldn't the "posi-traction" help keep power th both wheels?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Posi-traction? HUH? I believe posi-traction on a Viper = slicks. Anyone???

 

[Ron]

<FONT face="Comic Sans MS">The Viper has a limited slip differential which is exactly why the car did slide sideways during wheel spin.

An open rear would have slipped one tire only, allowing the non-slipping tire to prevent lateral movement.

Power is fun. (and dangerous)</FONT f>

 

[onerareviper]

Sure, both rear wheels spin (posi-traction), but there are a zillion other factors that make the car go left or right (Weight tranfer, physics, road angle, if front tires are slightly off center, etc...). My rear end usually pushes to the right, if memory serves.

Sure reasons to spin the tires from a roll:

1.) Cold road/weather (under 60 degrees)
2.) Cold tires
3.) Hard, old tires.
3.) Dumping the clutch
4.) Slamming the gas down in 1'st or even 2'nd if conditions aren't good.
5.) Power shifting (Keeping the gas planted while shifting) (Can break tires lose in 3'rd).
6.) OF COURSE, RAIN.

* This is for stock or near stock Gen II's. Another story for tuner cars (600+ HP). Even harder to control.

Learn how to modulate that clutch, and the car will take off like a rocket, even in sub-par conditions. If you feel the back end starting to swing, LET OFF THE GAS ASAP. The car will straighten up. Unless you are an experienced driver that can adjust with the steering wheel. Power slides anyone? Even experienced drivers need a lot of seat time in the Viper before pushing it. The Viper WILL bite you, if your not careful.

Like Ron said, power is fun - and dangerous.

 

[Jake654321]

Thanks for the info. Ron, limited slip allows lateral movement. I don't know what I'm doing here. I thought limited slip meant each tire will slip on a limited basis allowing the car to remain straight.

If you have the time can you give me lesson on this? I've fish tailed a few times and want to understand this in order to be safer out there.

Thanks again.

 

[Ron]

<FONT face="Comic Sans MS">Jake;

As a person that has, let's say, "excessively fish-tailed" his Viper twice and fortunately was lucky enough to survive it damage free, I'm still looking for lessons myself.

I plan on taking the advice of many and attend a driving course soon. I'd prefer practicing in a school owned Viper rather than my own, but haven't yet done the research to find right school.

Until then, I keep the steering wheel straight when I mash the gas.

Any suggestions out there?

</FONT f>

 

[BigCarrot]

Check your tire pressure.

 

[Mopar Steve]

Mopar calls the "limited slip" rear, a "sure grip" rear. Posi trac is Chevy's name for a limited slip rear.

 

[King GTS]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BigCarrot:
Check your tire pressure.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

This is true.

 

[joe117]

With a limited slip rear axle you have clutch disks or some other type of device designed to ensure that both rear wheels will deliver power to the road. In a conventional rear end, the wheel that is the easiest to turn will get all the power. In other words if one rear wheel is on ice, it will spin and the other wheel will just sit there doing nothing. Why design a car this way? The reason is corners. If you drive around a turn, the outside wheel will go farther than the inside so if they are locked together you may break an axle. A limited slip rear will "give" a little and let one wheel travel farther than the other as you drive round the corner. With a normal rear if you do a burnout it will probably be a single tire burnout. The other tire will just roll forward but it will keep you from sliding sideways. With a limited slip, both wheels will spin and when they are spinning they may not keep going in a straight line down the road.
To tell you the truth the term "limited slip" is probably not the best. I would call it a locking rear.

 

[SlowCreamPuff]

Be careful out there... I was practicing driving sideways (on the streets) and got pulled over. I was lucky but was told that it would have been a reckless ticket.

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

1. Call Skip Barber and take the 2 day school (25% discount to VCA members).
2. Call Skip Barber and take the Car Control Clinic.(10% VCA discount )
3. Repeat #2.
4. Repeat #3.
5. Repeat #4.
6. Call Skip Barber and take the 3 day eacing school
7. Call Skip Barber and do a Lapping Day.
8. Repeat 2 and 7 as needed.
9. Call Viper Day's and do as many events as possible.
10. Check the tire pressure (should have the same pressure), warm up the computer between your ears, Do not "punch" the go pedal, be smooth.

This works for me most of the time. I find the hardest part, is using computer as it was intended!

Items 6-8 are also discounted 10% to VCA members.

 

[slaughterj]

I think you were thinking of traction control, as opposed to limited slip, though of course the names could be confusing...