Please tell me how to turn when driving on the street.

[jimandela]

I ended up sideways again, 2nd time in 2 years.
Both times i was trying to make a turn on the street a good pace, but not too fast so i thought.
and both times i went completely sideways so my car was headed towards the curb.
Lucky for me both time i pulled it out and did hit not the curb.

I am just wondering what the heck am i doing wrong????

First time; right hand turn good clip 2nd gear (i think) and then on the gas sideways.
Today; 3rd gear off a thruway exit (local guys, 90 southbound william st exit) and
at the end of the ramp is a light it was green, no traffic
made a left hand turn the car made the turn just fine then went for some throttle and bingo.. sideways again!!

I know go to high performance driving school.. I would love to but i am located in Buffalo NY.
Not a driving school capital of the world.

Any advice appricated... i hate having to come home and change my shorts

 

[kowalski vanishing point]

Stay off the trottle in sharp corners.

 

[BADVENOM]

Jim was it wet outside or dry. Second are you punching the gas as your in the turn or are you steady on the gas before and through on the turn. Also are you coming into the turn alittle loose or tight? By the way check your tire pressure and see if you have too much air in the tires.

adam

 

[jimandela]

Adam,
both times dry and clear
both time no throttle in the turn but coming out of it I am trying to give it gentle
acceration and getting sideways? why?

How should I go into a turn with a viper? To be honest I am so gunshy now i am leary
of going in with any throttle.. i usually just coast through them.
Why, i am on the street not racing and in no hurry .. but now twice i would like to
go through a turn a little agressive and i am messing it up... errrrrrrrr

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Jim, there has got to be track clubs in N.Y. It doesn't have to be a 'school' just a club or a track that has open track days. Get out there and have some fun learning to push your Viper in a safe and legal environment.

Or get different color Viper.

 

[SUN RA KAT]

You need a Roe Supercharger!

 

[Birvini]

Jim, there has got to be track clubs in N.Y. It doesn't have to be a 'school' just a club or a track that has open track days. Get out there and have some fun learning to push your Viper in a safe and legal environment.

Or get different color Viper.

Yep. Learn where you're car begins to loose it. It's fun to find that thin line. Sounds like you're good at saving it. Also, think about new tires and a color change. That should help.

 

[BADVENOM]

Thats your problem Jim. Your drifting through the turns and then when you finally give throttle on this car the wheel don't need much to break loose. Downshift into your turns and keep gas steady. Practice in a empty parking lot with your angles into the turns and your throttle management and you'll be fine. Nothing like a little private autocross to build up confidence. I used to race motorcross which was a different story letting out gas and wanting the rear of the bike to slide out so you could launch out of the turns. Go have some fun and remember to check those tires. They are responsible for traction so don't take them for granted.

Kowabungo dude

Adam

 

[jimandela]

Chuck 98 RT/10,
that is the weird part, i have tried autoX once. nice safe parking lot, cones, etc.
and no problem, no spin out; just stayed on it thru the turns but that was
autoX; large sweeping turns and not a street light situation.

 

[BADVENOM]

You know jim if its only happened twice you could have hit a slick spot on th road too, maybe some oil or something. Remember you've got quite a bit of torque there baby.

Adam

 

[Birvini]

Lots of good advice, I'm sure there will be more to follow.

<font color="yellow">IT HAS TO BE THE YELLOW!!!!!!!! </font>

 

[Motor City Mad Man]

You need a Roe Supercharger!

Oh my!!!!! That'll help his problem. Sun Ra Kat, is that car of yours a little scarey to drive? A supercharger is in my very near future and I am wondering if it is going to be downright scarey to drive?

 

[jimandela]

Adam,
i think it is the torque, with the cats,exhaust and vec1
i guess i am just not use to it.


it must be a yellow thing.... LOL!

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Picture this if you can. Called a friction circle by most. A string tied to the bottom of the steering wheel and gas peddle. When the wheels are pointed straight the accelerator can be pushed down the maximum amount and then the string is taunt. As the steering wheel is turned (left or right doesn't matter) the gas peddle has to be released some to keep the string remaining taunt, and so on. The idea is less and less throttle can be used with more steering input.
Weight transfer to the front wheels can be a killer in these cars, which is probably happening to you around corners since your not even on the gas. A little steady maintenance throttle to keep the same speed around the corners will keep the weight to the rear and keep the tires planted to the road.

 

[jimandela]

Hoosier Daddy,
now that makes sense.. thanks for the explaining it.

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

Skip Barber HQ is in CT at Lime Rock. Pretty close to NY.
http://www.skipbarber.com/drivingschool/default.asp?sel=
The two day School is discounted 25% to VCA members.

Hard to really know what happened but I suspect the 3rd gear over steer was due to lifting the throttle which transfers weight to the front tires(grip increases) and the rear gets light (less grip). Not likely to oversteer on dry clean pavement adding power in 3rd gear.

 

[MichaelP]

Hoosier Daddy,
now that makes sense.. thanks for the explaining it.

Another upstate guy helping us out.

Hey Jim good thing you have all that practice driving on snow to help you straighten out the only 2 times you went sideways in your Viper.

 

[GCHDEALER]

I leave the main road at 60 turning into my subdivison all the time. The road into my subdivision is pretty wide and banked quite well. Jim just move to Florida we may just have better roads down here. Congrats on not tearing up your car when you spun out.
Chad

 

[MichaelP]

I leave the main road at 60 turning into my subdivison all the time. The road into my subdivision is pretty wide and banked quite well. Jim just move to Florida we may just have better roads down here. Congrats on not tearing up your car when you spun out.
Chad

I am from Rochester originally and YES we do have better roads down here in Florida.

 

[SUN RA KAT]

Motor City Mad Man -

You need a Roe Supercharger!

Oh my!!!!! That'll help his problem. Sun Ra Kat, is that car of yours a little scarey to drive? A supercharger is in my very near future and I am wondering if it is going to be downright scarey to drive?

My Viper is scarey to drive, which is why it is easier to drive - everything is done gently and deliberately - it has to be done that way! I've only wagged the tail on my Viper once - 45 degrees right, then 45 degrees left, then straight again - going 5-10 MPH very gently accellerating in a straight line after running through a little water on the road. Once is more than enough - I was lucky I was going so slow and I didn't hit anything when it happened. (I didn't have that problem when I drove about 10 miles on 2" of snow this past winter - my Viper pretty much drove straight &amp; true.) The Roe Supercharger really teaches you when to be extremely gentle with the snake pedal and when it can be properly applied for serious frolicking and when fractions of a millimeter are the safe &amp; correct throttle modualations.

BTW - Serious frolicking is the most fun!

BTW#2 - In 1st gear I am at 5500 RPMs before the snake pedal kisses the floor mat, in 2nd gear I sometimes can get the pedal to the floor mat by 5500 RPMs, 3rd gear on up I can get the snake pedal to the floor mat fairly easily - but only on good clean roads that are also warm enough for some traction. (I try not to wear out my rear tires by spinning them more than I have to...)

BTW#3 - When you get your supercharger make sure that you work up to your &amp; the car's limits very gradually so you know how it will handle in any given situation before doing any serious frolicking. Pay close attention to the road conditions - dirty roads and cold roads are dangerous, make sure your tires are warmed up as well as your Viper's fluids, and make sure the driver is fully alert before doing any serious frolicking.

 

[jimandela]

Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder,
i didnt understand why .. but YES the front grips great and the rear end becomes very,very light
and comes right around....

Thanks for the input guys

Jim

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

You know jim if its only happened twice you could have hit a slick spot on th road too, maybe some oil or something.

Could be. Also, not all turns are created equal. There's a turn in Tampa that is unusually slicker than other turns. Could be the surface material, could be the angle, it's kinda difficult to tell since I can't really get out of the car and examine it.

 

[Viperfreak2]

If you've never spun a Viper, you're lying or drive like my grandma.

 

[lleone]

... A string tied to the bottom of the steering wheel and gas peddle. ...

Curses you Alan! Some morning I just know I'm going to get in my car and find that my wife has tied a string between the two.



Lou

PS: When Michael gets his butt up here, we've got to get together for a beer!

 

[jkracer9]

Hoosier Daddy and Fred Kinder have it, it is the weight transfer, throttle and being smooth with practice. displaced weight will give you a different direction to fight.
Good luck.

 

[Viperzilla]

I know go to high performance driving school.. I would love to but i am located in Buffalo NY.
Not a driving school capital of the world.

Any advice appricated... i hate having to come home and change my shorts

Hey Jim, you wouldn't mind giving some of my family members and friend a ride would you? Just kidding about that. They do live near Buffalo, though. My friend said she lives about 7 minutes from U. of Buffalo. I'm trying to head that way sometime this summer/fall to visit them.

 

[Viperzilla]

If you've never spun a Viper, you're lying or drive like my grandma.

Never spun it. I drove like my Grandpa the first time, and I'm not lying on the second drive. did screach the tires for a split second once though.

 

[jkracer9]

If you want to learn how to drive visit any "Panoz" racing school.

 

[Bonkers]

I vote slick spot. If there was a problem with the geometry of you car, or if you were over driving the tires you would have slipped many, many times by now.. Especially on AutoX.

 

[Ray W]

Jim, After detailing the car sometimes the Armor-all on the
tires make them slick for a few minutes. A hard turn can also roll up higher on a slick sidewall.Cold and old tires can be a little more slippery as well.