Oversteer and Understeer

[ivo316]

This is the best explanation I've seen, probably a repost though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ8j4X20uvI

[2002maniac]

oversteer scares your passenger, understeer scares the driver...

[Mr Deagle]

oversteer, you could go into the wall


understeer, you are going into the wall

[!RocknE30!]

Oversteer is fun, understeer is not.

[Jscotty]

Oversteer gets you laid on a first date. Understeer keeps you from getting the second date.

[Pedro]

i liked this clip.

OT but short http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9h0l...elated&search=

[Mike_Duncan]

I'm more comfortable with understeer, I find it easy to control, I rather understeer mid-corner than oversteer mid-corner, that's for damn sure.

[rThor432]

I'm more comfortable with understeer.

And that is why most cars are designed to understeer from the factory now-a-days. It is easier to correct understeer than oversteer for most people.

[Mr Deagle]

I'm more comfortable with understeer, I find it easy to control, I rather understeer mid-corner than oversteer mid-corner, that's for damn sure.

How comfortable are you with understeer over a hill into a hard left hand turn?

[MikeE30325i]

i would rather oversteer all day.

fuck understeer. in the face.

[10/10ths]

fuck understeer. in the face.

[euroshark]

BMW designs their cars to understeer at the limit because it's safer than oversteer... I'm sure that their highly trained engineers and test drivers know better than any of us. E24s and E28s are famously tail happy in 1st, 2nd, 3rd gear when powering hard out of a corner, but they understeer into the corner because that is what they are designed to do. Oversteer, especially snap oversteer, is fucking dangerous and most drivers can't react quick enough to catch it, much less control it and make it into something cool... Hence, once again, BMW designs their cars to understeer a bit at the limit!!

lol

Edit: I'm not saying I don't like oversteer, but I'd much rather hang the tail out while exiting a corner than while going into a corner! That's the problem with old 911s... and that's why so many have been totalled!

[10/10ths]

For the most part, I like a car with slight oversteer...but that is mostly for autocross where loose is generally fast. Not talking tail happy out of every corner oversteer, but a slight condition that helps the car rotate around the turns. You might not even be able to spot it from outside the car.

The faster the corners, the less oversteer you want. I actually prefer slight understeer when it comes to really attacking a high speed corner. It's much easier for me to go into an 80mph (or faster) turn and know that at the limit the car will push slightly and I can ease off a bit. That same corner with a loose car is flat scary and not very confidence inspiring for really pushing the limit.

[DarkWing6]

Euroshark is very right. I wish there was a little less understeer cause the car seems to push a bit too much, but that is why I mess with tire pressure when I'm out at the track. I prefer a little understeer cause it is easier to power out of and correct than if you oversteer. After driving a bit you can start to feel the car oversteer before it does and correct it.

[LivingLegend06]

A place that I go to to race go carts has an indoor track on a fairly smooth concrete floor, like a warehouse. On that surface all of the carts oversteer due to a solid rear axel and a solid suspension and it is extremly easy to keep in check, just point the wheels where you want the cart to go and because of the low power the cart finds its balance, come in too fast and the ass sliding bleeds speed until it comes back in nicely when the apropriate speed is reached. In this situation oversteer is greatly preferred.

The same principles transfer over into full size cars, but things would be different with suspension travel creating less than instantenous weight transfer; making the cars reactions harder to predict. Changes in track elevation would make things more unpredictable also. I still beleive that an experianced driver would be better off with slight oversteer as opposed to slight understeer, but for less experianced drivers and the vast majority of the "drive for transportation only" crowd understeer is more safe.

Edit: Obviously nuetral balance is ideal, but because of different driving styles there is no setup that is truly netural.