Back end keeps running away!

allllec

allllec

allllec

Soldato
Joined
5 Aug 2006
Posts
4,261
So just popped out to Tesco followed by a short spirited drive. Anyway, going down a road and there is this black cab holding up my fun. So I drop her into 2nd to perform a pretty lush overtake. (not at any great deal of speed might I add)

Anyway, pulled to the right gently, all is well. Straighten up and the back wheels keeping going right for a bit, bit more throttle and they come back in, same thing happens when I cut back into lane.

The back of the car just seems to go walk abouts so easy! Its scary. I went around a roundabout sideways the other day (although it was peeing it down!)

Question: Is there anything I can do to improve the handling, because seriously, my golf is trying to kill me I swear! (or maybe it's just my driving!)

Its a golf mk2.

Suspension etc is stock at the moment, will lowering (ie stiffer suspension) help at all?

(Oh and for the record, I'm not actually a quick driver!)
 
What model mk2 is it?

Don't know much about Firestone tyres but if they are brand new then they may not have scrubbed in or they may just be crap :)
 
Pressures are okay, no play in the wheels afaik. Will check when its next jacked.

Firestones have had 1k miles (some hard miles) from me, and probably about that from the previous owner.

No doubt they aint great but they'd be plain illegal if all cars that had em handled like mine is atm!
 
Like I said, suspension is totally stock at the moment!

Mk2's are always a bit back end happy but I swear this car is something else.

This is the only car I've ever driven so maybe I cant tell or something. But could the rear shocks or springs be knackered or something and making the problem worse?
 
It's almost always tyres that causes something this dramatic. My Mk2 GTI was very sensitive to tyre pressures at the rear.

Under normal circumstances, I certainly wouldn't call a Mk2 Golf tail happy!
 
Sounds like fun to me ;) I actually managed to get my back out around a large roundabout the other day because I was a bit ignorant of the wet conditions and in a hurry... Thank you traction control :p

EDIT: My mate has a roundabout near him that is surfaced with those red bricks and is super slippery in the rain. Great for the occasional childish bit of handbrake fun as it's extremely quiet and leads to two dead ends :) On a serious note though - hope you get it sorted, it must be pretty scary when you don't expect it!
 
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Lopéz said:
It's almost always tyres that causes something this dramatic. My Mk2 GTI was very sensitive to tyre pressures at the rear.

Under normal circumstances, I certainly wouldn't call a Mk2 Golf tail happy!
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Yeah, Okay I'll pop down the petrol station again tomorrow to be sure :).

Thanks,

Alec.
 
Make sure your best/most expensive/deepest tread tyres are on the back of the car, that might tame any unwanted tail happiness a bit.
 
siztenboots said:
carlimits.com
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Has anyone been on one of those courses, I'm tempted? I suppose there's not much point hiring the Lotus, even though it'd be a lot of fun (maybe for a 2nd run!).

For those that have - was the tyre wear as expected and around the 1mm mark?
 
Sounds like your driving to me. If you know it comes round when you lift off then either pre-empt the slide and account for it in advance or change the way your taking corners. Ie go in a bit slower and accelerate round. Won't be helped by crap tyres but better tyres will only mean it will do the same at a higher speed. If the rear shocks are knackered it won't help either. Push the back of the car down as far as you can, how many times does it bounce when you let it go?
 
Jonny69 said:
Sounds like your driving to me. If you know it comes round when you lift off then either pre-empt the slide and account for it in advance or change the way your taking corners. Ie go in a bit slower and accelerate round. Won't be helped by crap tyres but better tyres will only mean it will do the same at a higher speed. If the rear shocks are knackered it won't help either. Push the back of the car down as far as you can, how many times does it bounce when you let it go?
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I suspect my driving is to blame, Need to get a good driver to come out for a drive with me let me know what am doing right/wrong!

If you push any of the corners of the car down it comes up and settles straight away. So I suppose that means the shocks are doing their job?
 
Shocks sound fine then. If the car bounced up and down then they would be knacked.
 
Are you powering into the corners or powering out of them? The former might be giving you lift off which may be unsettling the back end.
 
IAmATeaf said:
Are you powering into the corners or powering out of them? The former might be giving you lift off which may be unsettling the back end.
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It does it when he overtakes, so it's not like it's a harsh corner.

To me it sounds like he needs to get some decent rubber on the back end...although I've never had a problem with cheap rubber putting the back out on cars...and I never used to drive very saintly. :)

InvG
 
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