Switching to RWD

platypus

platypus

platypus

Caporegime
Joined
25 Jul 2003
Posts
40,467
Location
FR+UK
So I'm getting a rwd car, and until now I've only ever owned low powered, slow pieces of crap (all fwd), and a terribly slow, albeit lovely, 40 year old car.

Oh and the first time I drive it will be a 150 mile drive back from where I'm picking it up.

Advice, other then taking it easy :p?

Is it a noticeably different driving experience?
 
What's the car?

To be honest drive sensibly and it'll be the same as a FWD car, don't drive in the wet and put the power on too early on a corner...:p
 
It'll be fine really if you dont drive like a berk. Been driving random RWD cars for ages and the only time I've ever had an issue is when driving like a prune*


*I did very nearly spin my car in the middle of Sydney but I used full throttle out of a U Turn and it was wet so I think that counts driving like a prune. I felt like a driving hero after I recovered it, so it was all good.
 
prune conjures up an image of a constipated old lady...

i highly doubt you'll be driving a car your not used to hell for leather through twisty country roads... they don't fall off the road by themselves. Just take it easy.
 
If you boot it out of a junction, instead of the front pulling wide the back will push wide (or more likely the traction control will say 'no').

It's really no big deal at all :).
 
Do not go into the powerband entering/exiting a corner, do not floor it in the wet and be weary of white lines.

It can be fun.. but very scary all at the same time :D
 
Sin_Chase said:
Do not go into the powerband entering/exiting a corner, do not floor it in the wet and be weary of white lines.

It can be fun.. but very scary all at the same time :D
Click to expand...

Don't go into a corner whilst dramatically changing velocity in ANY car, RWD, FWD or AWD, this isn't something that only botheres RWD cars, it is a simple law of physics, and one of the first things you would learn when driving a track.

Flooring it in the wet is fine, again just not when mid corner.

Finally, its not a bike, no need to be scared of wet white lines (never be scared of dry ones).

Not sure why you'd find it scary, unless you don't know the limits of your own car/abilities, and you don't really have a grasp of basic physics.
 
Have plenty a grasp of physics thanks.

No need to be scared of white lines? Funny as ours are slippery as hell in the wet and where I'll have traction on the wet tarmac I wont on the lines.

You CAN floor it in the wet but considering this is the OPs first RWD, and car with some power then I think it would be prudent he actually gets used to it rather than treating it like a FWD where everything is childsplay to handle and correct. Not saying its ultimately difficult to control oversteer in a RWD but about the most you'll need to do in a FWD understeer situation is lift off.
 
You won't notice any difference driving normally but if you're a little more footsy then you'll find it handles corners better and when you pull out of a U turn or sharp corner the car will look uber cool with the rear end doing funky things :p

You'll also gain uber cool points and the middle finger other drivers give you are in actual fact secret code for you to tally up.
 
Oh also, if you have TC then don't do as I did on the first day and think TC light on = TC on because it's actually off and you'll end up sliding into a field :O
 
mrk said:
Oh also, if you have TC then don't do as I did on the first day and think TC light on = TC on because it's actually off and you'll end up sliding into a field :O
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Noob :p

Also, that isn't fully off, that is only traction off, not stability ;)

Stability off involves holding the button for about 8 seconds.
 
When I first drove my car I had placebo traction control. Did not know whether it had the option fitted or not, placebo shattered on 90degree bend in the dry with back end out...

"That will be a no then" :D
 
paradigm said:
Noob :p

Also, that isn't fully off, that is only traction off, not stability ;)

Stability off involves holding the button for about 8 seconds.
Click to expand...

Aye holding the button turns off almost all safety aids (CBC/ABD etc but not ABS IIRC) whilst a single press disables ASC+T or DSC only. In my case it was raining and on a slippery surface anyway and I didn't RTFM or google it noob beforehand :p

Long time ago, lessons learnt!
 
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