I"m hooked and its a problem. Does anyone have a favorite turn (right or left) where just a litlle extra gas gets the rear end around ? I do, when I see it coming, I tell myself "this is going to be great !!". Coming out, I add a little pressure to the pedal and zip it slides around. :banana21: I love it, its so cool, did it tonight with the wife and she freaked, " your going to die in this thing" I was going maybe 25 mph. My only concern is...... How do I transition out of the slide when my instincts tell me to grab the wheel ? Then the car grabs and jerks straight. Tips for making me a better driver are appreciated.

Mine is a left turn. This intersection has a real steep entrance. I take the inside lane and turn at an angle very slow. Since I am then further left then I should be it makes it a sharper turn, so I crank the wheel and goose it.

Last time the wife was with me she wasn't expecting it. I received a few lashings. It was worth it.

The street out of my subdivision is good for that

I'm not 100% sure what you mean about transitioning. You should be turning into the direction your back end is sliding already to maintain control and prevent a 180 (ie, back end it going right, turn right). Let off the gas when you are done sliding to let it hook and then straighten the wheel back out. Your hands shouldn't leave the wheel during this entire process.

Matthew

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I drove a buddies vette in a wet parking lot one time and he was saying "just let goe of the wheel it will it correct itself" I couldn't make myself do it, although there was noting to hit, I felt like it would just keep doing donuts if I did.

I wouldn't recommend the letting go of the wheel situation. As Matt said when the car kicks right, steer right. Then let out, and straighten out. This should feel more natural too.

Well guys, I gotta say hold up to both letting off the gas and especially letting go of the wheel.

While both the above will stop the slide, it's very possible that these actions will cause other problems.

You have to think about what the chassis is doing. In a low speed slide with the power applied, the chassis takes a "set", the front wheels are tracking (and holding) below the slip angle of the tires. The rear tires are exceding the slip angle and your slide starts (oversteer).

If you let off the gas fast, the front end comes up which decreases the front tire grip and depending on the radius of the corner you're taking, the front grip could decrease so fast that the car will start to push. This could happen very fast and you'll find yourself overcorrecting in the opposite direction, possibily with a guardrail coming at you.
The best way to do this technique would be to feather the throttle (lift 1/8th to 1/4 inch from where you have the gas pedal).

Similar if you let go of the wheel, you're changing the front tire angle dramatically. This can cause the car to whip in the other direction. Unwind the wheel slowly.

Matthew mentioned turning into the skid but, you already have to be doing that to do what you're doing.
Turning tion the skid direction is correct but turning in too far will, again, excede the front tire slip angle.

To do these "controled slides", turn the opposite direction of the slide and most importantly, make all your inputs gentle. Come off the throttle a little and notice that the rear tires are gaining the traction back. When they do start to unwind the steering wheel.

If you want to do this in a much safer enviroment, try an autocross. You'll get more silding than you can believe. It's also very cheap to do, they have classes for stock street cars and they people to help "firsttimers" get thru the day.

Now you guys know why I like autocrossing so much

I'm still too chicken shit to turn the ASR off. And backing into my wife's car is not adding confidence.

I sure do want to try autocross some day. Getting the rear end loose in a controlled way is just about the coolest thing ever. Wish I had the balls to do it on a sport bike, too! Yeowza!

Be safe! Have you seen the video where the poor guy pulls his C5 back onto the road from a little gathering of Vettes, and gives it just a bit too much gas?

Spins the car around and really makes a mess of the thing when he hits either a guardrail or embankment. Looked innocent enough at the start, but the car got away from him.

A good laugh if you've been spit on by a C5 owner, but a really bad day for that dude!

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Agreed, letting go of the wheel period is a big no no. You are no longer in control of the car. Period.

And as far as letting of the gas. Modulate off the gas, unless it is a situation where you need "Both feet in". Letting off the gas in a rapid manner can cause a pendulum swing in the opposite direction and put you into a situation where you can not recover.

wahahahahaha n she freaked!!! n gots a good tonue lashin!!! wahahahaaa fug ifn i evin step a lil harder them normal i git the evil eye,,1st step in a good side burn er drift is leave the lil lady home..find sum safe curves (ain any in public!) n cheeyut can that c4 n let here go n feather pedal as been said..my kids lt1 trans is a blast at that ,,any corner n shell lite em right up n slide far as ya like long as ya like (then ya go home n replace the tranny mount) now fer my c4 i ain been able ta git her ta break loose (n been proud of that handlin) but as dads sez id be hooked too..face it we re all a bunch a rednecks weather ya addmit it er nawt!!!

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Are you serious?

as a heart attack. Only put about 3,000 miles on the car since I bought it. I had a company vehicle, so I rarely drove my own.

Things have changed, and I look forward to experimenting soon.

It seems when I let off the gas as the rear wheels get outside at, say 30 degrees, I feel the car jerk back straight. Is this the point when I turn the steering wheel back in the opposite direction (gently of course) and decelerate slightly ? I want to experience the reserve slide while mainting control.

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Not exactly, Letting off the gas as the rear gets to 30 WILL cause the jerk to straight which is actually a jerk in the opposite direction of the slide.

What you should be doing is starting to turn the wheel in the opp direction gently as the rear starts to come out. This lets you control the DIRECTION of the slide, towards the outside of the corner or towards the inside og the corner. As Jeff said you then modulate (or feather the throttle) to control the AMOUNT of the slide.

The key, as you said, is maintaining control.

Too bad you're not close. I have access to a skid pad at the racetrack.
We actually teach this kind of thing in the SCCA/TireRack Street Survival School for teens. But it's more for for maintaining control in a defensive situation.

Try it with the steering inputs gentle and slowly work your speed up.

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Everytime I go to drive the C4, I start the car and hit the ARS button before I move the car.

Most everyone spins at least once. Many years ago at the Jim Russell Driving School, I was the first one to spin their open wheeled car when they let us hotlap. The instructor pulled me in and said "There's always one."

I know the timing's not good for you just now. But, sometime, you may want to check out the "Street Schools" that are available. Money well spent and a very fun day.

BTW, Chris, I see there's a new racetrack that's opened in Colorado. www.highplainsraceway.com

Thanks for the link! That should be less than two hours away.

We have a crappy track within earshot of my house, and what used to be Pikes Peak Intl Raceway is half an hour from me. I hope whoever owns that property opens it up to the public someday.

Might be time for me to push that button. Could be like driving a different car.

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Mostly what the ARS does is piss me off. You pull out left or right from a stop sign, hit 3 grains of sand and the gas pedal's banging up & down. I hate it.

I can't stand the ABS either but since I don't run this Vette on the track much, I haven't messed with it.

This thread needs pix!

I wonder if a C4 Vette would make a good drift car? Seems like it would, yet I've only seen Chargers and Vipers used. Domestically speaking.

Plenty of 90's vintage RX7s and Supras hanging it out. I suppose the drifting "scene" wouldn't think a C4 was cool in any way.

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No, that should be left to the ricers.

Looks like fun to me... Hater!

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Yea, I can be a prick, just ask me about Miatas.

I'd better not. I kinda like them... I don't fit in them though.

I don't know what the technique is, but its more fun if you just keep the gas on the floor and oversteer a few times.

See exhibit A below...

I haven't done any drifting (legally), but I'd love to give it a shot in the vette.

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Me too. Always.