After reading all the posts about getting the best 1/4 mile times and driving the stook 'like you hate it' I decided to go out last night and try some of my own fast starts.

The times I am getting are not brilliant (in the low to mid sixes for 0-100km/h using a hand heldstop watch) but my primary focus at this stage is working on the right technique for getting off the line.

I am doing the 'toe on the bottom of the clutch pedal' clutch drop at around 6-7k and I find this is great in terms of getting off the line without bogging and I seem to be getting away pretty quickly.

However, what is happening is
a). I'm getting lots of wheel spin but very little if any tyre squeal (standard S02s with 20,000km on them and due for replacement any day - as my tyres are worn I should be putting more tread on the road (less tyre grooves) and therefore getting better traction.
b). the backend is sliding out to the right about a metre (yard) or so.

Now I suspect this is due to a combination of worn tyres and torque reaction (I have similar expereinces on other vehicles) but frankly it worries me. If I am in a drag start at the lights with another vehicle the last thing I want is to find myself sliding into the other vehicle's lane and hitting them.

What are other owner's experiences here, am I unnecessarily concerning myself or am I doing something wrong? I'd be particularly interested in hearing about what some of the fast guys (like Sev) have to say.

 

Yeah...I get alot of tire spin and not too much tire squeal when I launch at 6.5k.

My tail swings out to the right when I launch and twitches to the right a bit when I shift into second.

I wonder if it is because I'm sitting on the left side.

In Austrailia, does the driver sit on the right side?

 

Nope, it doesn't matter which side you sit on. Torque steer (which this isn't but the theory can still apply) is a function of the wheels. If you do a 6500 clutch dump in reverse, you'll go the other way.

It's all in the rotation of the tires. Toilets flushing, well, that's a different story.

 

Unicron, in Oz the driver most certainly sits on the right side.

It's interesting to hear that you are having the same experience as I am, it sounds like this must be a characteristic of the Stook.

At least I know it's not just me. Thanks...

 

Is your tire inflation correct?

I believe under-inflation on one side may be the case here.

 

Now when you say 'right' do you mean towards the passenger side or the drivers side??..when i launch, my car rear end is to the drivers side...

 

39 psi all 4 tyres. As I indicated in the initial post, I have experienced the sliding to the right in number of vehicles.

I think Ldog has the answer when he explains it as a side effect of tyre rotation.

P.S. LDog, what way does your toilet flush when you're on the equator - straight down?

 

Hi h2000

My rear also twitched left on the one glorious occasion I launched at abou 6.5K rpms. I think the problem may be the Coriollus effect from being south of the equator. Pigs tails corkscrew the wrong way down there, water swirls backwards down the toilet, Stooks kick to the right. On the other hand, you'd think the direction of crankshaft rotation might have some bearing, although exactly why, I don't know.

2x6 and out.

 

Yes, even though the S2000 has an LSD, there is still a natural tendency, as there is in all RWD cars, for the car to 'pull' one way under accelleration. This is due to the rotation of the drive shaft and the torque that is generated by that rotation. It's natural...

Just think to when you are making a left hand turn, it's far easier to lose the tail on that type of turn as you are "helping" the car's tail to come around in addition to the torque wanting to slip it around counter-clockwise...

It's much more difficult to have the tail come around on the right hand turn as you are going against the natural tendency to the car to want to pull counterclockwise...

Does that make sense!? It all has to do with the rotation of the crank and driveshaft. The direction of rotation of these two things will determine which way the car will pull...

I hope that wasn't as confusing as I think it was...

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by gregstevens:
[B]Yes, even though the S2000 has an LSD, there is still a natural tendency, as there is in all RWD cars, for the car to 'pull' one way under accelleration.