How to handle a SPIN!
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 3,004
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From: Bowie
Jim- Great post! I started driving when almost all cars were rear wheel drive. I found a good place to practice (with a beater car) is on winding dirt roads. The oversteer happens at a higher speed then on the ice/snow, so your practicing at 5 tenths instead of 2 tenths. Since it's a road, you get used to looking where you want to go. If you loose it, you just spin off in to the weeds. You learn the futility of breaking and lifting the throttle. If you're practicing on some farmer's roads, you learn to recover fast before he can get his shotgun!
I spent so much time "practicing", that whenever I was in an on-road spin, I handled it intuitively. I've been driving FWD for so long, that I'm a little rusty now. Although it was not pretty, I was able to recover from the "S-02 worn out at 9,000 miles indicator" oversteer.
DISCLAIMER: The above should not be construed in anyway as encouraging off road use of the S2000
To bad all the beaters today are FWD.
I spent so much time "practicing", that whenever I was in an on-road spin, I handled it intuitively. I've been driving FWD for so long, that I'm a little rusty now. Although it was not pretty, I was able to recover from the "S-02 worn out at 9,000 miles indicator" oversteer.
DISCLAIMER: The above should not be construed in anyway as encouraging off road use of the S2000
To bad all the beaters today are FWD.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 995
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From: Washington
I want to thank you all for one of the most important and informative posts that I have ever read and seen. Yesterday (11/30) I drove on a track for the first time with my S2000. I won't bore you with all the details here (it was at Summit Point, W.Va), but here is the related link:
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...&threadid=36899
On Wednesday night I printed out this entire thread and read it over and over again, trying to conceptualize what was being discussed. During my time at the track, I would continuously revisit it during the downtime. The most important thing I learned was regarding VISION. The instructors could not emphasize it enough (as people here have done so also). The one time I got into real trouble, I beleive it was because I wasn't properly looking (and a little too much power!). A 720 coming out of a corner at 75mph is an interesting proposition, at least I went down the centerline of the track and managed to avoid all damage to self and car.
Thank you all very, very much. I appreciate it.
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...&threadid=36899
On Wednesday night I printed out this entire thread and read it over and over again, trying to conceptualize what was being discussed. During my time at the track, I would continuously revisit it during the downtime. The most important thing I learned was regarding VISION. The instructors could not emphasize it enough (as people here have done so also). The one time I got into real trouble, I beleive it was because I wasn't properly looking (and a little too much power!). A 720 coming out of a corner at 75mph is an interesting proposition, at least I went down the centerline of the track and managed to avoid all damage to self and car.
Thank you all very, very much. I appreciate it.
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 437
Likes: 0
From: Reston
Originally posted by jschmidt
Instant payoff. That's nice.
Instant payoff. That's nice.
Seriously, this was an excellent thread. Nothing to add really, I think everyone touched the important points.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 17
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From: Bay Area
Originally posted by Mike Schuster
Vision.
Look where you want to go rather than at what you think you might hit. This means looking through the corner, past the track out point, and maybe even at the apex of the next corner. Look way down the road and ignore that tree or wall or whatever that you think you might hit. This is the hard part. And very unnatural. But it is the key to recovery. It takes some practice.
Once you do this you will be able to sense the changing rates of the car's rotation. As the car begins to step out you will see that your line is tightening, and by looking at where you want to go your natural reaction is for your hands to countersteer properly. Its simple - you see that the car's tightening line is not going to get you where you want to go and so your hands react. And they react just enough to get you to where you want to go. Its automatic. No thinking about CPR. You just drive normally.
Vision.
Look where you want to go rather than at what you think you might hit. This means looking through the corner, past the track out point, and maybe even at the apex of the next corner. Look way down the road and ignore that tree or wall or whatever that you think you might hit. This is the hard part. And very unnatural. But it is the key to recovery. It takes some practice.
Once you do this you will be able to sense the changing rates of the car's rotation. As the car begins to step out you will see that your line is tightening, and by looking at where you want to go your natural reaction is for your hands to countersteer properly. Its simple - you see that the car's tightening line is not going to get you where you want to go and so your hands react. And they react just enough to get you to where you want to go. Its automatic. No thinking about CPR. You just drive normally.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 291
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From: Dallas
Okay, so now that we all know (ha!) how to recover from a skid/spin, how about teaching us how to avoid getting into them?
It seems every time I take a turn on the street with more than "grandma" power, I slide the back around and have to recover it. What am I doing wrong? Nto smooth enough? Too soon? Too much?
TXR
PS- Driving school was the best thing I've ever done; a 540deg spin in a FWD car teaches you lots about control!
It seems every time I take a turn on the street with more than "grandma" power, I slide the back around and have to recover it. What am I doing wrong? Nto smooth enough? Too soon? Too much?
TXR
PS- Driving school was the best thing I've ever done; a 540deg spin in a FWD car teaches you lots about control!