Well guys, finally installed both fronts and rears with the Tein SS and am pretty happy. However after hitting a round of off/on ramps, I actually got the car to oversteer but not just a typical oversteer, but a power oversteer which happens as you are coming out of a turn and hit the gas causing your rears to slide out.

Luckily I came out of it without doing a 180 or 360, but man was my car fishtailing like a bitch as I was trying to correct by steering into the slide and keeping my foot on the throttle so weight transfer wouldn't surge forward (otherwise, weight transfers to front, rear loses more traction, and you get more oversteer).

Afterwards, examining my car further, I narrowed the cause to a couple of scenarios:
1. rear tires were worn, thus all traction at the front
correction = put tires with more tread in the rear
2. front suspension was set up softer than the rears
correction = stiffen up the front suspension so it's stiffer than the rears

Other option is to raise the perches so the fronts are a little bit higher than the rears to bias the rear with more weight so the back stays down, increasing traction.

Other option, increase width of rear tires and use a softer rubber compound for the rears for more traction.


Just a couple of notes to help better neutralize the steering in our cars (especially if you're running aftermarket suspenion, rims, tires) because oversteer in a front wheel drive car isn't as fun as oversteer in a rear wheel drive car!

 

edit:


Well guys, finally installed both fronts and rears with the Tein SS and am pretty happy. However after hitting a round of off/on ramps, I actually got the car to oversteer but not just a typical oversteer, but a power oversteer which happens as you are coming out of a turn and hit the gas causing your rears to slide out.

Luckily I came out of it without doing a 180 or 360, but man was my car fishtailing like a bitch as I was trying to correct by steering into the slide and keeping my foot on the throttle so weight transfer wouldn't surge forward (otherwise, weight transfers to front, rear loses more traction, and you get more oversteer).

Afterwards, examining my car further, I narrowed the cause to a couple of scenarios:
1. rear tires were worn, thus all traction at the front
correction = put tires with more tread in the rear
2. front suspension was set up softer than the rears
correction = stiffen up the front suspension so it's stiffer than the rears

Other option is to raise the perches so the fronts are a little bit higher than the rears to bias the rear with more weight so the back stays down, increasing traction.

Other option, increase width of rear tires and use a softer rubber compound for the rears for more traction.


Just a couple of notes to help better neutralize the steering in our cars (especially if you're running aftermarket suspenion, rims, tires) because oversteer in a front wheel drive car isn't as fun as oversteer in a rear wheel drive car!

 

How about a rear sway bar, and stiffening up the rear a bit more than the front?

 

Comptech RSB already installed. Really just need to get some new rubber on all 4 corners.

After researching more on oversteer, came across this link for corrections.
Makes for a good, quick read. Drive safe!

http://rogerkrausracing.com/overundr.html

 

Doesnt a RSB induces more oversteer and less understeer????

 

Yup, but alot of other factors to consider such as:
1. Tire Tread
2. Tire compound
3. Ride height front
4. Ride height back
5. spring rates
6. Suspension/dampening setting on front and rear
7. weight characteristics of car (FWD typically front heavy)
8. Strut bars
9. Sway bars
10. Tire profile
11. Air tire pressure
12. and of course the driver haha!

I'm sure there's others I've left out....

 

If you soften the front end of the car you will yield more on power steering.
If you stiffen the front end of the car you will yield more off power steering.

 

Do the Tein's come assembled now? When I got mine back in the day you had to assemble them yourself.

 

yup, front struts now on 16 clicks for maximum stiffness and new 245/35 Federals arriving this weekend.

 

unfortunately no. still gotta mount the tops hats but is much easier on a coilover setup. Just twist the perch rings all the way to the bottom to relieve any spring pressure, then mount the top hat - no need for the nasty spring compressors!

Then mout the assembly, adjust the perch rings. Soooo much easier.

 

Ok here is the reason I ask. Are you sure you have the right springs in the front and the rear? Reason being a lot of people that want more oversteer or at least want to power drift more easily will swap the spings. The softer rates in the front and the stiffer rates in the rear. This will cause the car to oversteer essentially causing a drifting technique.

Edit: Spring compressors? Who uses those.... lol.... I have never needed them which is a great thing. Learned a few tricks of the trade over the years.

 

What's the rear set at? I'm still at 8 and 8 but I want to adjust and play with it.

 

14 right now. may bring it down 1 notch to 13 but gonna wait and see how things are with new rubber, balance, and alignment. My fronts are set at about 12.5 inches from spindle to fender, and lucky 13 inches at the rears.

 

well at least according to their website, I have the fronts in the fronts, and the rear springs at the rears.

haha, yeah with my luck with out using the spring compressor, i'd probably shoot my eye out or have some other freak accident. I've seen other guys, just unsrcrew the nut without using the compressor and watch the top hat fly across the room. If It doesn't end up hitting me, it'll probably ricochet off the wall and hit my windshield or some shyt.

 

edit above:

man, oversteering / drifting in a front wheel drive car is totally different than RWD. No problem with RWD fishtailing, but on an FWD car it felt waaay different. Much harder to control but then again coming out of my exit I only had 1.5 lanes to work with since it was a raised median on my left and a solid barricade on my right. I got damn lucky I didn't crash into anything! Makes me want to go practice more just in case.

 

Remember all you need to do in a FWD car is put the pedal to the metal and the car will pull itself outta the drift.

Some FF cars drifting... http://youtube.com/watch?v=otmaRuQNSTA

 

haha, yeah I figured that out when riding the throttle wasn't doing jack! you definitely gotta floor it. great vid! that's hott! now I gotta find a "track" to practice on haha!

 

Was your VSA turned on ? If so, did the VSA help to retain control of the car in this "situation" ?

 

I'm pretty sure I had it off. It probably wouldn't have mattered anyway as my front suspension was set waaaaay to soft.

 

My TL oversteers as well. I have the TEIN and comptech RSB. The suspension was set at 2 in front and 0 in the rear.

 

Run a local autocross. It is a great way to safely learn/practice car control. Your lap times will show how good you are getting.

 

Going to attend a lapping day at the seattle pacific raceway on Monday. Hopfully my TL won't handle too bad.

 

If "0" click position indicates the very stiffest setting (the way it comes from the factory) then it makes sense if you have a little oversteer since your fronts are set softer.