Oversteer and understeer?

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Jaster83

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Just want to make sure I understand exactly what this is. (I know you're all shaking your head and shouting newbie but I'll get over it.)

Understeer: In the turn you're at full lock and the front end comes out then comes back in, right? It'll turn hard, then turn less, then turn hard again, right? (Caused because the front end loses traction)

Oversteer: The back end breaks loose just a little bit causing you to turn harder than you were before the back end broke loose, right?

What's the car do when it "drifts"? is this like where you break the ass end loose throughout the entire corner and flutter the throttle to make it turn more or less?
The reason I ask this is because I've been using a lot of setups from GTVault and sometimes they'll say "all understeer is gone" but I still notice that it does understeer (at least what I call understeer) in certain situations. I would also like to be sure that I'm calling what the car is doing the correct thing when I respond to tuner's setups so that they have as accurate a description as possible of what the car is doing.

Sorry for my n00b-ish question,
--Jaster
 
I really hate to admit it but i haven't figured out what understeer and oversteer are either, but i always thought it was the same thing you said.
 
Under steer is when you turn the car completely in, and the front ends breaks loose before the rear and the car moves out of the corner, it's slow and not fun.

Over steer is when you turn in and the back end breaks loose before the front and wants to spin you around. Slow, but can be fun.

Drifting is when all four tires loose from enter/apex/exit points with the steering in full oposite lock of the corner. (i hope i explained that right). VERY FUN!
 
Think of it in terms of how much the car rotates. If it rotates less than the turn requires, it understeers. If it rotates more than the corner requires, it oversteers.

So, correct as written in the posts above: understeer is when the front loses traction first; oversteer is when the rear loses traction first.

Welcome to GTP!
 
Thank you all for helping to clarify this issue for me.
You hear the terms thrown around a lot and everyone kinda expects n00bs to just *know* what it is they're talking about. I was pretty sure I knew what it was, glad to see I was correct...

I'm still a little confused as to the differences between oversteer and drift though... does anyone have a replay file, or can make a replay file that say, takes turn 1 as "drift" and turn 2 as "oversteer"?

That would definately help me understand the difference between drift and oversteer methinks.


Thanks again,
Jaster
 
Drifting in a sense is oversteer, but in a drift, you control exactly how the car looses traction, and how far/less the cars back end will swing out. When I think of oversteer, I think of a car spinning out when entering or in the middle of a corner. A more simple way is a car doing "cookies" that is a form of oversteer, although it is 'extreme' oversteer.
 
drifting is intentional oversteer

if someone says the car oversteers alot, it just tail happy
 
Oversteer and/or drifting can be done very easily with cars with over 800 bhp...;)
 
oversteer= spin out
understeer = pushig wide on the corner

rwd cars tend to oversteer
fwd cars tend to understeer

what i dont get is why the altezza LM is a natural understeerer when it is rwd... is the front end too light? not enuff front grip?
 
Originally posted by ving
oversteer= spin out
understeer = pushig wide on the corner

rwd cars tend to oversteer
fwd cars tend to understeer

what i dont get is why the altezza LM is a natural understeerer when it is rwd... is the front end too light? not enuff front grip?
Click to expand...
Ah hA! Good thing I found this thread because it's where my highlights are. IMO, it may have to do with the weight of the engine being up front. The front tires therefore have to work harder than the rears. But it's a LM car, it should be the bomb!

Understeer: Understeer can be caused by many things. It can be your alignment (camber, spring rate) or can be traction issues. YOU can also cause it! Give a quick turn and you'll see the front end lose traction first before settling. It's all physics. Not that understeer is really bad but around a racetrack it's not the fastest. Your front tires will essentially have less grip than your rears when in a turn or powering out of a turn. If you want to see understeer in effect, purchase a Integra Type R, bring it up to full power and give it super soft racing tires. Turn off all electronics i.e. Traction Control, Active Stability Control.

Go to a racetrack besides TEST COURSE, go into a slower corner and power out of it like you would in a RWD, AWD car. The front will lose traction and the car will not turn as much. You’ll notice yourself pressing harder on the pad too to turn the car. That is how understeer is.

Oversteer: Drive most of any RWD Car with enough power and you’ll get this right off the bat while in a turn. You’ll notice the rear end will swing around more than that of a AWD, FWD car. Your rear tires will essentially have less grip than your fronts when in a turn or while powering out of a turn.

Drifting is basically a controled slide with a lot of Yaw angle.

FuJi;)
 
Originally posted by FuJi K
.... You’ll notice yourself pressing harder on the pad too to turn the car. That is how understeer is.
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actually i go softer on the accelerator so the front wheels dont slip so much. if i can i approach the corner a little faster and coast as much as i can so understeer doesnt come as much into play.
 
Originally posted by Shinez
convict...Durring drifting countersteer isn't always required
Click to expand...

Indeed, I know this, but thanks for thinking I didn't :rolleyes: :p

The only reason I said it that way, is because most of the videos you will see have the steering in full oppisite lock. I was just trying to make it easier to understand, rather than going into every little aspect of drifting and different types of drifting.
 
Hmm... I was wondering when I posted if anyone would actually respond to my question, glad to see lots of people did! Thanks for all the help in understanding the different terms, it's been very beneficial. (And that Kioni site is cool too, I'm now looking in their catalogue trying to find a kit for a '94 Ford Aspire 8-P)
 
Originally posted by Jaster83

Understeer: In the turn you're at full lock and the front end comes out then comes back in, right? It'll turn hard, then turn less, then turn hard again, right? (Caused because the front end loses traction)

Oversteer: The back end breaks loose just a little bit causing you to turn harder than you were before the back end broke loose, right?

--Jaster [/B]
Click to expand...

wut u just described is what the LSD is doing. it is activated when it turns less and deactivated when it turns more. The LSD is working there. a drift doesn't have to be oversteer but will be more difficult. its a "controlled" slide with the front wheels more or less in the direction its going.
 

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