Understeer

[boombexus]

Understeer can be the most frustrating of car behaviour. Understeer is when the front tires slide out and lose traction before the rear tires.
Here are some suggestions to correct a understeering vehicle.

Understeer Corrections

• 
  Soften front shocks.
  Stiffen rear shocks
  Lower front end
  Rasie rear end
  Soften front sway bar
  Stiffen rear sway bar
  More front toe out
  Reduce rear toe in slightly
  Increase front negative camber
  Soften front springs
  Stiffen rear springs
  May need more front suspension travel (decrease damper bound)
  Use softer front compound if possible
  Use harder rear compaound if possible
  Drive a different line
  Use weight transfer to your advantage
  High speed, increase front wing downforce
  Too much front brake

 

[DrivECrasH]

Thank you very much for your useful information.. I've been looking for something to help explain this a little better. I understand the basics of how settings in cars work, but not to a raceing degree.

I shall now go play with my personal favorite.. my Savanna RX-7 Infini III.. it's a peice in the corners, but i'm trying to work on that.. (first car love)

Thanks for the info all!

 

[Drifting Thunda]

The only thing I dissagree with is the soften front sway bar bit. I'm not 100% sure, but if you do that then less force is applied to the outside front tire on the initial turn-in, and if that is the case then it will be more vulnerable to losing grip, which would generate more understeer.

A stiffer front sway bar will apply more pressure on the outside front tire (where the weight shifts) during the initial turn-in which would translate to more grip and less understeer.

The front and rear sway bars aren't much related, so stiffening the rear and front won't upset any real balance, it will only help the vehicle's handling so long as they aren't excessively stiff.

Again, I'm not 100% sure on this, but this is what I've been led to believe so far.

 

[turbotim3]

it's simple. no matter what you are talking about { shocks, springs, sway bars or tire pressure} stiff = understeer -soft = oversteer. finding the perfect balance takes time and patience.

 

[sukerkin]

I'd be interested in your sources on Stabalisers, Drifting Thunder, as that is amost totally opposite to the texts I've read on the subject.

The only tuning school of thought that I know of that emphasises the Front Stabaliser to diminish understeer are the Japanese.

That's because they habitually use tyre stagger to compensate for the understeer a stiff front bar creates. The combination of big grippy tyres at one end and a big stiff bar does generate grip (they wouldn't do it if it didn't work after all ) but you'd be better off in the long term not using such a stiff front bar..