Backing it in!!

[lengster1]

This is the best way i can describe a "moment" in the rs4,braking fairly hard into a right hander carrying the brakes into the turn,the arse end is light and results in a slide which required steering into,completely in its stride no fuss no drama but wouldnt mind dialing it out if poss what do you guys think? Anti roll bars will help im sure but weight transfer and brakes bias also? My drc is leaking at both fronts and knocking over speed bumps do you think this will contribute?

[Revolution]

Hi Lengster

For my 2p worth and not wanting to lecture you at all but....

Thats a habit you need to get out of as it will catch you out one day.

Do your braking in a staright line, drop a gear and use the mechanical grip to power you round the corner.
If front end washes out - you have an option to back off gently to help you out.
If the rear kicks out - oppo lock and a bit of throttle should suffice.

Better still, turn off all the esp, traction malarky and you will enjoy yourself even more!!
I think bars and other upgrades will keep the car flatter but you will enter at a higher speed and the problem may be exaggerated.

Question if anyone knows:
I prefer to left foot brake and does anyone know if a remap can turn off the system that prevents throttle and brakes at the same time?


Hope that helps you and again not wanting to lecture anyone.

Glenn

[Nib]

Question if anyone knows:
I prefer to left foot brake and does anyone know if a remap can turn off the system that prevents throttle and brakes at the same time?

These insidious systems are creeping in all over the place on all types of cars. I even saw one article that claimed that cutting the throttle when using the brakes was a safety feature designed to prevent "Toyota-type" run away problems!

My mother's automatic Honda Jazz, which usually creeps, rolls backwards on any hill when you lift off the footbrake away from the lights. How dangerous is that!

I think you'll be struggling to deactivate it. No place for it on ANY performance car.

[PetrolDave]

My drc is leaking at both fronts and knocking over speed bumps do you think this will contribute?

You're driving a car with faulty suspension that hard?

Sorry, but that's just crazy.

[North_Wind]

Indeed. Brake on the straight. Drop a gear if you need. Constant throttle through the bend until you can see the horizon clear, then accelerate. Don't rely on all the gizmos to keep you right, not least because the habits will get engrained and you will get caught out in less well-behaved car.

[adsgreen]

Now whilst there's nothing wrong with braking and turning... if you do right... in the instance above I think it's fair to say you were still braking too hard when you initated the turn.
Whilst you could adjust the suspension to deal with this case what you'll end up doing is have an understeering car in other not quite so extreme circumstances.

There's nothing you can do about weight transfer apart from taking some weight out of the car - this is a function of mass, centre of gravity and wheelbase. All adjustments to the suspension do is adjust how the car reacts to a given weight transfer load it doesn't stop the amount thats going on.

That being said, brake bias can help in these situations - if the back is stepping out that much under braking then move the bias forwards. That way you're giving the rears less work to do (more cornering than braking)

[sonny]

One good thing about our AWD systems, is that you can trail brake longer, also apply accelerator prior to apex. The car has a tendency to naturally under steer do to the dynamics of the vehicle, i.e. engine forward of front Axel, Stiffer ARBs may exaggerate this as above.

[lengster1]

Ok maybe ive not put it across vey well,i didnt go steaming in late on the brakes because id overcooked it,id trailed them in towards the apex because thats the best way of dealing with this particular selection of bends,ive done the road on many an occasion im many high performance cars/motorbikes but never had a car do this hence the post,does anyone else find they get light at the rear even in a straight line? My DRC is border line ok according to its seepage levels down the struts but am wondering how much pressure it may have lost,anyone else have the same handling findings under braking?

[Revolution]

Thats a fair point - maybe get those checked out asap just to be on the safe side...

[neckarsulm]

Correct me if I am wrong but soft front shocks can cause roll over steer.
I had a moment on damp road when the rear felt like it went light, wasn't driving that full on either but maybe came off the brakes a little later that I should have - prob a B5 RS4 habit for me and Lengster, no chance of wagging one of those tails (unless your name is Lucas and you have 500+ PS)

[caldy]

Didn't CAR Magazine describe the B7 RS4 as 'busy under braking'?

[Dom81]

Didn't CAR Magazine describe the B7 RS4 as 'busy under braking'?

Evo certainly did - it's still there in the Knowledge, but of course gets a 5 star rating!

[Bladerider]

You're describing one of my favourite driving sensations !!

Nothing wrong with it if you are inciting it on purpose, in fact it was the best way to get the GT3 to bite on the front end before planting the throttle on some bends !!

Not really pushed the RS4 yet so couldnt give an answer with any experience, but I would say that if your DRC is leaking and the shocks are possibly allowing more movement then perhaps the system is allowing more weight transfer forwards than the cars normal balance can handle and hence the rear end coming round a tad. Either way its hardly a deadly sin !!!

Enjoy yourself, thats why we buy these things.

j.

[adsgreen]

Shocks only affect how quickly the load from weight transfer reaches the tyre. Having a soft shock means it takes longer for the tyre to react to the weight conversely a stiff shock means the tyres gets loaded quicker.
Assuming the front shocks are shot and so considerably softer relative to the rear then the car will tend to oversteer.

[lengster1]

Arent the shocks linked across corners? So if the fronts have weeped and lost gas then the pressure will be reduced in the whole system yes? or are the fronts sealed independantly? surely not? This is what i have in the back of my mind,pressure is low and reducing damping pressure therefore allowing too much squating or weight transfer when pushed! Or is it a characteristic of the car?