# understear problem



## Yeahkillah (Jul 19, 2004)

some times when i take a hair pin corner too fast the front wheels will lock up and i go straight....ive got springs and my shocks are still in the box...will the shocks help..maybe bushings..i have falkin zeix in the front they should grip...when i gun it, it "240sx" will only go straight...do all 240 have bad understear or most likly i dont know what im talking about


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## 2Fass240us (Aug 2, 2004)

Yeahkillah said:


> do all 240 have bad understear or most likly i dont know what im talking about


Most modern consumer cars will have at least some understeer from the factory, because understeer is safer and will result in fewer lawsuits against in the company. The 240 is no exception.

I would suggest doing some research about how to dial in understeer or oversteer. Off the top of my head (since I'm a nice guy  ), you can do some of the following things to reduce understeer:

> Reduce front swaybar stiffness / increase rear
> Reduce rear tire "stickiness" / increase front
> Reduce rear wheel width / increase front

These are relatively easy to accomplish. I would suggest trying a tire that's certifiably less grippy than the Zeix's you have now, and see how that feels. Borrow a friend's rear 240 wheels or something. Just be safe when you're trying it out, and leave plenty of (ahem)parking lot room for error. :thumbup:


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## mudder (Aug 9, 2004)

There are lots of variables that could be causing your understeer issues. Front and rear suspension setup, tires/wheels, body/frame flex, driving technique, etc. 
Just how fast are you heading into the turn? Maybe you're just going in too deep or on the wrong line. Personally I'd hate to spend time and money on parts when I just needed to change something in my technique.


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## 2Fass240us (Aug 2, 2004)

mudder said:


> Just how fast are you heading into the turn? Maybe you're just going in too deep or on the wrong line. Personally I'd hate to spend time and money on parts when I just needed to change something in my technique.


Hehe...good point. I thought about this after I posted, and figured someone else would point it out. And you didn't disappoint! Good joerb!

One thing to point out: you aren't braking into the turn are you? I used to make this mistake autocrossing my ITR (granted, it was FWD), but soon learned that hard braking + turning = bad, um-kay!  We could go into a lot more detail about how to handle turns in the 240, but driving methodologies are not easily conveyed over the internet. Try picking up a few driving books and see if that helps with your technique. Or attend a driving school, autocross school, or ride with an experienced (RWD)driver. Any one of these will likely help.

-Andy


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## Nizmodore (May 9, 2003)

2Fass240us said:


> Most modern consumer cars will have at least some understeer from the factory, because understeer is safer and will result in fewer lawsuits against in the company. The 240 is no exception.


Lol, you haven't driven my car  Snap oversteer......  ...and thats stock....

Are you doing a weight transfer? or just strait into the corner? 

Yes and you don't need huge tyres up the front to get you car to handle well, I think Alfa Romeo proved that point years ago with only 165, 60 profile, R14's
The problem is when you put huge tyres on the front you upset your suspension Geometry big time (still it maybe diffrent on a 240SX).....I assume the stock tyres are 205, 60 Profile, R15's? Have you tried reverting to stock? I ran into this trouble big time (granted its not a Nissan) on my car I found going from 235, 17's on the front to 205, 60 Profile R 15's fixed it.....

Bigger tyres do NOT make a good handleing car....


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## lil prison woman (Jul 1, 2004)

2Fass240us said:


> > Reduce front swaybar stiffness / decrease rear


doesnt reduce and decrease mean the same thing :loser:


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## 2Fass240us (Aug 2, 2004)

Ksilvia8 said:


> doesnt reduce and decrease mean the same thing :loser:


Nitpicky beotch! I edited it just for you.


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## Joel (Jun 11, 2003)

first port of call is get the toe-out/in set to neutral


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## spec240sx (Aug 22, 2004)

I love it when we get SOOO mUUcHcHhHHh INFO!  
It's like when the OLD lady comes in and says her car is making noise.. You do EVERYTHING you can to find it and NOT!!!
When she comes back, you tell her: " MAM, we could not pinpoint the problem, yet did adjust and top the fluids for you at no charge "
She says: Thank You and you all did not hear it?
We say: NO MAM.
So Joe starts the car to back it out of the garage and she says: " THAT's IT, Hear that rattle!??
she owns a 98 Deisel MB 300


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## NIsmo_S13 (Aug 31, 2004)

u can always adjust ur cambers like this:








lol if i learn'd anything from Grand Turismo A-spec it was that adjusting ur cambers will improve conering but reduces braking a bit.


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## Asura (Aug 27, 2004)

if the front struts in the car are worn out (blown, leaking, etc...), then that's the problem there. replace them, see if the car still understeer. FME, the 240 does understeer, but not so bad that it'll simply plunge outward of the corner (assuming driven correctly). in anycase, before you start throwing money at the problem, try experimenting with tire pressure.


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## scse12977 (Aug 31, 2004)

well after reading your posting i think you need to take your foot off the brake. if your front tires are locking up then ur on the brakes. all that weight transfer and braking action is too much for the ziex tires. try this. take the same corner and as soon as it starts to understeer let go of the brakes and prepare for turning action. 

you could also change your line through the corner that may help as well. or just clutch kick. :thumbup: 

um so you dont think im talking out of my butt here is my background

ASE certified tech in everything but Automatics
CA Enhanced smog tech
I drive mountian roads late at nite sideways. 


Have fun and be safe. oh and stay off the brakes.


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## Joel (Jun 11, 2003)

also get your castor adjusted to maximum. Get some castor offset bushes if necessary. This will help your turn in.


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## bridrive55 (Aug 26, 2004)

*Tire Pressure*

I also experienced serious problems with understeering during drift attempts (incredibly embarassing) with my S13. Being in college and thus unbelievably poor, I found that raising the pressure on my front tires to 40-ish made them hold better, while my rear tires are at about 30. I don't know if that helps, because I don't use Ziex tires, but messing with tire pressure can have wonderful effects; kind of like magical brownies.
Be careful about testing how much your car can take before it understeers. The afforementioned parking lot is good. I say this because my good friend Matt was killed by understeer.


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