understeer mods help

Gq1304 · 07-16-2008, 08:49 AM

hey everyone so i was jsut playing around with my sti and whenever i am on the gas during a 90 degree turn it keeps going straight until i hit the brake then it turns. im not the best track racer and i know the more i do it i will know how to over some understeer but i wanted to know if front/rear strut bar, front/rear sway bars would help with understeer any? i do plan on getting full coilovers on my car but i will probably do that last, because i am a drag racer and am trying to finish my turbo upgrade first. i do know the better i get at track racing the understeer will be easier to over come but i was just curous if theyh would help

i am not a track racer i just like to have fun sometimes and go through some turns just messing around. and if the strut bars and sway bars would help do you guys recommend any specific brand. thanks

**boondocksaint** · 07-16-2008, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gq1304

hey everyone so i was jsut playing around with my sti and whenever i am on the gas during a 90 degree turn it keeps going straight until i hit the brake then it turns. im not the best track racer and i know the more i do it i will know how to over some understeer but i wanted to know if front/rear strut bar, front/rear sway bars would help with understeer any? i do plan on getting full coilovers on my car but i will probably do that last, because i am a drag racer and am trying to finish my turbo upgrade first. i do know the better i get at track racing the understeer will be easier to over come but i was just curous if theyh would help

i am not a track racer i just like to have fun sometimes and go through some turns just messing around. and if the strut bars and sway bars would help do you guys recommend any specific brand. thanks

Strut bars are not going to help. Sway bars will as will more negative camber up front.

ccc187307 · 07-16-2008, 09:00 AM

You need to get the front tires loaded for traction. Let off the friggin' gas!

**boondocksaint** · 07-16-2008, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccc187307

You need to get the front tires loaded for traction. Let off the friggin' gas!

Depends on the turn. Camber will help a ton, as will goof tires. Either way, lightly modded STis are typically slow in - fast out cars. This is not always the case (sweepers, esses, etc.).

One input per corner, please. Brake, then turn, then gas.

chaos311clarity · 07-16-2008, 09:35 AM

throw it harder into the corner... the diff will become "active" and itll push.

JPotter · 07-16-2008, 09:45 AM

Too little info on what kind of understeer you are having....

Are you finishing your braking before you turn?

Does it understeer at corner entry?

What about steady-state? (midcorner)

How are transitions?

From how I read your OP, would it be fair to say if understeers on power application - AFTER the APEX? That should be when you are getting on the gas......

Gq1304 · 07-16-2008, 10:02 AM

i brake before the turn and power through the turn usually, and if i am taking a right hand turn the car will push out tho the left until i tap the brake to turn, sometimes i can power through the whole turn but not all the time. then righyt befoere the end of the turn i get o the gas more. thanks for the quick reply

**boondocksaint** · 07-16-2008, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gq1304

i brake before the turn and power through the turn usually, and if i am taking a right hand turn the car will push out tho the left until i tap the brake to turn, sometimes i can power through the whole turn but not all the time. then righyt befoere the end of the turn i get o the gas more. thanks for the quick reply

Back when I was stock (not long ago), I had similar issues. When you brake after corner entry, you never recover that speed. Brake more before you turn and you should be golden.

chaos311clarity · 07-16-2008, 10:22 AM

when you brake after corner entry you are upsetting the balance of the car and could cause some way bigger problems than understeer... like a crash.

all youll see is sky, road, sky , road, ditch.

**boondocksaint** · 07-16-2008, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chaos311clarity

when you brake after corner entry you are upsetting the balance of the car and could cause some way bigger problems than understeer... like a crash.

all youll see is sky, road, sky , road, ditch.

Only in extreme cases. Trail braking (braking through a corner for those that do not know) is not something to be done without knowing how. I tried it on the track a few times. It

me. A driving school will help me solve that issue, as soon as I can find and afford one.

As far as making the car more neutral, which is the thread's question, I still think sways and camber are the first/least expensive way to do it.

stretch · 07-16-2008, 11:57 AM

More rear sway bar.

**GTWORX.com** · 07-16-2008, 12:08 PM

More seat time.

Seriously, try an auto-cross and have an instructor ride with you. You'll be faster then you would if you just added parts. And autocrosses are cheap.

- Andrew

JPotter · 07-16-2008, 12:11 PM

Based on what you've said it sounds like not enough bar and you are going in too hot to the corner. The STi is very much a slow-in fast-out car. If you don't slow enough you are just going to push unless you are just throwing the car into a corner - which feels fast i.e. probably more peak g's, but not as much sustained g's as a proper entry speed and line.

Like Stretch said, you would most likely benefit from a rear sway bar. I would argue get both front and rear. A front bar will really help with understeer on transitions, turn-in, and the terrible camber curve on the STi. The rear bar will help reduce understeer mid-corner to corner exit.

pharo · 07-16-2008, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boondocksaint

Only in extreme cases. Trail braking (braking through a corner for those that do not know) is not something to be done without knowing how. I tried it on the track a few times. It

me. A driving school will help me solve that issue, as soon as I can find and afford one.

Trail braking, every time I try it out, I just thank God that it worked, and I didn't hit like ten cones. But, as the fear is fading, I am starting to feel confident entering with more speed, and getting rotation around larger sweepers. Sorry for that OT haha.

I second what Myles wrote. Go to an auto-x let an instructor drive your car, and you will see what your car is capable of. Then, try and get as much ride-a-long time with him/her as possible. Trust me, you will learn some good habits to minimize understeer.

**boondocksaint** · 07-16-2008, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pharo

Trail braking, every time I try it out, I just thank God that it worked, and I didn't hit like ten cones. But, as the fear is fading, I am starting to feel confident entering with more speed, and getting rotation around larger sweepers. Sorry for that OT haha.

[offtopic]

Understeering at autocross = cone rash. Understeering at Waterford Hills where I do track days = wadded-up Subie.

Big difference between the two. Carrying 70 - 90 mph into a corner and trying to trail brake is a lot scarier (I think) than collecting a few cones at 30 - 40 mph.

YMMV.

[/offtopic]

OP - get a rear sway and some endlinks. Then report back.

07-16-2008, 08:49 AM	#1
Gq1304 Junior STI Driver Car: Silver 05 WRX STi Fav Mod: My RFL Turboback Exhaust Location: the 7o7 backwards Posts: 56 Join Date: Apr 2007 Trader Rating: (0)	understeer mods help hey everyone so i was jsut playing around with my sti and whenever i am on the gas during a 90 degree turn it keeps going straight until i hit the brake then it turns. im not the best track racer and i know the more i do it i will know how to over some understeer but i wanted to know if front/rear strut bar, front/rear sway bars would help with understeer any? i do plan on getting full coilovers on my car but i will probably do that last, because i am a drag racer and am trying to finish my turbo upgrade first. i do know the better i get at track racing the understeer will be easier to over come but i was just curous if theyh would help i am not a track racer i just like to have fun sometimes and go through some turns just messing around. and if the strut bars and sway bars would help do you guys recommend any specific brand. thanks This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.

07-16-2008, 09:00 AM	#3
ccc187307 Senior STI Driver Car: AW 08 STi Fav Mod: USA for MOD Location: Northcentral PA Posts: 342 Join Date: Jun 2008 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: understeer mods help You need to get the front tires loaded for traction. Let off the friggin' gas!

07-16-2008, 09:35 AM	#5
chaos311clarity STI Guru Car: 05 CGM STi Fav Mod: grip. Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 5,757 Join Date: Aug 2006 Trader Rating: (7)	Re: understeer mods help throw it harder into the corner... the diff will become "active" and itll push.

07-16-2008, 09:45 AM	#6
JPotter Junior STI Driver Car: 05 WRX STi Fav Mod: RCE Tarmac-2's! Location: St. Louis Posts: 77 Join Date: Jan 2008 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: understeer mods help Too little info on what kind of understeer you are having.... Are you finishing your braking before you turn? Does it understeer at corner entry? What about steady-state? (midcorner) How are transitions? From how I read your OP, would it be fair to say if understeers on power application - AFTER the APEX? That should be when you are getting on the gas......

07-16-2008, 10:02 AM	#7
Gq1304 Junior STI Driver Car: Silver 05 WRX STi Fav Mod: My RFL Turboback Exhaust Location: the 7o7 backwards Posts: 56 Join Date: Apr 2007 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: understeer mods help i brake before the turn and power through the turn usually, and if i am taking a right hand turn the car will push out tho the left until i tap the brake to turn, sometimes i can power through the whole turn but not all the time. then righyt befoere the end of the turn i get o the gas more. thanks for the quick reply

07-16-2008, 10:22 AM	#9
chaos311clarity STI Guru Car: 05 CGM STi Fav Mod: grip. Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 5,757 Join Date: Aug 2006 Trader Rating: (7)	Re: understeer mods help when you brake after corner entry you are upsetting the balance of the car and could cause some way bigger problems than understeer... like a crash. all youll see is sky, road, sky , road, ditch.

07-16-2008, 11:57 AM	#11
stretch Silver Member Car: Aspen 2005 STi Fav Mod: TurnInConcepts.com Coilovers Location: Silver Spring, MD Posts: 1,811 Join Date: Mar 2006 Trader Rating: (2)	Re: understeer mods help More rear sway bar.

07-16-2008, 12:08 PM	#12
GTWORX.com Authorized Vendor Car: 06 B-SPEC Legacy wit Fav Mod: AP Pedals and Motons Location: SEE the NEW SITE www.GTWO Posts: 1,105 Join Date: Oct 2005 Trader Rating: (3)	Re: understeer mods help More seat time. Seriously, try an auto-cross and have an instructor ride with you. You'll be faster then you would if you just added parts. And autocrosses are cheap. - Andrew

07-16-2008, 12:11 PM	#13
JPotter Junior STI Driver Car: 05 WRX STi Fav Mod: RCE Tarmac-2's! Location: St. Louis Posts: 77 Join Date: Jan 2008 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: understeer mods help Based on what you've said it sounds like not enough bar and you are going in too hot to the corner. The STi is very much a slow-in fast-out car. If you don't slow enough you are just going to push unless you are just throwing the car into a corner - which feels fast i.e. probably more peak g's, but not as much sustained g's as a proper entry speed and line. Like Stretch said, you would most likely benefit from a rear sway bar. I would argue get both front and rear. A front bar will really help with understeer on transitions, turn-in, and the terrible camber curve on the STi. The rear bar will help reduce understeer mid-corner to corner exit.