Avoiding Fishtailing

[ShiftTab]

So I've been going roughly 20-25 mph while making left turns and there's a bump near my freeway entrance and every time I get into the freeway, my car fishtails a bit as I drive over that bump.

What would be the best thing to do to avoid fishtailing? Z rated tires? Endlinks? Drive slower?

[Hussain]

you fishtale? ive gotten bored on empty roads and could never do that! even in the rain! FWD just gives control, even when you break traction it just feels so controlled.... played with my brother's mustang in the rain and only went half throttle or less and the car did a 360.... idk how your making your FWD fishtale, that seems like something only a RWD car can do.

[Sentientbydesign]

Probably more of a "hop" than actual fishtailing. That's kind of weird. Do you have any suspension mods?

Maybe trunk weight?

[headhunt3r]

Sounds like it's just wheel hop from the bump. Remember in a turn your momentum is tangent to your turn, so if your wheels hop off the ground for a bit, your back end will kick out a little bit, but I highly doubt it's really fishtailing your AC.

[LongBeachCoupe]

Def wheel hop... I get it all the time driving in NY around areas where they have metal plates in the pavement to accomodate for temp changes.

[ShiftTab]

Hmm yeah it is a bit of a hop when when the tires catch back on, but my tires slide a bit in the rear. Nothing in my trunk except a skateboard.

[ShiftTab]

So it's normal right? There's nothing I can do to make the car a bit more balanced?

[LongBeachCoupe]

Its balanced.. the road isnt!

Imagine yourself running, and someone pulls a jumprope into your shins and you hop over it... same thing is happening in the car... Theres nothing to do to stop it.. but be warned when that area is wet...

I was on the FDR (a highway in manhattan) one day in my mustang and I went over one of these plates while switching lanes (with snow on the ground)... I spun around and luckily didnt get hit!

[ShiftTab]

Wow, good thing it doesn't rain too often in L.A. Thanks for the heads up!

[PHENOMenalVinyl]

So it's normal right? There's nothing I can do to make the car a bit more balanced?

its normal for the circumstance. Like LBC said he lives in ny and so do i this s*** happens all the time. Its only feeling like a fishtale bc when you hit the bump ur azz end goes up a lil so itll feel like a slide. Take your car to a parking lot "wen its raining, bc otherwise you will use up ur tires more" and go about 40 and rip the ebrake and or just the reg brake. Turn the whell at the same time and get a feel for the car. Its best to find a parking lot with no poles imo lol.

But if u wanna help it drop it and get better tires may help. But than again who knows could just be that on ramp

[LongBeachCoupe]

lowering the car would increase the amount of hop if I am thinking correctly matt...

[PHENOMenalVinyl]

lowering the car would increase the amount of hop if I am thinking correctly matt...

yes but having stiffer springs may make it hit the bump better like the car wont move as much...BRIAN lol

[headhunt3r]

yes but having stiffer springs may make it hit the bump better like the car wont move as much...BRIAN lol

Since the Eibach's would have a stiffer spring rate, it would make sense that the car as a whole would be launched more since the spring would absorb less of the bounce. I think LBC's got this one

[kyle@stillen]

My suggestion...The Mach 5 Speed Racer bunny hop button...just skip right over that little bump and you're good!

Seriously though I'd be surprised if this was any sort of sliding or fishtailing going on. Are you having to counter-steer to prevent the car from spinning or anything?

[losenone]

Um yeah, the springs make you hit a lot more bumps matt lol. As for fishtailing, its pretty difficult to do that with a FWD car.

If your whole backend is moving with making a 20mph turn, youve got a serious problem. Are your suspension/tires stock?

[ESP]

Um yeah, the springs make you hit a lot more bumps matt lol. As for fishtailing, its pretty difficult to do that with a FWD car.

I used to think so...until last winter. I've commented before on just how crappy the 2.5s are in the snow, and this is the story I've told: last x-mas on my way back into Alberta (from BC) I was on a flat, straight road that was obviously pretty slick. Traffic was doing about 80-90ish, and even at 80 I felt the car was mighty unstable...I had to keep countersteering to keep the car straight. At this point, I decided to test exactly what would happen if I kept the wheel perfectly straight. After all, a FWD car can't fishtail while going in a straight line...right? Wow was I wrong... Within about five seconds of my stiff-arm driving, the car began to go sideways.

I love my car...

...just not in the winter.

[ShiftTab]

My suggestion...The Mach 5 Speed Racer bunny hop button...just skip right over that little bump and you're good!

Seriously though I'd be surprised if this was any sort of sliding or fishtailing going on. Are you having to counter-steer to prevent the car from spinning or anything?

Nah, no counter steering, it's like the back end is just catching on after hopping. like LBC analogy with running, I guess that makes the most sense.

If your whole backend is moving with making a 20mph turn, youve got a serious problem. Are your suspension/tires stock?

Yes 17" stock tire/rim

[losenone]

I assume your pressure is where it should be? How many miles since you last got your tired balanced/rotated?

[ShiftTab]

I assume your pressure is where it should be? How many miles since you last got your tired balanced/rotated?

Tires rotated roughly 5k miles ago, I'm due for another oil change. pressure is good.

[losenone]

How hard are you cutting the wheel if at all, your car should never fishtail at all especially doing 20-25MPH

[ShiftTab]

How hard are you cutting the wheel if at all, your car should never fishtail at all especially doing 20-25MPH

Cutting moderately fast, but it's the long bump on the road that's making me slide a bit.

[dldjros69]

Traffic was doing about 80-90ish, and even at 80 I felt the car was mighty unstable...I had to keep countersteering to keep the car straight.

MPH or KPH?

The stockers on the 2.5 are garbage. I was hydroplaning doing 60 mph in the rain. I just rotated them. The tires i moved to the back are almost beat. Advan S4's before the first snow.

[Rmuth25]

So I've been going roughly 20-25 mph while making left turns and there's a bump near my freeway entrance and every time I get into the freeway, my car fishtails a bit as I drive over that bump.

What would be the best thing to do to avoid fishtailing? Z rated tires? Endlinks? Drive slower?

Sounds more like you rear wheels jump in the air and that moves the car sideways. I dont think its easily done/possible to fishtale a front wheel drive car.

[ESP]

MPH or KPH?

The stockers on the 2.5 are garbage. I was hydroplaning doing 60 mph in the rain. I just rotated them. The tires i moved to the back are almost beat. Advan S4's before the first snow.

KPH dude...I'm in Alberta......and this wasn't with the POS stockers. This was with brand new Michelin X-Ice winter tires (consistently rated among the top five winter tires).

[mikegtr06]

With a full tank of gas bigger rsb and bald rear tires it's easier tan you think...

[mcheddadi]

So I've been going roughly 20-25 mph while making left turns and there's a bump near my freeway entrance and every time I get into the freeway, my car fishtails a bit as I drive over that bump.

What would be the best thing to do to avoid fishtailing? Z rated tires? Endlinks? Drive slower?

VDC

lol, to drift you either have positive camber in the rear, bald tires or one big a** rear sway bar

[FGFCacoupe]

Coilovers will solve your problem

[marlin29311]

Yes 17" stock tire/rim

Actually, and I'm suprised no one mentioned this, the fact that you're fishtailing more than you would like is because of the s***ty OEM Turanzas. Those things slide more than a day at Formula D...seriously.

If you want to look to cut down sliding in the rear (another big issue is the 67/33 front to back weight ratio...not much weight in the back...), I would consider buying tires that have a lot more grip, possibly either getting new wheels with a wider rim, or going to 235/50/17 on your stock 17's.

[Sentientbydesign]

Actually, and I'm suprised no one mentioned this, the fact that you're fishtailing more than you would like is because of the s***ty OEM Turanzas. Those things slide more than a day at Formula D...seriously.

If you want to look to cut down sliding in the rear (another big issue is the 67/33 front to back weight ratio...not much weight in the back...), I would consider buying tires that have a lot more grip, possibly either getting new wheels with a wider rim, or going to 235/50/17 on your stock 17's.

I didn't realize there was so much forward mass bias. It makes sense, but I never knew.

What would be kind of interesting would be to move all non-essentials to the rear. I can only think of the battery and windshield wiper fluid.

Oh and just for fun... ...Titanium header back exhaust, and a cast iron muffler

[LinkNuc]

Ah yes, I have the wheel hop too in a few corners on my way home from work...really just need to anticipate and slow it down, wheel hop damn near put into the rail last winter...