I don't like driving rear wheel drive. It feels unsafe with 240sx

[vancouverbc]

i bought a 91 240sx a year ago but i still don't feel safe with the rear wheel drive. i have driven front wheel before that. it seems to slip in the rain. the performance tires seem to feel ever bump. i used to drive a sprint with no power steering and it felt better. i now drive quite slow.

[Hijacker]

check your suspension. worn dampers can cause the car to feel squirly. I have driven many FWD and RWD cars and the 240 has been one of the most stout RWD cars I have driven.

[Nathan]

You have to drive extremely fast and recklessly in order to really get the hang of it, I recommend practicing on a high overpass on a rainy day. That, or near a lot of traffic.

[SmithSR]

That's a lousy way to spend your time.. giving foolish nonsense advice in order to pump up your post count.

Repetition is the mother of all skills. If you're afraid to drive a given car, you should drive that car without ceasing. Push yourself to extend beyond your comfort zone. You'll be a better driver, or at least will have overcome your fear.

The s13 is a well sorted chassis, and with the right parts & settings, can be made to perform and handle like a car costing three times it's original retail value.

[vancouverbc]

I was trying to increase my comfort by driving fast along windy mountain roads. The sad part is that even the mobile homes were passing me. I think part of it might be that i did alot of repairs on my old car and I know that brakes etc are not infallable. I guess it is a phobia. I guess i have to test myself by going very fast around corners etc to regain confidence. I am fine on freeways or in the city because the speed limits are so low compared to conditions.

Speaking of phobias, i was driving along a mountain side when the road became one-way and very narrow unexpectantly and there was no barrier . the embankment was straight down for about 2000 ft. i just can't handle heights like that. i just freaked out. i could barely drive.

[Dano]

fear of heights is probly the most common of all phobias, i suffer from it to an extent myself. so i dont blame u for not feeling comfortable on a one-way road with a 2000ft drop off.... that would scare the crap outta me!

-Dan

[D1SR240]

you should go to like an auto cross event, that way you can practice driving fast safley

[seyath]

I have had my S13 only for a couple of weeks now and I have to say that it is one the stoutest cars I have ever driven. Yes, just like any other rear-wheel drive, it will slide out in the rain if you push it a little but If you are going to be driving it in the bad weather, you have to learn how to steer with the rear wheels. I have just driven from The City to my campus from an interview in the crappy *** New York weather and I have to say that I was impressed by how stable the car felt throughout the highway and in the mountain passes by my house. Just keep practicing and dont be afraid to push it just a little at times. That's how I gained the almost immediate confidence I have now in my S13.

[Hijacker]

auto cross has definitely made me a better and more comfortable driver. especially in panic situations.

i had one instance where i took a left turn too fast and the road was uneven and wavey from years of neglect and semi truck use. The next thing I know is that my rear end has drifted out from behind me. Without even thinking, I naturally counter steered, corrected my heading and moved on.

[creophus]

I was trying to increase my comfort by driving fast along windy mountain roads. The sad part is that even the mobile homes were passing me. I think part of it might be that i did alot of repairs on my old car and I know that brakes etc are not infallable. I guess it is a phobia. I guess i have to test myself by going very fast around corners etc to regain confidence. I am fine on freeways or in the city because the speed limits are so low compared to conditions.

Speaking of phobias, i was driving along a mountain side when the road became one-way and very narrow unexpectantly and there was no barrier . the embankment was straight down for about 2000 ft. i just can't handle heights like that. i just freaked out. i could barely drive.

Ummm...yeah, that would scare most of us. Falling off a 2000ft cliff would simply suck!

Don't drive fast on windy roads if you're not comfortable...Practice drifting. Once you learn what it takes to get the car to slide, you'll be more familiar with the limitation of your current setup. I'll bet that you find its a lot harder to get the thing to slide than you expect. Practice this in a safe and secluded area. Sorry the RWD thing is not working well for you. Don't buy into the lies that FWD is better. Remember that BMW & Mercedes among many other high-end luxury cars are RWD. FWD is cheaper, but not necessarily safer.

[masticatingcow]

When I first got my 240sx, it oversteered like a mo-fo. First thing I bought were grippier tires. Then I checked my suspension. The previous owner had done a rice-happy 2.5 inch drop, which had pretty much ruined the rear end. I replaced the junker "coilovers" with a KYB/Ebach Prokit setup all around (as I now like the lower ride) and haven't had any problems since. Even on Kumhos, which I've HEARD aren't the greatest tires, the handling is great. (FYI, I have of yet had no reason to doubt the quality of the Kumho Supra line... 10K miles and I still have great grip and TONS of tread left.)

As far as you feeling every bump on the road, that is to be expected with performance footwork. If you have anything bigger than 16s I think you'll notice a big change in road response. Also, you have to check out how stiff your suspension is... if you have an overly-stiff setup, you can count on feeling the road a lot more.

The 240sx is probably the one of the BEST handling cars I've ever been in. It doesn't matter if I'm driving mine or riding in someone else's. The amount of control a well-tuned suspension provides on the S chassis is incredible.

[ZeroS13]

AutoX or a performance driving school will do wonders for your skills and lessen your phobia of RWD. My AE86 was the first RWD car I've owned. It was a blast after I learned how to counter steer and I became a better driver.

BTW, Vancouver Drift Society (or VDS) is a club you should checkout. They have been hosting a lot of Drift events.

[creophus]

This thread makes perfect sense to me. What's not to get?

[Altiman94]

what people tend to forget that in stock form the 240sx does not oversteer unless it is raining or the ground is slick. Mine actually would understeer more than anything around corners when the ground was dry. It simply does not have the power to create massive oversteer that some rwd vehicles do. When the ground is slippery, even the most underpowered of rwd vehicles become more squirrelly.

[SoCalS14]

fear of heights is probly the most common of all phobias, i suffer from it to an extent myself. so i dont blame u for not feeling comfortable on a one-way road with a 2000ft drop off.... that would scare the crap outta me!

-Dan

Sorry Dan, buts it the fear of speaking in public...

[Pickalini]

back when i first had my s13 fb, it was the first time driving in the rain and i took a left turn at a light from a complete stop. i tapped, literally tapped, the gas and the back swung out and i did a complete 270 facing the opposite directioni wanted to go, but in the left turn lane,on the other side fo the road! there was alot of traffic too, luckily i pulled it off nicely with no damage

[Altiman94]

socal is correct. The number 1 most common fobia is the fear of speakign in public.

[creophus]

That one might be the most common, but personally, I'd much rather give a speech than plumett(sp?) to my death!

[skydragoness]

what people tend to forget that in stock form the 240sx does not oversteer unless it is raining or the ground is slick. Mine actually would understeer more than anything around corners when the ground was dry. It simply does not have the power to create massive oversteer that some rwd vehicles do. When the ground is slippery, even the most underpowered of rwd vehicles become more squirrelly.

Absolutely correct

Get into autocrossing, it will teach you a lot about the characteristics of a rwd coupe, how to react, and how to recover if you do slide. Have an autox veteran ride shotgun with you, to give you pointers. What you learn from auto-xing IS INVALUABLE. Plus it's cheaper, than say, going to a performance driving school and getting taught there.

[vancouverbc]

"When the ground is slippery, even the most underpowered of rwd vehicles become more squirrelly."

squirrelly is a good word to describe how it feels.

They say fear of losing control of your right arm while driving is common. You fear that your right arm will steer you off the bridge or embankment.I have it quite bad. When i go over a bridge i only use my left arm to steer. If I am really distracted by something else, I sometimes zoom over the bridge without thinking about it.

[creophus]

They say fear of losing control of your right arm while driving is common. You fear that your right arm will steer you off the bridge or embankment.I have it quite bad.

Ok, now that I don't understand. Can you please explain? Why the right arm?

[vancouverbc]

I'm not sure . Maybe because the right side is dominant or nearest the edge.

[creophus]

You guys don't drive on the left side of the road do you?

[ZeroS13]

No, we don't. This is Canada afterall.

[fuzion]

My car feels unsafe.. going around corners the back end hops around, i have a clunk now when i stop and i also get a clunk when i turn.. i think something on the LCA broke when the strut bar lost a bolt and started banging around on the freeway.. one of those little bolts looking things where it connects the sway bar to the LCA is broken I think.. i can move it up and down on one side but not the other

Anywho my car feels unstable to me alot.. going around corners when its hot outside and the back end feels like its losing it.. but its like a tiny turn (~45mph)

Edit: Left hand is always on the steering wheel, right hand is either on the cars shifter or its fondling my own shifter. Teehee.

Edit Edit: By saying 'hot outside' I meant when its dry outside. It feels kinda squirley in the back.. It might be just be these turns.. only seems to really do it in a couple of places that I can remember, it feels like its ready to slide out to the side..


Modified by fuzion at 6:41 AM 9/10/2004

[93sleeper]

tires tires tires...when I got my S13 it had a set of POS General tires on it. And yes, the car had dangerously little grip. I upgraded to a set of Hankook K106 tires (budget performance) and the difference was amazing. After driving on only the Hankooks for a while, I went driving in the rain with the Hankooks on the front and Generals on the rear and it was crazy. It was like the rear wheels were on ice. Great setup for drifting if that's your style tho

[pushnlacs]

<Enter babble here>

Edited Nismo_Freak

[fuzion]

Hi.

Yeah.

Pretty sure I was bitching about my crappy *** suspension & suspension components.

I didn't say I don't like driving it.. I love driving it, it just feels a little un-nerving at times

and just so you know, fcker

IT HAS 250 HP BECAUSE IVE GOT AN N1 DUAL AND A CONE FILTER AND THE 2NDARY BUTTEFLY VALVES REMOVED AND A SPEC STAGE III CLUTCH AND A COUPLE STICKERS

die.

seriously though, I think it's because I lost meh wheel weights and the **** is so off balance at 50+ mph.. it sucks and looks like im tweaking out

but you can still die.

[Nameless EJ6]

If you don't like driving RWD, puck up or sell the car. Simple.

People buy these cars because of the fact they are fun and RWD. It's what they're all about.

[Nismo_Freak]

whats not to get is crying about rwd feeling unsafe i dont get that. dont drive a rwd car then or better yet dont drive a high performance car( since fwd is weak imo) i dont get it its rwd it is what it is if you feel unsafe then imo your a pretty crapy driver. im not trying to be an *** but come on crying about a 155hp rwd car???

Wow... you are full of constructive critcism.

How about we don't post any more in this thread unless you have some productive to say. No one wants to listen to your crap.