How to Control Oversteer and Understeer in a Car?
How to Control Oversteer and Understeer in a Car?
With the winter season in full swing, drivers can't avoid black ice, standing water, and snow. Driving in such conditions can easily cause the car to lose control and slide. When this happens, you either have to deal with understeer or oversteer.
Understeer is more common in driving, and it is easier to manage than oversteer. However, you can also control oversteer with proper guidance. Most drivers may not encounter these situations in their daily drives, but these can strike anytime. Therefore, it is wise to learn about oversteer and understeer.
What is oversteer?
Oversteer and understeer are situations that arise when your vehicle behaves contrary to what you have asked it to do. Oversteer typically involves the vehicle’s rear, particularly its back tyres. It can occur in any car, but the rear-wheel-drive (RWD) vehicles are more prone to it because their engine power goes to the rear axle.
It happens while turning as the vehicle’s front tyres carry on finding the cornering line, but the rear initiates to break free from the road it is moving on. It normally occurs on wet roads or when the driver hits the pedal hard, allowing the tyres to rotate quicker than the grip road provides.
The tyres at the back will veer to move forward in the path contrary to the turn, making the rear end sway out. The vehicle will spin around if you can't uncheck this situation through steering or throttle input.
You would have seen oversteer during drifting competitions and racecar driving movies.
How can I avoid oversteer?
If you find your vehicle’s rear end swings around, ensure not to jump off the throttle or apply the brakes instantly. It will possibly trigger a snap or lift-off oversteer.
Hold steering in the direction you desire to take and lightly control the throttle or brakes to slowly stop the car. Moreover, it is wise not to deactivate your vehicle's traction control or dynamic stability control on wet surfaces.
These two techs offer protection when you face oversteer.
What is understeer?
Opposite to oversteer, understeer occurs when the car turns less than the angle applied through steering input. It means the front tyres strive for grip, triggering the vehicle to under-rotate and drive wide through a turn.
Understeer occurs due to the direct input of the driver. Maneuvering the steering wheel strictly, suddenly, or just excess for the car’s speed against the offered grip will outdo the front tyres’ adhesion, compelling the nose of the vehicle to slip wide across the path in understeer.
It not only happens in wet conditions but also when the front tyres bear less weight. On the other hand, when smoothly speeding up excessively too soon, mid-corner also causes the issue.
Signs of understeer consist of:
- Tyre squealing from the front wheels
- Drifting towards the outside of a turn
- Steering that senses light
- Trembling via the steering wheel
How can I avoid understeer?
Like what we do in oversteer, lift your foot gently from the throttle and slowly push the brakes. Please avoid jumping off the throttle or brakes - it could worsen the condition. While understeer is easier to manage than oversteer, the trick is not to speed. It will assist you in preventing understeer (as well as oversteer) entirely.