awd handling

[93whitelaserrs]

i had a 93 laser 2.0 nt with bfgoodrich vr-4 tires and it handled like a dream. i just bought a 91 talon awd and it handles like crap. took a curve fast but not as fast as i would in my laser and the rear end started to come out from behind me. took another turn and the blacktop had a patch spot on the edge and the quit turning when i hit it and went straight instead. does all awd dsm handle like this or is there something else wrong.

 

[hereitcomes]

if you give it gas around a corner especially when it is moist/wet out.. you can feel the backend kick out some because it is AWD. it should be a bit sluggish in corners because of the body roll..and the bottom of the car is heavy with all of the drivetrain. and plus your other tires from a VR-4 are rated different than that of stock eclipse tires.

 

[VicBoost]

i don't know what your talking about.. but my 1995 talon AWD system is amazing!! WE had 1 feet of snow last couple days and i neva got stuck once and it handles like a dream

 

[steve]

I can't remember my car ever oversteering like that. It usually understeers when pushed hard.

Steve

 

[xveganxcowboyx]

I can't remember my car ever oversteering like that. It usually understeers when pushed hard.

Steve

Yeah, i thought the AWD caused understeer. I don't often experience oversteer unless I'm on dirt or snow and revving hard. On pavement it's always understeer.

I think something else may be wrong.

 

[jp171]

Although not on a DSM, I've seen this problem caused (on everything from hondas to corvettes) by broken or disconnected suspension links or sway bars. I'd suggest crawling under the car and making sure that everything, especially in the rear suspension, is intact and bolted tightly.

 

[93whitelaserrs]

i crawled up under the car and everything seems to be intact. now when i bought the car it had brand new kelly charger tires on it with a m&s tire rating, i don't know how good of a tire those are but i'm going to get me a different set of tires, something that is made for handling . does anyone know a good tire that i should get that won't empty my wallet

 

[pnishr]

the understeer effects of the AWD come from the front driving wheels. If you're already into a turn and gas it, especially after hard deceleration (as many of us do when entering corners at high speeds) you'll find the rear end losing traction first, as much of the weight is already transferred to the front of the car. hence oversteer, especially on already slick surfaces. if you begin your acceleration early into the turn, the weight shifts to the rear and you lose traction at the front before the directional change of velocity, so you don't turn enough = understeer. So, both over AND understeer characteristics CAN be seen on an AWD depending on driving habits/road conditions/ and suspension and steering set ups. Hope this helps yall. I usually slow down a bit before the curve, try to maintain a fairly constant, and high, speed around curves, and then towards the end, when I'm already pointed in the right direction (or close to it) Gas the crap out of it.

J

 

[toutsuu]

I spend too much on BFG G-force KDWS tires, but even though they are rated for dry, wet and snow, they do not handle so well in the snow. I mean I won't get stuck or anything, especially with the AWD, but I can feel the car losing traction over 45 MPH when driving on packed snow.

 

[greytalon26]

I've gotten my Talon TSi AWD to swing the rear out in first gear in a parking lot , but never when handing on the road, it's always understeer if anything.

 

[eclipseturbogst]

Make sure your bushings are still good, and your shocks/struts arent bad.

 

[4g63t]

i had stock tiers and wheels and it blew bad so i got 17s and it handels like a dream on the track and the tarmac, yeah I tryd driving in the snow i thought awd was a luxury but it sucks all you do is spin all the time and you cant turn, so i had to store her before I raped it around a pole.

 

[toutsuu]

Is it just me or are the AWD systems on our cars built for straight line dry traction and not for the snow compared to say an AWD Honda Element.

 

[fastalon82]

have a shop put it on an alignment rack and see what the camber and toe angles are. the car will be unstable if you have too much positive camber.

 

[steve]

Is it just me or are the AWD systems on our cars built for straight line dry traction and not for the snow compared to say an AWD Honda Element.

How wide are the tires on that Element? What the tire loading?

Steve

 

[xveganxcowboyx]

I raped it around a pole.

Sounds painful

 

[paranoidTSi]

Body Roll bothers me the most in my Talon out of anything, otherwise I don't have very many problems with staying on the road on turns.

Snow on the other hand, I could swear to god that the AWD system makes me slide a LOT more specifically on turns.

 

[toutsuu]

I don't know what the specs are on the Element, it is my brothers and it is all stock down to the tires.

I agree with you guys that the AWDs seem finicky in slippery conditions. Seems like whenever I hit a patch of black ice (there has been a lot on the roads in Colorado lately) the car seems to shimmy side to side for a second when I hit it. The Element does not seem to do this unless the patch is very long, like over a bridge.

 

[gr8popp]

I just got a 1990 GSX. I have the similar issues. If I hit a bump the wheel shimmies and it handles turns terribly. I inspected the ball joints and noticed the previous owner replaced them and they are still good. The tie rod ends showed a little wear as did my front passanger strut. I purchased new KYB AGX struts and Eibach Pro springsfor all four corners. I figured why stop there so I bought the Prothane bushing kit that replaces all the stock wore out bushings and RM's rear sway bar. I have never done anything like this before with my other DSMs so I am anxious to see how it handles after all the work is done. I figure it can't be any worse.
Chris

 

[93whitelaserrs]

I just got a 1990 GSX. I have the similar issues. If I hit a bump the wheel shimmies and it handles turns terribly. I inspected the ball joints and noticed the previous owner replaced them and they are still good. The tie rod ends showed a little wear as did my front passanger strut. I purchased new KYB AGX struts and Eibach Pro springsfor all four corners. I figured why stop there so I bought the Prothane bushing kit that replaces all the stock wore out bushings and RM's rear sway bar. I have never done anything like this before with my other DSMs so I am anxious to see how it handles after all the work is done. I figure it can't be any worse.
Chris

finally, i thought i was just imaging things. so after you got all the stuff on, can your email me back and tell me if that helped the handling of your car thanks
stuart