Another lost traction on freeway thread

[accel]

Being this is in the autox section, @accel, did your autocross experience help you to not crash the car that day?

AutoX experience was of huge huge help - no doubts about it. As a matter of fact that was probably the only thing that saved my car from head on impact with the edge of metal divider or involving other car.

If I just froze doing nothing, I'd probably just continued into the divider.

If I slammed brakes that would probably cause the driver behind me to brake and possibly loose control as well.

I was scared, will not lie. But instinctively was doing usual things to re-gain control.

A few words about stability control by the way... Previous rwd car I owned had very agressive stability control. Any minor rear tire slip would cut the power. Stangs traction control is very un-intrusive to say the least. Something to keep in mind.

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[accel]

As I don't have the attention span to read this novel about a mistake you made, I get that you basically made a decision based on instinct, and not knowledge of that particular road, and then wasn't able to control the car. That's one topic, but may I ask why you felt the need to out yourself on a forum where you knew you would be scolded? Make mistakes, learn from them, but posting on the internet about it I think will only cause more frustration.

Hoping it would be helpful for others to learn from someone's mistake?

But yeah, did not expect some of the reactions above.

 

[FranzVonHoffer]

@accel, the situation might have been aggravated by an undetectable road condition and/or road properties. You get a little wheel spin going then it starts stepping out on you.

For instance, down here on very humid days sometimes composite pavement type roads will lose their bite and feel greasy. Fine at normal conditions but can surprise you if you start to put any power down. The road outside the plant here is like that. On hot dry days it's sticky but if it's really cold (which compromises the tires) or it's very humid I'll get a little wiggle on the turn out the driveway.

Road conditions are always an x factor anyways, I've run down a road on a perfectly dry day then hit a wet section because of landscape sprinkler, I've also had a step out on an intersection that had a brick section in it, grip on brick is garbage in all conditions. So you gotta watch out for all the variable not just speed.

 

[rebellovw]

Key is that you learned from it and cataloged it. It is like never follow someone into a left turn - always wait for them to clear it then turn. I picked up bad habits living in a small CA town where the speed limit is 25 everywhere and the freeway lights are extremely bright (880)

Live someplace dark with many 45 mph roads it is way different.

 

[accel]

@accel, the situation might have been aggravated by an undetectable road condition and/or road properties. You get a little wheel spin going then it starts stepping out on you.

For instance, down here on very humid days sometimes composite pavement type roads will lose their bite and feel greasy. Fine at normal conditions but can surprise you if you start to put any power down. The road outside the plant here is like that. On hot dry days it's sticky but if it's really cold (which compromises the tires) or it's very humid I'll get a little wiggle on the turn out the driveway.

Road conditions are always an x factor anyways, I've run down a road on a perfectly dry day then hit a wet section because of landscape sprinkler, I've also had a step out on an intersection that had a brick section in it, grip on brick is garbage in all conditions. So you gotta watch out for all the variable not just speed.

A lot of coincidental contributing factors...

For example, the other car actually went into my lane right in front of me from gas station which caused me to slow down. I waited for the driver to speed-up but that did not happen. I then decided to switch to the left lane to continue with my preferred speed, but then the other driver accelerated to the point which made our merge ahead a bit problemmatic.

 

[rebellovw]

 

[strengthrehab]

Well, maybe, just maybe it could have been avoided by not getting red mist and trying to pass a person on the highway entry ramp?

And the TC is very obtrusive. Try exiting a corner on track at full throttle with wheel turned, you'll feel the stabilitrac kicking in

 

[accel]

Well, maybe, just maybe it could have been avoided by not getting red mist and trying to pass a person on the highway entry ramp?

And the TC is very obtrusive. Try exiting a corner on track at full throttle with wheel turned, you'll feel the stabilitrac kicking in

Well, definitely nothing would hapoen if I didn't make use of other available line.

As far as traction control goes, wheelspin situation definitely did not apply here... Rear end traction limit was exceeded, but it might've actually been due to lift off and not due to acceleration. Hard to remember as this has happened time ago.

 

[accel]

Man, if you have summer performance tires from factory... I'd typically stay to the right in slow lanes in these conditions... and even then I felt that front tires (almost new at the time) hydroplaned couple times in heavy rain.

 

[accel]

also check your tire pressures. with rears being so wide it makes sense to keep the pressure exactly as recommended.

overinflation may reduce traction.

i checked this section of forum as to what tire pressures are good for autoX, track and most people suggest to keep it exactly to recommended.

 

[GreesyStang]

These cars are, in fact, a bit unstable. The OP admits he dropped the ball here. I've done similar shit. Drive like a "Richard" well, perhaps. Gtfo of the passing lane and I would drive much more conservative. He also said the bastard probably sped up, how many times have you had to pass someone on the right after hanging out behind them waiting for the signal that they will merge, but they don't, so you go to leisurely pass on the right, and all the freaking sudden Driving Miss Daisy discovered the skinny pedal and it would appear is standing on it!! Then you have to throttle it to get around so everyone can resume the normal flow. Pisses me off. That said, I bought a CJ manifold and was about to install it. Turned right on highway access road, throttled it, as you do, it started to break left, I corrected, but didn't get out of it, it overcorrected right, didn't get out of it, then left, I was enjoying the smoke, then I realized that I had overplayed my hand and it was taking some real skill to get it to settle down enough to get straight and on the interstate. CJ is in garage until the 1200 in IRS parts are installed. It's already fast, it needs to be stable.

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