Understeer
Understeer
is a term used to describe a cars handling during cornering
in which the circular path of a vehicle is greater in diameter
than the circle indicated by the direction its front wheels
are pointed. Understeer occurs when the front tires lose traction
during a turn, causing the vehicle to either not turn as tightly
as intended or in extreme circumstances, to continue on in
a straight line. If a car understeers, it is said to "push"
or be "tight", and has an inherent stability and
resistance to spin.
Most standard production vehicles are set up to understeer
slightly by default, this means a car will remain more stable
if a sudden steering input is made, improving safety. Understeer
is more likely to occur in front wheel drive vehicles than rear wheel drive vehicles which are more prone to oversteer.
Most front-wheel-drive cars understeer at the limit of adhesion
-- the point at which the wheels lose their grip on the road.
This condition is most noticeable in rain or snow. The effects
of understeer can be lessened by lifting off the accelarator
slowly and applying the brakes slightly. This supplies more
downward force on the front wheels, allowing them to get more
traction.
The opposite condition, in which a car is overly responsive
to steering wheel movements, is called oversteer.
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