Went sideways!

[gmaster]

Driving home tonight and it's been pis*ing down all day so taking it steady i was slowly up to take a right hand turn which is also on a hill i was facing down the hill. As i applyed the brakes before turning the car slid sideways! to the left :confused: wtf!

My rears tyres are conti sports which are low on tread (have rear arb too) and are due changing very soon but this happened going straight!

The car has felt like this for a while now like it's drifting sideways and pulling to the left i just cant work out why?

Funny thing is the car still handles ok when pushing into corners, could it just been down to the crap tyres on the rear?

Edited 8 August, 2008 by gmaster
Title

[martziniuk]

Aquaplaning?

[gmaster]

No i dont reckon not that much standing water. Car feels like this in the dry too when cold it seems to really pull to the left but seems to get better when driving for a while.

[martziniuk]

Possibly a rear left bearing or seized brake caliper or tracking out

[cheezemonkhai]

Your rear ARB perhaps.

[Wardy]

Sounds to me like the combination of wet conditions, downhill right-hander, ARB and tyres that are past their best.

How much tread is left on the rears?

Steve

[gmaster]

Possibly a rear left bearing or seized brake caliper or tracking out

Yeah ive been thinking for a while could be brake related, something i also noticed last weekend was when i had family getting in the back the handbrake was on but did'nt hold! Had to really yank it up.

Rears have about 3mm without looking, hopefully it will be dry tomorrow im going to take the same turning and see what happens.

[gmaster]

Sounds to me like the combination of wet conditions, downhill right-hander, ARB and tyres that are past their best.

How much tread is left on the rears?

Steve

I was thinking this too mate.

[dewaryboy]

i had this on my leon cupra,turned out it was worn rear axle bushes,have a rear anti-roll bar on my octy vrs,tyres are getting low,but back end stays planted.

[Wardy]

Rears have about 3mm without looking, hopefully it will be dry tomorrow im going to take the same turning and see what happens.

I wouldn't particularly recommend going out testing what will happen to be honest. I'd get some new rear tyres to start with.

They're Contis and are next to useless below 3mm, because they're German and that's the German minimum legal requirement. I've found this before, and one of the reasons I don't use Contis anymore.

Steve

[cjb]

I wouldn't particularly recommend going out testing what will happen to be honest. I'd get some new rear tyres to start with.

They're Contis and are next to useless below 3mm, because they're German and that's the German minimum legal requirement. I've found this before, and one of the reasons I don't use Contis anymore.

Steve

I change at 3mm anyway: the 2mm limit is a joke.

[Wardy]

Or 1.6 even

[KenONeill]

They're Contis and are next to useless below 3mm, because they're German and that's the German minimum legal requirement. I've found this before, and one of the reasons I don't use Contis anymore.

Steve

I've heard that about Contis too.

[cjb]

Or 1.6 even

I had it in my mind it had been increased to 2, but you are right.

[Wardy]

I do agree with you that the legal limit should be more than 1.6mm. I change somewhere between 2 and 2.5mm normally.

Steve

[gmaster]

I wouldn't particularly recommend going out testing what will happen to be honest. I'd get some new rear tyres to start with.

They're Contis and are next to useless below 3mm, because they're German and that's the German minimum legal requirement. I've found this before, and one of the reasons I don't use Contis anymore.

Steve

Thanks for the replys!

Yeah ive heard the same about conti's and thinking back thats why i put them on the back cause when on the front of the car it was a nightmare no grip at all! :eek:

I have falken 452's on the front which are fairly new but dont like these much, im going to get some michelin pilots but have to wait till next month now to get them, i'll been putting these on the front and 452's on the back hopefully it will feel better.

Well i did try the same turning in the dry today and there was a very slight pull to the left but i mean slight, so hopefully it's just down to the tyres, but car feels odd in general should handle well really with koni fsd's and polybushed wishbones and rear arb!!!! Cant wait to get some new tyres.

[Dan-VRS]

i put a pair of nearly worn toyo's off the front, onto the back and after it had been raining i went into a roundabout at 30mph, let off and had it sideways. never put part worns on the back... ever!

[gmaster]

i put a pair of nearly worn toyo's off the front, onto the back and after it had been raining i went into a roundabout at 30mph, let off and had it sideways. never put part worns on the back... ever!

This has been discussed many times before!! The conti's where on the front but it was a nightmare to drive! My local tyre centre Pro-tyre recommend putting them on the back and it was greatly improved!

Edited 6 August, 2008 by gmaster
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[RichB86]

Another vote on the tyres as when i wore my SC2's down they became lethal in the wet. made it a challenge though.

[gmaster]

Cheers mate, yeah im 99.9% sure it's the tyres.

[RichB86]

Cheers mate, yeah im 99.9% sure it's the tyres.

is good fun going sideways though isn't it!!! last time it happened to me was when i was coming off M1 onto roundabout which was wet and there was what only can be described as a kicker as you joined and turned for the roundabout.

had interesting slide going around to my exit.

[KenONeill]

is good fun going sideways though isn't it!!! last time it happened to me was when i was coming off M1 onto roundabout which was wet and there was what only can be described as a kicker as you joined and turned for the roundabout.

had interesting slide going around to my exit.

There's a nice "kicker" bump on a couple of apices on my usual routes to and from work, and with enough speed in the wet I could make the back feel a touch unsettled with newish (maybe 2_000 miles since fitted) T1-Rs all round, so I'd not judge tyre wear to necessarily be a factor on kickers.

[bluebeat]

Could have been a bit of diesel spill on the road

[KenONeill]

Could have been a bit of diesel spill on the road

If that was aimed at me, it wasn't diesel. I've had a diesel skid before, and it is literally like hitting black ice except for the temperature being too high and the smell. The kickers in question are both visible to anyone who's driving is just about tolerable, like my own. If you have any doubts about how good I don't consider my own driving beyond my car control, suggest you read the "Racing and Advanced Driving" forum in full.

The only reasons I mentioned tyre type and mileage were to eliminate things like "Woosung Dark Spin" syndrome, worn out tyres and mould release.

OK?

[gmaster]

Im still thinking something else is wrong with the car not just the rear tyres!! Feels odd and when leaving work which is down hill the car pulls badly to the left! :eek:

Front end feels kinda light when turning sharply, like alignment is out sort of feel! Also seems that sometimes the steering feels light and others it feels heavy! Still have a clonking noise too from near side!

Any ideas? :confused:

I know best bet is to get it looked at which i will soon when i have the funds, plus new tyres, just hope i get it sorted cause my vrs as been a pain snice i got it and im starting to lose patience now!