davey burton!?

[Tahrey1043]

Now, my original plan was to write something quite novel and unique here, but driving home yesterday thoughts of that were wiped out by something else that happened.

Dave, if you're reading, did you ever notice any handling problems in your Mk4 on those wheels/tyres I collected off you?

not looking a gift horse in the mouth but I'm wondering if they've got oil soaked into them and are the reason for the recent dodgy handling p'raps sitting in the garage a while (either that or the pressures are screwed, going to re-check - wasn't too long ago that i pumped them up right)
i mean, they've all still got a great amount of tread (especially the one that was replaced) and no "shoulder scrub"

going home at about 8.30 yesterday, going slower than the brand new golf in front, being followed at a thankfully safe distance by a volvo, went round a corner at the bottom of a hill that i've taken a hundred times or more in the last year. almost exclusively in the dry i admit, but a couple times in the rain on the old wheels. it was raining just enough to need the slow constant speed on instead of intermittent...

go into the corner, taking it a bit wider than in the dry, still, back end twitches a bit, opposite lock doesn't correct, and ever so slowly i piroutte around about 150 degrees (instinctively jamming the brakes after about 60). just enough to end up looking the volvo driver in the eye as they gently come to a halt. golf speeds away to the horizon...

lucky the car parked on the other side of the road was where it was rather than 20 yards up, and no-one was coming (busy road, too!)

taken that corner happily at 50 in the dry and it didnt seem oddly cambered or upsetting... was doing maybe 33, if that, and not putting any throttle in at all (in fact not even engine braking, had ridden the anchors a little near the bottom of the hill to keep distance from golf but was effectively off all controls (allegedly the least skiddy situation) save for steering when the car began to slide.

wasnt rushing at all, and the other two cars around me seemed to have no trouble getting round at the same or higher speeds - the one behind having to brake fairly hard too, pretty much ruling out an oil spill. so now i think i need to investigate what's going on. Starting with the most obvious culprits

wierdest thing at all? it wasn't at all scary. maybe because i was so bummed out after a long all-day shift and unable to feel much of anything any more. just.... "aw, dammit"...
most dismayed i lost my discussion topic thought

replace it with "scariest moments"?!

[chubbster]

u lucky b*stard! good job u and the car are alright.

i think Dave is in Kos, c the virtual postcard bit

[pettsy]

i did the same thing. my car hates the wet weather! if the tyres were wearing evenly i'm sure i was running s**t of camber


maybe some diesel had been spilt on the corner by a lorry etc?

[Tahrey1043]

just puzzled how the other two guys didnt seem affected at all! drove back past there last night and the tyre tracks were still in evidence but no obvious patches of anything

its just sort of linked in my mind to the cars recent hankering to send me arse over bits* on "tricky" corners (which this wasnt!). however in this case id have been crapping myself (or in hospital) had it understeered...

*... censorship :-/

[GroovyCarrot]

Hmm.. I've never had a situation quite like that before, but my polo hates the wet.. wheels tend to lock up completely on moderate braking. No idea why yours would have suddenly decided it didn't like that particular corner though, very odd..

[david burton]

LOL

I just saw this, sorry for trying to kill you!

</reincarnation of old thread>

[pettsy]

LOL

I just saw this, sorry for trying to kill you!

</reincarnation of old thread>

lol.Just reading it,was going to reply how much mine hates the wet etc...then realised i'd allready replied

[david burton]

I must have been on holiday (as it says) but I thought it was worth an apology - those tyres must have been made of cheese!

[toXXin]

My Polo did a similar thing earlier in the week, but I was lucky enough to catch it with opposite lock.

I was going no more than 15mph around this mini roundabout, which is next to my work. I reckon it was spilled diesel.

At this time of year, the roads can be slippy as hell. It doesn't help that my car has Kwik Fit brand tyres on it, but I'm replacing them soon if I get a good price from work's tyre supplier. The only way we're going to stay safe is to keep your thoughts on the road and not anything else. The moment your concentration lapses, you could be in big trouble!

I've had many a moment with lift off oversteer and I don't think I wouldve saved myself without having advanced tuition. If anyone can get themselves on a skidpan course, I would seriously recommend it.

[Tahrey1043]

bit of thread necromancy

Cheers for the reply geeza, didn't spot it til i came hunting the archives for something I thought I posted here wayback (and still can't find)... Not really sure what it was now, might well have just been an oil spot that was washed away by the rest of the rain, a bad attack angle, etc. I've since had the astra start to let go a little bit unexpectedly on corners that have otherwise previously been alright in the rain (or in totally wrong places, like slowly exiting a cinema car park). Mainly understeer because it's such a front-heavy lump, but the odd tail flick as well. Just have to be on your guard; luckily i've always managed to catch it since, possibly due to the polo experiences (and power steering! get it on lock straight away and floor one or other pedal as appropriate)

Still got the wheels if anyone wants 'em... didn't really have any further problems after that Including hoofing around with them on after final MOT etc.

[Mk2Adam]

i was reading this post thinking...

"Tahrey you mental little driver you! i remember him spinning his car a while back too"

then at the end noticed that it was from ages ago

[mc_iver_9n]

Lol i did the same