Corners 360's can't handle

[Ozbrick]

My car has pretty hard suspension (double leafs, lowered 3" all round, 35% stiffer) and there are some corners it can do great, like this one:



It's a 50kph corner that everyother car slows down for, (you can see that that ute in the picture is right off the road!!) but the 360 doesn't skip a beat, even in the rain at 70-75 kph.

But this...



and this



(2nd one contains detailed diagram ) when I am going around in the wet, I cannot touch the accelerator in second gear as the car will then start to spin out. Now, there could be reasons for both of the last situations, wet+roundabout=no speed. 1st roundabout has a pothole on the inside, and I think the car loses contact with the road on the inside for a second, causing the outside wheel to make it spin. Second situation, the roundabout actually is on a slight rise and as you turn I think the inside wheel has less space to travel and causes it to spin.

I am hoping it's not the car as my fiancee has to drive it around by herself next month and I don't want her to smack into a tree. I must stress that this is only in the WET, but it is pretty wet in Newcastle NSW, AUS, all year round.

Have any of you guys got examples of situations the 300 is use to that others can't do? And do you have another situation where some corners are instant death if you aren't watchin carefully?

Cheers,
ROb

[antiekeradio]

'instant death' corners are only available over here, because of worn out (smooth and shiny) tarmac

but then again; every car suffers from those.

[hatch360]

On a wet day I felt the end lose a bit of traction when i was engine braking on this road



im sure if i had planted on the accelerator it would have spun crazy but thats wouldnt be smart on that road. But my car bounces like im on a jumping castle so probably a diff problem..............................

off topic.. one sexy car spotted on google earth

[clitti]

Throw it in and steer with the rear,thats how we do it in Wet Wales,sorry West Wales.Throw it in and let it sing!!

http://s170.photobucket.com/albums/u265 ... V00009.flv

http://s170.photobucket.com/albums/u265 ... V00024.flv

http://s170.photobucket.com/albums/u265 ... V00006.flv

Lots of fun and its not me driving,but co-driving in cars i built.

[petefarrell360]

There are corners or roads that a 360 will suddenly let go on, or in certain condtions, but then most cars would too, but honestly most of it comes down to tyre choice and condition. If they are old or of a compound that doesn't work well in the wet they they will suddenly let go. The pothole will not be helping, as I've had some moments under acceleration where the pothole will unsettle the car badly and try to make it spin. By changing your suspension set up, the harder and lower ride will change the handling characteristics from the more predictable and safe set up the factory developed.

I've experienced more problems like this at lower speeds whereby it wants to spin or let go when accelerating, the longer sweeping curves or higher speed corners may suit the car better. Tight low speed roundabouts etc would create more chance of being unsettled and as you say, if a wheel loses contact briefly, making it spin, the diff would compensate and then when it grips again unsettle it, maybe not helped by a stiffer and lowered supsension.

I'd initially look at the tyre choice and condition though, as someone who has tried quite a few different tyres, I can say they are one of the biggest factors when it comes to handling, especially on a 300, Chris C has recently found this when he got some super tyres on Steve's rims!

Pete

[Chris_C]

I've tried a heck of a lot of tyres... I generally get through a set in 6months. Still don't quite understand these new tyres, out of all the so called high perfomance tyres I've had nothing is quite like these. Shame they are discontinued though, I've been running rings round other cars lately, specially the motorclub BMW brigade

[SteveP]

Haha, they are rather silly tyres I loved them!