Chris Tutor wrote:
> Ok. I just gotta ask. I am about to run my first AutoX in a couple of
> weeks in a Honda Civic coupe. What are the chances of me flipping it? My
> Honda is much taller and much less wider with far less-sticky tires than
> that poor Miata (btw, it was a truly beautiful car).
Let me first concur that without sticky tires, you're likely to slide rather
than grab (and flip). I'll also concur that Hondas have a good reputation
for stability. Finally, I'll concur that given the right circumstances,
you could still get into trouble. That brings me to the point of my post -
know what to do in advance, and you can save the car from going all the
way.
I read on team.net that when you notice the car is up on two wheels, you
must not try harder to make the turn, instead you must positively but not
violently unwind the wheel towards the outside of the turn, and the car
will come back down. This is my public thank-you to whoever wrote that,
because this summer in Belvidere at the neon gathering, I got up on two
wheels and brought it back down. Had I not read previous discussions on
the topic, I'm pretty sure I'd have put even more steering in to make
the turn, and you know what would have happened next. I never thought
I'd get in that situation, but thanks to this list, I knew how to get out
of it.
I did break a driveshaft when the spinning wheel came down and had to
reconcile its rotational velocity with that of the other wheel, but I'll
take that over major bodywork and questionable insurance claims any day.
I came down gently enough that even my alignment is still 100%.
Obviously, there are things like curbs, potholes, shoulders, etc.
that could make it impossible to recover. The beauty of autocross is
the site and course are (theoretically) free of these features within 25
feet of the course. Therefore, whatever happens should be up to you.
Now, get out there and have more fun than you ever imagined!
--
Jeffrey D. Blankenship Senior Technical Consultant
jblanken@itds.com ITDS - TRIS
neon enthusiast #478 Champaign, IL, USA
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