re: limits found

["Jason Arrington" <JARRINGTON@domain.elided>]

Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 10:13:33 -0400
From: Dana Loomis <dloomis@domain.elided>
Subject: re: limits found

>"brad" wrote: 
>> Just recently found the limits of my spider 
>> today after fish-tailing into a turn at 40mph on dry asphalt...
>>Can others relate to this experience?

>to which Russ Neely replied:
>>I am not clear if you were power oversteering or if the rear end came

>>out in braking.  The Alfa spider will do both.

>With all due respect to Russ, I would suspect another condition,
called
>drop throttle oversteer.  It's a classic mistake for drivers who are
just
>starting to push the performance envelope: go into a corner a little
hotter
>than before (maybe running wide of the apex), get scared, pull out of
the
>throttle, and *SNAP*, the car is sideways.  Spiders are susceptible to
this
>because of the long overhang and lack of weight in the rear.  Power
>oversteer is possible, but Spiders generally don't have the power to
break
>the rear wheels loose in 4th of 5th gear on dry pavement.  

>I'd second Russ's recommendation.  Go to an autocross or sign up for
a
>high-speed driving school with an Alfa club near you.

>Dana Loomis

Been there, done that. My spider came with hard, bald, el -cheapo
tires
that made snap-throttle oversteer, well, a snap. Even getting on the
freeway was an adventure, if you had to let off the throttle to keep
from rear-ending the "velocity-challenged" motorist in front of you.
If your tires are hard, dry-rotted, mismatched, balding, or made by
a manufacturer you've never heard of, get a nice set  of reasonably
sticky rubber ASAP. THEN go out and see what the Spider can do.

-Jason (a slightly wiser newbie)
'87 Quad
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