Board Logo

Bad Understeer
Peanut_finger - June 22nd, 2009 at 11:32 AM

I have a 1972 type 3 fast back and i am havving pretty bad understeer. I havent had a alignment done on the car since i have brought it and i suspect it has bad "toe out" on the front.

Can anyone advise what the handling on a Type3 is normally like?

squizy - June 22nd, 2009 at 02:14 PM

You should find it's pretty neutral, but they will understeer if you push too hard into a corner, with lift off oversteer to help straighten it back out on hand. What sort of tyres are you running? Are they standard width and in good condition? What about shocks and ride height? There are many variables in handling setup. My 1970 Notchback handled great.

shaihulud - June 25th, 2009 at 08:54 AM

Something to consider is how old the tyres are.

I recently bought a 1970 Beetle with very old tyres with good treads but very hard rubber. They transmit every bump on the road.

In the wet there is very little traction and the understeer is a bit scary.

I'll get new tyres soon enough, but in the meantime I drive it very carefully.

Could that be part of your problem?

typethreeking - July 2nd, 2009 at 06:35 PM

i have a 71 fastback and with plenty f power on board you can get heaps of understeer, but when i had a stock 1600 in the car and it was really low ididnt get under or oversteer. Type 3 are alittle know to get understeer with standard ride height but with some suspension changes you can get it sorted..

Craig Torrens - July 2nd, 2009 at 09:11 PM

Toe out will help the car turn, not understeer.

BRUTUS - July 5th, 2009 at 06:22 PM

Type 3's can give either slight understeer or oversteer, and should be one of the best handling cars on the road! We need more info. on the car...
Set up properly (tyres; alignment etc.) they should be fairly neutral (as Squizy said), and you should also be able to change from slight understeer to some oversteer just by changing the F:R tyre pressures!

Peanut_finger - August 27th, 2009 at 11:13 AM

THe car had a wheel alignment, so much better now.

HappyDaze - August 27th, 2009 at 12:31 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Craig Torrens
Toe out will help the car turn, not understeer.




I use 2mm toe-out on my black-ish '59 Beetle to PROMOTE under-steer!

Doctor - August 27th, 2009 at 02:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by HappyDaze
Quote:
Originally posted by Craig Torrens
Toe out will help the car turn, not understeer.




I use 2mm toe-out on my black-ish '59 Beetle to PROMOTE under-steer!


Thats something my father would do, he prefers to drive a car with understeer, i hate it, but each to their own!

HappyDaze - August 27th, 2009 at 03:54 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Doctor
Quote:
Originally posted by HappyDaze
Quote:
Originally posted by Craig Torrens
Toe out will help the car turn, not understeer.




I use 2mm toe-out on my black-ish '59 Beetle to PROMOTE under-steer!


Thats something my father would do, he prefers to drive a car with understeer, i hate it, but each to their own!




Sounds like us old blokes know what we're doing eh?

trickysimon - August 27th, 2009 at 07:26 PM

Give me snap oversteer before understeer anyday :yes:

Doctor - August 27th, 2009 at 10:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by HappyDaze
Quote:
Originally posted by Doctor
Quote:
Originally posted by HappyDaze
Quote:
Originally posted by Craig Torrens
Toe out will help the car turn, not understeer.




I use 2mm toe-out on my black-ish '59 Beetle to PROMOTE under-steer!


Thats something my father would do, he prefers to drive a car with understeer, i hate it, but each to their own!




Sounds like us old blokes know what we're doing eh?


Thats one way to look at it, as in my sig, Oversteer scares the passengers, Understeer scares the driver...

Id rather have oversteer, something thats relatively contrallable, but understeer is something i cant stand, small amounts are ok, but mass understeer would have me spending coin on a suspension revamp!

Different Generations do things differently!

HappyDaze - August 28th, 2009 at 07:34 AM

There is no need for anybody to be scared - it all should be fun! I am talking about Beetles, so at some point oversteer wil need to be addressed. Having raced - and still racing - Beetles for 50 years, I've had heaps of oversteer (and understeer) to deal with. I have found that my personal preference is for initial understeer, then CONTROLLED oversteer, using the right foot - it's a lot of fun, believe me, if you don't already know!

Cheers, Greg