Am I experiencing understeer or are my arms just lazy?

[danwheeler]

so the new car - i notice I REALLY have to turn the wheel a lot to take a tight corner quickly. I've read up on understeer and oversteer and understand that these come into play when traction is lost on the front or rear wheels. Since I'm not going fast enough to be losing traction I'm wondering if I am really experiencing understeer or if there is another term for what I'm dealing with. Basically it feels like i have to rotate the steering wheel too far just to make a turn.

Most cars I have driven i can turn the wheel 45 degrees to the right to make a right turn. it seems in the festiva i need to go 90 degrees to make a sharp right turn (i'm just throwing out numbers here - haven't actually measured) this of course means i have to take my hands off the wheel, reposition them and then turn more to go the remaining 45 degrees or I end up with an elbow in my gut!

whats the deal?!

[Gro Harlem]

the car has a shitty steering ratio which is probably what you are experiencing.

the steering on the festiva is 4.3 turns lock-to-lock, meaning to turn all the way one way you gotta turn the wheel 2.1 times in a single direction, which IMO is ridiculous, even for a manual steering car.

And yes, the festiva understeers a LOT stock. Understeer basicaly means the wheel is turned more yet, the car isn't turning as much as it should be. Basically you understeer when you lose grip in the front wheels & its sliding forward more than actually turning.

Like if you are in snow..and turn the wheel all the way to one side..the car won't turn for shit b/c it doesn't have the traction.


your problem really sound to me like you aren't used to the steering ratio. On power steering cars, it is almost always 3.0-3.3 turns lock-to-lock or 1.5 turns to cock the wheel all the way to one side.

[Safety Guy]

Go drive a '70 AMC Hornet Sportabout wagon with manual steering for a while and you'll appreciate the Festiva!

It's something I've gotten used to, and I like not having power steering. But then, my Chevette and my '81 and '85 Honda Civics didn't have it either, so I'm used to it.

I figure you need power steering when your car goes over 2100 or 2200 pounds.

I once drove a bigass straightbed moving van and I kid you not it DIDN'T have PS and it really sucked! But I managed.

Karl

[4cylDreadnaught]

funky. My 91GL (no PS)steers quite nice. Only time I have to churn the wheel hard is at this one obnoxious intersection, which is about the same as taking a corner with a 35-45degree kink.

[danwheeler]

i'm used to driving a WRX around an autocross track one handed. the Festiva isn't horrible, but it certainly isn't dreamy.

i think what wil said makes a lot of sense