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Nazi Traction Control


Z-monster

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Bonjour all!

 

Just been out enjoying the sun - been pootling around the Brecons with the Zed and my friend in his Caterham (Caterbreak - it breaks a lot...) - stumbled across a Land Rover Sport press day (all the peeps from FHM and Eqsuire were there in their fashionable suits and driving moccasins...probably before eating their tofu burgers and going for a trip on their single gear bikes...

 

Anyway - In the morning I noticed that was I was going in turns the SLIP light would come on at pretty much EVERY turn, regardless of speed, and then I'd feel the tugging of the leash on either FRONT left or FRONT right. ESP was turned on - ended up turning it off it became so irritating - gentle 30mph right turn "SLIP!" thinks the car, "BRAKE! SLOW DOWN, TIGER!" shouts the computer.

 

As the day went on it got better (I could leave ESP on), then in the really twisty sections of the A4069 it was just going mental.

 

Possible factors:

Just installed new brake pads.

I have new rears but I'm still running on the older fronts (still the same standard sizes) - come puter thinks slip angles are wrong due to tyre grip?

Car knows me and therefore tries to preempt my hooliganism?

 

Any advice or knowledge about this?

Cheers!

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Might be the same sizes but are the tyres different on the front than they are on the back? It sounded like crap til' I changed my rears to Falkens...and had another type of falkens on the front... I soon changed so that all matched lol

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I very rarely turned my TC off, no issues at all :shrug:

 

What size wheels/tyres do you have and are your tread's worn?

 

Standard Fronts and Rears: 225/45/18 x 245/45/18

 

Running Falkens on the front (about 2-3mm of tread left) looking to burn them off at an nearing track day so that's why they're still on. Spanking new Kuhmos KU39s on rear.

 

As a bit of an update I dare say that the new tyres needed to cure/Bed-in as the TC seems to be tolerant now. :blush:

 

I'll keep an eye on it - but I think it's clear that different rubber + bedding in seems to have an effect - could it possibly be anything else?

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Could be that you have new on the back and old on the front, the rolling radius between the two; may be different enough to set it off :shrug:

 

I did find new tires a little slippy until they have bedded in . . . combo of the two :shrug:

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Could be that you have new on the back and old on the front, the rolling radius between the two; may be different enough to set it off :shrug:

 

I did find new tires a little slippy until they have bedded in . . . combo of the two :shrug:

 

It must be something like that - As I said - All seems OK now. I just can't believe how aggressive it was being. I've never had TC on the front wheels before!

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If you're running 2mm on the front and new/8mm on the rear that's a diameter difference of 12mm compared to new all round.

 

Now if you were to run 235/45 on the front and OEM on the rear, that would almost certainly throw up a traction control issue and that's only 9mm diameter difference if my calculations are correct.

 

So, I'm gonna say its the old tyres. Oh btw, I'm running ku39's all round and they were pretty damn slipping for the first 50 miles or so :thumbs:

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Nothing wrong as long as its the same across the axle. New Tyres have a release agent on them that makes them sloppy and takes about 500 miles to wear off. I'd re evaluate after 500 miles. As others have said it could be difference in rolling radius. But I think that's unlikely.

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I have the matching fronts sitting in my bog waiting to go on... Might put them on before the track day this week (any point?) - I think the ideas of different compounds, patterns et al all make sense. Best not to wear roller blades on one foot and ice skates on the other...if you catch my drift.

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I very rarely turned my TC off, no issues at all :shrug:

 

What size wheels/tyres do you have and are your tread's worn?

 

Same here drive it pretty hard at times and never really had too much trouble :shrug:

 

 

Same; I drove Donington today with it on and didn't cut in once, despite driving quicker than I ever would on the road...

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Agree with the comments on tyres- I found exactly the same issue when I changed mine.

 

I had run non matching front/ rear for some time with no issue, then replaced only the rears and had insanely active traction control- even at low speeds in the dry as you mention, changed the fronts to the same brand and new, and it went away immediately. Also make sure you have your alignment done. I end up doing mine every 6 months or so (Use HUNTER laser alignment systems- they're highly rated among enthusiasts, don't believe "oh, our system is just as good" from garages). This also makes the car handle as it should and keeps the TC acting correctly.

 

The car is much better with it turned off though, we're not talking mad driving here, it simply allows you more grip with no detectable slip at points where with it turned on, the TC would interfere. As these cars (uk at least) have an LSD, this is essentially acting as mechanical traction control allowing the car to be controlled perfectly well past the limits of normal diffs where one wheel would spin (eg E46 BMW).

 

Enjoy!

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Agree with the comments on tyres- I found exactly the same issue when I changed mine.

 

I had run non matching front/ rear for some time with no issue, then replaced only the rears and had insanely active traction control- even at low speeds in the dry as you mention, changed the fronts to the same brand and new, and it went away immediately. Also make sure you have your alignment done. I end up doing mine every 6 months or so (Use HUNTER laser alignment systems- they're highly rated among enthusiasts, don't believe "oh, our system is just as good" from garages). This also makes the car handle as it should and keeps the TC acting correctly.

 

The car is much better with it turned off though, we're not talking mad driving here, it simply allows you more grip with no detectable slip at points where with it turned on, the TC would interfere. As these cars (uk at least) have an LSD, this is essentially acting as mechanical traction control allowing the car to be controlled perfectly well past the limits of normal diffs where one wheel would spin (eg E46 BMW).

 

Enjoy!

 

Hunter is definitely the right option. My tyre guy put it up on that and we had about 4 people around the screen puzzled as to how Kwik Rape had got the geometry so wrong. Putting fronts on tomorrow afternoon, going to scrub them in at track day on Friday.

 

Thanks for all the advice, and TC off while the weather keeps, and driving in non crazy situations sounds like a plan. (Noticed TC agressiveness in a lift-off understeer sort moments (at low speed))

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