Drifting

[zolazola]

Lets state the obvious first....I know it's rear wheel drive.....it has a lot of torque..... My driving isn't that bad.

Question .

It it normal to lose the back end and drift constantly, any type of wet or cold weather I might as well drive a Skoda.

Is this normal?

[Commander]

Unless you're driving it like a *****, it should be fairly well behaved. Tried checking your tyres for grip, pressure, even wear, etc? Geo setup?

[wmr1980]

Firstly I doubt you're actually drifting, but if you're losing The back end even with stability control switched on, then you're either planting the throttle too hard mid corner steering too aggressively, driving too fast for the conditions or as Commander sensibly suggested there may be a physical issue with the car that you need to check out .

[davedutch]

When I first got mine the back end would step out at the first hint of rain/damp, the tyres were fine for tread but a c**p brand, changed them for Continentals specifically to improve wet grip and now unless I do something daft the car is a joy even in heavy rain.

Don't just look at tread depth make sure the tyres are good quality and get a geo at the same time.

Enjoy the zed.

[Z-monster]

stop driving like a plum!

 

Loosing the back end points to being too heavy on the gas. If you're driving within the limits of the road - in my experience - the zed should be very well behaved unless pushed hard. Even on track days you'll get more tyre squeal than drift on fast corners and crap tyre brand is no excuse.

 

EVO says that the car requires a lot of commitment to drift, so as pointed out - you'll just be pinning the throttle too early - gradual squeeze or balanced throttle (keeping the pedal at a constant pressure) will see you right.

 

Drive within your/the cars safe ability. You're not Chris Harris.

[nowhereboy]

Check what tyres you're running then let us know, chances are they're either worn or a budget brand.

 

When I picked mine up it had falkens on the rear but they were quite worn, the car was very tail happy and the back end would slide out under hard acceleration, even in a straight line!!

 

I've got kuhmo ku39's on all around now and they have made a HUGE difference to how the car handles, it's actually difficult to make it lose traction now.

[wizurd]

I'd definitely check what make of tyres your running on the rear. I think I had Dunlops on the rear when I got my zed and under heavy acceleration the TCS would kick in all the time. Once I've switched to mpss the grip is so much better.

[Pete87]

Must be because youe the Drift King

[ben@RARE RIMS]

It'll also be the weather. My 530D is constantly having the traction light flash as me now it's got a bit colder - makes it even more boring

[hensh65]

Lossing the backend and drifting are 2 different things Although I can say even with MPSS if you are to heavy with the right foot it will still kick out. As pointed out earlier, don't be as eager in the corner, then full beans when the wheels are straight

[docwra]

EVO says that the car requires a lot of commitment to drift, so as pointed out - you'll just be pinning the throttle too early - gradual squeeze or balanced throttle (keeping the pedal at a constant pressure) will see you right.

 

Having done multiple laps of small roundabouts at 2.5K in the wet, I beg to differ

 

My tyres were cheap and worn though, you shouldnt have any problem with anything halfway decent and a slightly lighter right foot

[peteman35]

350z is so easy to drift my nan could do it....

 

Its how you drive it in the rain, more than 2 inches of throttle round a corner in the rain is over doing it

[SkylineV35]

Check your remaining tread on your rears.. mine was kicking out and flashing vdc lights alot in the rain... until i realised my rears were like slicks. Fresh tyres and now it only kicks when i want it to

[GMballistic]

[bizz]

Just like everyone else has said it could be your driving style but that aside. Check the brand of tyres and state of tyres. The tyres could be really old too. Also get your geo checked. Is it lowered at all?

[CrumbMC]

in the dry you have to be fairly commiitted with entry speed to get some propper sideways action given that you have decent tyres - i'm not talking about a crappy little wheelspin while turning here by the way. it's only a dirft when you have at least a third of a turn of oppo.

 

In the wet its quite easy to overwhelm the rear end under throttle, but given the smoothness of the 350Zs power delivery you should probably be get some tuition if you cant handle it during normal driving.

 

Crap tyres make the 350Z sketchy as F*%k in the wet. moreso than any other car i've driven. if you have had ditch finders fitted and you drive the car in the wet prepare to learn the hard way how crap tyres got that name.

[AliveBoy]

Define drift. You've got to be driving like a tool to lose the rear end the whole time. I'd say you'd be more likely to lose the front end than the back if it was all the time. Especially in things like roundabouts, you've got to either stab the throttle or be sawing at the steering wheel to accidentally lose the back.

[CrustyCrab]

350z is so easy to drift my nan could do it....

 

Its how you drive it in the rain, more than 2 inches of throttle round a corner in the rain is over doing it

 

You need to get some pilot super sports... Never fear the rain again

 

It hasn't slipped once even in the colder weather

[Terence Bower]

All the above,not so sure about the crap tyres though,but also your braking style.Are you one of those who brakes going into a corner.ie,trail braking? that will unsettle the balance of the car .Get it slowed in a straight line,then turn it in.MORE LOCK- LESS THROTTLE.

As EVO said,you need to push pretty hard to get the tail out.

Edited November 19, 2013 by Terence Bower

[cs2000]

Back end does get twitchy in the rain, but its what you get with a reasonably powerfull RWD car with a light rear end.

 

That said, I was turning into a right junction yesterday, gave the throttle minimum beans possible to move the car and around came the rear. T/C luckily caught me but I still have absolutely no idea what caused that. REo50's, was a cold day mind, probabaly ice or a metal drain cover.

 

Just ease off the throttle a bit and above all, always expect the car to step out! lol.

[coldel]

Most tyres if driven within limits (which should not be exceeded all the time in this weather - slightly damp/cold) should not be losing grip all the time. My feeling would be pressures, check to make sure they are not pumped up to within a psi of their life. I had well worn/on the limit Bridgstone 40s on mine when I first bought my Zed and never lost the back end once despite them having a bad reputation.

[docwra]

That said, I was turning into a right junction yesterday, gave the throttle minimum beans possible to move the car and around came the rear. T/C luckily caught me but I still have absolutely no idea what caused that. REo50's, was a cold day mind, probabaly ice or a metal drain cover.

 

One thing I would say is that once it starts sliding, the weight loves to keep it going. I was at Spa the other day in the wet and pretty much every time I was going round Bruxelles (slightly downhill RH hairpin) Id turn in, the back would come round and stay right on the lockstops until the exit. This was with no power at all, at one point I actually lifted my right foot up to show my passenger :lol

[peteman35]

350z is so easy to drift my nan could do it....

 

Its how you drive it in the rain, more than 2 inches of throttle round a corner in the rain is over doing it

 

You need to get some pilot super sports... Never fear the rain again

 

It hasn't slipped once even in the colder weather

 

No fear buddy, i love driving the Zed in the rain.

 

Makes the drive alot more interesting

[wmr1980]

Anybody enjoy turning TC off in this sort of weather for a bit of careful fun?

[peteman35]

Anybody enjoy turning TC off in this sort of weather for a bit of careful fun?

 

Never drive with it on!