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fwd, rwd, awd - tried them all - impressons

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  • fwd, rwd, awd - tried them all - impressons

    Well, I'm having a bit of fun with my Forester on the back roads. It's nice to actually have some usable horsepower now, 165hp on 3100lbs versus my old truck 70hp(if that) on 3,900lbs. The 4wd feels a little different, that's for sure.

    I started off playing around with my Buick Lesabre. Being a large car, it was pretty easy to throw the weight around. I learned feint and braking drift on this car. With a foot e-brake and being an automatic, there wasn't much else to learn. Throttle was useless for the most part. It was a fun car to play with, had good power, but it's just not a proper drift machine, lol. Drifting is pretty simple, feint or brake into the corner to start the slide. There's not much to throttle or countersteering except for minor angle adjustments(if the feint or brake initiated the drift well). As far as my tank of a car, I really didn't do much to control the slide, the feint, done properly, set everything up for me. Then the car just slide on through. I'd brake slightly to keep the rear out, but not much more. At the exit, I'd lay on the throttle. I always exited very slow though, always disappointing.

    On to my Ford Ranger...rwd: yes, manual tranny: yes, power: no. I got the hang of rwd and drifting. Again, a foot e-brake, grrr! lol Again feint and braking was used. Even a little shift lock helped at times. Otherwise, with so little power, throttle was full or none. Any letting off would kill the drift. Speed into the corner became important. Must...have...more...power It was a fun drift vehicle despite its utter lack of any power what-so-ever. I really got to like the rwd platform. Drifting started the same as my fwd, brake or feint. When I started to slide, I'd floor the throttle, remember no power. I'd countersteer appropriately and finish through. If I came in fast, I'd hold on the throttle and braked some more to bring down speed, then I'd lay on the throtte through the exit. If I came in slow, I'd have to keep heavy throttle and a very shallow drift. With so little power, I couldn't gain speed through the corner.

    Now I'm playing with my Forester. Oddly, awd reminds me a lot of fwd in on-throttle behavior. You get some understeer and are required to steer into the corner a little to compensate. There is very little countersteering involved. Most of the time, you feint or brake into the corner to start and then, you just floor it. If you rotate correctly at the beginning, you can pretty much keep the steering wheel center. It feels a little goofy coming from a rwd but it works. If I just chuck the rear end out, I do have to countersteer to maintain a good line. It behaves much more like a rwd if you really get the rear out, although it's more because of error than anything. A good note, this think has a hand e-brake! woohoo! I haven't touched it yet. I'm not sure about how it will affect the center diff. I've heard it can be bad for it. Also, from the way I've learned, I tend not to use the e-brake at all. There are times it's useful, but I usually compensate by another method from what I've learned in the past, usually off-thottle, blip on and off, or some light braking to get the car angled a little more. It's just what I'm used to. Drifting's pretty easy, probably the easiest platform to work with. I haven't gotten used to how this car weight shifts yet. Still my failed attempts show me a little more of the car. Coming from a rear heavy truck, I have to relearn to make the rear end come out. It takes a little more coaxing. After initiating the drift, the car handles very smoothly. With all 4 tires spinning, the car feels pretty neutral and you can just steer the slide, easy, predictable, and you just drive straight out of the drift. With so little countersteer and the front pulling, it's all pretty smooth and easy. You steer to maintain angle, maybe tap the e-brake if you're a little under. So far, the only thing I have to worry about is not to use the throttle quite so early. Usually, if I go heavy on the throttle when starting the drift(coming from an underpowered rwd), I understeer cause the front tires slip and the drift fails. It's a good time for the e-brake, but I haven't gotten to that point yet, just learning the car right now.

    Anyways, just kind of talking here, sharing my experiences with each platform. Feel free to post your experiences/opinions of each platform. I'd like to hear from others.

  • #2
    glad to see you in a 'proper' drift car lol..

    Anyways glad that your enjoying your car. keep as all updated on your progress.

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    • #3
      Proper would be about double the horsepower, lowered, and stiffened, but yeah, it does well. I have yet to try it on pavement. I'm getting used to the car's behavior on gravel first. Then I can speed up to pavement and see how it goes. 165 horses on pavement and 4wd just doesn't sound like quite enough, not enough to freely break the tires loose anyways.

      Yep, I'm having fun with it. Of course I've had "fun" with all my cars, lol, sometimes a little too much. I wouldn't mind a couple vids sometime when I get used to the car and can push it a little. I'd like some in-car work but my camcorder doesn't do to well when shook. 8mm tape isn't suited for movement. I'd need a more solid state type of camcorder. It would be good for some outside shots though. Maybe later this summer I'll post some up. It should be somewhat remincent of WRC, hugh dust clouds and everything, lol. I won't have the turbo, backfiring, 600hp(heard that somewhere) engine though...waaaaa... pop pop...waaaaaaa. Correct me about the 600hp engines though, cause that's just what I heard, lol. They scoot. I wouldn't doubt it though.

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