The route I typically take to and from work has quite a few turns in it, but it's a backroad with barely any traffic on it. It has this one right-hander that should be taken at around 25-30, but I took it at around 50-55 and the rear end came loose. Never had that happen before and the car was straightened out before I even had a chance to fully register what had happened. It's tame compared to the stories I've read on forums but as I've never really hooned before this was pretty cool to me.

 

Put it in gravel mode. It's the one that allows the most sliding.

 

Sounds like lift-off oversteer. You go into a turn with the tyres close to their limits, then back off the throttle. Rear end gets light, tail comes out.

The RA is extremely forgiving with that. I've only experienced it in controlled course conditions, where it's totally fun.

On the road, though, there are a heap of "what ifs".


My last car would spin in an instant at the track if I lifted off mid-corner. It was just waiting to bite you! Reckon I took some suspension changes too far, and turned it into an animal. It just went beyond something I had the skill to "catch", once it let go.

I've had an instructor watch me in the RA who was familiar with my last car (and my driving style). He commented after one tail-out moment, "there's no way in hell you would have straightened that up in your last car!". So yeah, a stock-suspension RA is pretty fun to push.

Take care out there!

Rich

 

That's quite impressive. I've never had the guts to push that hard that the RA's tail end slides out. I've only ever experienced the typical light understeer one would expect from a stock car, despite its 4WD drivetrain - as is the same of similar model Subarus with 4WD. I do note that the traction control over aggressively cuts throttle preventing things from going overboard, so I would imagine once things do get out of hand, the car's many sensors and computer would reel you back in very promptly.

 

I did the same thing at Lime Creek back when I first bought my RA in '09.

The funny thing is, I only broke the rear end loose about 4 times the whole run. The Challenger SRT8 behind me came out of every turn sideways. He must have been having a blast!

 

You're exactly right about what happened. And while it was a cool experience I'm going to avoid doing that again. Seen way too many wrecks caused by idiot sports car drivers and I don't want to add my name to that list. Would love to put it down on a track day though...

 

With stock suspension, ASC off, decent tyres, dry road, the Ralliart will happily "set" in a reasonably sideways position when you lift off part-way through a corner.

As long as you have enough road, you'll be fine - it'll feel stable, your speed will bleed off quite fast, you won't spin, and you'll have pretty good feedback throughout.

My experience, anyway. That's on star-spec style 235-wide rubber too, fwiw. Kumho KU-36. Reeeasonably grabby on track, but not what I'd call sticky. I have no idea how a 1600kg blob like this would react on r-spec rubber, nor when pushed hard in really wet and slippery conditions. Haven't had the pleasure (yet).

Rich

 

With sport springs, ASC off, stock tires, and dry road the RA w/ the boost pill tunes will make the rear step out during a WOT turn from a stand still.

With coilovers, ASC off, wider 245/40 summer performance tires, and a dry road the RA w/ a modified boost pill tune will let the rear step out on a WOT turn from a stand still too, BUT it doesn't do it nearly as easily as on stock tires. I've had the ASC catch me once with this setup, and that was on a u-turn ...

 

You should see what mine does.

One of the reasons my upgraded rear sway is still collecting dust in the corner of my garage. That and I'm too lazy to drop the diff down.

Surprisingly , my RA SB is way more tail happy than my Evo was when it was at the same level suspension wise. Maybe it's the weight of the hatch or something, but the lift off over steer in the SB caught me off guard the first couple times... now I embrace it.

I do have naughty thoughts of getting the rear diff modded for more over steer though.

 

Yeah not so fun when it goes the other way and doesnt correct itself lol

 

I was Auto X'ing on a cool day the first time i ever had the back end step out one me, I was like wtf its AWD it should not do this but now im like i wonder if i can get the back end out on this corner. If i can ever get a video of this ill have to post it up.

 

AWD, FWD, RWD doesn't matter if you go barrelling into a corner a bit quick, get spooked... and lift off.

But the stock RA suspension setup is "benign road car", so it won't bite you very hard!

Rich