I thought my Pt Cruiser was a good handling car...

[CHROMEDCRUISER]

Out of left field question, but has anyone tried an emergency brake J-turn in a PT? I would like to try it, but am afraid it'll get too much body roll and flip. Any input?

[JPMS GT]

CC, not with the GT, that's why I'd like to try a skid pad both wet and dry. If it ever rains in Southern California I'd like to head for a big parking lot (empty) and just take it to the limit, spin out and just get used to when it breaks away. When I was younger I lived in upstate NY and did autocross, rally and raced Mini's and BMW's. I As I said above we used to drive with one hand on the wheel one on the emergency break and both feet on gas!
One Dual Autocross, two identical courses set upside by side, I had the Mini entered and the organizers didn't know where to enter the Mini. So they pared me up with a Formula Super V race car! This guy came to the Autocross thinking he's going to smoke anything he's up against. Well, off we went through the pilons (zoom,zoom)and at the end there was a pilon that marked the end and we had to go around it and head back to the S/F. We got to the pilon in a dead heat and I headed streight for it (right hand on the e-break)then went WOT, yanked on the e-break and turned hard-rudder-left. I pulled away from the pilon some 20 feet ahead of the FV and took it to the S/F for a win. It was father's day and my four sons (tots) had themselvs a new racing hero![8)]

I did make a big mistake , however. A guy with a Fiat (something) with FWD asked how I could go around the final pilon so fast and beat the FV. I told him to head for the pilon, floor it and pull on the e-break. He thanked me and went to his car. He slithered off the line and went to the end of the first leg. When he got to the pilon to make his return run there was a lot of screatching and smoke and he came to a stop just at the pilon. He sat there while his rival came to the S/F line. He got a tow back and later came to me and asked what he did wrong. I asked what the problem was and he explained he pulled the e-break at the end of the run and the car came to a screatchig hault! He went through the procedure again and I had to ask...Did I say when you pull on the e-break YOU NEED TO PUSH THE BUTTON IN ON THE END OF THE HANDLE!!! My fault, I didn't say push in the button![:0]

John

[PTGT Redman]

I have Eibach springs and sways and am installing Koni's and have a strut bar and the car handles way differently then it used to. Suspension for this car for anything other than regular driving is underdeveloped. ONce u start to play with it and srive it more aggressively, you notice those little differences. The back, now sans the OEM sway, under load and in heavy rolls feels like it's gonna slide out. That watts linkage only helps a little to control that lateral motion.

[junkno]

Chromed Cruiser,

i did some 360 with the car when it rained , man u feel ur goin to be thrown out of the seat. Just dont go too fast while ur at it .

[8)]

[CHROMEDCRUISER]

I would really like to try some tricked out stuff, but don't want to pay the price if something just happens to give out at that moment.

[RallyDRock]

Ive done it all and only looped it once.
I use the e-brake on the pt a few times to rotate it around especially in the snow. I dont do it on dry pavement to avoid flat spots on the tires. but ive done it and it is fun.
Driving a fwd is all about how you turn in on corners and how much weight you have on the wheels. turn in late and sharp, sometimes lifting off the throttle or a light application of the brakes with the left foot to lighten the rear and get it to yaw then roll on the gas to regain grip and exit the corner. Aboid abrubt inputs like snapping foot off of gas or hard braking in a turn. oh and dont counter steer once in a skid the rear will grab and snap around the other way.
when its time for new tires go to a parking lot near you, a big open one. Lock the tranny in 2 or L and drive in a circle at speed varying the throttle to get a feel for how the pt will behave in a situation then with your new grippy tires you 'll be out there tearin up the twisties.

[Grouch]

quote:Originally posted by CHROMEDCRUISER

Out of left field question, but has anyone tried an emergency brake J-turn in a PT? I would like to try it, but am afraid it'll get too much body roll and flip. Any input?

I won't try that in any car unless you like buying new tires everytime you do it.You put a ton of g forces on the tires and the rest of the car. You been watching too many movies. When they do it in the movies somebody else is footing the bill.

[CruiserDan]

i used a proformance meter on a sick back road and it tests gforce i wasnt pushing as hard as i could and i pulled .84 g's with sumitomo tires with a semi proformance tread.



Dan

[android]

quote:Originally posted by KonkelerI headed into the corner at about 23-25mph without touching the throttle. The car just glided through without any problems. I could have easily tackled the same corner at 30mph.

Next up was the Cruiser. Since this car did handled better, I headed into the corner at about 25mph... and I swear that car was ready to loose it!!

I think your experiment is a little flawed. Any car is most unstable when it is coasting. Either Acceleration or braking will force the tires to bite the road.

The most simple turning technique is to brake sharply immediately prior to turning the wheels to set the car, turn the wheel and the accelerate all the way through the turn and into the straightaway. You should use the entire width of the lane going from outside edge to apex and then drift back out. You should only be unwinding the turn as you pass the apex.

Your Cruiser will definitely become more predictable and controllable with a strut brace.