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[edwardmickey]

Rear wheel drive cars have many advantages, we all love our Omegas here!

In the wet, particularly on roundabouts, I take it extra careful so as to avoid any oversteering.

I had a nasty oversteering experience a few days ago when I applied a little portion of right hand pedal a bit too early exiting a roundabout - causing the rear to slide away towards the nearside ....  I managed to recover by steering to the offside while taking my foot off the pedal.  The result was quite quick and I lived to save an expensive repair bill.

Now was this a fluke or did I do the right thing?   What is the correct thing to do?

[Nickbat]

Rear wheel drive cars have many advantages, we all love our Omegas here!

In the wet, particularly on roundabouts, I take it extra careful so as to avoid any oversteering.

I had a nasty oversteering experience a few days ago when I applied a little portion of right hand pedal a bit too early exiting a roundabout - causing the rear to slide away towards the nearside ....  I managed to recover by steering to the offside while taking my foot off the pedal.  The result was quite quick and I lived to save an expensive repair bill.

Now was this a fluke or did I do the right thing?   What is the correct thing to do?

Known as applying opposite lock and the correct procedure. You do not have to take your foot off the pedal - keeping it on can give the sort of power slide so loved by Jeremy Clarkson et al. Taking your foot off the pedal, however, is the instinctive reaction and safest if you're not an experienced "sports" driver.  

[STMO123]

Rear wheel drive cars have many advantages, we all love our Omegas here!

In the wet, particularly on roundabouts, I take it extra careful so as to avoid any oversteering.

I had a nasty oversteering experience a few days ago when I applied a little portion of right hand pedal a bit too early exiting a roundabout - causing the rear to slide away towards the nearside ....  I managed to recover by steering to the offside while taking my foot off the pedal.  The result was quite quick and I lived to save an expensive repair bill.

Now was this a fluke or did I do the right thing?   What is the correct thing to do?

No.

The correct thing to do is buy an alfa romeo

[amigov6]

 :)Instinct served you well, that's about right. When you get a taste for it you'll do as you stated but with power on to carry the drift then you can almost steer with the throttle. Not to be advised for obvious reasons but can get you out of trouble sometimes.

[Entwood]

have you turned the TC off if so TURN IT BACK ON !!

Traction control will greatly assist in preventing over eager application of right foot !!  

The TC light on the dash should be OFF .. if the TC light is ON you have NO traction control .. ie default is TC working !!

[Danny]

Rear wheel drive cars have many advantages, we all love our Omegas here!

In the wet, particularly on roundabouts, I take it extra careful so as to avoid any oversteering.

I had a nasty oversteering experience a few days ago when I applied a little portion of right hand pedal a bit too early exiting a roundabout - causing the rear to slide away towards the nearside ....  I managed to recover by steering to the offside while taking my foot off the pedal.  The result was quite quick and I lived to save an expensive repair bill.

Now was this a fluke or did I do the right thing?   What is the correct thing to do?

No.

The correct thing to do is buy an alfa, romeo

his name's Edward!

[TheBoy]

lifting off the power can cause weight shift towards the front, hence can further unsettle the car.  So, ideally, not letting completely off the power, but controlling the power

[edwardmickey]

have you turned the TC off if so TURN IT BACK ON !!

Traction control will greatly assist in preventing over eager application of right foot !!  

The TC light on the dash should be OFF .. if the TC light is ON you have NO traction control .. ie default is TC working !!

TC is on!!

[Tony H]

have you turned the TC off if so TURN IT BACK ON !!

Traction control will greatly assist in preventing over eager application of right foot !!  

The TC light on the dash should be OFF .. if the TC light is ON you have NO traction control .. ie default is TC working !!

TC is on!!

That sounds as if it needs checking out! take the car somewhere with alot of space ie a deserted car park in the wet and try to make the back breakaway you should feel the tc cutting power to the rear wheels it's quite noticeable,
the correct way to negotiate bends with rear wheel drive is "opposite lock" steering this allows the power to be kept on without ending up spinning out however I would not use it on a busy highway even if you become experienced at it

[edwardmickey]

have you turned the TC off if so TURN IT BACK ON !!

Traction control will greatly assist in preventing over eager application of right foot !!  

The TC light on the dash should be OFF .. if the TC light is ON you have NO traction control .. ie default is TC working !!

TC is on!!

That sounds as if it needs checking out! take the car somewhere with alot of space ie a deserted car park in the wet and try to make the back breakaway you should feel the tc cutting power to the rear wheels it's quite noticeable,
the correct way to negotiate bends with rear wheel drive is "opposite lock" steering this allows the power to be kept on without ending up spinning out however I would not use it on a busy highway even if you become experienced at it

I know that TC is on and fully working; the amber dash light comes on now and then when I floor it!

I only seem to get the oversteer when I dab the accelerator early during very sharp bend exits such as roundabouts when the road is wet.  I managed to source 4x235 tyres - fully fitted for £200 all in, several months ago; don't want to sound ungrateful, that was a huge saving.  But budget tyres have their drawbacks and I have no doubt that they ain't helping me under these conditions.

I just wanted to know the correct way to deal with oversteer on the odd occasion that I get into difficulty.  Keeping the throttle on seems alien; public roads are clearly inappropriate places to test this out!!!!

I'll be the first to admit that I drive my car hard.  But, as the saying goes..... 'power is nothing without control.'

[Kev]

That sounds as if it needs checking out! take the car somewhere with alot of space ie a deserted car park in the wet and try to make the back breakaway you should feel the tc cutting power to the rear wheels it's quite noticeable,
the correct way to negotiate bends with rear wheel drive is "opposite lock" steering this allows the power to be kept on without ending up spinning out however I would not use it on a busy highway even if you become experienced at it

Sshhhh....Don't let Mark hear you saying that.  

[Tony H]

That sounds as if it needs checking out! take the car somewhere with alot of space ie a deserted car park in the wet and try to make the back breakaway you should feel the tc cutting power to the rear wheels it's quite noticeable,
the correct way to negotiate bends with rear wheel drive is "opposite lock" steering this allows the power to be kept on without ending up spinning out however I would not use it on a busy highway even if you become experienced at it

Sshhhh....Don't let Mark hear you saying that.  

[hotel21]

Best way to learn is to practice......

Snow is not so far away now (was snowing here earlier, turned to sleet/rain quite quickly) then find a large carpark and start to play.  Saves paying £100 per corner for tyres...

Or, if dry, a large dry carpark and no hard jaggy sticky out things like lamp posts or fences or cars or people....  Ot CCTV camera's....

Decide you don't really need your rear tyres as you have new ones on order.

Stop car, apply full lock of choice (normally full right as per roundabouts, but change is always fun) then engage first gear SLOWLY and then GENTLY accelerate.

Continue to accelerate and enjoy the traction of the tyres....  Eventually you will reach a speed such that the rear tries to break away.  Do not steer out (opposite lock) but simply gently release/reapply accelerator pedal so that, on release, the rear falls back into line and on further application, it steps out again.

Now try with TC switched off.....

See the difference....

You now have a rudimentary power slide similar to Top Gear etc except that you are still on full lock.

Learn to feel whats happening to the car through the cheeks of your harris and apply/remove power to suit.

Once happy what you are doing, introduce some opposite lock and combine with power on/off tequnique...

PS - on second thoughts, find a disused airfield with large runoffs rather than the local Tesco in cas it all goes Pete Tong...

However, back to original Q, seems like you have the basics there, just need practice and a wee bit more practice....    

Once finished, examine the rear tyres and marvel at how they now look like old style thruppeny bits......        

stay safe....  

[JamesV6CDX]

Stay safe is the key, and also (try) and stay legal

I remember hitting a bend way to fast in my facelift.. I had maria in the car too   .. it handled it surprisingly well, but I had to correct the rear end once or twice..

Of course, I looked and acted like I was fuly in control at all times  

[IrmscherKris]

lifting off the power can cause weight shift towards the front, hence can further unsettle the car.  So, ideally, not letting completely off the power, but controlling the power

The same as braking on corners at speed...

The more it happens the better you can control it. Don't steer in to it to far though or you will end up in a wall. Timing is crucial, but is alot more easier than it sounds. I regularly "get the back end out" cos I know where my cars limits are exactly, so know what to expect. Oversteer can be fun if you know what to expect and know what to do. Understeer on the other hand is a bitch!

(on a private test track, of course  )