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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

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ry4n

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Good point about learning the limits with TC.

 

I drove for most of last winter without RLTC. I had few hairy moments mostly with ice/frost but constant awareness and a steady foot kept me on the road. Now when it rains I don't automatically reach for the wet setting. I prefer instead to try and feel what the car is doing, why it's doing that and what I can do to counter it or prevent it happening.

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Obviously if I didn't have RLTC I would have no choice and I see where you're coming from but given the option would it not be safer for the moment at least to keep it turned on?

 

This is my first rear wheel drive car after all, and to be honest I think I'd rather test the limits somewhere safe as opposed to a public road where their could be very serious consequences if something happened that could of been avoided all for the sake of turning a knob

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Are you going to leave it set to wet? It'll certainly stop you spinning the wheels (especially in the dry) and the misfires will sound great through the RS*R exhaust.

 

Remember though that the longer you leave it on to get used to it the more you'll be scared to switch it off.

 

Do whatever you think you need to do. I know it took me a good six months to build up my confidence. Even now, while I do the occasional daft thing, I do often back off rather than risk me and the car.

 

Anyways, you coming to Squires next Tuesday? Meet some fellow owners and have a laugh. I'm sure you have plenty of questions.

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To be honest, if you just want to see what happens if you don't repsec the power, fire up Forza Motorsport or Project Gotham Racing or equivalent and get in a VERY powerful RWD car with anytraction control switched off. Boot it (from standstill or speed) and turn sharply - then try and catch the impending doom you just started. ;)

 

It'll teach you the principles but games are always a lot easier (and more forgiving!) than real life so don't think that any of it maps onto real life.

 

Apart from that, treat the car with UTMOST respect and build up speed SLOWLY. And apart from that, above everything else, make sure you have excellent quality rears (preferably with plenty more than then legal minimum tread on them) :)

 

I've had mine a year and it caught me out in the winter on a bone dry road in a straight line! I learned a lot more about my car by taking it to a track (the Nurburgring as it happens!) and by taking test drives with kind owners who've had their car longer than me.

 

Be careful and be sensible. :)

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but given the option would it not be safer for the moment at least to keep it turned on?

 

Possibly.......but you seem to have the right attitude and a healthy respect for the car so i'd think you are hardly flirting with disaster with it off. Plus a standard supra in the dry is difficult to unstick........in the wet is where the shocks usually happen.

 

This is my first rear wheel drive car after all, and to be honest I think I'd rather test the limits somewhere safe as opposed to a public road where their could be very serious consequences if something happened that could of been avoided all for the sake of turning a knob

 

I see what you are saying, but if you set out to try and see what happens on a really wide roundabout at various throttle and speeds you will build it up very gently. Just make sure your entry speeds are relatively low and then you are imo very unlikely to get into trouble, in fact i think you'll find it hard to actually induce the rear to break away when you are initially trying. Remember at this stage once traction is lost you should just ease a little off the throttle, not right off (although this won't cause problems at the low entry speeds) and apply a little (not a lot) of countersteer. Obviously the higher the entry/corner speed the less throttle is required to breakaway the rears so the more careful/progressive you need to be with the throttle.

 

Believe it or not this can all done in the wet as you can be doing 25-30 mph and learn alot in almost 100% safety. All your really aiming for is to learn the 'feel' of when the rear is approaching loss of traction and the reactions required for the stage after this. If you get any sort of sense for this then it will help on the odd occasion you aren't setting out to lose the back but it happens anyway. You will react instinctively, with less chance or panicing or tensing up.

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Not sure if it was mentioned already but if it hasn't been done by Steve, 4 wheel alignment and geometry check and make sure you have good tyres on too. I have RLTC on my supra, haven't really tried it out yet though. As others said, drive sensibly in the rain and don't drop your foot on corners / roundabouts / anything with dodgy camber. Don't forget about the weight balance of the car either - will influence the handling and possibly make the back lighter if you're braking etc. As Pete said, trying the car out to explore the limits in a safe place like a skid pan is the best thing.

 

Even all of the above might not avoid an accident so don't lose your airbag. If I'd decided to lose mine then i wouldn't be here :D Things can still go wrong and cars can be replaced :)

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Guest Griffo
Up to you.........one thing though if the/your NA hasn't got ABS i believe it will be very expensive to do.

 

Thanks Scooter!

 

Haven't got one yet, dare say i'll have to try it and see, as you have been saying above.

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Are you going to leave it set to wet? It'll certainly stop you spinning the wheels (especially in the dry) and the misfires will sound great through the RS*R exhaust.

 

Remember though that the longer you leave it on to get used to it the more you'll be scared to switch it off.

 

Do whatever you think you need to do. I know it took me a good six months to build up my confidence. Even now, while I do the occasional daft thing, I do often back off rather than risk me and the car.

 

Anyways, you coming to Squires next Tuesday? Meet some fellow owners and have a laugh. I'm sure you have plenty of questions.

 

Well steve said my best bet is to keep it at 10% in the dry so that's what im gonna stick with in the dry. When it rains I'll put it on wet. Yeah I fancy coming over to squires as long as the GF will let me :)

 

Hey steve your welcome to a drive anytime mate :D hows the pug treating you. BTW what do the leds on the boost, temp and pressure gauges mean when thay are solid/flashing?

 

Kopite the skid pan idea sounds good probably my best bet. As for getting a new wheel they never really did float my boat to be honest so the airbag stays.

 

Scooter that link isn't workin for me mate.

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