Jump to content
The mkiv Supra Owners Club

Safer Driving Tips - **PLEASE READ**


Class One

Recommended Posts

It's the strips that they sometimes use between a repair and the road. It's like a rubber/tar mix that is poured in lines to seal the repair. Slippery when wet and a bikers nightmare.

 

 

A great great thread, words of wisdom.

 

To illustrate Class one's point, here is a real accident on which which to ponder.

 

An RX7 hit a patch of over braiding, near hear a couple of years back. The back stepped out the driver over corrected and crashed head on into on coming traffic. The only person to come out virtually unscathed, was the driver of the RX. The passenger in the RX is now a bed ridden vegetable, and the innocent victim in the spent many months in hospital, will never be walking unaided again. As the accident was on Christmas day the festive season will always be a time when for those involved, memories come to the surface.

 

The RX diver had bought the car the day before. The over braiding is still there today ans still as slippery as ice when damp.

 

Reading the road is so important, especially roads with which you are overly familiar. Class one may correct me if I am wrong. I read somewhere that most accidents happened within five miles of home.

 

The MKIV is no more dangerous than any other RWD car, if driven appropriately. During the cold weather we have had recently road surface temperatures and tire temperatures are low, which drastically reduces grip even in the dry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Take your tyre pressure when cold and then inflate to 34psi front and 36psi rear for road use.

 

Any lower and you'll get flex in the sidewalls of your tyres which you definately don't want at this time of year.

 

Got 34 all round here. Didn't go higher on the rears because there's less weight there and I thought it would over-inflated.

Is the reason to go higher at the back power related then?

 

Sorry to ask btw.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

excellent and informative and i would agree with the areas covering autobox cars as i drive my dads uk tt from time to time.

 

oh and in cold, wet weather dont get your intentions mixed up with your capabilities... ha ha..

 

thanks mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have always maintained that giving the steering a flick in either direction at high speed on a greasy road is sure to get you facing the wrong way lol. :)

 

Seriously though, ATM, the roads are so greasy, nothing to do with frost or ice, just grease which is almost as bad and needs subtle steering inputs as Doug said. The "glass of water on the bonnet" style driving is recommended unless your the drift King of Japan.

 

My Grip rating guide

Dry = 100%

Wet with decent tyres = 65%

Greasy with any tyres = 40%

 

One of the major flaws in the stock car is the numb unresponsive steering during the first "o'clock" of the steering input followed by the sudden end swapping twitch. This is due, IMO, to insufficient caster. Simply adding 2 degrees front caster and setting the toe to zero cured it for me many moons ago, nice progressive heavier and predictable steering. Excessive rear camber will also encourage the rear end to leave you without warning also, a chap who called himself "good" once left me with 3.5% neg rear camber, the car had a habbit of leaving me when i really didnt expect it and nearly cost me my life.

Stay safe folks :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An excellent and informative post there Mr CO, especially the bit about letting off the brakes for half a second if you have no ABS and lock up, I've managed to do it a couple of times (Not only in the Sup), and it has helped, but I still have to consciously think about it, it's very hard to get over the instinct to plant the pedal down and hold on for dear life...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ok i need help really. What should the tyre pressures be? I havent even checked mine since i had the car ( i know i know) Little help.........lol

 

What wheel size have you got?

 

If on 17's then they should be 34psi at the front and 36psi at the back as Doug says. However, I had mine at 34psi all round and found the car much better. Small changes do make a lot of difference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

interesting and informative read doug but think i will stick with my scoob for now and bring out the supe when the weather warms up, been way too many accidents of late.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Excellent write up. I'm an advanced driver and your points are spot on. Let's hope some of the younger ones read it, because youth and enthusiasm often makes "sense" go right out the window(!) ...though most young Supra drivers seem to have much more respect for the roads than young twats in Focus RS's/ST's!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. You might also be interested in our Guidelines, Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.