Sliding around

[woaface]

I was with a friend earlier this evening and I was coming up on a corner that didn't have any chevoron alignment arrows posted. It was a very rural section of town that I didn't know very well, and it was really dark. I was doin between 60 and 80 miles an hour (speed limit 35-45) most of the way:eek:, as it was almost completely straight, and there was almost nothing around for miles. Well anyways, I can see a stop light through the trees, and it appears to be almost straight on with the way I'm headed, but the road more sudddenly turned that I thought it would (I felt like a real dumbass) and the second I touch the brakes and drop to about 60, the whole car just goes kaplooie and is sliding around like a bizzle:flamer:. I didn't over correct at all. There was so much play in the wheel I couldn't tell where the car was, I mostly just let the car do it's own thing and kept it under the best control I could. So basically I went from left to right and back again maybe 5 or 6 times. The last 2 or 3, I was probably moving at no more then 10 or 15 miles an hour and I didn't even more the steering wheel, and the car was still whipping back and forth. I was 99% sure I had it under control at those last few moments and it just kept rockin back and forth, bib was screamin the whole time. I know I was moving way to fast for that corner but I think the weight/suspension/brake/tire/steering factor of that car could be a lot better, and I wouldn't have been all over the road had I been driving something with a little better performance bang for the same price.

Oh, wait, who does drive a Grand Marquis like someone would a G35 coupe?
Oh, yeah...only me.

[woaface]

I should also mention that I kept the car under control (in it's out of control state) and completed the turn without ever leaving the roadway or causing damage to it or anything/one else. Now, I'd like to figure out how I did that?

[GarageMahal]

I drove a '79 GM through most of my high school years in the late 80s. (A 302CID POS I might add)

That car taught me a lot about automotive repair. I beat the daylights out of it and ended replacing the engine, the tranny (twice), the rear end (I had totally shredded the gears), and just about everything else at least once. At one point while I was a Domino's Pizza driver I was going through brakes so fast that I got good enough at replacing them that I could swap out pads between deliveries lol.

Anyway, that car got me hooked on big, comfortable RWD cars. I drove nothing but CV and Caprice police interceptors until the MM. I am constantly amazed how well these cars bend the laws of physics.

jta

[sailsmen]

From an old post.

pulled up to a stop light that merges on to an 8 lane hwy via a 2 lane 70* left turn. I notice no one behind and no one right or left. View it as an opportunity to find the handling dynamics and limits.

Lite turns green roll to 10mph and floor it, midway thru the 70* left turn the 1-2 shift occurs. Lose all traction on the back, spin 45* furhter left, counter steer right. Traction bites and turn thru 90* right, counter steer left and turn thru 90* left, counter steer right and steer thru 90* right, counter left steer thru 45* left finally going straight down highway.

Very impressed with the steering and dynamics on a 4,200lb. vehicle.

Althoug I have seen many on this board talk of need for more low speed power she definitely has enough to break loose the back end with moderate lateral G's on the 1-2 shift.

The point being don't let the initial slow build up due to the large mass lull you into thinking she hasn't the power to get you in trouble.