Drifting question??

[Zippylock]

so we got a light snow covering and i went to an open parking lot and wanted to have a little fun with my car. I would cut the wheel and give it gas and the whole car started vibrating? and like the ass doesn't want to kick out like it should, it normally does, but i have never tried to have the car sideways? I then stopped because i didn't want to hurt anything, and tried again and the same thing? what could cause this? it felt like maybe the front tire was being pushed sideways, but i dont think it would shake like that..i was only going like 20mph.. also my car is a 5 speed if that makes a difference and the traction control was off.

could it be cause i have an LSD? but im almost positive my car didn't come with one... 98' 328

any help would be great!!

[vdubkid]

maybe you were in too high of a gear?

i've done the same in my mom's '06 325xi, and it messes around in the snow really well.

but yeah, too high a gear is the only thing that i can think of.

[bmwretard]

you didn't have the rear end sliding... the rear end was gripping, creating the vibration. you need to shock the rear wheels loose with either proper technique or a clutch-kick. you weren't hurting your car, though.


try a 2nd gear clutch kick while turning at about 20 mph. if the vibration continues badly while you are drifting, i wouldn't do it for very long.

[sfodd66008]

unless you changed your diff or a previous owner did, you dont have lsd. so the vibration was probably the tire that wasnt spinnig hopping, it wasnt slippery enough out. If you had LSD you wouldnt have this problem because both wheels would be spinning

[Alpine 318is]

i think its cause you dont have an LSD cause in the snow these cars loose traction pretty easily

[Sform576]

do you have traction conrol on? abs will do that when you go sideways sometimes.

[photopaintball]

I get tire hop due to a bad diff.

Also you have to break traction. For low speed drifts I think that revving it up in first and then shifting quick to second and popping the clutch.

Probably your car is just starting to break but the lsd wont let it.

As long as the tires are moving faster than the ground under them, you can just whip the wheel around all day long.

[D.R.]

The car was shaking in fear of its doom at the hands of a poorly skilled driver trying to drift.

[Alpine 318is]

The car was shaking in fear of its doom at the hands of a poorly skilled driver trying to drift.

you have to start somewere. snow would probably be easier than rain or straight up dry

[photopaintball]

I remember the days of learning:
So wait, all I do it turn the steering wheel?
No you need to pull the ebrake
ooohhh ok here we go

all on dry. Im on my third set of tires in 6 months.

scariest thing ever is having your tire pop off of your rim while doing a 180. Or better yet doing a 180 to turn around on a large road and stalling because your car just decided to idle at 500 this month...

[Alpine 318is]

I remember the days of learning:
So wait, all I do it turn the steering wheel?
No you need to pull the ebrake
ooohhh ok here we go

all on dry. Im on my third set of tires in 6 months.

scariest thing ever is having your tire pop off of your rim while doing a 180. Or better yet doing a 180 to turn around on a large road and stalling because your car just decided to idle at 500 this month...

are u serious?

[M whip]

[dinomite]

Very simple: your car was vibrating because it was understeering. Understeer is when you turn the wheels and the car continues to go straight, rather than follow the arc that the wheel angle would suggest. In contrast to this is oversteering wherein the car rotates more than the arc of the wheels, brining the back end around; this is what you're trying to do when you talk about drifting.

From the sound of it, you were going much to fast for the conditions. I'm not talking about safety here, I'm just talking about drifting. The way you want to initiate a drift is to begin turning, just like you normally would, and once the car begins to turn *then* you add some power, pull the e-brake or drop the clutch to get the rear end to break loose. From there you can keep the rear end hangining out by using the throttle to keep the wheels spinning as needed. Make sense? See if you can find the video "drift bible" it's an OK intro to drifting.

[SeattleBMW325i]

Very simple: your car was vibrating because it was understeering. Understeer is when you turn the wheels and the car continues to go straight, rather than follow the arc that the wheel angle would suggest. In contrast to this is oversteering wherein the car rotates more than the arc of the wheels, brining the back end around; this is what you're trying to do when you talk about drifting.

From the sound of it, you were going much to fast for the conditions. I'm not talking about safety here, I'm just talking about drifting. The way you want to initiate a drift is to begin turning, just like you normally would, and once the car begins to turn *then* you add some power, pull the e-brake or drop the clutch to get the rear end to break loose. From there you can keep the rear end hangining out by using the throttle to keep the wheels spinning as needed. Make sense? See if you can find the video "drift bible" it's an OK intro to drifting.

thats what i was thinking, my car understeers badly, and thats what it does, it doesnt turn much at all, and it vibrates, also to add on the the drift bible thing, it also helps to, i dont remember what it's called, but to turn one direction, and then quickly turn back the other direction. Get the drift bible if you want to learn. i can't do it because my cars low powered with no lsd, and it understeers

[Isaracing]

i dont remember what it's called, but to turn one direction, and then quickly turn back the other direction.

its a feint, and about the only way to to drift an underpowered car in the dry. in the snow, i dont know if it will work, because it sounds like his car just wants to understeer either way. A clutch pop wont work, cuz he will find himself spinning out very easily in the snow if he does this. drifting without an LSD is just not gonna work properly without perfect conditions.

[bmwretard]

Whether it's an open diff or an LSD has nothing to do with it.

[Jaytron]

Oh jesus... I'm suprised nobody has suggested to pull the e-brake. Understeer=pull e-brake

Clutch kick would be fine depending on how much u gas it and how fast you're going. If the rpm's aren't too high when u clutch kick, the shock to the rear shouldn't be as bad.

[shim]

Whether it's an open diff or an LSD has nothing to do with it.

sort of.....

its very hard to drift without LSD

[Jaytron]

sort of.....

its very hard to drift without LSD

It's not too hard w.o an LSD if it's wet out or in his case icy.

[madness]

I drift quite easily in my 1999 323is w.o LSD, even on dry. Though far easier on wet, I just start moving in first, keep it in first until decent speed, then turn sharp and gas it, and voila, lots of tire screetch and sideways motion with rear coming around first, then do countersteer and regain control and shift as redline approaches. Then again, I have all-season tires, so perhaps they don't grip the road as well and thus make it easier? You tell me, I dunno.

[catalyst.]

You still had traction and there probably wasnt enough snow on the ground.

You need to have a pretty decent amount on the ground to snow drift..

and with an open diff it will work fine, an lsd is better, but using a faint style drift by throwing the car into a slide will work fine.

[bmwretard]

sort of.....

its very hard to drift without LSD

um... no. it actually happens to be quite easy.

an accurate statement would be: "it is slightly more difficult to powerslide without an LSD when in a low-hp car."

[Juicy Double]

It's gotta be the DSC. I have NO problem drifting heavier and less powerful RWD cars inlight snow w/ winter tires. There shouldn't be too much resistance there.

[shim]

um... no. it actually happens to be quite easy.

an accurate statement would be: "it is slightly more difficult to powerslide without an LSD when in a low-hp car."

yea, but true drifting does not = powersliding.

when you start to do REAL drifting and start doing combos (linking the turns) and other combinations, open diff will not be enough. 2 way LSD owns in the drift world.

[T-Rex]

sort of.....

its very hard to drift without LSD

its harder to maintain a drift, just as easy to initiate one....