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Fishtailing is a vehicle handling problem which occurs when the rear wheels lose traction, resulting in oversteer. This can be caused by low- friction surfaces (sand, gravel, rain, snow, ice, etc.). Rear-drive vehicles with sufficient power can induce this loss of traction on any surface, which is called power-oversteer .
A burnout is when a car intentionally locks the front wheels to hold the car in place while spinning the rear wheels. The dynamic friction of the spinning tire against the road causes significant amounts of the tire's rubber to be deposited onto the road surface, and increased temperature from friction usually creates dense white smoke.
Lift-off oversteer (also known as trailing-throttle oversteer, throttle off oversteer, or lift-throttle oversteer) is a form of sudden oversteer.While cornering, a driver who closes the throttle (by lifting a foot off the accelerator, hence the name), usually at a high speed, can cause such sudden deceleration that the vertical load on the tires shifts from rear to front, in a process called ...
Modern cars do not use pure Ackermann steering, partly because it ignores important dynamic and compliant effects, but the principle is sound for low-speed maneuvers. Some racing cars use reverse Ackermann geometry to compensate for the large difference in slip angle between the inner and outer front tires while cornering at high speed.
The same rims can usually be used throughout the lifetime of the car. Other problems encountered in tire maintenance include: Uneven or accelerated tire wear: can be caused by under-inflation, overloading or poor wheel alignment. Increased tread wear on only one side of a tire: often a sign of poor wheel alignment.
The amount a tire meets the road is an equation between the weight of the car and the type (and size) of its tire. A 1000 kg car can depress a 185/65/15 tire more than a 215/45/15 tire longitudinally thus having better linear grip and better braking distance not to mention better aquaplaning performance, while the wider tires have better (dry ...
Tires are also subject to severe wear which may result in a sudden loss of pressure or blowout. [ citation needed ] In snow, however, the strain placed on the vehicle is much smaller. Hence, rally drivers prefer to learn car control in such situations.
Tires with large unbalances are downgraded or rejected. When tires are fitted to wheels at the point of sale, they are measured again on a balancing machine, and correction weights are applied to counteract their combined unbalance. Tires may be rebalanced if driver perceives excessive vibration. Tire balancing is distinct from wheel alignment.