Need some definitions/examples...

[SilverY2KCivic]

I've been seeing a lot of terms used lately, some I've heard of for a long while, and others I haven't till now.

Torque steer
This one I think I know what it is, but I'm not positive. To my understanding, it's when (as with most LSD'less FWD cars) one wheel is providing most if not all of the power, and the car wants to pull towards the direction of the wheel with the power. I've never experienced this in a straight line (I hear in some cars you can feel it) but if I gas it around a curve or corner, and the wheel feels like it wants to stick into the turned position you have the wheel at to make the turn, is that torque steer? I've never had a bad experience what what I described though, but it'll happen with me from time to time.

Lift oversteer
What in the world is this new word? From what I hear, it can be very bad just as snap oversteer is. Does this have something to do with tires coming off the ground when cornering, or oversteering? Know anything about this, CivicSiRacer?
I heard some guy on a board dedicated to D-series engine owners talking about in their suspension forum on there, about their FRONT inside lifting off the ground when they corner, or something like that. I can only imagine the straing doing that would put on the frame and suspension.

[CivicSiRacer]

Originally posted by SilverY2KCivic
I've been seeing a lot of terms used lately, some I've heard of for a long while, and others I haven't till now.

Torque steer
This one I think I know what it is, but I'm not positive. To my understanding, it's when (as with most LSD'less FWD cars) one wheel is providing most if not all of the power, and the car wants to pull towards the direction of the wheel with the power. I've never experienced this in a straight line (I hear in some cars you can feel it) but if I gas it around a curve or corner, and the wheel feels like it wants to stick into the turned position you have the wheel at to make the turn, is that torque steer? I've never had a bad experience what what I described though, but it'll happen with me from time to time.

Basically torque steer happens with uneven length drive shafts. Some more power will go to the shorter drive shaft since it weighs less and is easier to turn. Torque steer can pull a car to the left or right when you get on the gas.

Lift oversteer
What in the world is this new word? From what I hear, it can be very bad just as snap oversteer is. Does this have something to do with tires coming off the ground when cornering, or oversteering? Know anything about this, CivicSiRacer?
I heard some guy on a board dedicated to D-series engine owners talking about in their suspension forum on there, about their FRONT inside lifting off the ground when they corner, or something like that. I can only imagine the straing doing that would put on the frame and suspension. [/b][/quote]

Lift oversteer is basically transfer of weight. On a car that is set up very neutral or with a large rear sway bar - lifting or letting up on the gas pedal while turning forces most of the weight of the car to the front tires. Making the rear end light and loosing contact patch with the tires. This in effect produces a floating effect on the rear tires causing the car to oversteer. Sometimes this is good especially when you can predict it.

Snap oversteer is sometimes bad or good depending on if you are ready for in. But in most cases it's not wanted especially if you are getting off an off ramp at 50mph in the rain.

In a FWD car though the rear inside tire will lift off the ground if you drive into a corner hard enough with brakes on almost full lock.

[SilverY2KCivic]

Thanks for the definititions man. If having a large rear swaybar can make the car lift oversteer more, is this lift at all bad on the chassis/frame of the car? I heard about a guy that did something like $5 grand with of damage to his car from lift oversteer, but that could have been going into a wall or something too. The pic you attached, I KNOW my car has done that when auto-x'ing, people say I tend to use my brakes too much.

The part I described about when in a turn and accelerating out of it at pretty much WOT and the wheel feeling like it wants to stay in the turned position, is that torque steer I'm experiencing there?

[Dezoris]

As CivicSi said when accel out of a turn or in a turn the natural tendancy to pull the wheel sometimes unpredictable in one way or another is tq. steer.

Although an LSD does help much of this can be controlled with proper steering technique and alignments.