Understeer or oversteer?

Chassis Setup, Tires & Handling Forum
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Tecno Kart 2017 chassis, x30, Komet K1H

Hello =)
I was at the track yesterday and had some problems with the kart on the exit of a corner as it was bogging down, quite a bit.

After a little while wondering what’s going on, i found out that the kart had too much rear grip.

To save some time on setting up the kart, i would like to hear if anyone has some specific pointers to what the kart does when its either understeering or oversteering?

After my experience with karting, i would say that if the kart slides at the rear before the apex, it’s oversteering. And if it slides after the apex, it would indicate that the kart was understeering and suddenly gained grip in the front on exit, and therefore having too big of an steering input.
But certainly there must be some quick/quicker way to feel/diagnose understeer or oversteer?

Thanks in advance =)
Alex Maansen

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It’s never both. If the rear slides out it’s oversteer. If the front doesn’t turn in it’s understeer (kart tries to keep going in a straight line)

Different things you can do dependent wether it’s over steering on entry or exit.

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3

I’m going to disagree here. Like OP mentioned in the original post, it’s very common to have a kart that is understeering on entry to a point where it oversteers on exit. If it’s pushing on turn-in, you add more steering input until it starts to grab, and then the kart is so loaded up it whips the rear around on exit.

The common problem drivers have is they don’t remember what the kart did on entry, they just remember the last thing they felt in the corner. So my main tip would be to always try and break down the corner into three sections; entry, apex, and exit. Figure out what the kart is doing in each of those portions of the corner and you’ll have an easier time identifying what is causing your handling issue.

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I can relate to often only remember the last thing i feel about the corner.
To break it down really simplyfies it. Thank you!:smiley:

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5

TJ you didn’t get me :grin:

The kart can understeer on entry yes, ok you put more steering input until it grabs then the back will slide out on exit. That situation is understeer on entry with oversteer on exit. Yes it’s possible to have both, but it’s not possible for a pushing kart to be called both oversteer and understeer.

Maybe I misread the OP :rofl:, been a busy day

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I get what you’re saying now :grin::+1:

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I agree with breaking down the corner, and take it a little further. Focus on fixing what happens first. If it understeers on entry then oversteers on exit, fix entry. It may fix exit. If not only worry about exit once you have entry. My first year, well before this internet thing, I kept having a kart oversteer. After a long time I realized that the kart was momentarily under steering then snapping lose. Years later I drove someone’s kart for them. They thought it was loose also. He had same problem.

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8

for me its overseer because you can save oversteer and not lose a lot of time but with understeer you just can’t really do anything other than slowing down or maby turning your wheel really hard