Traction problems?
 

Hey guys, haven't posten in a while, but I have a quick question. I have been noticing as of late that I'm getting really bad traction. Even with the vdc on when I get to around 5500-6000 rpms under wot the wheels break loose in first gear. I thought it was just bad conditions, but even when it is bone dry out it's still happening. Now I can deal with it, but the dame thing happened in second gear today, which leads me to believe there is something wrong... I only have a CIA done to it, so it's not because of too much hp (if such a thing exists) and the tires still look brand new. Hardly any ware. Any ideas? Thanks!

Oh yeah, and my starts/launches seem normal enough... And I have also noticed that i can take the rpms a hair past 8000. Is that normal? Did I get some factory freak 370z?

-Fuel cut happens well before 8K rpm
-Looking at your sig it looks like you have a peg-leg car, which I am suprised will hook even up to 5500rpm. You need an LSD or REALLY GOOD tire.

It's cold and you have summer tires. Take it easy and replace your tires, please don't make my insurance go up

You live in Maine and it's almost november....hmmmm, what could it be? lol, just messing with ya.

Have you checked your tire pressure? I thought I needed new rear tires due to a loss in traction, and then found out ALL my tires were around 25PSI instead of the rated 36PSI. After they filled them to the proper level, my traction is much better.

You have tire issues & Foot on gas pedal issues!

This could be a large part of it.

I'd say it is a large part of it.

Summer compound tires really lose a lot of grip when temps dip below 50*F. It takes a while for them to warm up, but they still won't be as grippy as they would on a 70-80 degree day.

When temps drop even lower, closer to freezing and below, summer compounds are worthless as they turn into hockey pucks.

yep. That's when Chiana takes a nap on my driveway and hibernates until Zdayz.

Eurodance puts on some winter shoes.

It's funny, my 370z will flash the traction light at me all the way up into 3rd gear at WOT in the summer here in Vegas (110+ temps). This is both with my current Nismo and my previous touring/sport (essentially both with LSD). I just chalk it up to crappy stock tires. Plan to go to RE-11's at some point or what ever happens to be the best tire at the time. For now I just make sure to watch it when going WOT. Now that it's getting colder the tires definetly don't hook up very well. Still, I find it odd that even in the summer I can breack traction at WOT in 3rd. I'd say it's problem with my car except that it's happend with both 370z's.

Our 2010 Camaro SS on the other hand with worse stock tires, more hp, more torque has much better traction. Might be due to the MORE weight and longer wheel base also???

Would it break traction in 3rd after a hard shift or just when you floor it? A hard shift would explain it for the Z, otherwise I'd say the roads might just be dusty and lack grip overall.

The Camaro likely benefits from the added weight and rearward weight transfer under acceleration. Is it an auto or manual?

I agree, mostly with the last part.

That too, I keep forgetting that people who live with the rest of the world actually have seasons. I'll be joining you guys in another year! :tiphat:

Where are you moving to?

Northern Arkansas...

1. Economy is slightly depressed, the towns are not expanding rapidly, I want to live near town without being enveloped soon. I like living on 40-60 acres and miss it from my childhood. Services will be cheaper due to repressed economy, me working in healthcare won't get hit too hard by it.

2. I LOVE the scenery.

3. Last time I was there, the people were very friendly. Don't believe all the inbreeding jokes you hear about that state, they only apply to the southern half I think.

4. Some of my best friends moved there. Every time I make friends here in LA, they get sick of the area and leave. :ugh2:


____________

Back on topic, the Camaro SS in 3rd gear at 4500rpm is putting down around 1800# of torque to the rear tires once gearing from trans and diff and 370wtq at 4500rpm (taken from a dyno sheet) are figured in.

The 370Z is only putting down @ 1379.

The tires on the 370Z are superior to what GM puts on the Camaro.

The longer wheel-base should serve to hurt weight transfer in the Camaro.

The front-weight bias of the Camaro should FURTHER hamper it.

Yet it's planted, according to one poster, when his NISMO spins (3rd gear).

The ONLY!* logical thing to fall back on is Work being a factor of Time AND! Energy There is no other assumption to be made than that when the go-pedal in the 370Z is depressed, the maximum available power hits the rear wheels over a shorter time-span than when the same occurs in the Camaro, shortening the time-frame available for the car to load the rear suspension and transfer weight/gain traction.

*I could not find spring-rates for a stock Camaro SS and 370Z, so I am unable to hypothesize about this variable which WOULD factor.

A hard 2-3 shift should light the tires up easily in the Z.

If the SS is an auto that 2-3 shift is going to be slow and smooth.

The PZero's are much better in low temps than the Bridgestone's despite both being Summer compounds.

If you have traction control turned on that would be the main reason. The GM traction control in the Camaro is actually pretty good. Turn it off though and the Camaro lays rubber for 100 ft.

As for the OP - Bridgestone's in Maine in November? Should be fun today as that low pressure front moves through and drops and inch of snow. You either won't move, won't stop or won't turn, time for some winter wheels if you are going to keep driving it.

True, the PZeros are a hell of a tire.

I just don't understand why. I have NEVER owned a car in the 370Z's power-range that a good 2-3 shift would light them up on. My WS6, my Z06, the ZR1's I drove at Spring Mountain. NOTHING. I do not comprehend :(

Shift harder!

Already blew the rear end out of the WS6 (oddly it let go while backing out of the drive-way, lol) :roflpuke2:

:iagree: :bowrofl:

2-3 will go even in an s2000.


Which leads me to believe....you are granny shifting...



...not double clutching like ya should!:roflpuke2:

:iagree:

It takes IC 3 years to figure out what car he wants. It only makes sense that he shifts are slowowowow. I bet he's a Rebecca Black fan:

Shifting into fourth gear, shifting into third gear, which gear should I take?

It's redline, redline, shifting gears at redline....

Z is 6k f / 8k r

The Camaro is a 6-speed. The traction control on it is much better compared to the Z but I very rarely see the light on the dash come on. Even with traction control off the car is very easy to launch compared to the Z.

As for the roads here that some one mentioned, they do tend to be a bit bumpy and I would also say dusty (It is Vegas afterall). Doing a quick 2nd-3rd shift will definetly cause traction control to go on but it will continue to flash going up to redline. I've even done a 3rd gear rolling start where it kicks in as well. Perhaps it's the roads here and partially due to the stock tires on the Z. Either way it's one of the worse traction oriented cars I've had. Previously had a C6 Vette and that car was even easier to handle with regards to traction. With the Vette you really had to abuse it to get squirly while traction control was on.

Then again I got spoiled by my previous WRX. That car was an absolute dream when it came to traction; wet or dry.

not really. thing understeers pretty badly.

On the GM system the traction light doesn't illuminate at the first level of intervention. A bit weird but that's the way they designed it. Given that it is less aggressive at that first level of correction it is also barely detectable. On the other side of the coin the Z's traction control system was designed by Nazi's, "Nein! Sie spinnen nicht! No power for you!". A tiny chirp and you have to wait a painful 3 seconds while the flashing light tells you off and you sit there looking like a fool.

:bowrofl: So true

:iagree::roflpuke2:

Z06 kicked the rear end out a bit today. Was on less than perfect pavement. I would say that I got it about 10 degrees off track or so. No lights came on, no intervention occured, all nannies on. It only bails you out when you need it. 370Z is not similar?

I dunno, never had any trouble mashing on mustangs. The 1-2 shift would put me a full car ahead vs. an equally motivated mustang (full bolt-ons and cams or a Cobra, basically) EVERY time. They spun, I hooked. Must not have shifted my old F-body too terribly slow :driving:

No, it sucks balls. Get 0.1% of slip or the tiniest bit of wheelspin and it just locks you down like an anchor. So to experience driving it you have to turn it off, which causes the ones lacking talent to crash into the nearest church.

Exactly.

IC, you should see if you can get a solo test drive to experience what Chris is talking about.

ahahahaha the church picture. :tup:

Classic :bowrofl::bowrofl::bowrofl:

Oh man, 2009 was the shiznit.

Both my F-bodies were similar. That kindof sucks. At least it is defeatable.

How good are the OEM Bridgestones on the Sport models? Should I just set them aside for some PS2's?

/\ if they're anything like the oem tires on the nismo, then yes, they're not very good at all, at least on track. On the street, well, if you drive "normally" just about any tire will work there.