Note: A “cool” form of oversteering is called drifting. It’s a technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, but maintains control around a corner at high speeds. Drifting competitions are held around the world.
Lawyer’s Note: BFGoodrich does not condone drifting—unless under the supervision of a professional and within a safe, controlled, professional course or environment.
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Frequently asked questions
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FAQ
Understeer is when you turn the wheel and the vehicle keeps going straight because the front tires have exceeded their grip. The correction is counterintuitive: ease off the accelerator, do not add more steering lock, and do not brake hard. Reducing speed transfers weight forward and lets the front tires regain grip, at which point the vehicle turns.
Oversteer is when the rear of the vehicle slides wider than the front, so the car begins to rotate. The correction is to steer gently in the direction the rear is sliding, often described as steering into the skid, while easing off the throttle smoothly. Sharp corrections in the opposite direction cause a secondary slide that is harder to catch than the first.
Understeer is when the front tires give up first and the car pushes wide of your intended line. Oversteer is when the rear tires give up first and the back end comes around. Understeer feels like the car is ignoring your steering. Oversteer feels like the car is rotating more than you asked it to.
Oversteer is generally harder to recover from because the vehicle is rotating and the correction window is short. Understeer usually gives more time to react and the correction, easing off the throttle, is simpler. That is why manufacturers tune most road vehicles toward mild understeer at the limit, and why the newest tires go on the rear axle.
Directly. Grip differences between the front and rear axles determine which end loses traction first. Mismatched tires, unequal wear front to rear, or unequal pressure all shift that balance. Fitting the newer or higher-grip pair to the rear axle biases the vehicle toward the more manageable understeer condition.
Drifting is intentional, controlled oversteer where the driver deliberately breaks rear traction and maintains control through a corner. It is a motorsport discipline with competitions worldwide. It is not something to attempt on public roads, and it should only be practiced under professional supervision in a safe, controlled, closed-course environment.
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