Lack of traction at front wheels

[cyberdude]

Hi, I recently bought a 2000 A4 1.8 SE and experience bad traction at the front wheels when pulling away from a light or even worse turning into a junction. Anything more than half throttle will start to induce wheel spin. My tires are good and its dry before anyone asks.

Up until this car I drove a 2.8 Quattro and never had traction problems so all this is a little unusual to me.

Would a sport suspension improve things at all or is this just how it is with FWD? If I can easily break grip with a standard 1.8 I'd hate to see what you guys with 1.8Ts do.

 

[jdp1962]

I moved the other way, from a 1.8 FWD to a 2.8 Quattro last year. The thing that impresses me more than anything else about the Quattro is its ability to put its power down, in any conditions. I just think that having been spoiled by having such great traction, you're just not yet re-adjusted back to the realities of FWD.

JEFF

 

[AndyMac]

Dunlop tyres perchance?
Made of 100% teflon they last forever!!!!
Record so far 68,000 miles on rear of a Golf GTi

 

[dann959]

I agree I went from a fwd golf to a a4 quattro, and i could always break loose in the golf, but cant with the quattro. You've just been spoiled with the amount of power you can give the quattro and not have your tires spin.

 

[Gambba]

The key I feel with FWD is gradual accelerator depression ersus gradual release of the clutch will give you good starts...but as you've found out you can't just give it a right foot full and jump off of the clutch, so a bit of clutch slippage is required.

Can you imagine the guys running 1.8T Ibiza's at 360hp!! I have trouble occasionally with the A3 pushing out 200+.

 

[Patrick]

I'm inclinded to agree with the above. I jump from my RS4 to a 1.4 fiesta and I'm spinning a 1.4 at every junction etc. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[mramage]

Cyberdude, you should try a chipped 1.8T on std. springs!

Wheelspin in 2nd was a regular thing. First was a joke in the wet. Even in the dry the tyres squealed with full throttle in first. Even third could be interesting if the conditions were pretty bad.
Hence the S3....

As for a solution, wider tyres. You could fit some 17s or 18s with wider tyres. Should help a bit /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Don't know about the suspension. Someone more qualified might be able to answer that.

 

[jdp1962]

Surely the answer is to re-learn the art of driving quickly but skillfully, not to rely on the technology to do it for you. The Police advanced driver who taught me to drive told me that the universal truth of good driving is that when it came to using the throttle, brakes, clutch & steering, you should always act quickly, but never act suddenly.

 

[excursion]

I'm finding it hard to come to terms with how you can spin an N/A 1.8 - something sounds seriously wrong. You must be setting of like a loon!

 

[Gambba]

[ QUOTE ]
excursion said:
You must be setting of like a loon!

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly the way it should be /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif

Had a nice stretch the other day on a damp road where the wheels were spinning in third /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Must of just hit boost right and sift changes.

 

[excursion]

[ QUOTE ]
Gambba said:
[ QUOTE ]
excursion said:
You must be setting of like a loon!

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly the way it should be /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif

Had a nice stretch the other day on a damp road where the wheels were spinning in third /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Must of just hit boost right and sift changes.

[/ QUOTE ]

lol I want my tyres to last a bit, spinning in 3rd - you must have 200+ ?

 

[Gambba]

[ QUOTE ]
excursion said:
lol I want my tyres to last a bit, spinning in 3rd - you must have 200+ ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Indeed I have /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif

It was abnormal for me to spin up in third, and must of been keeping boost and had a slippery road.

 

[RichA3Turbo]

[ QUOTE ]
Gambba said:
[ QUOTE ]
excursion said:
lol I want my tyres to last a bit, spinning in 3rd - you must have 200+ ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Indeed I have

[/ QUOTE ]

You think /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

 

[Gambba]

[ QUOTE ]
RichA3Turbo said:
[ QUOTE ]
Gambba said:
[ QUOTE ]
excursion said:
lol I want my tyres to last a bit, spinning in 3rd - you must have 200+ ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Indeed I have

[/ QUOTE ]

You think /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe.....well I had more than Rich the last time I checked /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif

 

[RichA3Turbo]

[ QUOTE ]
Gambba said:
[ QUOTE ]
RichA3Turbo said:
[ QUOTE ]
Gambba said:
[ QUOTE ]
excursion said:
lol I want my tyres to last a bit, spinning in 3rd - you must have 200+ ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Indeed I have

[/ QUOTE ]

You think /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe.....well I had more than Rich the last time I checked /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/fuck_you.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/****.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif That WAS last time.. nearly a year ago /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[JayA4Turbo]

[ QUOTE ]
RichA3Turbo said:
[ QUOTE ]
Gambba said:
[ QUOTE ]
RichA3Turbo said:
[ QUOTE ]
Gambba said:
[ QUOTE ]
excursion said:
lol I want my tyres to last a bit, spinning in 3rd - you must have 200+ ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Indeed I have

[/ QUOTE ]

You think /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe.....well I had more than Rich the last time I checked /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/fuck_you.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/****.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

 

[cyberdude]

I guess it's a case of getting used to it then. I am not trying to do any rapid pull offs. The problem is worst when turning into a junction. Even my wife spun the wheels last time we were together in the car.

Yes AndyMac the tires are Dunlops (SP2000 if I remember correctly). Will definitely change them once they reach the end of their life. Not long now. What should I replace them with?

 

[AndyMac]

How did I know?
I'd replace them now, as they won't ever wear out, they'll outlive the car. I had them on a company Golf GTi, and got 38k miles out of the fronts (68k on the rears), and had to beg the lease company to change them, as they were still legal.
My wife's A3 had Dunlops from new, even though we specifically asked for anything but.
The traction control just couldn't cope with the unbelievable lack of grip, it was embarassing, wheel spin everywhere.
I'd replace them with Goodyear F1's or Pirelli P6000's. Both are good in the wet and you should be able to get them for about £85 a corner, if you shop around.
Do it now, and you won't believe the difference.

 

[Anito]

I'm running P6000's on my car. They certainly work well and have a good life, I get about 27K Miles out of a set.

 

[cyberdude]

OK. My fronts still have about 60% left in them and the rears have about 90%. It seems a waste to get rid of them with this much life left in them. I'll have a shop around anyway. Maybe I'll replace the tires and keep them to put back on the car when I come to sell it.

 

[Pegsta]

Get rid of the Dunlops m8, I can't stress how much I agree with AndyMac on this... the handling on my A4 was scary to say the least when I first had it.. changed the tyres to Goodyear NCT5's (if I'm remembering correctly.. it's too cold to go out to the car and check..) - the difference is amazing. I'll quite happily chuck it into corners and bends at *reasonable* speeds whereas before I was slowing down to a snails pace to go round em.. also I rarely wheel spin now /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Gareth

 

[jdp1962]

Mine had Goodyear NCT5s when I got it. They were OK for grip (hey, it's a Quattro so what do you expect?!), but the ride was hard as hell, and the noise from the back wheels so deafening, I thought the wheelbearings were finished & made the supplying dealer replace them both. When that didn't cure it, I changed the tyres for Michelin Pilot Primacy. They transformed the car. A lot smoother, massively quieter, and better grip on cornering and braking. Not cheap, but the best tyres you can put on an A4, bar none.

 

[AndyMac]

[ QUOTE ]
Cyberdude said:
OK. My fronts still have about 60% left in them.

[/ QUOTE ]

At least replace the fronts (got to be worth £170), you can keep the old tyres and put them on the back if the rears ever wear out, i.e. if your gonna keep the car for at least 10 years.