How to do a donut?

[Mickie C]

A bit of advice sought!  If I was to have access to a large area of uncluttered tarmac, obvliously not the local Halfords car park last weekend officer, how do I do proper donuts?

I can get the car to do 2 revolutions but then the spin slows and starts to pull straight ahead.  What am I doing wrong?

I am starting with the wheels on almost full left lock, then dropping the clutch.  Once the car is spinning I understand that the spin should be controlled with the throttle, but where should the wheels be pointing?  Should they still be pointing in to the centre of the turn?  Or do I need to straighten the wheel a little?

Cheers

Mike

[Nick M]

Have you got a limited slip differential ?  If not, all that's happening is that one of the driven wheels is just spinning too much and all the engine power to spin the car round is just disappearing in a cloud of tyre smoke.

As for where the wheel should be, the easiest, or least damaging to the car, way to start a donut is to drive along slowly in a straight line and then turn the wheel hard to one side and clog the throttle.  You should then get the back end out and holding the wheel hard over should see you continue to pirouette nicely.  Unwind some of the lock to make the circle bigger or to straighten up and drive away.

Practice makes perfect !!

[gee_fin]

Not that I participate in any of that type of hooliganism but I have found, sorry, I have been told, that the best technique is to light the wheels up, say, from a standing start dumping at 4,000rpm, ensuring they are lit, then just turn in. The back will 180', keep it going with a regulated right foot and lightly braking with the left. You can than widen and tighten the donut as needed by lessening lock and/or brake .

If wanting to cheat fully just install a line-lock or wind the brake-balance all the way forward....

I have some footage on the laptop of how to, and how not to do this by a fellow Fluke person I can pass on if wanted.

Graeme.

[Mickie C]

Yes, limited slip diff fitted.

So, technique to try is:

Light the rears up, then turn in (to save car a little!, hold lock on wheel to continue spin, unwind lock to widen the donut/drive away?  I'll give it a try (I think Asda shuts at 10pm!

I'l probably give the left foot braking a miss as it usually results in me heading towards the windscreen at a great rate of knots!  Subtlety is not my strong point.

Cheers

Mike

[Blatman]

I'm available for 1 to 1 tuition.

Don't try it on grass..................

[Miraz]

Why not?

It's lots of fun on grass - better on wet snow covered grass...try building up a bit of speed in reverse then yank the wheel over to get the front turning. After the first 180 light up the rear and reverse the steering and you should get a couple of complete revolutions in, but the center of the spin will move from the front to the back of the car!

Very wierd and more than a little nauseating - best done in someone else's car.

[Captain Colonial]

...then yank the wheel over to get the front turning...

Please be careful how you say "yank" - it gets us colonials nervous      

[Miraz]

G'day - but I'm a colonial also....but not that type

[bill shurvinton]

Having tried this at brooklands a few weeks ago, one recommendation is to use 2nd rather than 1st gear. For me 6000RPM in second gives the perfect spin, with the front wheels almost stationary. Too much power and you stop rotating.

Processing donuts I haven't perfected yet