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torque steer, how to mitigate it?

7.9K views 83 replies 25 participants last post by  Booboo  
#1 ·
I am sure it was already asked here somewhere... do we know how or any way to reduce it or mitigate it, without letting up on the GO pedal?
 
#5 ·
When I was a teenager I was terrified of torque steer, even though I'd only seen a FWD car in an ad and drove a 1970 Charger. Then one day decades later it happened in our Saturn SC-1. So that's torque steer, hmm.

As a teenager I was also afraid to get a horse to full gallop, then that happened and it was no big deal.

I do wonder why torque steer is still a thing with computers controlling so much of modern cars. Does it happen in dual motor EVs?
 
#7 ·
When I was a teenager I was terrified of torque steer, even though I'd only seen a FWD car in an ad and drove a 1970 Charger.
Tell me your Charger had a 426 hemi, or at least a 440, or at least a 383, or at least not a Slant 6.

I had a '69 Super Bee 383.
 
#10 ·
A few makers of FWD have invented all sorts of ways to minimize this. My Bolt has none of that technology. Top Gear did a few episodes on cars like the VW and Ford models they sell there they call hot hatches. Think they said the Ford had best for this issue but the VW has been king of that class.

A car with RWD posi is also kind of dangerous. Just release traction control from modern Corvette and stomp on.
 
#12 ·
I keep all tires 39psi cold. may go up to 40-41 once heated u p from driving. during this time in Texas 50-70 degrees as of late. The car only has 3000 miles so tires are new.
lol.... they are not fully stomping on the go pedal? I don't recall having it as bad with the BOLT EV, but it is more noticeable with the EUV for sure. Not a biggie I guess, but i would prefer that the car goes straight, and not a quick jolt to the other lane.
 
#16 ·
There is no torque steer in here.
Whatever you feel is nothing. It might be rather the uneven road than true torque steer.

500e was snappy.
 
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#17 ·
Torque steer happens mostly because of the different lengths in the half shaft. (There are other reasons, such as suspension geometry, but it is rare in a road car. Worn tires and damaged sidewalls can create torque steer, too. ) Different half-shaft lengths mean they react to torque inputs differently, and one of the front drive wheels can have more power behind it. But the half shafts are equal in length in a Bolt, so there should not be any torque steer.

But if you are referring to an ICE front-wheel drive car, there really is no effective way to reduce torque steer except to take it easy on the throttle. The half shafts are different lengths in a front-wheel drive car because of the tight engine bay and engine and transmission orientations.
 
#29 ·
Different half-shaft lengths mean they react to torque inputs differently, and one of the front drive wheels can have more power behind it. But the half shafts are equal in length in a Bolt, so there should not be any torque steer.
The half shafts are equal, but the passenger side has a long output shaft passing through the motor that the driver's side does not have. I set this vid to start just before Professor Kelly shows it.

That could be all that's needed to pull the car toward the driver's side, which mine does every time I punch it no matter where I am when I do so.
 
#18 ·
#19 · (Edited)
When I used to build cars, I had a regular diff and used air bags to set sprung weight on the back to equalize the effect of driveshaft rotating axle. The same is going on with the FWD. The tires have different traction levels and is much more complex with steering geometry. The solution is don't stomp on it but the electric power steering may or may not have natural feel. Guess a wheel alignment might show an error.
 
#33 ·
pretty much anytime, rolling mostly. so just now, driving to work, long uphill abut 50-55mph, had to pass a car , slammed on the gopedal and the car jerked the steering wheel + the wheels to the left, so about a foot or so sway out from driving btw the lanes. but it comes back to center. it does it every time.
 
#24 ·
There is no way to eliminate torque steer from a FWD car. IF you don't like it, then the best way to avoid it is to drive RWD cars.

For me it's not a problem most of the time for travelling around town and commuting. Still, I prefer RWD cars. I can tolerate a FWD car in the driveway, but some of my cars must be RWD.
 
#28 ·
EV-1s were famous for dangerous levels of torque steer. When letting friends test drive it, I clearly instructed them to grip the wheel tightly before putting the go-pedal on the floor. I got a lot of "HOLY SH*T!" exclamations, as a result.

I also went through multiple motor mounts on them.
 
#30 ·
I was used to it. My Protege5 (stick) with only 130 hp and not a lot of torque from a 2L ICE would jump all over the place in 1st and even 2nd gear when accelerating hard. Minor fixes to the alignment (front had a little toe-out from the factory) and better tires helped but didn't eliminate it. So the reaction of the Bolt to a stoplight accelerator stab was only slightly surprising. What was surprising was getting torque steer even at 50-60 mph when passing.
 
#39 ·
The half shafts are equal, but the passenger side has a long output shaft passing through the motor that the driver's side does not have. I set this vid to start just before Professor Kelly shows it.

That could be all that's needed to pull the car toward the driver's side, which mine does every time I punch it no matter where I am when I do so.
I am not sure there is any torque steer.
I tried on straight multiple times. There is a stretch of a nice, smooth, relatively fresh asphalt and whenever I punch it (90% warm battery), it goes basically straight. No pulling to sides.
However, any, I mean, ANY imperfection in the road surface, the wheels will find it and will try to fight with it.
Then I feel pulls to sides. Even a small indent
 
#52 ·
Same here. I tried this morning with my hands off the steering wheel. Was moving along, let go of the wheel, and stomped the go pedal. No torque steer. Just a gentle movement to the right, as the road was cambered slightly.
 
#42 ·
I am not sure there is any torque steer.
I tried on straight multiple times. There is a stretch of a nice, smooth, relatively fresh asphalt and whenever I punch it (90% warm battery), it goes basically straight. No pulling to sides.
However, any, I mean, ANY imperfection in the road surface, the wheels will find it and will try to fight with it.
Then I feel pulls to sides. Even a small indent
I'm not saying you're wrong, but it does it to me every time on even brand new glass-like asphalt and it always pulls to the left. Pavement imperfections would not be that consistent. But if yours doesn't do that, that's great. And I'm not complaining that mine does it; it's just a quirk that I need to account for like P51 pilots knew not to slam the throttle to the stop if they were close to the ground. 😁
Theoretically, it's unequal-length "halfshafts" connecting to the front wheels that are a problem. The internal shaft allows the halfshafts (with the CV joints) to be equal-length.
I've always theorized it came from the shafts twisting unequally and it wouldn't matter whether it was an extension or the actual half shaft.
Let us also remember that Mr. Weber has the power-train reversed in his video. The driver's side uses the long output shaft and not the passenger's. The viewer is looking at the backside of the motor and differential.
I see how he tricked me. I called them by the wrong side (passenger/driver) every time except when he said "left."

Ad now it makes more sense. If that extension shaft is on the driver's side because the gearbox is on the passenger side then the passenger side would flex or twist less and pull a little harder, nudging the car to the left.
 
#45 ·
I'm not saying you're wrong, but it does it to me every time on even brand new glass-like asphalt and it always pulls to the left.
100%, same here, torque steer everytime, a good 1/2 second jerk on the steering wheel,to the left; regardless of road condition. Maybe we are blessed with slightly stronger motor vs those few with a no Tsteer.
It'ss like we got hight T ...and you'all have low T. :) sorry
 
#49 ·
There was a research report too many years ago for my memory of it that suggested drivers who keep the fast lanes moving, by pressing slower drivers to yield and move to the right, and passing them on the right if they refuse to yield, is a significant contributing factor in reducing metro traffic congestion.

Throw a little lock into a suspension and it tightens up under acceleration and holds position, causing a constant vector trajectory, which may or may not be the intended line of travel.
:)

Direct personal experience with 14K 2020 Bolt EV, that seems to have no torque steer at all and does not pull to the left, is that it is very sensitive to forces bouncing around in the front suspension, which the mass of its battery's momentum can completely overwhelm if unattentive to its instant weight transfer effects.

If my car did what you guys say yours is doing, it would be in the shop for an alignment, wheel balance, and complete inspection of the whole thing to make sure it is all where it is supposed to be and not slightly bent somewhere.

Current tire pressures are 36F and 38R. Now thinking of going asymmetric.

Because its fun
:)