[CADILLACATS2013]

Just wondering what is causing my rear to swing out and lose traction when I start accelerating from a stop when the roads are wet. I haven't had a car with run flat tires before or this much horsepower so wasn't sure which is the problem. I plan to get different tires once these run flats wear out but don't know if that will change anything. Maybe I just don't need to hit the accelerator so hard but Im not flooring it so didn't think would have this problem. Didn't have this happen in my previous cars but again...didn't have runflats or this much power.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Not enough information. You need to post your model (Base, Lux, etc). and your engine and transmission. Those will let people know if you have a limied slip differential.

If you don't have a limited slip differential, one wheel will spin while the other doesn't and cause the car to yaw.

 

[CADILLACATS2013]

Gotcha, 3.6 automatic luxury

 

[DiabloMike]

Were your previous vehicles Front or All wheel drive?
The ATS is on the low end of the power spectrum for RWD vehicles, but it still has enough get up and go to blow the tires off, especially in the wet. The tires are also not so great, there is lots of room for improvement, but I kinda like the lack of grip sometimes

 

[mikesul]

Gotcha, 3.6 automatic luxury

No LSD.

 

[AAIIIC]

Just wondering what is causing my rear to swing out and lose traction when I start accelerating from a stop when the roads are wet. I haven't had a car with run flat tires before or this much horsepower so wasn't sure which is the problem. I plan to get different tires once these run flats wear out but don't know if that will change anything. Maybe I just don't need to hit the accelerator so hard but Im not flooring it so didn't think would have this problem. Didn't have this happen in my previous cars but again...didn't have runflats or this much power.

Tires + torque delivery + driver technique. You can't say it's just one factor, as they're all at play. Where are you located? What sort of temps are you driving in? If it's wet and cold, that will make the tires that much less grippy.

Were your previous vehicles Front or All wheel drive?

An excellent question.

 

[thedead]

I have a LSD and the backend 'slides' out in snow pretty easily.

 

[CADILLACATS2013]

So its avg 70degrees Fahrenheit, 70% humidity, 5K miles on the standard run flats mostly non-highway driving, heavy acceleration but not 100%, west coast Florida, previous vehicles FWD and others RWD.

 

[louie1487]

Isn't it because the power is delivered to the floor by 1 wheel?

 

[skidawgz]

Any acceleration over moderate in wet, snowy, or icy conditions in a RWD car will usually yield slippery results. The safety systems that are electrical or mechanical on the car are there as a driver's assistant. You don't want to slide out so badly that you lose control and end up on the side of the road or in opposite lane of traffic.

 

[SLA]

Just wondering what is causing my rear to swing out and lose traction when I start accelerating from a stop when the roads are wet. I haven't had a car with run flat tires before or this much horsepower so wasn't sure which is the problem. I plan to get different tires once these run flats wear out but don't know if that will change anything. Maybe I just don't need to hit the accelerator so hard but Im not flooring it so didn't think would have this problem. Didn't have this happen in my previous cars but again...didn't have runflats or this much power.

It's a combination of the car, the driver, and the conditions.

The more you unwind your wheel, the more aggressive you can be on the throttle. Start slow, unwind the wheel, and progressively give it gas.

 

[rhouse21]

Guys,
In a previous thread, we established that the traction control system will "simulate" an LSD in low traction situations and several of us posted pictures of nice parallel tire tracks on burn-outs. If one wheel was spinning entering a tight turn, all the power would go to the spinning wheel (which is usually the inside wheel) and the car would actually abruptly loose acceleration. I know because the clutch packs in my Camaro's LSD failed at ~240,000 miles and it started acting like an open diff. The car became almost undrivable in slick conditions because I seemed to be lighting up one wheel all the time at exactly the wrong moment. I was so happy to replace the dead unit.

I've had a lot of fun/experience hanging the rear end out on slick days in the Camaro (when the LSD was working properly) and the ATS does a decent job simulating the same dynamics... to a point. If you goose it too much, traction control will kick in and cut power to stop your drift. Turning Traction-Control off while in sport mode will allow you to do donuts in a snowy parking lot or drift a bit around a slick corner (things you absolutely could not do in a traditional open-diff car). It's actually a lot of fun to toss around if you are used to these types of driving dynamics.

A good all-season performance tire would increase overall grip while maintaining a sporty feel. Unfortunately, the selection of good all-season speed-rated run-flat tires is pretty small. They do exist, but I'm considering going to conventional tires once my current set wears out. I'm not sure if I will actually go that way, but I'm really considering it.

Random side-note: I've noticed that the combination of traction control and Stabili-Track in sport mode will actually work together to "fool you" into thinking the stock tires are better than they are. What I mean by this is the car will make lots of minute "adjustments" when driven hard to keep the tires within their limits. There is a corner on my daily commute that I can hit 'quite aggressively." My Camaro has better tires and sticks this corner like a howling madman, but I usually end up taking it slower than the ATS because the Camaro's chassis feels much more twitchy. By contrast, the ATS in sport mode with traction control & Stabili-Track enabled feels like it is KILLING" this corner because it's actually holding me back and will not LET me over-drive the car, but in a good way. I can feel it intervening, but it still feels planted and confidence inspiring. With the electronic assists turned off, the ATS's chassis still feels great, but I'm free to blow past the tires' limits and I have found myself balancing on the edge of understeer and a four-wheel drift more than once because the tires just couldn't keep up with what I was asking them to do.

Sorry for the long post. I hope this info is helpful.

 

[Critter]

this is great.

 

[BlakOutATS]

Sticking the rear-end out is part of the fun! now, press the brake pedal slightly, open the throttle, and when you feel your back tires have lost traction, let go of the brake pedal and give it some more gas. Have fun! (Disclamer: Be real careful, and don't do it around people, or other cars, especially if they seem to have some funny looking lights on the top of their roof.)