Do you find FL5 rear end too planted on track, or quite mobile/playful?

[M!!!]

Had an FL5 trackday, some found the rear end too planted and refusing to move even under trail-braking or lifting off midcorner. A bit boring and one-dimensional therefore for some, while some found that reassuringly safe and stable.

However, all the reviews on the internet and on YouTube mention that the rear end is quite playful in the corners. What do the owners who have tracked their FL5s here reckon?

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[CTRifecta]

What tries did you track on? I see some reviews stating that the optional cup 2s are stickier but less fun than the ps4s

 

[M!!!]

We were all on the stock Ps4s

 

[Icehawk]

Suspension mode? Traction mode? I’d guess you’ll only see this “easily” with full VSA off which requires +R mode or pedal dance.

 

[TimeRacer]

One can fairly easily change the rear handling dynamics of the car by under or over inflating the rear tires after you've played around with the suspension stiffness and traction modes. Lower pressures tend to slide and let go more progressively while higher pressures give away more quickly. What's the cold pressures you were running? Remember to check your tire pressures after every session so you know the increase delta so you're not ending up pushing 45+psi at the end of runs. Chalk or otherwise mark your tires to ensure you're not rolling them over too much if you're going to try to play with low(er) pressures as you don't have much sidewall to roll over before rim damage stock.

 

[M!!!]

Suspension mode? Traction mode? I’d guess you’ll only see this “easily” with full VSA off which requires +R mode or pedal dance.

Oh good point. I was on +R but had stability and traction control on. Would these driver aids completely preclude all weight transfer-related oversteer?

Incidentally, the ride wasn't too firm at all in +R suspension mode, I guess the track was fairly smooth!

 

[M!!!]

One can fairly easily change the rear handling dynamics of the car by under or over inflating the rear tires after you've played around with the suspension stiffness and traction modes. Lower pressures tend to slide and let go more progressively while higher pressures give away more quickly. What's the cold pressures you were running? Remember to check your tire pressures after every session so you know the increase delta so you're not ending up pushing 45+psi at the end of runs. Chalk or otherwise mark your tires to ensure you're not rolling them over too much if you're going to try to play with low(er) pressures as you don't have much sidewall to roll over before rim damage stock.

Thanks, I had 40 psi front and 36 psi rear with the tires warm

 

[Icehawk]

Oh good point. I was on +R but had stability and traction control on. Would these driver aids completely preclude all weight transfer-related oversteer?

I don’t have mine yet so not sure how intrusive the VSA is but if it’s typical I would expect it to block rotation since that’s basically its job.

 

[keller]

Oh good point. I was on +R but had stability and traction control on. Would these driver aids completely preclude all weight transfer-related oversteer?

Incidentally, the ride wasn't too firm at all in +R suspension mode, I guess the track was fairly smooth!

The VSA oversteer assist will come to your "rescue" on any oversteer condition above a certain threshold. If you change the handling characteristics of the car (eg sway bars or tire pressures) and still leave VSA on, you'll see some gains in handling but will definitely burn through rear pads.

The threshold depends on the driving mode, which is a good reason to avoid +R needlessly on the road. I assume individual mode uses a lower threshold (sport like) for safety concerns.

 

[TimeRacer]

Thanks, I had 40 psi front and 36 psi rear with the tires warm

Play around with the pressures and ensure the stability control is in the minimum mode or disabled. You're not going to get any rotation with it on as you're sliding the rear tire due to slip angles and unload the weight off of it for less grip. The computer assist modes individually brake the wheels and cut throttle to remove rotation and slip to make it as safe as possible for general roads. Additionally based upon everything I've read from individuals with real track time under their belt, +R suspension setting isn't for 80% of the tracks and 100% isn't for use on the road if handling is your priority. I know people say they use it all the time, but these are unlikely to be people who have a decent amount of timed track time under their belts.

 

[M!!!]

Thanks. I tried both Comfort and +R on the particular track we were at, and I didn't find +R unduly harsh so I went with that. I'll try it again with VSA disabled next time

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