Light rain in the city of tress today. Thought I would try driving without the PSM for a while and see if it really makes that much difference....So of course, the first thing we do is go to WOT, and I have to tell you, it reminds me of watching cowboys ride bulls in a rodeo. The car slides left then right, then catches, bites and then launches. The PSM makes an average driver good. I am not sure it makes a good driver better, but the compensation factor for straight line acceleration is impressive. Cornering, though, you really see that the PSM works well. car tends to "plow" through the corner. Anyway, I guess the point of the experiment was to see if a normal person that drives a TT as a DD can handle the car in all conditions with the PSM off. My experience proves you can, but why would you?

 

PSM can affect straight line acceleration. One of the reasons I bought this car was to enjoy the strong acceleration it can provide, so why cut the tail off the car by leaving PSM on?

Additionally, the same question of "but why would you" can be applied to the manual gearbox; "yea, it's possible to drive a car and row the gears, but why would you?". The answer to both questions would be the same; "because it's fun".

 

Agree with both points above^ If I get stuck in the rain, or frosty conditions, it is PSM on. When it's like that, I am not interested in spirited driving...just getting the job done, and car home in one piece. For the other 99% of the time, it is for fun, and wanting to feel/control what the car is doing. In our 4x4 denali, it has full time 4wd, and traction contol. I have expermented a lot in the snow. It works great most of the time, but it has contributed in getting me stuck in deep snow. Or rather getting out of the stuck situation. The braking/power override prohibited me from the input I desired at that time. I know not apples to apples, but the fun (for me anyway) in driving an overpowerd sports car, is the skill involved in when/how/how much of applying throttle brake to achieve the results I input.

 

I tried the same experiment in the rain. I now always have it on in the rain. I sometimes turn it off if conditions are good and I want to have a little fun.

 

In my opinion it is even more fun to drive with the PSM off in the wet, or in cold weather with summer tires, because it takes way less throttle and/or steering inputs to spin the tires and/or hang the rear end out. When the traction is good to excellent, it takes more throttle to spin the wheels, and it takes more speed or bigger steering inputs to get the rear end out, and therefore when traction is regained there can be more to handle (not impossible to handle, just more to handle).

Just like driving in dry conditions, I decide when to spin the wheels and/or hang the rear end out when something less than excellent traction exists. It's not like I would keep PSM on and scream into corners or jump on the throttle expecting it to work wonders with the lower traction situation.

I'm not suggesting everyone drive with their PSM off, as people's situational awareness, judgement, and driving skills vary. As Dirty Harry said..."A man's got to know his limitations".

 

I'm afraid I don't have enough seat time in my car to risk it on the street. I was pretty good with my 335, but it was a dd and I was very comfortable with it's and my capabilities.

I need to find a way to spend some quality skid path time with my car.

 

LSD would be helpful though, if you keep the PSM off.

 

Funny...Limited Slip Differential, and not Lysergic acid diethylamide (a.k.a. "acid"...as in "Acid would be helpful though if you keep the PSM off").

 

Those darn acronyms; thread started with PSM expermentation, now we are talking about experimenting with LSD. Futhermore, why is it Dock, that guys who like to get sideways, know about alternative methods of getting sideways without leaving the garage, or as Ray Stevens said "take a trip without leaving the farm".

 

when I saw my post...i thought, some smart *** is going to do the drug connection, but thank goodness it was not to much LDS!

 

Ah, the wonders of the English language; think about what the addition of something like..."The addition of an..." would have done to the original LSD comment.

 

Sad to say the limited slip dif connection didn't even enter my mind when I first read it....sheesh, I guess children of the 60's are a bit different.

Brock

 

Same here.

 

To SSST,

The best way to "get seat time" in your car and learn how it behaves at the limit is to take it to an autocross. After a few runs, kill the PSM and ABS and you will educate yourself very quickly on how to handle your car.

 

I know. I need to get serious about the ax and de events in my area. It isn't going to happen this Summer, but maybe in the Fall.