I Have Hooned

"Future Heap Owner" (aperiodic) 02/05/2019 at 04:16 • Filed to: aren’t I a big boy now?, Donuts, Snow-nuts, Snow, Truck Yeah

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We got a little snow  accumulation in Portland, so I took the truck out to try to figure out how to do donuts.

Ready for some donuts

I picked up a friend (in fact, the very person who taught me how to drive stick) and we cruised around looking for an empty lot that hadn’t already been well-used. After a few minutes rolling down 82nd, we found a church lot that only had marks from a single donut in it.

I crawled in and put the truck in neutral with my foot on the brake. I was feeling kinda nervous at this point. I’ve never intentionally broken traction. I haven’t handled a vehicle that was losing traction in years. And this is my only vehicle right now. What am I getting myself into? What if I totally lose control and crash into something?

I turned to my friend and asked him if he’s ready. He responds “hell yeah!” Emboldened, I carpe the diem, shift into into second, and ease out the clutch.

As I got to the middle of the lot, I turned the wheel and then stepped on the throttle to break traction in back. I felt the rear end swing around and just like that I’m doing a donut! I instantly forgot my feelings of anxiety and get caught up in the moment of oversteer.

My first donut lasts for about 180° before the rear wheels regain traction on the other side. This is fun! I’m hooked! I went right back in for another, and after a few tries I get the hang of keeping the wheels spinning enough so the rear end keeps floating and I manage a full rotation. Whoohoo!

Feeling cocky, I tried to do a donut around a lightpost, but the radius tightened too much after 2/3 of a turn and I had to stop (only a few feet away from the post).

After I got my use of that lot, we went to find more. We found a few more empty ones and traded seats a few times, but for the most part they didn’t have as much accumulation and we weren’t as successful as in the first lot. After about thirty minutes, we head back home.

I never figured out how to control the radius of the donut — is it throttle, or steering inputs, or both? — but we both had a lot of fun, and now I know how to do donuts! (At least in a 27-year-old RWD truck with bad tires.)

Post-hooning

pip bip - choose Corrour > Future Heap Owner 02/05/2019 at 04:37

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donuts till you run out of fuel!

AestheticsInMotion > Future Heap Owner 02/05/2019 at 04:52

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I’ve had a lot of cider tonight, but I’ll try to tackle this one!

Think of throttle as steering for the back half. Heavier throttle kicks the back end out further in the direction of the slide, lighter throttle reins it in. So t hrottle adjusts your angle via the back end of the truck . If you can find a large snowy p arking lot (or dirt, even better) t urn the wheel to full lock and from a dead stop, practice changing your drift radius just by modulating the throttle and nothing else.

I’d go light on the steering input starting out , and focus mostly on throttle. It ’s easy to have a good donut that suddenly gets too tight of a radius due to a a bit too much oppositelock and *boom*. Smashed wheel. Either you didn’t react fast enough and should have changed your steering angle sooner , or you had a poor angle to begin with. At the very least keep in mind that with your steering input, you have to be thinking a step ahead of what you’re seeing and doing. For drifting/donuts/sliding... T hrottle is immediate, steering has a delay that you don’t experience in normal driving, so it takes a bit of practice to “re-learn” it.

Another thing you can try is donuts around the light post, but this time try to keep a super wide radius. 20 ft away at all times. You won't hit the post if you spin out, and once you master that getting a tighter radius will simply be a matter of a heavier throttle input and a bit more steering angle 

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Future Heap Owner 02/05/2019 at 05:04

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Donuts are hilarious but, by golly, I do love me a reverse 180. Reverse, build speed, apply handbrake (or even just brakes if it is slippy enough) and as much steering lock as you can manage then wait for the spin. Whilst in the spin, find 2nd and as you straighten up, drop the clutch and hit the gas. Woohoo!

Strangely, the best car I've ever had to do this was a Lada Niva...

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 02/05/2019 at 07:10

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If you like reverse 180s you would be absolutely floored by 180s/360s at speed.

2001 Hyundai Accent would do either with minimal issue.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > AestheticsInMotion 02/05/2019 at 07:12

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An addition to your advice that will help with steering: Look where you want to go, not where you’re going.

functionoverfashion > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 02/05/2019 at 09:04

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more stars on this !!

functionoverfashion > Future Heap Owner 02/05/2019 at 09:09

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Yesssssssss you have seen the light! I do this every day in the winter, when conditions allow. I’m feeling withdrawal, I haven’t done any countersteering since Sunday.

Go have fun, give yourself lots of extra room. And look where you want to go.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > functionoverfashion 02/05/2019 at 10:02

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Was taught to me long ago. If you look where you’re going you will lose it almost every time. If you look where you want to go, your body almost naturally corrects to keep you going.

Urambo Tauro > Future Heap Owner 02/05/2019 at 10:39

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This was a joy to read.

functionoverfashion > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 02/05/2019 at 10:50

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True in more than just driving on slippery roads, too! Don’t look down at the river when crossing a narrow bridge on a bike. Don’t look at that tree, skiing in the glades. Don’t look right at the next gate in a ski race. Look across the wake and forward when waterskiing or wakeboarding. And on and on...

Future Heap Owner > AestheticsInMotion 02/05/2019 at 14:10

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This is very thorough advice, thank you! I’ll do my best to remember it the next time I get to try this — which will hopefully be this weekend:

Future Heap Owner > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 02/05/2019 at 14:10

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Target fixation is real

Future Heap Owner > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 02/05/2019 at 14:11

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Is this also called a “J turn” or is that something different?

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 02/05/2019 at 19:33

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I’ve done them. In flat plane, longitudinally and semi vertically. Once all at the same time. Forgive me if I say that ever again will be too soon

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Future Heap Owner 02/05/2019 at 19:35

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I believe so...maybe?

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 02/06/2019 at 06:53

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Guessing lost control on slick roads?

My wife and her friend still remember me ripping that little Accent around to follow them after I passed them way back when we were all just friends . They were heading into town, I was heading out. E-Brake and a cloud of smoke later I was also heading into town.

360s and 180s are a lot of fun, when you’re doing them purposely and you’re the one in control.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 02/06/2019 at 16:31

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Once span the Lada just past the apex of a gravel corner. It went round twice in the middle of the road like a top but touched nothing...drove away chastened.

Then I binned The Pig (dual cab chassis Defender). Wasn’t driving to the damp conditions on a black soil road, straddling tyre ruts , back end fell into the ruts and around we went. The Pig tripped on its front left wheel and we went over. Rolled twice and fetched up back on its wheels...Dead Pig. Me not so much.

Was first on scene at a rolled 100 Series Cruiser. Found dead guy who was pulled from the vehicle (not wearing seatbelt) and then crushed by it . Found his wife and two infant children less than a kilometre up the road...walking for help.

I'm over roll overs and unintended 360s.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 02/06/2019 at 16:41

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That’s terrible.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 02/09/2019 at 16:11

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The Niva’s great for snow nuts. With the centre diff unlocked in   you can get the rear wheels spinning with your foot lightly on the brake so you still have traction in the front for steering, then once it’s initiated let go of the brake and get the front wheels spinning too for super tight radius donuts. The short wheelbase probably helps too. The handbrake is also a handy tool with the diff unlocked because you still have the 4x4 traction for all-wheel drifts, but it doesn’t lock the front wheels at the same time as the rear like a conventional part-time transfer case would.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 02/10/2019 at 16:20

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Exactly!