Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Handling during hard acceleration

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.

dsgerbc

Active Member
Jun 4, 2019
1,154
1,001
Michigan
Does the car feel quite 'darty' while turning with the accelerator pinned, especially on bumps/humps?
Cannot quite put my finger on it. Feels like extreme bump-steer with front suspension unloaded. Or is it the software, maybe?
 
Does the car feel quite 'darty' while turning with the accelerator pinned, especially on bumps/humps?
Cannot quite put my finger on it. Feels like extreme bump-steer with front suspension unloaded. Or is it the software, maybe?

I am still getting used to the driving dynamics of this car myself. I think it may be the software calibration of the AWD traction control system. We are probably feeling the difference between a digitally calibrated EV motor traction control/stability control vs. mechanical based LSD. I believe this system can also apply the brakes as well if needed so not sure how much you need to upset the chassis just yet before the system starts reducing power and such.
 
Yes, I don't know that I would call it torque steer, but there's definitely some small, dart-ish movement from the steering wheel under hard acceleration from a stop with my P3D+, though if my wheels are 100% straight it's generally not there.
 
Yes, I don't know that I would call it torque steer, but there's definitely some small, dart-ish movement from the steering wheel under hard acceleration from a stop with my P3D+, though if my wheels are 100% straight it's generally not there.
That's not really what I'm talking about. Torque steer is a tug at the wheel when you're flooring it going straight. What I'm talking about is the car's tendency to dart left/right under hard acceleration on road imperfections. Feels like moderate bumpsteer. I wonder if any performance shops measured bump-steer curves of the front suspension.
 
That's not really what I'm talking about. Torque steer is a tug at the wheel when you're flooring it going straight. What I'm talking about is the car's tendency to dart left/right under hard acceleration on road imperfections. Feels like moderate bumpsteer. I wonder if any performance shops measured bump-steer curves of the front suspension.

I get that in my M3P when I get on it. It feels like the weight transfers to the rear and the front tires are clawing for traction and as they do it wanders right and left a bit. It is a new sensation for me as this is my first AWD vehicle. I am use to overpowered RWD cars that leverage stability control, traction control and electronic LSD and over sized rear tires to put the power down.
 
the front tires are clawing for traction and as they do it wanders right and left a bit.
That's a reasonable theory. Cause suspension-driven bump steer shouldn't be that bad with double-arm front design.

I've had a tuned STI in the past and it definitely did NOT do that. It also had a mechanical helical LSD up front. I guess I should write an e-mail to Tesla, hoping it would reach their powertrain engineers.
 
That's a reasonable theory. Cause suspension-driven bump steer shouldn't be that bad with double-arm front design.

I've had a tuned STI in the past and it definitely did NOT do that. It also had a mechanical helical LSD up front. I guess I should write an e-mail to Tesla, hoping it would reach their powertrain engineers.

I had a tuned STI as well, but I’m not sure the comparison is fair. The P3D launches extremely aggressively due to being electric, no 6MT etc.
 
I had a tuned STI as well, but I’m not sure the comparison is fair. The P3D launches extremely aggressively due to being electric, no 6MT etc.
I'm not talking launch though. I'm talking flooring from a roll with the steering turned. Or doing a quick pass via oncoming lane. The STI would generally go where the steering wheel is pointing, the P3D can try to dart in any direction, based on the road profile.
 
might want to check your alignment.... also mention what your feeling to the alignment guy or service center, assuming they are good at their job they can probably fix what your feeling
First thing I checked. Nothing egregious, other than the ridiculously low stock camber for a 'performance' car. Didn't check caster though.
Caster/alignment would affect handling all the time. I do not have that problem. It's only under hard acceleration.
 
I'm not talking launch though. I'm talking flooring from a roll with the steering turned. Or doing a quick pass via oncoming lane. The STI would generally go where the steering wheel is pointing, the P3D can try to dart in any direction, based on the road profile.

But again, it's not a fair comparison. The instant power of the Tesla is a whole other world from the STI. Even if you were in the right gear in the STI (I was Stage 2, for what it's worth), it was nothing like the instant torque of the Tesla.
 
But again, it's not a fair comparison. The instant power of the Tesla is a whole other world from the STI. Even if you were in the right gear in the STI (I was Stage 2, for what it's worth), it was nothing like the instant torque of the Tesla.

Yeah, in my experience with high powered RWD cars when you reach the limit you can feel the car get bit squirrelly or unsettled on imperfect roads as it tries to maintain grip. I am used to the rear end doing this so it is strange to feel it up front. Isn't the front induction motor the more powerful of the two? I wish we knew how they programmed the torque split and all that. On the WRX STIs you guy probably have some control over the torque split but this is a whole new world when there is no drive shaft but instead two separate motors software controlled to distribute the torque to the wheels that have traction. It makes the car feel very different when driven at the limit. I am still getting used to it. I have to play with Track Mode some more.
 
But again, it's not a fair comparison. The instant power of the Tesla is a whole other world from the STI. Even if you were in the right gear in the STI (I was Stage 2, for what it's worth), it was nothing like the instant torque of the Tesla.
Sure, but I'm not talking about the car's reaction the moment I mash the accelerator. It's after the initial application, when I steer while still accelerating hard and drive over some road imperfections (or at least that's what it feels like).