C6/A6 Slight Fishtail Issue
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 193
Likes: 5
C6/A6 Slight Fishtail Issue
Hi Forum, I just got a new 08 C6/A6 vette, I really like the car. My issue is with the straight line grip from the car. I was accelerating on the highway to pass someone and I noticed the back end give me a fishtail, mind you I was going about 65-70, I immediately got out of it. I tried it again later on the trip and the vehicle displayed the same characteristics.
Details:
Car is all stock
50 degrees temp night time the tires were warm from driving many miles.
Tires are Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval RFT
Is my issue most likely related to the run flat tires and temperature?
Would a pair of nitto NTO5’s fix this?
What suspension mods should I consider?
Details:
Car is all stock
50 degrees temp night time the tires were warm from driving many miles.
Tires are Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval RFT
Is my issue most likely related to the run flat tires and temperature?
Would a pair of nitto NTO5’s fix this?
What suspension mods should I consider?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,066
Likes: 21
From: D Block
What are your mods? It seems Corvettes like to fishtail more than some cars. A stickier tire should help with it but depending on your mods it may not fix it but only help bandaid it.
Are you keeping traction control on or taking it off? I suggest taking it off when playing around.
Are you keeping traction control on or taking it off? I suggest taking it off when playing around.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,220
Likes: 16
From: Sugarhill Ga
those are still Summer tires. when the ground and tires are cold they will not grip well. Upgrading sway bars and rolling onto the throttle may help also. I remember the first week I had mine, on the lousy GY's, the car came around on me when I stabbed the throttle too hard too fast.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 193
Likes: 5
What are your mods? It seems Corvettes like to fishtail more than some cars. A stickier tire should help with it but depending on your mods it may not fix it but only help bandaid it.
Are you keeping traction control on or taking it off? I suggest taking it off when playing around.
Are you keeping traction control on or taking it off? I suggest taking it off when playing around.
Should I turn the TC off when I am playing with it, even if I am above 50MPH, something tells me that turning this off is a recipe for a fail, however I have been wrong before.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 10,399
Likes: 25
From: Austin Texas
Hi Forum, I just got a new 08 C6/A6 vette, I really like the car. My issue is with the straight line grip from the car. I was accelerating on the highway to pass someone and I noticed the back end give me a fishtail, mind you I was going about 65-70, I immediately got out of it. I tried it again later on the trip and the vehicle displayed the same characteristics.
Details:
Car is all stock
50 degrees temp night time the tires were warm from driving many miles.
Tires are Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval RFT
Is my issue most likely related to the run flat tires and temperature?
Would a pair of nitto NTO5’s fix this?
What suspension mods should I consider?
Details:
Car is all stock
50 degrees temp night time the tires were warm from driving many miles.
Tires are Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval RFT
Is my issue most likely related to the run flat tires and temperature?
Would a pair of nitto NTO5’s fix this?
What suspension mods should I consider?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 876
Likes: 116
From: HOMESTEAD FL
LOL... It fishtails because it overpowers the tires when you go WOT. If your steering wheel is turned even the slightest you should be ready for a slight kick in the opposite direction...
Best advice is it get used to it so your reactions to it become natural and instant... And most of all enjoy it.
FYI... when coming from a HIGH SPEED to a hard braking stop you will learn the tail end will do the EXACT same thing... just let of brake, gain control and reapply brake... its real simple but will scare the hell out of you the first time if you have never experienced it before.
SPEED SAFE,NICK
Best advice is it get used to it so your reactions to it become natural and instant... And most of all enjoy it.
FYI... when coming from a HIGH SPEED to a hard braking stop you will learn the tail end will do the EXACT same thing... just let of brake, gain control and reapply brake... its real simple but will scare the hell out of you the first time if you have never experienced it before.
SPEED SAFE,NICK
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,150
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
Was it spinning? Most likely but just had to ask. I'd think you'd see a message about the TC or AH being active if you were spinning.
I'd just running a LS1 with some bolt-ons and older PS2's and when it's cooler I can spin it through the first 3 gears. You've got way more power so I'd think you're easily lighting it up. Better rubber will help but most high performance summer tires just don't like cold temps.
When I picked up my C5 I could barely keep it in one lane running WOT at any speed. It was the alignment all messed up, probably because it was 10 years old and had never been aligned. So, I'd recommend an alignment just to know it's good. And get a good one. Every number side to side should be exactly the same except the caster on the right front can be a little more than the left front to compensate for road crown. Say about 0.5* more is the most you'd want. I've seen many posts with crap alignments that were "within spec". The problem is that using "within spec" gives a bigger range then the setting itself.
I would not turn the TC/AH off. You just can't predict day to day changes in street conditions. We don't need to read your next thread about how you totaled your car.
I'd just running a LS1 with some bolt-ons and older PS2's and when it's cooler I can spin it through the first 3 gears. You've got way more power so I'd think you're easily lighting it up. Better rubber will help but most high performance summer tires just don't like cold temps.
When I picked up my C5 I could barely keep it in one lane running WOT at any speed. It was the alignment all messed up, probably because it was 10 years old and had never been aligned. So, I'd recommend an alignment just to know it's good. And get a good one. Every number side to side should be exactly the same except the caster on the right front can be a little more than the left front to compensate for road crown. Say about 0.5* more is the most you'd want. I've seen many posts with crap alignments that were "within spec". The problem is that using "within spec" gives a bigger range then the setting itself.
I would not turn the TC/AH off. You just can't predict day to day changes in street conditions. We don't need to read your next thread about how you totaled your car.
Last edited by lionelhutz; Apr 7, 2013 at 11:37 PM.
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 193
Likes: 5
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 1,049
Likes: 1
From: Wisconsin
Hi Forum, I just got a new 08 C6/A6 vette, I really like the car. My issue is with the straight line grip from the car. I was accelerating on the highway to pass someone and I noticed the back end give me a fishtail, mind you I was going about 65-70, I immediately got out of it. I tried it again later on the trip and the vehicle displayed the same characteristics.
Details:
Car is all stock
50 degrees temp night time the tires were warm from driving many miles.
Tires are Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval RFT
Is my issue most likely related to the run flat tires and temperature?
Would a pair of nitto NTO5’s fix this?
What suspension mods should I consider?
Details:
Car is all stock
50 degrees temp night time the tires were warm from driving many miles.
Tires are Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval RFT
Is my issue most likely related to the run flat tires and temperature?
Would a pair of nitto NTO5’s fix this?
What suspension mods should I consider?
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,150
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,694
Likes: 106
That's negative man. When only one rear tire loses traction while accelerating hard, car goes sideways in a hurry, even with all the nannies on. Since both rear tires are spinning (but only one has traction), AH doesn't respond quick enough. Like somebody said, if you don't have quick reflexes, you'd do a number like a video posted on Youtube of a C5 and a C6. It has happened twice already on my relatively new GS, which is in perfect mechanical condition, tires perfectly inflated to 30 psi, and less than 3K miles on it.
Just like it was mentioned, the problem is TRACTION. Both times it was in the 50s as well. My car is a manual, and didn't go WOT myself... but still too much torque for the available traction. One of those times my daughter just about crapped on her pants
, and I was crossing a yellow light, so couldn't lift, and had to fishtail thru the intersection. I must have caught sand, or something slippery, losing traction on just one side. You have to be really careful with these cars below 60º, even with all nannies on; they don't help at all in those quick slides. And on the GS, there's no other tire choice but summer. So there you have it folks: NEVER overestimate summer tires.
Just like it was mentioned, the problem is TRACTION. Both times it was in the 50s as well. My car is a manual, and didn't go WOT myself... but still too much torque for the available traction. One of those times my daughter just about crapped on her pants
, and I was crossing a yellow light, so couldn't lift, and had to fishtail thru the intersection. I must have caught sand, or something slippery, losing traction on just one side. You have to be really careful with these cars below 60º, even with all nannies on; they don't help at all in those quick slides. And on the GS, there's no other tire choice but summer. So there you have it folks: NEVER overestimate summer tires.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 843
Likes: 0
From: Frankfort Illinois
Did you have your interior lights on?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 1,049
Likes: 1
From: Wisconsin
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,837
Likes: 41
From: Dallas Tejas