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Some Definitions

Petrol heads, 4x4 aficionados, lovers of beautiful motor cars or merely die-hard drivers: anyone can discover new driving pleasures. Offering as many people as possible the fun of controlled but uncompromising sports-style driving in all circumstances... that's the target which BFGoodrich has set itself; the definitions below will provide you with the necessary basics.

THE DRIVING GUIDE GLOSSARY

Responsiveness

Picto réactivité virage à droite
Picto réactivité virage à gauche

This is the speed and range of the response of the tyre/vehicle to the driver's commands. This response can define the tyre's "sportiness".

WEIGHT TRANSFER

FRONT/REAR WEIGHT TRANSFER

This is a transfer of weight to the front or rear of the vehicle when you brake or accelerate.

Picto transfert de charge à l'accélération

When you accelerate, the front of your vehicle has a tendency to rise and the rear to fall; in this case there is a weight transfer to the rear, and the weight of the vehicle is taken on your rear tyre set.

 
Picto transfert de charge au freinage

When you brake, the front of your vehicle tends to fall and the rear to lift, and there is a weight transfer to the front. The weight of the vehicle is taken on your front tyre set.

SIDE WEIGHT TRANSFER

When the vehicle corners, the weight transfers from the wheels on the inside of the corner to the wheels on the outside, because of the centrifugal force acting on the vehicle.

OVERSTEER AND UNDERSTEER

OVERSTEER

Picto survirage

Oversteer is when the rear axle moves faster than the front axle. The car seems to want to turn more than commanded by the driver. Your vehicle tends to turn too far into the corner.

UNDERSTEER

Picto sous-virage

Understeer is when the front axle moves faster than the rear axle. The car seems to want to carry straight on even though you have turned the wheels. Your vehicle tends to come out of the corner too early.

4x4 TRACTION

Picto traction 4x4

On a four-wheel drive vehicle, traction is the equivalent of grip on asphalt. If 4x4 tyres have good traction, they have excellent grip on all terrain types: tarmac, gravel, sand, mud, etc.

DRIFT ANGLE

Drift angle is the difference between the wheel's direction of travel and the vehicle's direction of travel.

BRAKE TORQUE

A technique popular among drag racers and race directors enabling them to improve start line acceleration. It involves using the brakes and accelerating at the same time, increasing the engine's revolutions per minute until the brakes are released.

DRIFT

This term describes loss of grip when cornering or accelerating off the line. The tyres skid instead of gripping the road surface.