FFE easier to skid?

[mewithmyffe]

I noticed my FFE seems to like skid on day 1. Now, it seems to happen more frequently. Basically, I have to drive slowly if I'm going to make a turn. Otherwise, it skid.
Anyone has similar experience?

 

[Olagon]

I noticed my FFE seems to like skid on day 1. Now, it seems to happen more frequently. Basically, I have to drive slowly if I'm going to make a turn. Otherwise, it skid.
Anyone has similar experience?

More details please. How fast around what kind of turns? Slippery road? This doesn't sound good.

 

[Rogerschro]

I noticed my FFE seems to like skid on day 1. Now, it seems to happen more frequently. Basically, I have to drive slowly if I'm going to make a turn. Otherwise, it skid.
Anyone has similar experience?

More details please. How fast around what kind of turns? Slippery road? This doesn't sound good.

I think it's called LRR tires. (Low Rolling Resistance) These tires are prone to loosing traction and during turns as the car shifts weight it will allow a tire to skid a bit, more so on the FFE because the low end torque is so high compared to an ICE. When it is cold it is more pronounced. I plan on replacing mine with Conti contact DWS or similar tires when these wear out. I may loose a mile of range, but traction is more important to me than a mile or so.

 

[mewithmyffe]

Rogerschro,
Thanks for reply. Your explanation seems reasonable.

Olagon,
Speed is not high at all. I am definitely in the slower drives category (I'm an old lady). And this happened in Sunny and dry California without rain. I did not have the exact speed. Only knows at that speed, my old gas car won't have any issue. Definitely related to Electric car. High torque of FFE seems reasonable explanation.

 

[JTCalif]

Somewhat similar skid problem on mine, but mainly in one situation:
going slowly uphill, I make a turn to enter driveway (1 tire tends to spin).
My solution: keep up extra speed as I near the turn,
then back power almost all the way off, letting momentum carry it through the turn.
When can straighten out, add power to get into garage.

Later, will want other tires. 2 of these looked almost worn out after just 20,000 miles.

 

[Rogerschro]

Somewhat similar skid problem on mine, but mainly in one situation:
going slowly uphill, I make a turn to enter driveway (1 tire tends to spin).
My solution: keep up extra speed as I near the turn,
then back power almost all the way off, letting momentum carry it through the turn.
When can straighten out, add power to get into garage.

Later, will want other tires. 2 of these looked almost worn out after just 20,000 miles.

JTs method works well in that scenario. As he lets off the momentum will cause the weight of the car to shift onto the front, driving the wheels down and adding traction, thereby reducing slippage.

 

[focussed]

I get wheel spin everytime I start from a complete stop and am on an uphill. FFE already has more weight in the back due to the batteries. And on an uphill, the front gets loaded even less and front wheel drive tires spin even with a very gentle start.

 

[WattsUp]

I get wheel spin everytime I start from a complete stop and am on an uphill. FFE already has more weight in the back due to the batteries. And on an uphill, the front gets loaded even less and front wheel drive tires spin even with a very gentle start.

Actually, the weight distribution of the FFE is near 50/50, as mentioned in this article:

http://www.edmunds.com/ford/focus/2012/road-test4.html

The skidding has a lot more to do with the high torque of the motor (at low starting speeds) and LRR tires on the FFE. This is common issue with many EVs, for the same reasons.

 

[jmueller065]

The LRR tires on the FFE are made of one of the hardest rubber compounds of any tire. Hard tires = skidding (soft tires offer more traction).

As a consequence of this, though, the FFE's tires should last a very long time!

 

[focussed]

I get wheel spin everytime I start from a complete stop and am on an uphill. FFE already has more weight in the back due to the batteries. And on an uphill, the front gets loaded even less and front wheel drive tires spin even with a very gentle start.

Actually, the weight distribution of the FFE is near 50/50, as mentioned in this article:

ICE Focus is front heavy with the heavy engine in the front bay. Wheel spin is reduced in Front wheel drive cars when they are in front heavy configuration. FFE lacks that. 50-50 distribution makes for better driving dynamics but is not an advantage when it comes to wheel spin and front wheel drive.

 

[WattsUp]

FFE lacks that. 50-50 distribution makes for better driving dynamics but is not an advantage when it comes to wheel spin and front wheel drive.

Agreed... I was just clarifying your point that the FFE "has more weight in the back". It doesn't. It is neither back or front heavy.

 

[focussed]

FFE lacks that. 50-50 distribution makes for better driving dynamics but is not an advantage when it comes to wheel spin and front wheel drive.

Agreed... I was just clarifying your point that the FFE "has more weight in the back". It doesn't. It is neither back or front heavy.

True, I was comparing ICE v/s BEV Focus weight distribution and the effects of the difference in the two.

 

[EVA]

Treat the car more like a race car - meaning you don't increase your speed while you are turning the wheel. Maintain your speed in a corner, then apply power when the car is pointing in a straight line.

Yes it is easy to chirp the tires from a standing start and turning the wheel. You just get used to not pressing the accelerator so hard.

 

[RPadTV]

This happens to me all the time and I'm a pretty conservative driver. It's a combination of the tires and having a lot of torque available at once.

 

[triangles]

I've only got 800 miles on the clock but I haven't noticed any problems with wheel spin. I get it occasionally but I tend to drive with a lead foot. Actually I usually have less wheel spin that I would expect. As far as skid goes, I don't think the FFE is any easier to skid. I have yet to have the tires slip while cornering aggressively.

 

[WattsUp]

As far as skid goes, I don't think the FFE is any easier to skid. I have yet to have the tires slip while cornering aggressively.

You're obviously not trying hard enough.

(Also, try turning off the traction control. Wheeee... )

 

[v_traveller]

I've only got 800 miles on the clock but I haven't noticed any problems with wheel spin. I get it occasionally but I tend to drive with a lead foot. Actually I usually have less wheel spin that I would expect. As far as skid goes, I don't think the FFE is any easier to skid. I have yet to have the tires slip while cornering aggressively.

Doesn't happen when already at speed going through a turn... for me it always scrubs and sometimes chirps at a low speed when taking off from a dead stop while the steering wheel is cranked at least a little. Any surface irregularity in that situation pretty much causes the inside tire to chirp.

Compared to the RAV4 EV and Volt, the FFE seems to lose traction on the inside front tire quite a bit more readily under light acceleration while turning. I'm thinking that it's partially because the FFE isn't front-heavy like most (if not all) other FWD vehicles, including the Volt and RAV4 EV.

 

[jmueller065]

As far as skid goes, I don't think the FFE is any easier to skid. I have yet to have the tires slip while cornering aggressively.

Just pop up to Michigan and take a spin on our roads You'll get a lot more than just wheel spin! :lol:

 

[triangles]

Just pop up to Michigan and take a spin on our roads You'll get a lot more than just wheel spin! :lol:

I have! Monroe county has some of the worse roads I've ever driven on. Thankfully I don't have a daily venture up there anymore. I wouldn't want to subject my new car to that abuse. Seriously though the FFE is significantly more difficult to get to slide compared to my old car.

You're obviously not trying hard enough.
(Also, try turning off the traction control. Wheeee... )

:lol: You are correct. It is very easy to do. To clarify, I was talking about "normal" driving conditions.

 

[hybridbear]

The FFE spins the wheels a lot in the snow. I attribute that to the instant torque of the electric motor. I have not found it to be easier to slide in snow than other cars I've owned. I had a 1998 Chevy Lumina as my first car and it was so light in the back that it felt dangerous to drive at 55+ MPH on bumpy freeways because the back end would bounce and lose traction so much. I hated that car!