When driving around Fife, WA, most people know the difference between oversteer and understeer. But what if you're not a driver? What do these two terms mean in relation to your car's engine? Let our team at Land Rover of Tacoma explain. Oversteering is when the rear wheels of the vehicle lose traction due to excessive steering input from the front tires. Understeering happens when there is no response from turning or braking because of an excess amount of weight on one side. Let's say you're driving on a slippery road and try to turn the wheel left.
The front wheels, which also do most of the braking, will apply more pressure on that side causing your tires to lose traction. Opposite, if tires are turning right but one tire is braking hard because of the slippery surface then the vehicle will be understeering. In the average 4-wheel vehicle, oversteering and understeering will happen at different speeds depending on the weight distribution. If the engine is tuned to produce a lot of torque while accelerating then it would create a car that will be prone to oversteering for light drivers.