Note: braking instability in F-AWD cars is a common issue, especially under trail braking, downhill braking, or on uneven surfaces.

 

Causes

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• Heavy front weight bias: front end dives aggressively - rear gets light, reducing stability

• Front-biased brake balance: rear brakes contribute little, while front tires risk locking up or skipping

• Stiff front suspension: sharp weight transfer - can overwhelm front grip, especially on bumps

• Too soft rear suspension or ARB: rear can’t stabilize the chassis under deceleration

• Torque drag from AWD drivetrain: some systems engine-brake through the front wheels, adding to instability

• Aggressive trail braking or lift-off: forward pitch plus steering input destabilizes rear

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Fixes

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• increase rearward brake balance (allows rear brakes to contribute more, keeping the car flatter under braking)

• balanced power balance (helps keep the rear loaded and stable and to avoid torque drag on front wheels)

• increase front aero (keeps front planted under heavy braking)

• balance rear aero (prevents rear end lift that could cause instability)

• slightly soften front springs (reduces sharp dive and keeps front stable under braking)

• soften (or balance) rear springs (allows rear to compress and follow weight shift and prevents rear lift and bounce)

• soften rear damper compression (increases rear compliance during braking)

• soften front damper rebound (allows smoother compression during braking — helps absorb road inputs)

• stiffen rear ARB (helps rear stabilize under weight transfer)

• if car dives to fast under heavy braking stiffen front ARB (increases front end control under load)

• if car feels twitchy or unstable during trail braking soften front ARB (allows each front wheel to react independently improving grip and control)

• increase front negative camber (to increase grip under load)

• increase rear negative camber (to increase grip under load)