Skidding Out of Control
A skid occurs for many reasons. The most common reason why a drift occurs on a healthy, properly maintained car or truck is when the driver slams the brake too hard, and the tires cannot get enough traction on the road to accommodate the vehicle’s weight. This results in the car sliding out of control, usually shifting sideways as the driver turns the steering wheel in hopes of controlling the vehicle. Dangerous skids could lead to unfortunate accidents, or the car toppling over. This occurs even in trucks with Tough Dog lift kits and torsion bar suspension.
 Skids are usually brought upon by the actions of a driver. For instance, over braking is one of the common causes of a skid. When a truck brakes too hard, the wheels are locked up, but the forward motion of the vehicle does not stop. Skidding is also caused by oversteering when the driver turns the truck too sharply around a corner or a curve. Overaccelerating, one of the other causes of skids, occurs when too much power is applied to the tires, causing them to spin. Sometimes, drift simply happens because a driver drives too fast. We recommend drivers to be careful on the road, especially if they’re using high lift kits and tough dog suspensions.
 There’s a difference between a skid and a drift. They’re both vehicular motions that involve the wheels sliding across the road. However, the only difference is that drift is a controlled technique in most vehicular sports, while a skid is not.
 Another reason for a skid to occur is the condition of a vehicle. When the breaks are improperly maintained in a way that they don’t apply the same braking strength to both wheels, the car is pulled one way as it stops. This can result in a skid if the vehicle is driving at high speeds.
A driver should check his wheels as well. The tires must have evenly-matched treads. If one tire is unable to gain traction like the rest of the set, an uncontrolled drift can occur.
 Skids are also caused by the conditions of the road. For instance, if the roads have frosted over during a snowy season, tires won’t be able to gain traction on them. This results in the car sliding on the ice. This type of drift is hard to control since there’s almost no traction on ice. Skids are also common in the fall, where packs of wet leaves blanket the road, causing an unstable surface for tires.
 While skids are dangerous and common, they can be skillfully controlled. All it takes is a few lessons from another experienced driver, plus a controlled environment where you can practice controlling your skid. As always, make sure to drive within the speed limit, and keep your cars maintained to prevent unnecessary accidents.
 If you’re looking to customize your truck into a powerful stunt beast, head over to Tough Dog suspensions and have a look at our lift kits, torsion bars, and 4WD Tough Dog suspensions. They’re guaranteed to last as they help you and your vehicle achieve the best performance in any terrain.