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Conversation Between Guard Dad and RiCharlie
Showing Visitor Messages 41 to 50 of 135
  1. Guard Dad
    02-16-2012 12:29 PM - permalink
    Guard Dad
    More to come.
  2. Guard Dad
    02-16-2012 12:28 PM - permalink
    Guard Dad
    TIRES CONTINUED:
    Two examples.
    #1 While turning a corner the front wheels begin to slide and the car wants to go straight ahead instead of turning. This is known as understeer.
    #2 While turning a corner the rear wheels begin to slide and the car wants to spin out. This is known as oversteer.
    In either case you need to reduce the workload on the end of the car that is beginning to slide.

    NOW THE TRACTION CIRCLE
    The traction circle is nothing more than a graph of a tire's performance on a horizontal plane (in this case the road) in four directions, right, left, forward and reverse. The limits of the circle (depending upon the tire it may not be a true circle) define the tire's available traction in any given direction. So if your particular tire can generate 1G (as an example that closely matches the Z on OEM tires at normal load on good, dry, level pavement at about 70F temperature) in any direction, that, then defines the limit of this particular tire's performance.
  3. Guard Dad
    02-16-2012 12:03 PM - permalink
    Guard Dad
    TIRES CONTINUED: Traction, grip, adhesion, it's all the same thing and it is the key. I'll try to keep this basic. Every tire has it's own unique performance profile. High performance tires are optimized for a relatively narrow range of operating temperatures and loads (weight), reduce or exceed these optimum ranges and traction suffers to varying degrees.

    WHAT THIS MEANS: If a given tire or tires lose traction, we (the driver) need to immediately identify the cause and apply the needed remedy to restore sufficient traction to allow us (the driver) the control needed to continue safely down the road.

    To be continued.
  4. Guard Dad
    02-16-2012 11:47 AM - permalink
    Guard Dad
    No simple answer because your driving response is dictated by a whole bunch of seemingly contradictory conditions all playing out simultaneously in four directions at maybe sixty miles per hour with cars and guard rails and trees and cliffs all around you.

    Based on my experience, it's up to you to decide if it works for you, I make no warranties:

    IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TIRES: The suspension, the chassis, the aerodynamics, it's all about providing the tires the optimum environment to respond to the driver's commands. Here's why I can't give you a single answer to your question, tires are elastic and generally do not respond to the driving experience in a linear manner.

    To be continued.
  5. RiCharlie
    02-16-2012 08:19 AM - permalink
    RiCharlie
    I dont know a damn thing about any of these things you are talking about.,.I was just wondering what to do if I found myself in a curve and going too fast...
  6. Guard Dad
    02-15-2012 03:59 PM - permalink
    Guard Dad
    I'm limited to a 1000 characters in these posts so let me ask you this, other than regular every day driving have you had any track experience? Have you done any reading on vehicle dynamics, tire design and dynamics (including the "traction circle"), race car set up, suspension tuning, high performance driving or aerodynamics pertaining to vehicles operating on a ground plane? If the answer is generally or completely no, we will need to start at the beginning, so to save time please get me up to speed on your automotive (books, performance driving schools and so forth) and educational (any physics, engineering or technical classes) background.
  7. Guard Dad
    02-15-2012 03:36 PM - permalink
    Guard Dad
    The answer to your question is (the envelope please!), it depends on a whole bunch of variables. Indirectly you are asking why one racing driver is faster than another and the answer to that question is rarely simple because if it was we would all be champion racing drivers. Let me get back to you on this.
  8. RiCharlie
    02-15-2012 09:40 AM - permalink
    RiCharlie
    another question..if you find yourself going too fast around a curve what is the best thing to do? I have heard that braking is bad because you lose traction,,.should you just try to steer your way out or should you apply some additional power? Just curious in case I find myself in that situation..
  9. Guard Dad
    02-14-2012 12:20 PM - permalink
    Guard Dad
    My opinion: VDC is your friend and should be on in normal driving, especially for rain, snow, ice or emergency situations. Turning the VDC off allows the car to be operated in the extreme fringe of the car's performance envelope (essentially, track driving or a similar situation) without the VDC second guessing the driver. The overpowering need to turn off the VDC for everyday driving is probably the result of a common hormonal condition frequently experienced by males of a certain age.
  10. RiCharlie
    02-14-2012 08:38 AM - permalink
    RiCharlie
    What do you think of these guys that want to travel on the highway with VDC off? I mean how do they suddenly discover they are not as capable as they think? And what is the point anyway?

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