Google - "Toyota Previa wheelbase track".
KeS
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-ba-autox@autox.team.net
> [mailto:owner-ba-autox@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Carl Merritt
> Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 21:58
> To: 'Derek Butts'; 'kevin_stevens@hotmail.com'
> Cc: ba-autox@autox.team.net
> Subject: RE: Vehicle eligibility...
>
>
> Sadly I can't find any measurement data on the old Toyota van, which also
> had a common propensity to blow up and/or catch on fire, but that's another
> story...
>
> Hey Kevin! Where did you get those track & height numbers on all those
> vehicles so fast?
>
> -Carl
>
>
> > ----------
> > From: Derek Butts[SMTP:pnc1@earthlink.net]
> > Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 4:07 PM
> > To: Bill Hamburgen 650-617-3329 FAX -3374
> > Cc: ba-autox@autox.team.net
> > Subject: Re: Vehicle eligibility...
> >
> > In fairness to this discussion the Toyota Van I drove had 175,000 miles on
> > it
> > with the original shocks and crappy tires. I think it was a 1989 with the
> > narrower track and higher center of gravity. The Previa is a later model
> > Toyota van with a wider track and wheelbase.
> >
> > Sorry, my mistake - the Previa does look like a turtle, though : )
> > -Derek
> >
> > Maybe we should institute a policy that the Safety Steward test drives the
> > proposed vehicle at speed and if it rolls they simply hand back the keys
> > to the
> > owner and say "this vehicle is not acceptable for Solo II" : )
> >
> > Bill Hamburgen 650-617-3329 FAX -3374 wrote:
> >
> > > I'd been holding off weighing in on this, but I can't any longer.
> > > Derek Butts said:
> > >
> > > > I have driven this van before. We used to have one as a parts van.
> > > > If autocrossed it will end up like an upside down turtle....
> > >
> > > I have both autocrossed my Previa and been up on two wheels in my GTI.
> > >
> > > My Previa is an Altrak, with a rear sway bar, good shocks, and slightly
> > > lower than stock due to low profile tires (215/60-15). It handles
> > better
> > > than a lot of sedans. I autocrossed it once at an SFR event (at Alameda
> > > NAS about 4 years ago) and my time put me in the top 80% of the entire
> > > field. Beat a Porsche, a Vette, and a Tiger among others. Look it up.
> > >
> > > My GTI was running in ES on BFG R1s at another SFR event. My co-driver
> > > sawed the wheel trying to catch a spin and got us up on two wheels.
> > > I couldn't tell, but Katie Elder and other reliable witnesses said they
> > > saw air under the tires. I did not like this. I lowered the car 1.25",
> > > beefed up sway bars and moved to DSP. The car is now totally
> > > uncompetitive, but is safer and a lot more fun to drive.
> > >
> > > What's the point? That vehicle/tire combos that roll with some
> > regularity,
> > > such as race rubber clad but otherwise stock VWs, BMWs, and various
> > > econoboxes, are allowed to run events, but others that *may* be even
> > less
> > > prone to rollover provoke a knee jerk reaction like, "A Previa is not an
> > > acceptable vehicle for Solo II"
> > >
> > > My suggestion: you can't easily measure CG during tech, but you can
> > > measure outside dimensions. CG height can be conservatively
> > approximated
> > > as the midpoint between ground clearance (C) and height (H). Divide the
> > > estimated CG height by the track width (T) and use that ratio as a
> > > stability index.
> > > C + H
> > > ----- = stability index
> > > T
> > >
> > > Pick a cutoff stability index that would exclude vehicles already known
> > > to have a propensity to turn turtle (VWs, 3 series BMWs, etc).
> > > And encourage vehicles over that ratio be excluded by the safety steward
> > > on stability grounds, unless the vehicle is classed in the rulebook.
> > > Perhaps my Previa could have been excluded on under this rule. So be
> > it.
> > >
> > > Note that lowering a vehicle reduces both C and H. This correlates well
> > > with what we all know intuitively.
> > >
> > > I'm not claiming this formula is perfect, but I think it's better than
> > > excluding vehicles based on appearance.
> > >
> > > /Bill
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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