Howdy,
but you would be slowing down then.......could lose a lot of speed
if there are crosswinds...
At 08:13 AM 5/26/00 , you wrote:
>Mayf, what if there was no steering at all. I
>mean in the traditional sense. Both wheeled and
>tracked tractors have split brakes, and a few
>years ago dune buggies had split brakes to make
>them turn sharper. It would seem that at higher
>speeds, very slight brake input to one side or
>the other should be sufficient to steer the car.
>
>Dick J
>
>
>--- "Lawrence E. & Cathy R. Mayfield"
><lemay@hiwaay.net> wrote:
> > Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 16:21:14
> > To: land-speed@auox.team.net
> > From: "Lawrence E. & Cathy R. Mayfield"
> > <lemay@hiwaay.net>
> > Subject: Front and Rear Steering Thoughts...
> >
> > Wow, what an interesting thread! I sat down a
> > few moments ago to think
> > about all that I had read on the thread and to
> > see if what I had read I
> > understood. First, there were many thoughts
> > about why do a rear steer if it
> > is not needed? What are the benefits. Well I
> > assumed that rear steer was
> > being used (thought about) because the wheels
> > in front are pulling the car
> > instead of pushing it. Being able to steer from
> > the rear wheels would seem
> > to reduce the complexity at the front by
> > reducing the steering knuckle set
> > ups, CV joints or u joints, etc. Putting the
> > steering at the back wheels
> > seems so logical in this case because we would
> > then just be running the car
> > backwards so to speak. And we all have had some
> > sort of experience in
> > backing up..most of the time we make mistakes
> > (you ought to see my driveway
> > - car tracks over the lawn on both sides). I
> > attribute this to looking over
> > my shoulder while going backwards. But in a
> > purpose designed car I would
> > hope to be facing forward! So what is it that
> > makes this so difficult.
> > There was some thoughts about the facts that
> > the drive wheels arrive at the
> > corner first and we have to think ahead to make
> > it work right. For sure!
> > However, I don't think this is the reason
> > straight line cars experience
> > difficulty.
> >
> > Danger Warning Will Robinson...read at your
> > own peril....outlandish
> > thoughts from here on...
> >
> > Ok, now that the disclaimer is out of the way,
> > here is what I think. We
> > all grew up being taught that in a skid we need
> > to turn the front whel into
> > the skid to regain contro. And why is that,
> > well after drawing a small free
> > body diagram, I see that when the front
> > steering wheels are turned in the
> > direction of skid the rear drive wheels tend to
> > drive the car into that
> > direction giving directional control back to
> > the driver. Thia is all pretty
> > straight forward.
> >
> > Now what happens when a front drive rear steer
> > goes into a skid. Our
> > training says to turn into the skid. Right? So
> > if we turn into the skid,
> > the drive wheels pull the car even farther off
> > into the skid. This most
> > obviously causes consternation and a lot of
> > over correction. The truth is,
> > that in a rear steer car the steering wheels
> > must be turned away from the
> > skid not into it. That way the drive wheels
> > will pull the rear of the car
> > around and back into directional control.
> >
> > One list member correctly, I believe, hit the
> > nail on the head. It is all
> > what we grew up with. Had we been driving rear
> > steer all along, we would be
> > having this discussion about front steer! I
> > think that a well designed car
> > with the driver brainwashed into the correct
> > manuevers to get out of spins
> > and skids would fare just as well as any other
> > car.
> >
> > Would there be any interest into building a
> > small go kart size test
> > vehicle? Heck even a go hart would work. Just
> > need to put the driver and
> > control in so that the driver faces the "front"
> > drive wheels and rig the
> > steering. The get out on the skid pad with some
> > wet skids and see how to
> > control? Heck, maybe this is my "barstool" pit
> > machine...
> >
> > Control is now returned to the reader.
> >
> > mayf (with migraine so thoughts may be fuzzy)
> >
> >
> >
> > L.E. Mayfield
> > 124 Maximillion Drive
> > Madison, Al. 35758-8171
> > ph: 1-256-837-1051
> >
> > http://home.hiwaay.net/~lemay
> >
> > lemay@hiwaay.net
> >
> > Sunbeam Tiger, B9471136
> > Sunbeam Alpine Bonneville Land Speed Racer,
> > '66 Hydroplane Drag Boat (390 FE)
>
>
>__________________________________________________
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John Robinson, Mechanician
Mechanical Engineering University of Wisconsin
1513 University Ave.
Madison, Wi. 53706
608-262-3606
FAX 608-265-2316
Current World Land Speed Record Holder
Bonneville Salt Flats
H/GCC 92 cu.in. 1980 Dodge Colt
131.333 MPH set 1995
136.666 MPH set 1996
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