Understeer in snow

[Chris Dyer]

IME (limited), my understeer in snow/ice problems resulted from too high a
speed in the first place (brain: oh, yeah, right, it ain't pavement...) and
no snow/ice compound tires (wallet: Visa bill say no extra tires, homeboy).

Keep in mind, quattro doesn't mean invincible in all weather. It simply
means better traction where applicable.  Damn that physics!  I hate the
quattro/*ubaru/SUV commercials showing how great 4wd/awd is, giving the
impression that you can drive just as you do on dry pavement and no worries.
  If I had a nickel for every SUV I saw stuck in the snow when driving up to
go skiing, I could buy a thousand door handles.


>From: "Dan Dwyer" <dandwyer at hotmail.com>
>To: "Kneale Brownson" <knotnook at traverse.com>,        "Robert Myers"
><robert at s-cars.org>,        "Phil Payne" <quattro at isham-research.com>,
><torsen at audifans.com>,        <quattro at audifans.com>
>Subject: Re: Understeer in snow
>Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 07:57:03 -0800
>
>Hello,
>
>To clarify, the handling characteristics that I'm complaining about are
>when
>driving aggressively in ice and/or snow.  I wish to duplicate the ability
>to
>induce oversteer into corners and come out smiling, similar to what I've
>experienced in all the audi's I've been in thus far (4000s and 5000s). In
>fact, I have taken that handling for granted and was taken aback by the way
>my new (for me) car was handling in the snow.
>
>In regards to tires, I have studded snows that show little treadwear.  BTW,
>the car normally has oversteer in rainy or dry conditions.  It only has
>understeer in the snow.  Their is no traction problems in the snow when
>accelerating fast in a straight line.
>
>Basically, any semi-aggressive acceleration through a corner results in the
>car pushing badly.  I suppose that the tires could have poor lateral
>traction but the way the tread blocks are staggered indicate that they
>should have decent lateral traction in slush or soft snow and I would think
>the studs would help lateral traction in the ice.
>
>In regards to alignment, my car has a little more camber in the front end
>than a stock aligned car, but I figured it was benificial for reducing
>understeer in most conditions.  Is it the case that this would negatively
>affect snow or ice driving?  The rear shocks are pretty worked so the rear
>is softer than the front end.
>
>Also, would the 78f/22r split in the center diff cause the front wheels to
>peel out sooner relative to the rears than a 50/50 locked diff?  Cause it
>seems as if I'm driving a front driver rather than AWD when cornering in
>ice
>and snow.  Again, for some reason I want to blame the non-locking center
>diff for all of my woes, although it may be eroneous.
>
>Dan
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Kneale Brownson" <knotnook at traverse.com>
>To: <dandwyer at hotmail.com>; <quattro at audifans.com>; <torsen at audifans.com>
>Sent: Friday, December 14, 2001 7:05 AM
>Subject: [torsen] Re: (no subject)
>
>
> > Did you consider a possible difference from tire composition?
> >
> >
> > At 09:23 PM 12/13/2001 -0800, Dan Dwyer wrote:
> >
> > >Greetings,
> > >
> > >I have a '89 200 TQ Wagon.  I am fairly displeased with its snow
>handling
>as
> > >compared to the older badged 5000QTs that I've driven before and my old
>'85
> > >4000Q.
> > >
> > >My car wants very badly to understeer me right into a ditch when I go
>into a
> > >corner with any speed.  At first I thought it was because of the
> > >differential unlocking above 10mph so I disconnected the speed sensor
>to
> > >allow it to remain locked.  That only aggrivated the problem.  So I am
> > >wondering if my problem is from a difference in the center diff.
> > >
> > >Can anybody shed light on the center diffs of my car's vintage.  For
>example
> > >is it open or limited slip?  Can I retrofit a locker easily to the
>center
> > >diff? Does it bias power to the front greatly?  Is it correct to assume
>that
> > >this is even my problem??  Is it viscous or torsen?? etc...
> > >
> > >Thanks in advance,
> > >
> > >Dan Dwyer
> > >'89 200TQ Avant
> > >
> > >_________________________________________________________________
> > >Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
> > >http://www.hotmail.com
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >




from chrisdyer at hotmail.com


_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com