poor mans edl, was torsen test redux

[Livolsi, Stephane]

I absolutely agree.  Used this strategy a lot in my younger 4X4ing days - we
are talking heavy duty off road stuff in pickups.  Applying the brakes will
indeed  transfer some torque to the non-slipping wheel and help you get
going in a stuck situation.

The question about the MOT man testing the brakes on rollers is mute.
Applying the brakes will not have the desired effect in a non-slip
situation- you will simply heat up your brakes.

I won't even pretend to know why it works, I just know it does from personal
experience.  However, I have a suspicion...

Let's assume a 2 wheel drive, rear wheel drive vehicle.  Both rear wheels
are on a slippery surface.  Power is applied through the driveshaft and will
go to the least resistance, ie the wheel that will spin first.  If you apply
the brakes, you will give this wheel more resistance to motion so the power
'looks' for another way out and switches over to the other wheel which now
has less resistance.  I would think that ideally you would just be pressing
the brakes enough to reach an equilibrium where the torque goes to both
wheels because the resistance is equal.

For those of you this helps.. you're welcome.
For those of you this confuses.. I apologize.

Stephane
> ----------
> From: 	mike[SMTP:mikemk40 at yahoo.com]
> Sent: 	January 23, 2002 1:36 PM
> To: 	Graham Thackrah; one at humanspeakers.com; Dave.Eaton at clear.net.nz
> Cc: 	quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: 	Re: poor mans edl, was torsen test redux
>
> If the below theory is true then how does the MOT man
> manage to test the brakes on the rollers?
>
> mike
>
> --- Graham Thackrah <gthack at geog.ucl.ac.uk> wrote: >
> Hi Huw, Dave etal
> >
> > Huw: "applying the info in the paragrpahs below, it
> > seems that the torsen
> > owner
> > stuck with the front of their car on the proverbial
> > "zero traction" ice
> > (or teflon?  rollers?), could apply their brakes
> > lightly to reduce spin up
> > front and generate some torque, which might then
> > allow for some motion of
> > the car?  In other words, apply the brakes to "go"!
> >
> > Correct me if I'm wrong..."
> >
> > Dave: "that's correct.  what you describe is
> > effectively poor man's edl in
> > operation."
> >
> > I've often wondered that!! Seeing cross-axled rwd
> > vans on the steep
> > driveway up to my old flat I often thought about
> > suggesting putting on the
> > hand brake to see if they could get moving again, I
> > also got my 90q in the
> > same situation and used the diff locks to get me out
> > but thought later
> > that I could have put the brakes on instead (using a
> > bit of heel and toe
> > technique whilst slipping the clutch) to see if it
> > gave me some traction,
> > anyone on the list actually tried it to see if it
> > works?
> >
> > Cheerio,
> >
> > Graham.
> >
>
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