[s-cars] future of awd

[QSHIPQ at aol.com]

Calvin
Drive the STI...  Although you are correct that a VC is speed  differential 
dependent, remember that most lockup within a quarter turn axle  differential.  
The best compromise IMO, is the VC differential lock vs just  a VC coupler.  
Only a few machines have them, including my  landcruiser.  It's full time awd 
with a VC as apposed to a fwd with rear  coupler.  Toyota actually went 
further, and has a locking (ala gen 1)  center for when the VC isn't enough.  As 
many at Steamboat found out, the  stickage puts the torsen at a distinct 
disadvantage.   As one with a  lot of Torsen experience, I can share that the VCDL is 
better IMO.   Expensive tho, so I propose the future answer to awd will come 
down to a race  between the locking torsen (ala 4 runner) or more likely,  a 
variable full  time haldex.
 
I put my money on the haldex, it's already in cars (volvo TT, etc) that can  
take a full lockup mode or anything in between.  It's bulletproof, and  
doesn't have the dynamic handling issues inherent to the torsen.  And the  biggest 
advantage to haldex is it's ability to program outside inputs in lockup  (roll, 
pitch, abs, yaw)
 
What I find funny about the website of the Haldex performance modules, is  
the disclaimer that sudden oversteer in braking in corners will happen when  
locked.  A lot of us Gen 1 quattro guys think that's quite manageable, but  audis 
attorneys weren't so paranoid back then either, since they gave us a ABS  
defeat switch too.
 
Scott "torsen boy" Justusson
 
 
In a message dated 4/24/2007 9:31:25 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
calvinlc at earthlink.net writes:

In the  VC Subarus that I have riden in you can really feel it "hunting
around" a  lot more than the torsen and the response time is not nearly as
good since  you have to build up speed rather than sensing torque.  I have
always  wondered if the STI was better in this area (never driven/ridden  in
one).

Yeah, the V70R is a full 7 inches shorter than the UrS6  wagon and although
the interior specs seem awful close (I just looked them  up to see if I was
remembering wrong after Scott seemed convinced they were  bigger) the
interior still seems small to me....it seems like I am almost  shoulder to
shoulder with the front passenger and I'm not that big  :)

BTW, turning radius was 30% larger on the V70R vs. the UrS...that is  an
awfully big difference.

--Calvin







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