Re: More bytes on bites

[Harry R Glesner III <hglesner@ast.lmco.com>]

Hay gang:
   Give me a hand here. I'm sure that awd expands the performance envelope of 
any car, look at the A4 world wide wins in touring car, and the subsequent 
weight added to the cars. But it feels like this handling thread has lost all 
touch with suspention, ya know, springs, shocks, sway bars and tires. First of 
all a "slip angle" has nothing to do with sliping...it the angle generated 
between the rim and the contact patch. If the front of the car has a greater 
"slip angle" than the rear the care will be in a understeer state, the reverse 
would be oversteer. The tire is not "slipping", if it lost most or all of its 
coefficent friction it is slideing...more than likely the car and pilot are more 
in the lap of the 2nd law of physics that anything else, can the car bleed off 
enough energy to regain control, or is the driver smart enough to transfer 
enough mass around to regain control? I'm sure that the added twisting moment 
through the tire adds variables to the equation but thats what makes watching 
really talented drivers balance a car on the knive edge so entertaining to 
watch. So my point is lets look at the intire system, and lets define which 
enviroment we're talking about rally or road racing or just trying to get up 
Berthoud Pass faster than anybody else. So ya varly lets turn our hymnals to  
page 9 of Carol Smiths "Tune to Win" and start with "Vehicle Dynmamics"
   
Rick Glesner
Littleton, Colorado