RE: understeer/oversteer definition

[DeWitt Harrison <de@aztek-eng.com>]

On Mon, 15 Mar 1999 14:29:11 -0700 (MST), Rick Glesner wrote:

>Gross:
>     That is a very interesting dissertation...and I find it quite over my
head, 
>sounds like college level double speak, and doesn't answer the original
question 
>one iota. For the longest time there was a theoretical limit to acceleration, 
>mostly drag racers wondered were the limits of "traction", would limit e.t.'s 
>and ultimate speed in the quarter mile, and the magic 1 "g" could not be 
>exceeded. 

I'd be inclined to go with Rick on this one. There are things that take place
where the rubber meets the road that are not even considered let alone accounted
for in college physics,  Gross's obvious mastery of the subject notwithstanding.
In fact, I maintain that unless your PhD is specific to tire traction behavior,
you would never receive the training necessary to convincingly explain what
goes on. For example, coefficient of friction is not even close to being a
constant
from the curves I have seen. OTOH, racers and race engineers like Smith
understand the applications very well. And they are readable by laymen.

DeWitt Harrison
Boulder, CO
88 5kcstq