Re: Spider Bite

[QSHIPQ@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/20/99 8:26:23 AM Central Daylight Time, 
renneie@hlthsrc.com writes:

>  IF bite CAN happen in one, none are exempt.  
>  
>  Phil's experience would suggest that the severity varies greatly 
>  from one to the next.

My experience is that the severity varies little from one to the next, but I 
don't do a lot of spider bites on the street, certainly plenty at a variety 
of tracks, including steamboat.  Cf doesn't seem to vary the issue (certainly 
the 'recovery' tho), but then from a technical perspective it can't.  Let's 
remember what the issue is, slip angle differences across the center axle 
fooling the torsen into inappropriately sending 56% of Trg to the front then 
rear (ad infinitum) axles, causing U-O-U during a turn.  I only seek to get 
anyone to experience it in a single chassis.  By physical definition of the 
device and the spider, it can happen in all chassis.  

>  
>  > Personally btdt in "your racing iron" Eric, so IMO, that 
>  > eliminates wheelbase from the argument.  
>  
>  Been joy riding my car without my knowledge?  ;^)
>  Well, _I_ never said that it couldn't happen in the small cars. 
>  Maybe the variables have to be just right: high hp + long 
>  wheelbase, low hp [sniff] + short wheelbase?

AAN's fit in the 90q's ya know :).  Absolutely agree that the variables have 
to be right, just is a relative term.  Creating them doesn't take more than 5 
minutes at a track, btdt.  BTW, got Brendan's tweeked A4tq to do it at 
Mosports park....

>  BTW, I absoliutely _hate_ talking about someone in third person 
>  who is within earshot. My apologies Phil.

Phil has always spoken just fine for hisself.  Jeff and I are smiling, 
because all we really need to hear is a single example of the phenomenon 
(albeit Phil's was rather benign).  Extending the argument to exclude any 
chassis with the same device, is impossible to make:  The same device in all 
cars with it can be fooled by slip angle differences....

I'm at the firing line before you, my friend.  After almost 8years dealing 
with the spider before Phil, I can share this:  More experience with the 
phenomenon, doesn't make you a better driver with it, or more comfortable 
with the concept of it.  It just slows you down, especially driving someone 
elses ride, btdt.

My .02

Scott Justusson