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Re: The hardest autox skill?

To: <Kevin_Stevens@pursued-with.net>, "Kirk Meline" <kirkm@zeta-idt.com>
Subject: Re: The hardest autox skill?
From: "James Creasy" <james@thevenom.net>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 16:28:54 -0800
> ABS allows you to brake to the ability of the tire with
> the BEST traction instead of braking to the ability of the tire with the
> WORST traction.

unfortunately this exact behavior tends to create understeer because it
releases the brakes differentially: that is, it reduces the brakes only on
the inside front losing traction, not all four brakes like a driver does at
threshold.  the outside tire has more traction, and creates a moment arm
from the center of gravity around that side (the outside) with greater
traction, i.e. understeer.  i noticed this in stuart langager's miata, the
only r tire ABS equipped car ive driven recently.

normally this is good, because it keeps the car pointed forward, but it is
disconcerting for the racer!

you do know that brakes are for turning the car, right? :)

-james





----- Original Message -----
From: "Kevin Stevens" <Kevin_Stevens@pursued-with.net>
To: "Kirk Meline" <kirkm@zeta-idt.com>
Cc: "Joe Ciarcia" <veloimpreza@yahoo.com>; <ba-autox@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 2:37 PM
Subject: RE: The hardest autox skill?


> On Tue, 10 Dec 2002, Kirk Meline wrote:
>
> > Take the fuse out of your ABS and learn the right way?  Then you'll know
the
> > limits of your brakes before ABS confuses your foot.  I always see
people
> > with ABS just slam it to the floor every corner.  Thats a bad habit.
>
> I disagree strongly with Kirk.
>
> First of all, I don't drive that way (with ABS), and none of the fast
> guys I know (with ABS) do that.  It doesn't work; both because you get the
> ABS all fouled up, and for the weight transfer reasons I mentioned before.
>
> As a sanity check, I went from learning and driving ABS cars for several
> years to driving a non-ABS car this year.  The only problem I had with
> braking was that the car has way too much front brake bias, which leads me
> to:
>
> Second of all, ABS is your friend if it works properly.  Call it
> "per-wheel dynamic brake bias adjustment", and see if that doesn't make
> you feel better.  If you're braking as hard as possible, you can't have
> *any* lateral transfer without locking up an inside wheel.  This has
> nothing to do with your skill, it has to do with having one brake pedal
> instead of four.  ABS allows you to brake to the ability of the tire with
> the BEST traction instead of braking to the ability of the tire with the
> WORST traction.
>
> Thirdly, he's a Ford geek and just jealous because Ford ABS sucks.  ;)
>
> KeS

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