Forwarded from the Lotus List . . .
Fighting the good fight!
---------
> From: Tony Clark <lotus.tony@airmail.net>
> To: lotus-cars@lists.best.com
>
> Rod wrote to Steve:
>
> > > don't you suppose there might be a good reason that,
> where there is freedom to choose drivetrain
> arrangements, race car designers don't choose fwd <<<<<<<?
>
> Steve replied:
>
> > OK, I'll bite!
> >
> > But first, ever wonder why no-one else is jumping in on
> this thread?
> > Either the great masses are suitably amused by us or
> they're just bored
> > and skipping over this. This is unfortunate because I'm
> sure there are
> > more skilled practitioners of fwd out there, and I'm
> daunted by the fact
> > that you know how to drive whereas I'm a self-confessed
> novice!
> >
> > Anyway, back to the point, how about Formula 1? Well they
> don't use rwd
> > to allow them to habg the back out at will - only really
> seems to happen
> > when Schu's having fun in the wet. I imagine there would
be
> great
> > difficulty in putting the hp involved through the
steerable
> front
> > wheels. But why not 4wd? I assume we have a packaging
> weight problem
> > which precludes this - I don't know.
>
> Ahem . . . .
>
> TIRE CONTACT PATCHES:
> __ __
> |__| |__|
>
> These are the patches from the front
> wheels of a rear wheel drive car while
> comfortably transmitting only steering
> forces in a fast corner at near maximum.
> __ __
> /__/ /__/
>
> These are the patches from the front
> wheels of a front wheel drive car in the
> same corner which must transmit
> steering forces AND driving forces and,
> *all other things equal*, are forced to
> assume heroic slip angles which cause
> loss of adhesion, and running off the road
> and into trees!
>
> DUH! ;-)
>
> Four wheel drive was tried in F1 and showed great promise
> until tire technology and aerodynamic downforce made the
> complex and heavy 4wd designs redundant.
>
> Thank you, thank you, thank you very much! ;-)
>
> Tony
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