[Shotimes] Torque Steer Missing?

[Leigh Smith]

The right side has a center shaft so both half shafts are the same diameter
and length. So you have the same amount of twisting or  "wrap-up" effect
under load on both sides.
..
Plus most good front-wheel drive cars have the centerline of the tire very
carefully aligned with the pivot-point of the front suspension, at ground
level, as the tire contact patch. Basically there is no steering tendency,
it is neutral. Torque on the tire steers the wheel neither right or left.
Any slight change in wheel offset or even tire height would disturb this
neutral setting and introduce torque steer. Ie: the wheel will always try to
"toe-in". Then it becomes matter of if both front tires have absolutely
equal traction or not, which can change rapidly, introducing the rapid
tugging effect.
Most non-stock SHO mags add positive wheel offset. Most low-profile
non-stock tires change the wheel height. Double whammy = torque steer. Stock
tires & wheels equal no torque steer.
..
Even if you got the pivot geometry dead-on you are still going to have the
half-shaft twisting effect. More power, traction, better tires, and a quaife
would exaggerate this twisting effect. The half-shafts do "twist" and rapid
loading & unloading them with wheel hop or traction issues and they are sure
to eventually snap. Custom, hollow, larger diameter, non-twisting
half-shafts would be the only way to eliminate that. BTDT. 65 Corvair street
racer with a 500 HP W-30 455 Olds in the back-seat. The half-shafts required
to make it live, and go straight, cost as much as the car. It ran mid-tens
on the street with old stock street tires and could easily pull the front
wheels every time, at stop lights. It had sooo much traction, that the
half-shafts were the weakest link. We tried dozens. One actually twisted
completely around almost 360 degrees.
Lee
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Techpriest" <techpriest@ourlair.com>
To: "ShoTimes (E-mail)" <shotimes@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2006 9:48 AM
Subject: [Shotimes] Torque Steer Missing?


> This question is purely academic.
>
> I had an Olds Alero with V6 that met it's end on a snowy road this winter.
> The car had a bad case of torque steer when you would jump on the gas.  I
> was reminded of that last weekend when a guy in a turbo Talon was
> complaining of the same thing.  It occured to me that I have never felt
this
> in my SHO.  I can hit first, light up my front tires and keep them
spinning
> until I hit redline and have no problem pointing them anyplace I want the
> whole time.  Taking super tight turns on the Autocross track I never once
> felt anything fighting back when turning.
>
> Any ideas why?  Again, I do not plan to do anything with this knowledge,
> just curious.  I am sure I am not the only one on the list that likes to
> know "why" things happen.
>
> 89 MTX SHO "TEKPRST"
> Sports Car Performance, Family Car Insurance
> _______________________________________________
> Shotimes mailing list
> Shotimes@autox.team.net
> http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes