Re: tire pressures

[Alan Lambert <lechefgerard@domain.elided>]

Has to do with slip angle--the higher the pressure (up to a point) the
lower the slip angle, therefor the more resistance to moving out--so
the fronts stay put, the rears have a bigger slip angle, you lift,
which increases the rear slip angle and WHEEEEEEEEEE! besides, again up
to a point, the size of the patch means nothing, as the friction
(sideways) varies as to the area and pressure per unit area inversely,
so the friction is the same regardles of patch size (all other factors
remaining constant).

--- Tessie McMillan <tessmc@domain.elided> wrote:
> > From: alfacybersite <acs@domain.elided>
> > Subject: Porsche spin-out (zip Alfa content) 
> > 
> > 15k miles. Later, he mentioned he needed new rear tires as his had
> worn
> > out at less than 9k miles. Upon checking, the dealer told him this
> was
> > quite normal.
> 
> The "Groove of Doom", Beebs! I thought Formula cars had the same
> problem 
> -- groove in the center of the tire due to camber settings. 
> Anyway, speaking of tires -- and to turn today's digest completely
> into 
> the "Scott and Tess obnoxiously discussing German cars on the Alfa
> digest 
> Show", I have the following quick question:
> 
> Recently I've been driving a friend's 356, which, admittedly, I'm 
> still not that familiar with, but I'll state up front it is an 
> eminently tossable car. We had this one argument about inducing
> oversteer, 
> which he won after a scientific test, but I still can't figure out
> why.
> 
> Not being able to get the rear end to kick out, he wanted to raise
> the 
> front tire pressure. I said no way, he needed to lower the *fronts*
> to get 
> more patch so steering input would be greater. We lowered, and
> lowered, 
> and lowered the fronts (all the while with him smirking that I was
> just 
> wasting my time), and finally even raised the *rears*. The car still 
> understeered like a pig! Then he went back to his original starting
> point, 
> and raised the front just 2 psi. After that we were both able to kick
> the 
> rear end out with barely a sneeze. 
> 
> Why?
> 
> Tess
> 
> --
> to be removed from alfa, see
> /bin/digest-subs.cgi
> or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided


=====
Best Regards,

Alan Lambert
Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage
http://sports.yahoo.com/

--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided