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st184 sillycar
Forums Junkie

Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
June 2004

Traction BRAWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!	Thu, 24 June 2004 11:15

I own a FWD Celica, and a RWD '83 Commode. Both with around 90kw, although the old commode had more torque (3.3L Vs. the Celica's 2.2L). Since I also drive RWD and FWD cars at work (Proving Ground) I think I have a fairly balanced perspective. FWD only gives a traction advantage over (some) RWD cars in REALLY low grip conditions. Like mud or super-slick wet tarmac. This is due to the majority of the car's weight being over the driven wheels. RWD can have this same advantage if the engine is mounted in the middle or rear of the car, like a Ferrari 360/F40/F50/Ezo, Toyota MR2 or Porsche 911. This fact of life ^^^^ is a DISadvantage in any other conditions, like umm....cornering, dry weather, etc... This is because the Front tyres are responsible for: Most of the car's weight Steering Acceleration 65% of the braking -This unfair burden is carried by tyres the same size as those on the rear of the car. No surprise then, when the front tyres break-grip when cornering/accelerating/braking. -RWD cars typically have a more even weight distribution, due to the mechanical components being spread more evenly around the car. They also enjoy the benefits of steering from the front, and driving from the rear. This allows the driver the luxury of balancing the car between the throttle and steering while exiting a corner, allowing front AND rear tyres to reach their full grip potential together. -As for the drag strip, I don't know of ANY manufacturer to make a car specifically for dragging, FWD, RWD or 4WD. Ford is known to tune the rear suspension of the mustang to eliminate axle-tramp during hard launches and burnouts, but this is not the car's sole purpose in life. It's really up to the suspension engineers, when they're designing and tuning a car's suspension as to how well it launches off the line, especially with RWD. I'm not claiming to be some kind of handling/mechanical-layout overlord, but it's simple physics that FWD can't make use of it's available grip beyond a corner's apex, like a RWD car can. Since cars transfer their weight towards the rear under acceleration, this just magnifies RWD's advantage over FWD both out of corners, and on the drag-strip. If you're bogging down either a RWD or FWD car off the line, then that's your - bad, not the car's. If you're driving an automatic and can't launch cleanly, then PLEAASE stop whining and accept that Auto's are for losers and shopping-carts. -I enjoy driving my Celica, because it trail-brakes into corners with as much tail-out attitude as I want. It just can't maintain the drift out of the corners, that's all. [Report message to a moderator]

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