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11/27/2018
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Upton, MA
US
Gravity Cavity
2/12/2019 12:42pm
2/12/2019 12:42pm
Hi all, not much snow here in mass this winter so far but we are getting a bit today. My drive home got me thinking about traction control in vehicles these days. All I can say is I am no fan ?. I get why they have it but it sure cuts down on the fun factor of sliding a rear wheel drive vehicle around like you want to. More to the point on safety is the terrible way that it cuts power when your trying to pull out of a snow covered side street onto a main road. It’s a fantastic way to get hit as most units cut ignition or fuel etc to make the tires not slip...basically stalling the car or truck until the computer decides that there is a sliver of traction and gives you some power..very unnerving.
I remember the first time I tried a vehicle with TC it was a new mini van my wife purchased. I came to a stop on a snow covered hill and wanted to see it work it’s magic..I assumed it was some sort of electronic LSD that would send power to one wheel or the other but the van just sat there as I pressed the gas..nothing..luckily I found the disable switch and the van started digging its way up the hill. It plain sucks in the snow..
I remember the first time I tried a vehicle with TC it was a new mini van my wife purchased. I came to a stop on a snow covered hill and wanted to see it work it’s magic..I assumed it was some sort of electronic LSD that would send power to one wheel or the other but the van just sat there as I pressed the gas..nothing..luckily I found the disable switch and the van started digging its way up the hill. It plain sucks in the snow..
I just let it do the work. Didnt try to compensate in any way. But then again, it was controlling the power to each wheel, not just cutting power altogether. A bit more sophisticated than most.
The Shop
The older I get, the more important getting to where I am going safe is, and the less important having "fun" on public highways is. I can do anything I need to have fun off the public roads, where there are too many other people to contend with or to cause harm to.
The good systems use wheel speed sensors and will apply braking to any individual wheel that slips faster than the others. These work great, it basically mimics what a locking differential does, great traction. Not sure how widespread that sort of setup is in the car world, but my Mercedes SUV built in 2001 has it.
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