Traction Control
- Thread starter Neal
- Start date
G
Guest
Guest
Neal, What types of transaxles can be retrofit with traction control. I am not to anamoured with the idea of using it; I am just curious. I feel pretty much the same way about antilock brakes for my car. Now any car that the rest of my family will drive, has and, from this time forward, will always have antilock brakes. Traction control is different as there is not a lot of driver control over a differential. Although, comments from the announcers during the last F1 race didn't do anything to change my view of it: they said that it really only helps in start up and occasionaly on the exit of a corner, but that the driver can still take the car beyond the ability of the system to correct. I would not want to become dependant on the system to any degree, I'd just as soon be able to use the throttle as a directional control aid.
Lynn,
I watch F1 all the time and I can't place the comment about drivers being able to outperform traction control - although I do remember a comment about them taking a while to adapt to it (mind you I can't gurantee that I didn't doze off during an after-midnight race) As I understand it, many teams thought it such a benefit that they cheated by using it when it was illegal, which is why they legalized it later.
Note: Traction control does not need to work through the transaxle, it can be applied by simply reducing power to the engine through the engine management system - as in F1 (you can hear them missfiring coming out of corners) - or in some really smart systems, they can automatically apply the brakes to the required wheel - eg. some BMW models.
Now, Anti Skid Brakes, they ARE something that any driver can outperform with some practice. Thats why they arn't used in racing. Mind you, we don't all have the time or oportunity to practice. Also, keep in mind that in a sideways slide, a car with ABS will continue to travel in the general direction of the pointing wheels - even under full brakes, which is not always desirable... and that they can also let you down totally on an unsealed road, or badly corrigated road... I speak by experience.
Finally, I think RF are offering, or will be offering traction control.
[ May 20, 2002: Message edited by: Chris Liokos ]
I watch F1 all the time and I can't place the comment about drivers being able to outperform traction control - although I do remember a comment about them taking a while to adapt to it (mind you I can't gurantee that I didn't doze off during an after-midnight race) As I understand it, many teams thought it such a benefit that they cheated by using it when it was illegal, which is why they legalized it later.
Note: Traction control does not need to work through the transaxle, it can be applied by simply reducing power to the engine through the engine management system - as in F1 (you can hear them missfiring coming out of corners) - or in some really smart systems, they can automatically apply the brakes to the required wheel - eg. some BMW models.
Now, Anti Skid Brakes, they ARE something that any driver can outperform with some practice. Thats why they arn't used in racing. Mind you, we don't all have the time or oportunity to practice. Also, keep in mind that in a sideways slide, a car with ABS will continue to travel in the general direction of the pointing wheels - even under full brakes, which is not always desirable... and that they can also let you down totally on an unsealed road, or badly corrigated road... I speak by experience.
Finally, I think RF are offering, or will be offering traction control.
[ May 20, 2002: Message edited by: Chris Liokos ]
Neal
Lifetime Supporter
The Racelogic system is a fuel/spark retard based system. It uses ABS sensors or proximity switches on non-ABS cars to measure non-equal rotation. There is also a launch control feature available. Don't get my wrong, I love to burn rubber now and then
and I enjoy throttle induced oversteer
but being a technonut this seems like the next step in performance.
Paul Thompson 'Hooligan'
Admin
Hi all,
GTD40 Car Club member Tony Marsh and multiple UK hill climb champion has (or had)Racelogic Traction control / Launch control fitted to his 630BHP twin Turbo Mk2 GTD.
He has used this on at least several occasions at the Brighton Speed Trials to good effect (he uses road legal treaded tyres) and has pulled 137+ on the quarter.
We have Motec control on Roy's GTD and one day we might get round to wiring in the additional sensors required for the traction control, launch control and full throttle shift. (should be interesting).
Finally, on another note, there was a racelogic equipped car at a Lydden sprint we competed at last year that was 'all over the place' - I hope the system was off at the time otherwise it didnt make a very good advert.
regards
[email protected]
[ May 19, 2002: Message edited by: P Thompson ]
[ May 19, 2002: Message edited by: P Thompson ]
[ May 19, 2002: Message edited by: P Thompson ]
[ May 19, 2002: Message edited by: P Thompson ]
GTD40 Car Club member Tony Marsh and multiple UK hill climb champion has (or had)Racelogic Traction control / Launch control fitted to his 630BHP twin Turbo Mk2 GTD.
He has used this on at least several occasions at the Brighton Speed Trials to good effect (he uses road legal treaded tyres) and has pulled 137+ on the quarter.
We have Motec control on Roy's GTD and one day we might get round to wiring in the additional sensors required for the traction control, launch control and full throttle shift. (should be interesting).
Finally, on another note, there was a racelogic equipped car at a Lydden sprint we competed at last year that was 'all over the place' - I hope the system was off at the time otherwise it didnt make a very good advert.
regards
[email protected]
[ May 19, 2002: Message edited by: P Thompson ]
[ May 19, 2002: Message edited by: P Thompson ]
[ May 19, 2002: Message edited by: P Thompson ]
[ May 19, 2002: Message edited by: P Thompson ]
G
Guest
Guest
The comments were either the day before practice or the day of the race where they let Schummaker(sp) take the win. Not sure which, but it was in conversation around a fellow blowing his engine and getting a LOT of oil on the track causing about 3 spins in short order.
Thanks for the explanation of how TC is implemented. I was assuming it was much more sophisticated than it really is. I thought they had developed an internal mechanism for controlling the side to side balance of torque in the diff itself: sort of a controllable locker if you will.
Thanks for the explanation of how TC is implemented. I was assuming it was much more sophisticated than it really is. I thought they had developed an internal mechanism for controlling the side to side balance of torque in the diff itself: sort of a controllable locker if you will.
Hi, about Racelogic in general: I believe the driving wheel slip can be set to a number of levers, ie: 1,2, 4% etc, with the highest setting allowing quite a lot of power sliding, and the minimum being designed for the wet, to prevernt sudden wet wheelspin/aquaplaning etc.
Traction control in F1:
At the first Gp this year, at Albert Park in Melbourne, it was very interesting to see and hear their traction control in action.
The most notable thing was that the better the car, and the better the driver, the less it could be heard operating.
For example, Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard's cars would rarely have intervention that could be heard, whereas the new guy Katoh in the misbehaving Jordan was causing the system to intervene everywhere, straights included.
From this I can maybe assume that traction control can work as a good band-aid for other problems (no real suprises there!), and a well set up car with skilled driver tend to operate in the zone where the tires grip!
The sensitivity of the systems was easy to see as well- if a driver dropped a tire off the end of a kerb at 200 kph, for about 2 meters, a clear "pop" could be heard as the TC intervened and limited the wheelspin.
And 2 meters at that speed takes all of 0.036 seconds...faster than any hero can make an adjustment: except that we Humans have the benefit of foresight...
Traction control in F1:
At the first Gp this year, at Albert Park in Melbourne, it was very interesting to see and hear their traction control in action.
The most notable thing was that the better the car, and the better the driver, the less it could be heard operating.
For example, Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard's cars would rarely have intervention that could be heard, whereas the new guy Katoh in the misbehaving Jordan was causing the system to intervene everywhere, straights included.
From this I can maybe assume that traction control can work as a good band-aid for other problems (no real suprises there!), and a well set up car with skilled driver tend to operate in the zone where the tires grip!
The sensitivity of the systems was easy to see as well- if a driver dropped a tire off the end of a kerb at 200 kph, for about 2 meters, a clear "pop" could be heard as the TC intervened and limited the wheelspin.
And 2 meters at that speed takes all of 0.036 seconds...faster than any hero can make an adjustment: except that we Humans have the benefit of foresight...
Similar threads
