From: rmc1862@tm0006.lerc.nasa.gov (Rodger M. Cliff)
Subject: Re: Some questions looking for answers
Followup-To: rec.autos
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center / Cleveland, Ohio
Date: 28 Aug 1992 14:22 EST  

In article <4869@balrog.ctron.com>, smith@ctron.com writes...
>In article <oyPZPB1w164w@cellar.org>, hacksaw@cellar.org (Hacksaw) writes:
> 
>>The Buick is driven by the rear-wheels. My
>>friend(self-proclaimed auto-expert) says that RWD cars are, by their
>>very nature, unsafe and should not be driven at fast speeds(for example,
>>55 mph on a highway). No question in my mind that the car feels different;
> 
>Your friend is certainly self-proclaimed, for only a fool would make such a
>claim, and no one certifies fools.  Were this true, _every_ high performance
>car, from the Mustang to the Corvette to the Lamborghini Countach would be
>front-wheel drive.  They are not.  In fact, the number of powerful FWD cars
>in the market today can be counted on one hand, the number of powerful RWD
>cars is legion.

Good reply.  Consider racing vehicles designed from a clean slate: Indy/CART 
and Formula cars - _all_ RWD!!  Also consider the "silhouettes" [Winston series 
cars that are FWD in production, but converted into RWD for racing]; why bother
if FWD is superior.  The american public has been sold a bill of goods with 
respect to FWD; FWD is more advantageous to the MANUFACTURER, not as much to
the buyer.  The only advantage to FWD is that all drivetrain is up front in the 
engine compartment; this allows for flat floor (no transmission tunnel) and 
hence slightly more passenger room.

>Following is very general:
>The handling differences are undetectable until you push the car into a slide.
>RWD cars will tend to oversteer under throttle, which brings the tail out as
>you accelerate.  FWD cars will tend to understeer under throttle, which means
>they will be less inclined to turn where you point the car.  When you lift
>the throttle, FWD cars front wheels will grab and try to pull the rear around
>(lift-throttle oversteer), where RWD cars will try to straighten out.
> 
>What this means is that if you over-throttle and slip on a slippery surface,
>you regain control in a FWD car by lifting the throttle and steering _away_
>from the skid, in a RWD car by lifting and steering _into_ the skid (to regain
>traction) and then away.  Since many people will instinctively steer away
>from a skid, FWD cars are slightly more "intuitive" for uneducated drivers,
>which most people are, and so have a "safer" reputation. 

I agree with most of your reply, but I think you've missed a more insidious
characteristice of FWD.  In poor traction situations, FWD will tend to grip 
better since a higher percentage of weight is on the driving wheels (compered to
a RWD car).  This gives a false impression of the true conditions.  If you then 
approach a curve to fast, you can be in real trouble.  In a RWD car, you would 
ease off the throttle gently and try to scrub off some speed.  Doing this in
a FWD car can cause the front wheels to LOCK and send you into the wall/ditch.
I use the principle to determine the road conditions in the winter-time.  If the
cars in the ditches are "pony cars" [Camaros, Mustangs, T-birds, etc. - big 
motor up front, no weight in rear], I know it is moderately slippery.  When
the cars in ditches are FWD cars, I know it is very slippery (usually in the 
middle of the curve).  Interesting is my experience, that the situations appear
to be mutually exclusive, supporting my conclusions.

I will take a RWD _sedan_ over a front wheel drive car on a low traction (snow,
standing water, etc.) road course (lots of curves) with _average_ drivers.

>>   Next question. I'm a big fan of guages. This car, as all too many do,
>>has the infamously termed "idiot lights". Not enough power in your battery
>>to start the car, but there is enough to keep all these lights flashing
>>and alarms buzzing. Is it a big chore to completly re-vamp the dashboard
>>replacing those lights with guages?
> 
>Highly unlikely.  Idiot lights were chosen to reduce the amount of cabling,
        [remainder of good, generic response deleted]
Not true in this case.  GM made guage package options for these cars.  If you
scrounge around a junk yard you can find these.  They fit in where existing
speedo/odo/gas/idiot-lights come out.  Warning:  The connector may be the same,
but the pin-out may be different.  These clusters have the "wire" traces on the 
back; take the time to compare the old to the new and change the connector pin
-out accordingly.  I did this for my '80 Olds Cutlass 4-door.  You will also 
need to change the sender units for the oil pressure and coolant temperature.  
Total cost for me $25 cluster, $18 oil press sender, $12 cool temp sensor, and
a couple of hours of work.  Looks factory.

________________________________________________________________________________
Rodger Cliff                         |  
Analex Corporation                   |            My opinions
at NASA Lewis Research Center        |     are not those of Analex or NASA
Cleveland, OH                        |          and definitely not
                                     |             vice-versa!
(216) 433-8826                       |
________________________________________________________________________________
Newsgroups: rec.autos