RE: [Rollei] off topic: lesabre vs. crown victoria help!

[Richard Knoppow <dickburk >]

At 03:16 PM 08/09/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>
>>   Someone did an extensive real-world test of two vs: four wheel drive
>> vehicals several years ago. I no longer remember the source. Their
>> conclusion was that there weren't many places a four wheel drive vehical
>> would go that a two wheel drive one would not.
>
>IMO, and IME, that is an entirely erroneous (and reasonably foolish)
>conclusion, at best!
>
>
  It wasn't a conclusion it was a statement of the results of tests. Since
I haven't a citation there is no way to argue it. I have seen plenty of
four wheel drive vehicals stuck out on the desert where their owners
thought they could go. 
  One reason military vehicals are equipped with winches is to get them
unstuck when the wheelos slip. 
  Just as with locomotives the factor of adhesion is important. A wheel
with power but no adhesion is useless. Four wheel drive does not gurantee
that any of the wheels has any adhesion. 
  I repeat that a limited slip differential can make a bigger difference
than type of drive because it insures that the wheel with greatest adhesion
gets the power. 
  FWD cars have the advantage, at least for sticking,  of having more
weight on the driving wheels. Not necessarily an advantage for general
handling. 
- ----
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles,Ca.
dickburk  

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