<VV> drive wheels

[Dave Keillor]

I'm owned all configurations rear engine, front drive (wouldn't that be
a trip!) and driven them in all kinds of weather conditions including
ice and heavy snow.  I have a couple of things to add to Mark's
comments:

1. A Corvair understeers badly in heavy snow due to lack of weight on
the front tires.  The throttle can correct that problem, but it takes a
bit of something to get on the throttle when there is a solid object in
the path of your understeering car.

2. The rear end of a RWD car will tend to step out if you
unintentionally (or intentionally as above) cause the rear wheels to
spin.  The FWD will lose steering control, but will tend to keep going
forward.

Having said that, I prefer a RWD car for any kind of performance
driving.

Dave Keillor
 
-----Original Message-----
From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
[mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of airvair
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 4:24 PM
To: Bill Elliott
Cc: Padgett; virtualvairs at corvair.org
Subject: Re: <VV> drive wheels

The whole problem with FWD as far as I'm concerned is that people praise
it for the wrong reasons. If the norm had been REAR ENGINE, FRONT DRIVE
then everyone would be well aware of just how really bad an idea that
driving the front wheels happens to be. The reason people praise front
drive is really because of the weight being over the drive wheels, and
NOT that it's driving the front wheels. The average joe is oblivious to
the difference -  all he knows is that the modern front driver is far
better in NOT getting stuck in the snow than his old "feather-fanny'd"
Chevy II or Gremlin. Those used to get stuck on a flat sheet of ice (I
even had a '71 Buick Estate Wagon that was just as bad.) They don't stop
to think that once a front driver breaks traction (which is often more
easy to do than you realize) they've also lost all steering control.
With a rear driver, you'd have at least SOME semblence of steering
control. Might make the difference between missing a bridge abutment and
hitting it.

-Mark

_____________________________________