Date:         Sun, 21 Jun 2015 22:16:50 -1000
Reply-To:     "SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott )" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott )" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Organization: Cosmic Reminders
Subject:      Re: Tires.. Again..Insurance reasons...
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAHTkEuJrv6Kee8npmQUAAPqNKNebmVY+MQ5_=iHtVcUCZkUJSw@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed

it's true ...
mild understeer as a basic handling trait is 'safer' for most
people...or less-skilled drivers..

And a vehicle that has just a touch of understeer at the limit is just fine.

Oversteer of course is generally dangerous and requiring much more
driver skills.

examples of Famous and notorious understeering cars .

Probably the early Porsche 911's were the worst fairly common car by far.
That model car started in 1965- at a time when VW Bugs still had swing
axle rear suspension ..


At one point Porsche even had weights in the front bumper to tone down
twitchness ( and oversteer ) when changing direction .  Not sure if they
increased the wheel base   a tiny bit in the late 60's but they may have.

 > they're still making that model ...longest run of one continuously
developed platform ....super dialed in now with no vices like oversteer
or steering kicking back on pumps.   You've come a long way Baby. >

and VW owns Porsche now  too , for VW content.

but 'terminal understeer' .....like 'very prone to understeer badly and
early in steady-state cornering' ..
that sucks.



On 6/21/2015 3:38 AM, Don Hanson wrote:
> Some have deduced that manufacturers recommended tire pressures are meant
> to actually cause vehicles to understeer, withpotential lawsuits as the
> main reason rather than effective traction..   (understeer is when the
> front tires lose  traction first. so the vehicle 'plows' straight ahead
> when the traction limit is exceeded)   This is said to be a decision made
> by lawyers and insurance companies so that they can avoid liability when
> people 'over-drive' their vehicles and crash em....When the crash happens,
> it's can more easily be proven to be the driver's fault if the car goes
> front-first into the ditch...."That car was going too fast!...See, he just
> couldn't make the corner, he went straight off......"   like that.   If the
> the vehicle was sold with some understeer (when the rear end loses traction
> first) the Lawyers can argue that it was the vehicle's manufacturers fault
> ......"The driver was just going round the corner and all of a sudden, the
> car spun out and flew off the road....."
>