Driving Near the Limits Dick Maybach, Appalachian Region – PCA
[email protected] January 13, 2018 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-noncommercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA. You are free to: • Share – copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format • Adapt – remix, transform, and build upon the material • The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. Under the following terms: • Attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. • NonCommercial – You may not use the material for commercial purposes. • No additional restrictions – You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits. This article has two main topics, vehicle dynamics and driving techniques, and concludes with a brief recap. We’ll begin vehicle dynamics by looking at a single tire, because all forces, whether you’re accelerating, braking, or turning, are applied through your tires. Next we’ll look at understeer and oversteer. Understanding these key concepts is essential to maintain control of your car as you maneuver. Another important aspect of vehicle dynamics is weight shifting. As your car changes speed and direction, the distribution of traction among your tires also changes.