I would agree... except the CG was lowered and the track was widened and every combination of caster, camber and toe was experimented with ... it did not help. The experimentation was documented with care and punctuated with bad words, SMUIs (Sudden Moments of Urinary Incontinence) and near disastrous results. It would take off with enormous torque... with 49%l eft and 51% right... and then 51% left and 49% right... and as you tried to steer through it.. the percentages got wider apart as the nose direction changed zip codes. The diff could not deliver a balanced 50%-50%... not with added weight, not with alignment, not with wider track (we added over a foot to front wheels and even tried narrowing and widening the rear.) It does not want to flip or get up on two wheels any more... that problem is fixed. The suspension was modified from last article to dual shocks in rear and other changes in front. It just cannot go straight under power.We even looked at ATV and go cart and small FWD car diffs. It is a unique application and will most likely require a unique custom solution. Translate $$$$$ You certainly have a right to your opinion on how it could be corrected... and I'd love to see that happen without you having to knock over a bank to make it right. It is an awesome little car and changing it to rear drive is not that hard but loses it's original purpose and charm. The body is available cheap and will go on Ebay soon if someone wants to make it so.
I'm not sure it would need $$$$ thrown at it, there are electronic front diffs available dirt cheap from any honda with the SH or whatever it was called, like the preludes. Make friends with someone that can make you a box with a rotary dial to dial in the amount of slip. then you could change it on the fly.
Lots of power and FWD doesn't work very easily. It's even worse if it has to turn. Drag racing is a little easier but still it easier just to do RWD.
Ted before I take this thing to scrap, if no one buys it, I will give it back to you so you can keep it with the body. With the history of this thing I hate to see it get scraped. If I wasn't already rebuilding the Amod I would start working on it.
tedebayer wrote:
I would agree... except the CG was lowered and the track was widened and every combination of caster, camber and toe was experimented with ... it did not help. The experimentation was documented with care and punctuated with bad words, SMUIs (Sudden Moments of Urinary Incontinence) and near disastrous results. It would take off with enormous torque... with 49%l eft and 51% right... and then 51% left and 49% right... and as you tried to steer through it.. the percentages got wider apart as the nose direction changed zip codes. The diff could not deliver a balanced 50%-50%... not with added weight, not with alignment, not with wider track (we added over a foot to front wheels and even tried narrowing and widening the rear.) It does not want to flip or get up on two wheels any more... that problem is fixed. The suspension was modified from last article to dual shocks in rear and other changes in front. It just cannot go straight under power.We even looked at ATV and go cart and small FWD car diffs. It is a unique application and will most likely require a unique custom solution. Translate $$$$$ You certainly have a right to your opinion on how it could be corrected... and I'd love to see that happen without you having to knock over a bank to make it right. It is an awesome little car and changing it to rear drive is not that hard but loses it's original purpose and charm. The body is available cheap and will go on Ebay soon if someone wants to make it so.
Interesting. Sounds like a similar fight I fought with the quaife diff in my Civic. Ultimately the best thing I did for that was installing power steering. Yeah, it would still try to do the torque steer -> redirect power -> torque steer the other way shuffle, but with the power steering the drama never made it to the driver.
I was going to replace the diff with a clutch type with an aggressive lockup, but once the PS went in it was driveable enough that that fell off the list.
Regardless - interesting to read about the further development the car went through. Thanks.
Sounds like it would work better with less sticky tires (let em spin and the torque steer will go away, heh) or a welded diff?
Nashco
UltraDork
2/4/13 2:57 a.m.
Mike, you mind saying what happened to it? Since this thing was followed by many, it would be interesting to try and keep tabs on it. Or have the new owner (hopefully not a Chinese scrap yard!) pop on here to let us know his likely-evil plan.
Bryce
Hints contained here http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/just-when-i-thought-i-was-running-out-of-things-to-do/59984/page1/
I'm glad this has stayed with one of us. I was interested in it, but have no place to work on anything.
