If I understand what happens with a locked off-road type 4wd system like in my Sidekick LWB:
- the front two wheels can turn different speeds from each other
- ditto the rears (no limited slip yet)
but, the *sum* of the front pair must match the sum of the rear pair.
thus-
A, it serves as a type of ABS by preventing single-wheel lock. True?
B, is there anything obvious that can be down to reduce the understeer, especially
power understeer, eg rear LSD (clutch type)?, even front LSD? I have not found that left foot braking can be instinctive enough- or frankly, immediate or predictable enough with auto trans and its kickdown logic... and it's something I'm curious if it could be changed. What about changing out the transfer case from an off road locked typed to a viscous type [viscous type is 50/50 only, not 38/62, unfortunately]?
I am feeling that it may be endemic to the 4 wheel locked, to lose traction on the outside front wheel as it is dealing with cornering loads while trying to allow slip as needed which is not allowed by lack of a front to rear differential.
Toe out and tricks like that are not so welcome in a Daily Driver winter vehicle where lane change stability over snow ridges is very welcome.
I am currently thinking of a very subtlely softer lower rear spring (
subtlely bias to more understeer) and adding a rear sway bar where there is none now (
considerable bias to more oversteer), but again not sure if that might make it too tail happy.
That's plan A, but I wondered if some old school version of BMW et al's Torque Vectoring could be established via the driveline.
Note to self, what does Ken Block do?
