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Originally posted by SirPoonga
I also want to add to AWD. AWD "should" give you faster acceleration as there are 4 wheels doing the work instead of 2. This can differ upon setup too, especially with how differentials are setup. Also it takes more energy from the engine to rotate the 4 wheels. Basic physics right there.
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Good point about the AWD's acceleration advantage. There is more drivetrain power loss in AWD, but the traction advantage usually outweighs it at lower speeds. I race a WRX, I should know these things! lol
Quote:
Originally posted by SirPoonga
Generally, on a slick surface flat will have more traction as more tire is on the ground. So rougher surfaces tread will have more traction as the tread will "wrap" around the dirt.
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I agree that generally a slick should have more traction than a treaded tire. I was surprised that emperically it wasn't the case, at least on linoleum. Of course, linoleum isn't all that smooth compared to the size of an XMod tire. I think more testing needs to be done to really figure out what generates more traction. Next time I'm out at the warehouse, I'll toss soft slicks on the front and soft treads on the rear, run around a bit, then swap 'em front to rear and see if the car's tighter or looser.
Quote:
Originally posted by SirPoonga
A hard slick will have more traction on a drag strip than a soft tread.
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I have to disagree with you about hard tires having more grip on smooth surfaces. The compound of a soft tire is always going to be sticker. The whole point of having hard tires on an Xmod is that it *isn't* as sticky as the soft. You would run a hard tire to reduce traction on one end of the car in order to adjust the handling of the car, as described above.
Quote:
Originally posted by SirPoonga
Soft and Hard have their place to. Generally for a softer surface you want a softer tire so the tire can form with the surface. So, why would you use a hard tire on anything. Well, a soft tire squishes upon torque of the wheel. This is great for off road and rough surfaces it's like a mini shock. But on a hard surface that is waste power to squish the tire. So for speed you would want hard.
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Your talk of "power to squish the tire" is known as "rolling friction" and it is indeed as you descirbed it. It takes more power to roll a soft tire than a hard tire, something easily noticed on a bicycle if your tires are low on air. Hard tires would definately help you achieve a higher top speed. In fact, if you were to shave the tires so only the very center touched the ground that should really help the car top out in a straight line.