I'm not sure facing up a hill in a RWD (or down in a FWD) is very
advantageous... For one thing there are tons of variables, some of
which may make your facing direction negligible. But ignore a bunch of
variables, you're still talking about force and vectors in addition to
weight distribution. You've got a tire (mostly round with some
deflection) on a flat surface. As the angle of that flat surface
starts to rise (on a hill) and gravity keeps pulling the same
direction, the force of gravity on the tire is further and further
from perpendicular to the ground. I think you lose most (if not all...
or more) of the advange you gain from weight distribution.
Rather than reading my gibberish, draw it out. Draw two tires: one on
a flat surface, one on an angled surface. Now draw the direction of
the force of gravity through the centerlines of your two tires.
QED
Don in CT
89 Dak Vert 318 NV3500 4x4 (got two bent axleshafts that say i know
all about losing traction)
74 Dart Sport 340
On 7/11/08, jon@dakota-truck.net <jon@dakota-truck.net> wrote:
>
> Probably just the weight distribution. Facing downhill with a
> rear wheel drive vehicle takes some weight off the back wheels and
> puts them on the front. The opposite is true for facing uphill,
> weight has been distributed from the front to the rear.
>
> Likewise, a front wheel drive car would have an easier time
> backing up a hill than it would driving up the hill for the same
> reason.
>
> --
> -Jon-
>
> .- Jon Steiger -- jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@jonsteiger.com -.
> | '96 Kolb Firefly, '96 Suzuki Intruder, Miscellaneous Mopars |
> `-------------------------------- http://www.jonsteiger.com --'
>
>
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