SUV tires
September 8, 1998 =
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Many of the
guardrails lining America's highways
were not designed with today's taller
sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and light
trucks in mind, and may snag the wheels
of these vehicles, according to
researchers.
"Snagging will cause the vehicle to roll
over upon impact," said Dr. Ala Tabiei,
an assistant professor in the department
of aerospace engineering and
engineering mechanics at the University
of Cincinnati, in Ohio. The Federal
Highway Administration is currently
funding Tabiei's research into improved
guardrail systems.
In a statement issued by the university,
Tabiei explained that standard
"strong-post" guardrails, used on about
150,000 miles of US roadways, were
designed decades ago "to redirect the
vehicle and absorb the energy of the
vehicle until it stops."
However, these guardrail systems were
designed 20 to 30 years ago for the
vehicles manufactured at that time. They
may not be effective for the taller SUVs,
light trucks, and minivans popular
today. Discrepancies in height can cause
the wheels of these vehicles to catch on
guardrails -- and may lead to the
vehicles flipping over.
Tabiei and his colleagues are currently
using highly advanced computer
simulation technologies to help design
better guardrails. The simulations are
based on real-life crashes conducted at
the Texas Transportation Institute. "The
initial conditions, everything, is the
same," Tabiei explained.
The Cincinnati researcher is currently
fine tuning the simulation technology to
suit various types of vehicles. "We have
different classes of vehicles, and this
(guardrail) system must work for all of
them," Tabiei said.
Tabiei is scheduled to present part of his
work this month at the LS-Dyna
Conference in Detroit, Michigan.
Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited. All
rights reserved. Republication or
redistribution of Reuters content is
expressly prohibited without the prior
written consent of Reuters. Reuters
shall not be liable for any errors or
delays in the content, or for any actions
taken in reliance thereon. =
FACT States with the highest rate of syphillis: Mississippi (70 cases per =
100,000) and Louisiana (38 cases per 100,000). (Centers for Disease =
Control and Prevention) =
Vincent Heckathorn wrote:
>I have lowered my truck 2" in the rear using aluminum blocks, but I am =
going to
>change over the some steel ones soon. I also lowered the front 1.75" by =
cutting
>about 1 coil out of each spring, The ride is very good and it looks a =
hell of a
>lot better. The day after I had lowered it, everyone at work was asking =
me =
>what I
>had done to the truck.
>Go for it, you will be glad you did.
>
>Colin H.
>
>DkotaKid@aol.com wrote:
>
>> In a message dated 9/7/98 8:54:22 PM Central Daylight Time,
>> bnich@bellatlantic.net writes:
>>
>> > I'd like to level out my truck it seems like the rear is 2" higher =
than
>> > the front. Anybody done this yet. Can I do it with Blocks? I hear =
the alum.
>> > ones are NG. I have a machine shop so I could make a pair out of =
plate.
>> > Any one know if they are paralell or have an angle? Thanks again =
Bob
>>
>> Take it from somebody who's researched (and applied) the crap out of =
this
>> subject: me! You can do the lowering any of about 4 respectable ways. =
The
>> cheapest by far is with blocks. It's best to get some pre-made blocks, =
cuz
>> they have the pin and hole in 'em for keeping the blocks centered. A =
decent
>> set will be angled appropriately for the change in pinion angle. You =
have to
>> keep the driveshaft at the same angle with the diff. that it cam from =
the
>> factory, to insure against premature wear. I did shackles and blocks =
once, so
>> I had to add extra angled shims to keep the driveshaft in line. Never =
had a
>> prob for 39K miles. Just gotta make sure all the bolts are tightened =
to about
>> 6 million ft-lbs tho, as mine worked their way loose a couple times. =
Oh yeah,
>> you need longer u-bolts to accomodate the blocks. I thought the 2" =
drop was
>> great - it "flattened out" the ride very nicely. Of course, ended up =
redoing
>> the rear about 3 different ways, and the front end two different ways, =
but
>> that's another story! BTW - get the poly bumpstops for the rear end, =
and
>> ditch the factory monsters. You retain the majority of your travel =
that way.
>>
>> Andy
I hope this helps.
Mark Bate
KD6RMI@K6.net
+1.510.429-9100
Think different... Beware of geeks bearing gifts.
W 116.33 Euro/M 117.?? / MacOS 8.5
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 12:09:47 EDT