Snag710@reddit

I'll give you the tires because no traction means no luck, but stock steal rims are fine

[-]

AnotherDrone001@reddit

Wheels (and tires) are unsprung, rotating mass. People will argue on the exact conversion (and I think it can also differ by platform) but it’s generally understood that every pound of unsprung rotating mass you can shave, can be equivalent to 4 to 10 pounds (some estimate as high as 20 pounds but I think that’s extremely generous) of static, sprung mass.

OldeWorldWays@reddit

My 78 Bronco agrees with you

[-]

voidedwarantee@reddit

Some awd cars can lock the center diff within the transfer case.

[-]

sewiv@reddit

You should read your first sentence while looking in the mirror.

If the t-case isn't locked, it's not 4x4, it's AWD.

[-]

Disk brakes isn't required for ABS, plenty of car have drums in the rear and functioning ABS.

Sure if you drive some some classics, but ABS were already in some cars back in the 70s, somewhat common in the 90s and mandatory since 2003. Cars that old likely rusted away or had other issues already and scrapped. Also remember it can be older than 2003 and still have ABS, I drove a 98 and a 01 car, both before the regulation and both had ABS, one even traction control.

molehunterz@reddit

Well it seems stupid that he specifically wants to disable ABS on one of his cars, you're take is also pretty stupid.

One of my cars does not have abs, and I am definitely on high alert anytime I drive it, to make sure one of your precious ABS drivers doesn't run into me. Only 1700 were made. So when some idiot is busy looking at his phone in his fancy car with abs and runs into me? I don't get made whole.

Saying fuck you to someone because they don't drive a car up to your standards is beyond childish

When was the last time somebody ran into you? Did they have abs? Pretty much guaranteed they did. And the next time somebody runs into you? Pretty damn sure they're going to have abs too.

[-]

that_dutch_dude@reddit

i am saying fuck you because he is taking the abs out. end of story.

[-]

No_Profession4626@reddit

Race cars dont have abs, a human can definitely be better than a computer at certain things, driving definitely being one of them

[-]

that_dutch_dude@reddit

abs is banned in most racing because its classfied as a driver aid. and you are not better at braking than a computer.

[-]

molehunterz@reddit

Since we are fairly indiscriminate in this country about who we let drive, I do agree that cars should have abs.

I do think it's funny that you use the government as the litmus test for what is smart and what isn't.

molehunterz@reddit

because it didnt brake.

Which makes the same point. LOL

Although I currently have a truck that does have abs, that is malfunctioning. On regular drive pavement, it is randomly engaging the ABS on the front right wheel only.

I do plan on getting it fixed, instead of removing it, but it definitely is making my breaking less safe currently.

[-]

Only_Information7895@reddit

In my case it was actually the opposite. I stopped just fine, then I heard a long tire screech and I got rear ended. The 10m long skid mark definitely told me that he didn't had ABS.

Also it doesn't make sense. If they would have ABS and brake at the same time as they did with their distracted driving it would have stopped just fine. ABS stopping distance is much shorter than locked tire braking distance.

[-]

molehunterz@reddit

At 30 kph, it could not have been that long of a screech. Unless he had only one tire doing the work. My old 89 truck, 6000lbs/2700kg would be at a dead stop in less than 1 second at that speed if I mashed the brakes. And while it technically has rear ABS only, the rear tires are the only ones that will lock up

[-]

Only_Information7895@reddit

I was doing 30km/h, he could been faster (still a 50km/h zone).

It's not a massive difference

It can as much as halve braking distance with some vehicles and conditions.

[-]

Zapatos-Grande@reddit

Yeah, I think a lot of 4wd owners don't realize it's not some super power that makes everything normal on adverse conditions.

[-]

Critical-Sandwich190@reddit

A friend of mine often said that 4x4 would just get you stuck further from the road

[-]

LiveMarionberry3694@reddit

Not untrue, but they also have their purpose.

Yet fatality rates keep declining around the world.

[-]

FlatwormNo3937@reddit

Okay… Because cars keep getting safer?

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

Looked in the rear view mirror and saw him coming.

dodadoler@reddit

Giver some gas & turn the wheels bro

[-]

AceticCucumber@reddit

I disagree, only because it can still enable you to accelerate out of the slide. Advanced technique? Maybe. But I think a better way to say it is that 4x4 does not help braking.

[-]

that_dutch_dude@reddit

my FWD car is more capable on proper winter tires than your 4x4 is on summer tires.

[-]

AceticCucumber@reddit

Well I don't use summer tires because they aren't very good in fields, but yeah that's true. But my 4x4 with winter tires will outperform your 2x4. And yes but having 4 wheels attempt to grab something has a higher chance than only two.

Well that's just like... your opinion man.

What would add to the conversation?

[-]

Mrmagoo1077@reddit

A sweeping generalized based in your own prejudices.

Some drivers with 4x4 lack the skill to drive on a straight dry road. Some are basically gods of the driving arts. Most are somewhere inbetween the extremes.

Just like everything else.

[-]

that_dutch_dude@reddit

found the 4x4 driver that thinks he is better than his shitty tires.

[-]

Mrmagoo1077@reddit

I own a corolla, so try again.

[-]

TypeToSnipe@reddit

Who said AWD helps you stop? Obviously not.

My cars need AWD because that's how I cruise past a bunch of cars stuck in 3 inches of snow.

When I had a FWD car, I'd always have to clear the street or driveway to park after a snow storm. Now I just plow straight into the snow and drive right over it.

I don't need to carry a shovel or use my mats for traction, or any other ridiculous method people suggest.

Now I simply push the accelerator gently and I'm on my way.

[-]

that_dutch_dude@reddit

or invest in better tires....

[-]

TypeToSnipe@reddit

You think people with snow tires don't get stuck? Lol..

[-]

that_dutch_dude@reddit

i can drive up an mountain ice road with my fwd car or drive tru a blizzard no problem. i will garuantee you that i can go further on my (studded) winter tires than you will on 4 x4 summer tires.

[-]

spoken like every other 4x4 driver i had to pick out of a ditch in my previous job. its like you lot got the same cliche book or something.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

You may be factually correct that a FWD with winter tires is better than an AWD with summer tires. But....

You don't have to be a dick about it.

An AWD on winter tires will spank your FWD.

[-]

TypeToSnipe@reddit

Yeah, thought so.

[-]

84UTK07@reddit

You seem to really hate people that drive 4x4s. Sounds like you’re jealous you don’t have it. Everything else equal, 4x4 will blow your front wheel drive car away off-road or in snow.

[-]

TacohTuesday@reddit

[-]

doc_55lk@reddit

Yea I've been literally just going whenever the car tells me to and one of said cars is at 200k+ miles and still running just fine.

I feel like if I really needed to religiously change the oil every 3-5k miles, that specific car would've died a long time ago.

[-]

There's no difference between a brake reservoir and any other sealed container. If you put a plastic container of any liquid out in the heat what happens? Why is this concept confusing to you? Do you think that time and moisture has zero affect on fluids? Why is changing your brake fluid over time such a foreign thing to you? I didn't even mention the temperature affect. Brakes and brake fluid gets incredibly hot! Do you not think it breaks down over time? I can't believe I'm even having to teach you this. I'm trying my hardest not to be rude, my intent here is to be informative. Not condescending.

[-]

Clean brake fluid is clear. If it’s dark, it’s time to flush the system.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

OK, so?

That's not what they said.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

Well yes, that I certainly agree with. The amount of people that can't even operate their headlight switch is staggering.

[-]

Heyoteyo@reddit

Clock seems like kind of a random thing to call out. Like, I do all my own maintenance and haven’t been to a shop in 10 years apart from alignments and tires. My clock is never right. It’s not because I don’t know how, it’s because I don’t care.

[-]

Cranks_No_Start@reddit

It points out it’s generally one of the simplest things to figure out and people asked about it all the time.

[-]

Stop kidding yourself. The owners manual doesn't tell you how to do jack shit on modern cars. Mine says bring it to the dealer for headlight bulbs.

[-]

Cranks_No_Start@reddit

says bring it to the dealer for headlight bulbs

Apparently they know their market. Back in the day it was common sense, undo a few screws or just twist. The books are already 4-500 pages long because too many people want to lick the battery terminals so the book is half warnings.

may hurt some snowflakes feelings

How lighting works. People don't understand how your lights and your eyes work and make poor choices. Putting LED bulbs in halogen housings is the worst thing to do. The size and and shape of the light emitting diodes can never replace the filament of a halogen bulb. That puts the light in the wrong position for the segments of the reflector to distribute light correctly. Most of the LED bulbs just make the foreground brighter. This tricks your brain into thinking they are brighter. The real effect is that your pupil constrict because of the bright light source near you and your distance vision is reduced. Likewise most of these bulbs are a 6000k color temperature to get the blue hue. This reduces contrast and increases glare.

The single biggest thing you can do to increase your ability to see at night is turn down the brightness on your gauge cluster/screen. Most modern cars have way too bright of gauges and they will also cause your pupils to constrict . That reduces how much you see outside the car.

Only if you are a brokie.

[-]

SimplyMindingMySelf@reddit

Whilst that's true, if something isn't totally fucked it can sometimes buy you enough time to pass an inspection before the car throws the fault again. Allegedly.

[-]

edwbuck@reddit

I have a car that gives faulty fault codes. My mechanic is well aware that on certain models, with certain fault codes, they are really distractions caused by a root issue that's elsewhere. So far, he's been right every time.

[-]

courtd93@reddit

My last car never gave the oil light, to the point that I accidentally broke down with it empty (it’s also an oil burner like crazy which I didnt realize at the time). I had it for 10 years and it never came on once, but I’d get the check engine light with a catalytic converter poor emission code that I eventually clicked together was a sign to check and change the oil. I never once had an issue with the cat, but it took a second to figure it out.

[-]

Diligent-Floor-156@reddit

Had a Peugeot, engine went safety mode (max 80km/h). Brought it to the shop, they said it was saturated with too many random faulty codes they couldn't figure out what was the actual culprit. Erased it all and told me to come back next time. Went through this one more time before they figure out which sensor broke. Of course they billed me each visit.

[-]

MeyersonAdam@reddit

Yeah that’s my point. Pulling the codes tells you why the light is on, it doesn’t tell you what’s wrong with the car. “Most people “ seem to think that pulling codes tells you what’s wrong. That’s a common misunderstanding, which is why I put it in this thread.

[-]

Fancy_Chip_5620@reddit

I was replying to the commenter above you

[-]

MeyersonAdam@reddit

Yep and just go to O’Reilly’s and they will pull them for free and give you the right parts to fix it. 🤣

[-]

Medium-Pay-9057@reddit

OH MY GOSH! You hit the nail on the head! I worked at a Pepboys service center and I would have so many people would come from autozone and oreillys with a “diagnostic” and ask us just to replace the part that that the code pull showed.

Maintenance and CLEANING.

You don't need a deep detail, but regularly cleaning road grime, salt, bird shit, and the rest off the outside will extend the life of driveline components, make it easy to spot leaks, and prevent premature paint failure.

coyoteatemyhomework@reddit

Poor transmissions never get any love till they give up and the brand gets bashed because it blew up after 100k miles "for no reason at all"

[-]

BuyLandcruiser@reddit

I should’ve said all fluids oh well got me there

[-]

The Internet used to do this. The Internet is broken. It has been for a long time.

[-]

AwarenessGreat282@reddit

The internet is huge. Even the owner's manual is on the internet so obviously I did not mean 100% of everything is bad. The problem is, forums, reddit, and some shade-tree YT vids give out bad information. You cannot argue that. Plenty of forums or even reddit users recommend running premium fuel regardless because it's "better". Numerous times manufacturers have to do things or change things purely because of myths that occur because of misinformation put out there.

On the other side you get professional advice from YT channels like The Car Care Nut, Oil Geek, or Royalty Auto. Even Chris Fix and Repair Geek are professional and give out great advice. But what about Scotty Kilmer? He's gone off the deep end...

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

Technically premium fuel is better, it often has more PEA and upper cylinder lubricants. But this depends on brand and may not be worth the cost. If you're a Motor Oil Geek fan you should know this.

Never liked Scotty, he's always been annoying and crazy to me.

[-]

AwarenessGreat282@reddit

lol....BS. Very rarely do premium blends have any different additives. Definitely not a rule. I'd much rather burn Top Tier 85 grade than 93 non-Top Tier.

[-]

None of my manuals specify what type of light bulbs right, so the best knowledge about car maintenance isn’t solely contained in the mails because it is not sufficient on its own to perform most maintenance

There’s many great resources, experts, and guide on the internet. There’s bad ones too

Myths started long before the internet, and will likely outlast it

Long term car reliability is 70% how you drive and maintain the car 15% the car brand, 15% luck.

Most of the people I know who've had negative experiences with car reliability it's been some sort of used Honda or Toyota, because the previous owner thought oil changes and coolant flushes were optional upgrades.

My friend got his civic with like 5k miles on it, and now it has 100k on it with every fault sensor going off. His dad bought the car for him when it was basically new, so he never really appreciated it or tried to maintain it. Every time you get it, and start it, the dash lights up with ABS and tire pressure warnings. It shakes, shudders, and lumbers down the road. His skid plate was dragging as he drove down the street, so for some reason, he just decided to take it off, now the bottom of his car is just exposed. The defroster doesn't work, the car shifts like shit, the windshield has cracks all across it, the bumpers are hanging off, the paint is sun faded, etc.

Keep in mind his honda is about the same age as my 2017 explorer which basically still looks and drives like a new car and hasn't had any issues because it gets maintained very well. That's not saying fords are more reliable than Honda's, it just shows how important car maintenance and taking care of your car is. His car legit looks like it's twice, maybe three times the age of my car.

Much more stable and easy to recover than a rear wheel drive.

And better than fwd.

I think redditors generally under estimate the value of awd in winter. And they like to make a big deal about it. Just like telling everyone they hate Tim Hortons.

[-]

47ES@reddit

You should try skill and good tires sometime.

FWD is fine, but any other drive is better.

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

Was waiting for this reply.

Fuck physics.

All skill.

[-]

EnlargedChonk@reddit

physics says tires are more important than AWD in all aspects except: maximum acceleration, and how steep of a snowy grade you can climb. Except in extremes like rally racing AWD does not help with braking, steering, or modest acceleration. It's less of an underestimation and more just overlooking its values to convince people to buy the damn winter tires so we all die a little less. Because way too many people think their subaru AWD with cheap long life "all seasons" is the shit when real data shows it sucks donkey breath compared to even the humble crowd munching mustang with a set of blizzaks.

[-]

skinnypeen762@reddit

FWD= less maintenance, more fuel economy, less tire wear, cheaper purchase price when new. but you loose acceleration and traction compared to All wheel drive.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

Living in reddit, I think people underestimate what AWD will do for them.

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

Yup.

I often wonder if those folks have even driven an AWD car in winter.

You also said it only matters downshifting into a corner. Lemme make this clear. If you downshift at all period for any reason whatsoever, rev matching will produce less wear on your car than if you just pop it into the lower gear and release the clutch without trying to rev match. This is 100% correct

[-]

AceticCucumber@reddit

So will not driving the car at all. I don't think you are reading carefully.

[-]

badhoopty@reddit

agreed.

[-]

edwbuck@reddit

Shifting an automatic into Neutral at a standstill is somehow helping your engine.

It comes from an era of manual transmissions, where improper clutch use, and fatigued legs would have people put the transmission into neutral so you only needed to use the break instead of constant pressure on the clutch pedal (and if not enough pressure, "riding the clutch" which would accelerate clutch wear).

Emotional_Case1579@reddit

People staring at their phone in their lap instead of paying attention to what’s going on outside their vehicle slows their reaction. I am a capable and experienced manual trans driver, if you are paying attention at a long light you can anticipate when you’ll get the green allowing you to shift it to 1st earlier.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

There's things that can't be anticipated and no matter how good you are, pushing in the clutch and moving the shifter adds time.

[-]

The only reason is clearance. And most truck owners think a lift gets them the clearance.

More clearance is bad for performance in every way. Worse control, worse speed, worse acceleration, worse mpg, worse rollover tendancy, worse road noise (vehicle dependant). Yes, you can clear the curb/log, but so can a stock Camry. Just go to any offroad trail and there will inevitably be a Camry.

Unless you are in the Arctic rocking 7psi in 42" floaters. But even then you are getting passed by a 9 year old on a skidoo with a rifle on his shoulder.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

so can a stock Camry

OK, sure kid *pats head

[-]

No_Persimmon5725@reddit

Yes of course in the case of using them for commercial, off-road, mudding, etc. I've owned many recreational vehicles. Usually built myself. I'm from Florida originally. We love to get dirty and play in the dirt/mud. I'm speaking of practical on road use, but thank you for pointing out the obvious no matter how completely removed it is from what I wrote.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

In practical road use as well, do you know what super singles are and why they're used?

A larger diameter in the wheel but not tire will reduce resistance from tire deformation. As will going to a large single vs a dual.

Larger tires have a largeer weight capacity, you ever notice that the steer tires on some trucks are larger, they do that for more weight capacity.

A larger tire will smooth out the ride.

etc.

[-]

fenderstratsteve@reddit

You’re absolutely correct to point out that there are trade offs with smaller overall diameter wheels (with tires). You may get off the line faster but have worse traction, for example. The engine rpm will drop accordingly, by percentage, when the overall wheel diameter is greater.

[-]

I noticed the increased wheel diameter + the increased reciprocal mass. I can’t comment on whether I would have noticed the effect of mass alone, but you might be right. Probably not enough of a difference percentage wise to notice.

[-]

LiveMarionberry3694@reddit

Larger wheels dont make a difference in the speed the wheel rotates, the overall diameter of the tire does.

[-]

coyoteatemyhomework@reddit

I have non oem upgraded heavy load tires on my truck. If I put the pressure that it recomends on my door sticker, they are visually almost flat.

[-]

Turkey-Scientist@reddit

Thank you. Every time I’ve gotten my car (32 psi) back from a shop — whether it’s a tire rotation, oil change, brakes — I find the tires are at 36-38 psi

[-]

Boomhauer440@reddit

Yeah optimal pressure is determined by the load the tire is supporting and the area it’s distributing that load over. For almost any passenger vehicle the door jamb sticker will be the best pressure for the stock vehicle’s normal range of usage.

It’s a bit trickier with something like pickup trucks or modified vehicles, that have a huge range of tire types, sizes, and variable loads. The sticker is usually erring on the side of caution and gives a loaded pressure. People never think about load though, they will put 10 ply tires on a truck that’s always empty and fill them to 80psi because that’s what the tire/sticker says, but ignore the part that says 3000lb+ load per tire. If they’re the same size as stock they still only need 35-45psi unloaded, and if they’re bigger and wider then even less because they spread the load over a larger area. My old 1 ton diesel I ran 45 in the front and 35 in the back when it was empty. My 74 Satellite I run 40 in the front and 18 in the back.

[-]

Bulocoo@reddit

You don't need the expensive brand oil.

You don't need a higher grade gas.

It is dead simple to change air filter, cabin filter and wiper blades and you should never pay, like $50-$100, to have them changed.

Underinflated tires, kills gas mileage, the tires and car handling.

[-]

FatherIncoming@reddit

Wait people payed other people to change wiper blades? This has to be a joke right..riiight...

[-]

Bulocoo@reddit

Nope. It's a classic dealer and quick lube upsell.

My niece has a full time job at a dealer cold calling purchasers to get them in for service. She gets a bit above min wage and $30 per appointment she sets.

[-]

FatherIncoming@reddit

[-]

BlutarchMannTF2@reddit

Iterative doesnt not just mean that its been changed significantly from its original version. Iterative means that it’s been changed significantly through many iterations, or versions.

My argument still applies. While I agree that the automobile is up there, considering many contemporary vehicles have tens of thousands of components sourced from areas all across the world, a modern jet engine can have as many as 50,000 different components with billions of dollars of R&D supporting the development of each one. No funding like military funding.

[-]

EnlargedChonk@reddit

Sure they're complex and expensive but like, how many times have we built and rebuilt jet engines? How many new models of car come out *every year?* I'd argue jets spend way more time cooking in the oven so we get something that works good the first or second try which we then produce as long as viable to make the high cost worth it, vs cars which are more of an iterative process of "huh that thing we tried failed, well recall the affected cars and fix it then let's do it differently next year with the facelift"

Getting where we are now with cars by making small tweaks throughout the years is about as iterative as it gets.

[-]

fumblinthrulife77@reddit

I think the guy has a point with nuclear reactors for sure, depending on your definition of iterative. Because obviously there have been fewer iterations of reactors actually built & operated in full, but the individual parts of nuclear reactors, how they work together, and the overall mechanism have all been researched a lot too.

It's a more dangerous technology when it goes wrong, it's got nearly as much potential to change/benefit the world (especially fusion), and it's much more difficult to get "right" in terms of operating to achieve goals without breakdown.

There are more people designing and testing car parts, but the people designing and testing nuclear reactors parts & systems are definitely testing them more thoroughly.

But this is really a fun thought experiment and casual conversation to have, not something that could ever be proven, lol. 🙂

[-]

EnlargedChonk@reddit

It is a fun thought experiment...

Actually I'd also argue that cars are more dangerous, not just when they go wrong but actively right now they are more dangerous than a supposed nuclear disaster would be from a reactor meltdown. Cars absolutely kill and injure per year way more people than any nuclear accidents in the past combined and our more "modern" reactors have extremely safe failure modes. As in it is physically impossible for them to cause a horrible disaster, if they go supercritical in such a way to start melting down the materials used become less reactive and just kinda... stop reacting.

Never heard of Ackermann, Pneumatic

Well you're clearly an expert. What about all the claims you made here?

[-]

47ES@reddit

Ackermann is rarely adjusted, but changing toe essentially changes it.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

Many racers change Ackermann, if your expertise claims where true, you'd know that.

No "Ackermann" is why a wagon, or anything with a single pivot turns like crap.

EVERY motor vehicle made in the last 100 years has Ackermann. This just proves that you still don't even know what it is.

The cause of pneumatic trail is certainly related to slip angles, but it has a very different application. Every competent performance driver should understand pneumatic trail, you clearly aren't.

A lack of experience and education.

[-]

47ES@reddit

Actuall real world racing has classes and strict rules. This is common knowledge.

Many classes do not allow non factory adjustments or major changes to suspension. I can't legally change Ackermann and I don't cheat, so I don't care about it. I was well aware of the effect, didn't know it had a name until I couldn't sleep the other night.

You can't change Ackermann angle or geometry without moving the tie-rods attachment point on the steering arm, swapping them, moving arroud or changing other steering components such as rack location. I have never seen a mass produced car that has factory adjustable Ackermann angels.

Toe, is adjustable in the front for absolutely every modern car, probably every car ever, and the rear for most non-solid axels. I optimize both.

If I ever have the time to learn how to TIG weld competently and build a Super 7 clone, I may care about Ackermann. I don't care now because there is nothing I can do to optimize it on any of my vehicles.

I have seen many, but never driven one of the large number of motor vehicles that don't use Ackermann positive, neutral or negative in their steering. They are not uncommon. Articulated tractors, articulated dump trucks, scrapers, skid-steers, and tracked vehicles like bulldozers, cranes, or the M1 Abrams tank, all are motor vehicles with at least four wheels, made in the last 100 years and don't have / use Ackermann. I used to occasionally mow and work on a POS ridding lawn mower that may have had had massive negative Ackermann, for sharp turns it pushed so bad. I recall checking, it didn't have adjustable toe. I didn't check it for Ackermann adjustability, but I guarantee it was not.

Soap Box Derby "race cars" absolutely don't have Ackermann, they also don't have engines and don't turn much so maybe they don't count.

Pneumatic trail looks more like tire design then suspension setup, or driving skill. I've drove many different tires at and past their limits, from all seasons to racing slicks. The "slower" the tire, the more communicative it was at the limit. Slicks stick like glue, then let go with very little warning. The fastest tire is the stickies one, irrespective of its feel. The only time I won against a large compitent field is when I was the first one to show up with a new it tire. Didn't do any testing, just showed up and won. The next time everyone was on it and I was back to mid pack.

Is pneumatic trail essential big words for tire pressure? We allways qualitative and quantitatively logged and anaylized tire pressure. Constantly adjusted it. If so nobody calls it pneumatic trail.

Now I just realized that I did charge Ackermann for the season I ran slicks. I bought a cheap set of wheels to run them. Those wheels had offset that was 5mm less than stock (legal was plus-minus 5mm). That changed my Ackermann as it moved the center of the tire relative to the steering axis. Steering was noticeably heavier, I though it was the increase in grip. The slicks were wicked fast, as everyone else was on them, we just lost by less. Ackermann and pneumatic trail was not the reason we were not winning.

Crazy "racing" suspension setup trivia. Old-school Nascar used bent axel tubes and or hub shims to add camber and toe to their solid rear axles. Depending on the track, they would sometimes put on positive camber on the outside rear wheel and negative on the inside. This almost melted my brain the first time I saw this in person. They did it differently left to right because they mostly only turn left and their suspension was archaic. Their current double A-arm independent rear suspension allows for more and easier setup. I don't know or care if they still put on negative camber on the inside rear or not.

Bball game is over, done multitasking, time to sleep.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

Is pneumatic trail essential big words for tire pressure?

No it's a function of the steer tires that acts much like caster. It's similar to slip angle except that it refers to the self centering force applied just by the tire. And that pneumatic trail will go off just before the steer tire reaches the peak of it's grip. When you see a race driver chopping at the steering wheel in a turn this is what he's feeling for.

Those wheels had offset that was 5mm less

This would change scrub radius not Ackermann. They aren't the same thing.

Old-school Nascar used bent axel tubes

My aunt insists on putting 91 in her CRV, and then complains about gas prices.

[-]

LiveMarionberry3694@reddit

Yep, my manual recommends 87, so I’m running 87

I believe EU as well. USA only requires it for buses and commercial trucks.

[-]

Effigy59@reddit

That’s fair. I was referencing US and Canada. Interesting that the rule allows over reading but not under reading. I suspect that most manufacturers follow that rule anyway

[-]

Sinful-Dreamer@reddit

How to drive it safely?

[-]

wsxdfcvgbnjmlkjafals@reddit

Speed limits are a little more complicated than "you're over the limit therefore you're dangerous" and "you're at the limit therefore not dangerous"

[-]

Better-Strategy8798@reddit

The warming of car depends. I often do not warm up for a long time (a min or so) but when it gets below -30C I do let it warm up more.. some people arent from extreme cold regions like I am (-50C)

[-]

Better-Strategy8798@reddit

I think a lot of information people have are also outdated where I am from for example, such as you should flush out power steering fluid or tranny or whatever fluids as it will 'destroy' your engine lol. Ive heard the theories but also these cars arent from the 80s anymore. Properly maintain it. Maybe if you have an old car that is 200k miles and never once been flushed or drained or whatever then maybe.. but if you regularly do maintenance flushing is good.

[-]

Prudent_Situation_29@reddit

Accelerating toward the red light has three effects, and three effects only:

It wastes fuel.
It increases wear.
It increases risk of a crash.

It DOES NOT get you to your destination any sooner.

I tend to agree but that "supposedly" is doing a lot there.

Yeah. Oops, I was doing math late at night while being an insomniac.

It goes a lot deeper too depending on a ton of factors. For example, 4000lbs always takes the same amount of energy to accelerate to highway speed, but the energy required to keep you going (against wind resistance) increases as the square of relative velocity to the wind (aerodynamic drag)

Hopefully my point survives my math errors. Our main mode of transportation (for people) ends up using 1-5% of its energy output at the wheels actually moving the people.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

Sure, but that's really besides the point.

[-]

Fancebrkfst@reddit

Have you been to Asia? Scooters everywhere. You'd be amazed what you can strap to a 100cc motorcycle.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

No I haven't, so you want everyone to live like they do in a lesser nation of poor people?

[-]

Fancebrkfst@reddit

Oh, sorry, I thought you were open to solutions. I'm not saying everyone needs to do anything. I'm saying that more efficient and practical solutions exist, and that most people are unwilling to consider them.

Thank you for proving my point.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

I've did the motorcycle thing when I was poor. I'd rather live and stay out of jail.

[-]

Unimurph83@reddit

In a discussion about engine braking when one states it saves the brakes, they are not referring to slowing the wear from friction and "saving" the brake pad material, they are talking about not heat soaking the brakes and preserving the braking performance.

So many people misunderstand this and say silly things like "brake pads are cheap, engines are expensive". Somehow thinking that squeezing 1,000 more kilometers out of $80 brake pads is the rational for engine braking.

Braking performance is vastly superior with cold brakes vs. hot brakes. So traveling down a mountain pass you have a much better chance of stopping for the moose that jumps out into the road if you've been engine braking instead of riding the brakes for the last 5km.

[-]

Western-Bug-2873@reddit

So many people misunderstand this and say silly things like "brake pads are cheap, engines are expensive".

Which is a dumb statement anyway, because they are not harming the engine. It is under a lot less stress during engine braking than it is when under power, propelling the car forward.

[-]

Unimurph83@reddit

Fully agree. If the crank is turning the oil is pumping, doesn't matter the means by which the crank is being rotated.

On top of that it uses less fuel. Under engine braking the fuel injectors are at zero duty (on moders cars) while at idle they are still at least cycling 1-2%.

[-]

ClapClapFlapSlap@reddit

"oh dude don't change your ATF it'll slip like crazy"

[-]

EffectiveRelief9904@reddit

Your electric car is still gonna need that expensive ball joint, front end suspension and wheel bearing job you didn’t wanna pay for on your gas car

[-]

A lot of premium gas actually do have more anti wear/build up additives in them, and it can make a marginal difference on intake valve carbon build up in direct injected engine.

It does help with accelerating in the snow, especially with small inclines (which can easily trap fwd cars). That's it.

[-]

upsndwns@reddit

Side mirrors are not so you can see your back doors and the car directly behind you.

[-]

[-]

Novogobo@reddit

again malarkey. not to be insulting but the above is exactly what OP asked for.

the whole function and purpose of a differential is to allow two wheels on the same axle to turn at different rates. this is because it's totally normal for the wheels to spin at different rates so if one is a bit bigger that's just normal.

oh it has a 50/50 split on it's AWD system? or the infiniti can vary it between 50/50 and 100/0. you're just regurgitating technobabble, you don't know how it works.

like think about the question of why a car has a redline? you go on reddit or any other forum and ask about moneyshifts and you will get dozens of really detailed answers of what specifically happens when a car engine over revs. but with this the answer is "it just breaks it", it "stresses the parts" "the wheels are fighting AWD the system". why can't you admit you don't understand it?

[-]

sharkdingo@reddit

Then go on another forum and ask why id be such an idiot? I can say youre wrong and not have to go into the full technical details.

But sure, torque binding, overheating center diffs, TCS and ABS issues. You have 3 diffs in an awd car, they all have to work together properly. Same as if you have multiple carbs or ITBs they get much more sensitive to inconsistencies. One being out of tune can dramatically effect the whole system.

I personally think the mpg you get is a good indicator. See what your car is rated for then fill your tank full and reset your A odometer. Take a nice long drive to somewhere. Fill it up again and divide your odometer miles by how much gass you just put in. If you are close to the rated mpg your engine is probably healthy. Good mpg is an indicator that many things are still working well but if it isn't, there's might be a few things to chase down to find the problem. Also ignore your car computer calculation if you have that. Doing your own math won't lie especially when it is that easy.

There are a lot of details to this so I'll list a few.

Gas pumps autostop when full (obviously) but where that cutoff happens might vary a bit from pump to pump. If you really want to make it an exact test, fill back up at the one you started at while minimizing stops. Start this somewhere with and open highway to again minimize stop lights or anything that drags down your average speed over the entire trip. Most ideal would be to fill up at a station right next to a highway. Drive 50 miles away (or whatever distance but I would say 100 should be the minimum) and back. Fill up and do the math.

To get the most accurate result you have to drive it at the speed it is rated to get that mpg. Small sedans is like 55 mph. Going 70 the whole way will meaningfully decrease your mpg.

Drive should be relatively flat the whole way or at least the start and end point should be similar elevation. Driving uphill the whole way will give low mpg and downhill will beat what your car is rated for.

Also a few things not usually thought of as maintenance items will slowly degrade over time on cars that have made it past 10 years. I recently gave mine a tune up by replacing all 4 motor mounts and the thermostat. I didn't think it was too bad before but I knew the mounts were going. Drive was much smoother after and I gained 3-4 mpg on the same drives I have been monitoring it for. I also believe the thermostat contributed to that. The one I pulled out wasn't OEM and I noticed it reached operating temp faster after so I think it is running at a more optimal temperature. Getting to operating temp quicker means the engine isn't running rich during the warm up period as long and using less fuel for drives longer than around the block.

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

Nice copypasta.

You almost got me.

[-]

pigwona@reddit

???

I just can't see that happening.

More likely the pad would get stuck and drag, sort of like a fail safe.

[-]

demdareting@reddit

I have had customers with completely failed braking system. It was not an EV but a car that was parked for a year with 2 seized calipers. Does it happen often? No, but all EV owners should get their brakes serviced yearly imho.

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

I agree.

I try to do mine twice a year, before and after winter, disassemble, clean up any corrosion on the caliper frame and re-lube slider pins.

I also live somewhere with relatively low corrosion, so I don't see the worst the environment can cause.

[-]

47ES@reddit

This is good advice for ALL cars in the rust / salt belt. Regenerative brakes not using the hydraulics has nothing to do with the sliders binding up or not. Yearly is probably excessive. Absolutely excessive outside the salt / rust belt.

Even if a caliper was binding, the hydraulic brakes will still work. They use thousands of pounds of force. A sticky slider will just wear one pad quicker than the other. This is easy to detect.

All vehicles should get a panic test stop occasionally to make sure the brakes are working properly. You don't need to pay for it, just do it safely, not in front of me.

Properly lubricating calipers will cost almost as much as an entire brake job as they need to be completely disassembled and it will cost many hundreds of dollars.

reap_the_fallen@reddit

The toyota dealership here i think had a 2012 4runner as a trade in but besides that everything i seen has been less.

[-]

gk20th20@reddit

As an ex AAA road service person...two things come to straight to my mind. People would call for a vehicle unlock because they did not know there is a key in their key fob/remote. Also most people are not aware if the battery is dead in your key fob/remote. You can still use it to start your vehicle if you hold the fob/remote next to your start button.

[-]

Vegetable-Effort-726@reddit

4x4 extremely rarely means 4 simultaneously driven wheels 🛞 for a good reason…

[-]

swisstraeng@reddit

4x4 only helps you accelerate, but actually makes handling worse in snow because your car is heavier. It definitely help going up slippery inclines but that's it.

Your car doesn't have a "cooldown time", just turn it off and walk away.

Engine wear comes not only from being cold, but being under stress while cold. Smashing the gas pedal at low RPMs im high gear will cause lots of wear, more so than being in a low gear at higher RPMs.

Having a water temp at 90°C doesn't mean the entire block is warm and wear is low. This is why cars that do long range drives on highways are the most reliable.

Coasting in neutral is stupid and always will be.

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

I find 4x4 reduces fish tailing on slippery surfaces.

So I will use it when driving on really slippery roads.

Yea fat fingered it

[-]

nightfire_83@reddit

Drl's are not a substitute for dipped lights, especially as they don't light up the back

[-]

BeeDubba@reddit

90% of the regular maintenance is so easy my 10 year old can do it. With YouTube and $50 in tools you can probably save thousands a year.

Most people overpaid an insane amount for maintenance.

[-]

My goal is to get 300k or more out of my engine. So I want to tips the odds in my favor.

[-]

Advanced-Elk-7581@reddit

The faster you drive a large truck the WORSE your mpg is.

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

Is there anything that gets better mpg, as you drive faster than average speeds?

[-]

SRQmoviemaker@reddit

They dont need to "warm up" their car before driving. (In florida especially) just take it easy and dont floor it before its at peak temp.

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

What about it is -30C

It gives you the opportunity to tho.

Assuming you don't wrap it around a pole on day one.

There is a ceiling to the opportunity to advance your driving skill, in a 125hp economy box.

[-]

useful_tool30@reddit

That 4x4 and AWD are different

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

Yep.

Drive both in the winter and you'll feel the difference.

[-]

Patient-Advisor-1664@reddit

A lot of people on here are talking about premium/high octane fuel. The vast majority of people don’t know what the octane numbers actually mean and what a higher or lower octane does for the fuel. It’s just a case of bigger number means more power. Just use what the book says to use in your stock standard car and it’ll be fine. If your engine is getting dirty from fuel you need to switch fuel stations and report the one with dirty fuel.

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

Oof cries in direct injection.

[-]

Julio800m@reddit

Cars are a weapon. We must respect them as one.

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

Crazy thing to write.

Very reddit tho.

30,000lbs death machines.

[-]

Emeks243@reddit

Just about everything about EVs seems to be misunderstood by people who don’t own one. I bought one recently and it’s been hilarious some of the comments and questions I have gotten about it. It seems that social media disinformation is winning at present.

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

I heard someone say that they typically depreciate really fast?

I also heard someone say that they are banned on some car ferries due to being a fire hazard?

[-]

Positive_Wheel_7065@reddit

Thinking that I have loud exhaust because I need attention.

I LOVE the way my car sounds. I get chills down my spine every time it fires up.

I redline it leaving work every day (after warm up) because it makes me feel pure JOY for 5 seconds which is a perfect way to start my evening.

IDGAF about anyone elese's opinion, which is why it is not quieter...

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

Brap Brap pop Boom BANG?

[-]

gotcha640@reddit

You can be a car guy and not have a flashy car. You don’t have to have a car at all. I’ve been a car guy with a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country, with a VW GTI, with a diesel Focus, with a bicycle.

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

It's a lot more fun if you have a nice one.

[-]

Junebug35@reddit

On keyless entry/push button start cars, if your car honks at you when you get out of the car and you have the FOB (key) in your hand, check inside for a second FOB, and double check to make sure the vehicle is completely shut off. For example, Chevy uses a quick 3 honk sound to alert you that your key was left inside the vehicle.

nostalgia_addicts@reddit

Doesn’t matter how expensive your winter tires are or whether they are studded or not. If you are a shitty driver who has never mastered skills of winter driving, nothing on earth will save you and you are bound to be doomed.

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

Bullshit.

[-]

Boomhauer440@reddit

Everything. Most car guys and mechanics aren’t engineers, and most just learned from family or on the job and don’t understand nearly as much as they think they do. So many, including professional mechanics, will just parrot the stuff their grandpa taught them about cars from the 60s. They refuse to believe technology, manufacturing techniques, material science, or chemistry have advanced at all in half a century.

Your warming up example is the perfect illustration of this. Every thread it’s asked you will get people claiming to be experts arguing on both sides that their way is mandatory and the other way will destroy your car immediately. In reality it’s usually not necessary unless it’s super cold but won’t actually hurt your car either way.

In this very thread there are people saying the manual is wrong and you need to replace oil every 3k no matter what and replace every fluid every year. In aviation we call that overmaintaining and it actually increases the risk of problems due to more opportunities for errors or contamination and more wear on parts that weren’t designed to be removed and reinstalled that often, while providing no benefit.

Read your manual, follow its recommended specs and maintenance schedule.

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

So if I choose to do an oil change ever 7500km, instead of 10k what do you think the actual odds are of it ending up causing damage?

You seem a bit too dogmatic as well.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

Most engineers don’t understand nearly as much as they think they do either.

[-]

ENVLogic@reddit

AWD won’t help you in the winter while you’re on summer performance tires BMW drivers

[-]

tads73@reddit

Today's cars are trading all things high tech and fuel economy for long term reliability and cost of ownership.

[-]

LittleOrphanAnavar@reddit

Ya.

Even new Toyotas are losing their rock solid reliability.

It's a shame.

[-]

Medium-Pay-9057@reddit

This goes for a lot of things but especially cars. All it takes is one person ONE TIME to tell somebody something about cars (whether true or false) and that person will believe it forever.

I was driving up the I-5 with some friends and the driver said as we started up some hills “I’m going to turn the AC on to cool the car down because it runs better when it’s colder” him not realizing that the AC puts more strain on the car.

People thinking that cars with more mileage need a higher viscosity of oil (this one drive me nuts) I had a shop customer who would run 20w50 on anything that had more than a 150k miles.

People tend to trust what somebody says with confidence. So if somebody who you don’t know says anything confidently about a subject you have no clue about, most people will trust them and believe that forever.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

People thinking that cars with more mileage need a higher viscosity of oil

[-]

JollyGreenGigantor@reddit

Most people are good about changing their engine oil and bad about monitoring every other fluid and filter on their car.

Brake fluid should be replaced every other year. Transmission fluid is typically every 60K miles. Differentials are similar to transmission fluid. Coolant is every 5 years on most cars, or 60K miles.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

For the vast majority there's no reason to replace brake fluid.

Trans/diff/coolant check the manual, not some dipshit on reddit.

[-]

JollyGreenGigantor@reddit

no reason to replace brake fluid

Hardly. Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air which reduces the boiling point. Moisture in the brake lines can lead to corrosion and even algae growth. Whenever you replace your brake pads, flush the fluid too. It's basic maintenance, just like replacing your oil filter at the same time you're replacing oil.

Correct on transmission, coolant, differential fluids. My point is that most people never even think to monitor these services, spark plugs either. Most people focus on engine oil service and literally nothing else but tires.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

Ohh another one, maybe you should just read this back and forth. https://www.reddit.com/r/askcarguys/comments/1svgu9a/comment/oi8otqx/

Where does this moisture come from?

[-]

JollyGreenGigantor@reddit

Master cylinders aren't sealed, they vent air in and out. Brake lines are permeable to a point. You're really doubling down on your ignorance.

A buddy just got a 2009 car, all original brakes and fluid. The fluid was literally green from algae growing due to water content. Cars will absolutely rust out hard brake lines and calipers from water content in the brake fluid.

You should at minimum replace your fluid every time you replace your pads. Realistically it should be every other year or so.

If you don't know what you're talking about, don't say anything.

[-]

Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit

Master cylinders aren't sealed, they vent air in and out.

[-]

SubstantialKBB@reddit

Lifetime fluid. I hate that term with a passion. Purposefully misleading.

[-]

Patient-Advisor-1664@reddit

My old V6 Camry had “lifetime” auto transmission fluid. I asked a trusted mechanic that my family had been going to for years about it and he said that the manufacturers lifetime of the vehicle is only as long as that model/shape is run so on average 5 years for most models. That’s still too long to go between changes but that’s what “lifetime” means. I asked the dealer to change the fluid in my 2020 Suzuki Vitara at the last service and the guy tried to tell me it never needs doing. I insisted and they did it. I made sure to get a video of them draining, flushing and refilling it as proof.

[-]

United_Average_8767@reddit

My friend got a 2012 Citroen C1, so I asked a few questions to try and help her with general maintenance.

"Can you send me a photo of the oil fill port? You can see the VVT gear through there, and I can see if you've got significant sludge or dirt there"

"Where's the oil fill port?"

*Explains where

"How do I open the hood?"

It’s kind of oddly specific, but I remember when I was in high school and everyone was learning about cars kids would flex on how fast their car could go in 1st gear as if that had any bearing on the power it made.

I don't need to carry a shovel or use my mats for traction, or any other ridiculous method people suggest.

Oil change intervals listed in the manual are the bare minimum. 3k oil changes pushed by quick lube places are too often. 5k is good for most cars, and its easy to remember.

[-]

bevipop@reddit

People dont coast or drive smoothly.