Donnie Barnes wrote:
Jim, Steve Wynveen has poured a bunch of his own data together and concluded that his S2000 definitely turns better one way than the other and it was some small but relatively signficant amount. Enough that you could *see* the required bias when watching video of someone turning a wheel? I would have to agree that seems unlikely.
That is interesting. It's hard for me to describe what I saw other than the car just looked to have a different rhythm turning left -vs- right in the slalom. The cool part is that it was consistent all the way through the slalom and obviously very fast as witnessed by Eric's smoking times.
After looking at the data I collected from the Greenville event earlier in the year, I noticed there was one spot that I was consistently slow and wondered what was going on there. It was the fairly tight 3-cone offset slalom just before the finish which required a huge steering input to get the car back to the left and through the finish gate. I consistently pulled ~.3 g's less through there compared to the rest of the course and had no idea why. I did the same thing on every run so I guess there is something to be said for consistency.
Anyway, after looking at the video it's very clear that I just wasn't moving the steering wheel fast enough through that section. I was able to make the initial quick turn-in to the right but I was being very lazy on the big steering input back to the left. Why? LHB, of course! I took the CRX out and started "slaloming" around at different speeds and noticed that at some point, my steering inputs to the left had a hard time matching my inputs to the right.
David Spratte wrote:
2. I've always had it in my head that you should mostly pull the wheel when making steering inputs. (Not like that VK. Very Happy) Instead of pushing. Something about better muscle control on a pull than a push. Both hands are involved, but the leading hand is doing more of the work? I'd be curious to see if a lefty exhibited the reverse regularly.
I've heard that too and if you watch a bunch of the smaller NASCAR guys, they definitely do that. Mark Martin being the classic example. I think this is where our sport differs from others in that with the possible exception of the "dirt" guys, we are making very quick and relatively violent steering inputs. I found that I can force the wheel much faster to the right using my left hand to pull across the top of the wheel than I can turning left pulling my right hand across the top of the wheel. In these cases, it's hard to leverage the opposite hand much since you are awkwardly trying to pull up with it to unwind the wheel in a slalom.
Here's the thing: even though I'm right-handed and my right arm is decidedly stronger than my left, it still feels much more natural guiding the wheel with my left hand. I think most right-handers would say that and I find that odd. The "slalom exercises" showed me that I *can* turn the wheel fast enough to the right to keep up with fast left inputs but it required a serious conscious effort. I find that odd as well. The faster the "slalom", the less I had to think about it but that is a simple function of not needing to move the wheel as much. I'm sure this issue is also amplified in the CRX due to the slow steering rack.
After examining some video a little more closely, it's pretty clear that I do most of my driving with my left hand even when both hands are on the wheel. You can see the left hand taking most of the "weight" of the wheel while the right hand is mostly there for moral support. It was interesting watching David's hands and seeing the same tendencies.
I believe another possible side-effect of "leading" mostly with one hand in very tight sections relates to the idea of "attack". If you've ever played a musical instrument, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You can play the same note on an instrument but depending on how you pick it, strike it, blow it or whatever, it will have its own unique character. I believe we turn the wheel in a similar manner and that is a large part of defining our driving styles.
What I found for myself is that my "attack" is different depending on which direction I'm turning. When I have to give a very quick input to the left requiring me to lead with my right hand, it's a little wobbly compared to a slower left turn where I can get away with leading with my left hand. It almost feels like I'm trying to throw something with my left arm which is an ugly proposition at best. Think about it the next time you find yourself in a tight slalom and see if you have trouble keeping up in one direction -vs- the other. I've never heard of anybody discussing this but it seems like it could be worth some time out on course in certain circumstances.
It's probably stupid but I've started trying to force myself to drive with my right hand on the street. I'm hoping I'll have to think less and less about quick maneuvers to the left but only time will tell.
Jim
- yep, I talk too much
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