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View Full Version : Beyond round and black, the "Circle of Traction"



55 Rescue Dog
04-12-2017, 03:31 AM
The "Circle of Traction" concept has been around for a long time for race cars that still applies today on all vehicles, even motorcycles. It has been replaced on most modern cars with computers. ABS brakes, traction control, stability control, torque vectoring, etc. Basically it comes down to if you are using 100% of your available traction for braking or acceleration, there is zero traction left for cornering. The fastest race car drivers are the ones that can smoothly blend the 3 forces together to keep all the available traction within the circle of forces. It applies to everyday driving too, under all weather conditions, especially if you don't have all the electronics to control your car for you.
http://www.formula1-dictionary.net/traction_circle.html

55 Rescue Dog
04-18-2017, 04:12 PM
If you aren't slipping and sliding a little, your not going fast enough. Keeping within the circle of traction, no matter what the vehicle, or tire it all comes down to learning the limits of any tire, or vehicle, trying to get the most out of them, preferably not on the street is best. An Autocross is one of the safest, and best ways for street cars by far. I've been doing autocrosses on many vehicles off and on, even a couple of trucks for over 36 years. One ton dually was one of them. I wish I could autocross everyday, but I try to apply the techniques daily.
http://www.turnfast.com/tech_handling/handling_tractn