Traction control

[californiacuda]

Doesn't the Gt need traction control? It seems that many of the crashes that we see come from inexperienced people stabbing the throttle and getting the car sideways (like myself).

With the Viper there are many crashes that come about for the same reason.

Why not have a traction control system that can be switched off when not wanted, but there for the uninitiated for safety?

I have purchased a racelogc traction control system that monitors wheel spin and speedometer speed and cuts injectors alternately when wheel spin is detected. It also has an in cockpit control that allows for variable wheel spin.

I am going to install it in either my Gt, or my blown hemi cuda. I will post after install.

 

[B O N Y]

No, the charm of the GT is NOT having the computers aiding the driver.
Of course the traction control can keep the driver out of problems.


by the way, did you ever get into the LA AUTO SHOW with the passes I Fedex'd down to you?

 

[californiacuda]

They kept hastling me so much I finally got mad and left. Sorry for not comunicating better.

 

[californiacuda]

I understand the charm thing about traction control, but tell that to the guy who just crashed his Gt or viper with 9 miles on it

 

[Neilda]

I have to say I prefer the GT without traction control. I don't understand how these cars are crashed with only 9 miles or so on them - unless someone is simply burying the throttle, which is not a good technique.....

 

[barondw]

I have to say I prefer the GT without traction control. I don't understand how these cars are crashed with only 9 miles or so on them - unless someone is simply burying the throttle, which is not a good technique.....

Or they have never driven a car this powerful and were less than careful; driver error.

Your right foot can do an excellent job of traction control once its trained. Every magazine you read shuts the damn thing off when testing a car when that's a viable option.

I guess its different strokes for different folks.

Dave

 

[californiacuda]

Oem traction control systems use braking to help control the car, after markets don't,. So it can help more to control wheel spinwithout causing unwanted slow down

 

[californiacuda]

Most aftermarket tc systems also have launch control similar to the 360 to control wheel spin and a feature that controls rpm's between shifts so that if you are trying to make a quarter mile run you can keep the accelerator pedal on the floor the entire run and rpms will top out at a preset limit of say 4000. The quarter mile run will be considerably faster.
the

 

[Bart Carter]

I understand the charm thing about traction control, but tell that to the guy who just crashed his Gt or viper with 9 miles on it

That is simply Darwin at work. It will always be that way.

 

[californiacuda]

I agree about the Darwin principle. What has sepererated man from animal is the ability to reason and to invent new and better ways to do things.

I need all of the help I can get so that I don't make close friends with a pole or some other stationary object. I hear what all of you are saying about traction control, but my car now makes almost 150hp over stock and we are headed north with the hp numbers.

I want to live, so I'll try the TC and see how it goes

 

[canuck]

It is the part of the formula for creating a legend and separating the "car enthusiasts" form real enthusiasts who know about cars and knows to drive them. The greatest sports cars this world has seen from ferraris to porsches and the mclearen were sans baby sitters. KEY WORD SPORTS CARS!!!! The first generations of vipers. The first porsche turbo is the legend the latest turbo is not but lives on the laurels of the infamous first turbos that would sacrafice themselves to expose someone posing as a driver. You want one? Buy one. You want to keep it you better park it or know how to drive one. How many mclearens ended in a premature termination of service to humanity because of poor drivers. Yet even today it is an icon. That is one of those things that makes the Ford GT so special. It is built for drivers. It has been gifted the qualities of attaining an iconic status as its precursor the gt40.
It hightens your senses when you get in the car. Your pusle Quickens as the car accelerates and you are feeling for the edge of control and reading, no learning the language as the car tries to communicate to you where things are at. How much grip do your rear tires afford to give you. Is the front end responding? And if not how do you regain the lines of communication before its too late. How are your braking and acceration inputs influencing the response of your steering input or attitude of the car. You are scanning the road loooking at the surface tecture and reading what this means for you and your inputs to the GT. It is reading the sitution before you reach the critical state. This is what makes the Ford GT a drivers car. If you are not one of these people the GT was NOT designed for you. It should not have to compromise its nature for you and you should not have to compromise and buy one. There are many other cars designed for such poeple. You are better off to go buy a porsche 997 turbo or a supercharged Mercedes. They were built for drivers that find comfort in electonically assisted driving.

 

[californiacuda]

wow, what a nut

 

[Neilda]

I'm not sure that Canuck is a 'nut' - he's merely pointing out that to some, the GT is the perfect 'pure' enthusiasts car. Not only invoking the GT40, but also not cosseting it's pilot with driver aids.

It's an event to drive, not a daily drive (for me) and I enjoy it more for the uncontaminated driving experience.

Pushing through corners, hustling along country roads, hurtling down a freeway - are all enhanced by not having stability or traction aids deciding for you. There are thousands of cars that offer that - Ford could have included it. They didn't - and I applaud them for that.

I drove mine yesterday and deliberately put it sideways - fantastic!! In the Lamborghini or Aston I'd have to switch stuff off, in the GT it's always on tap. Putting it in a ditch is driver error - not GT error.

 

[canuck]

Absolutely Nuts about the FORD GT.

Thank you. :cheers

 

[Clax]

After years of having exotics with traction control, the lack of traction control on the GT is a refreshing change, and makes the car much more involving. My advice to anyone driving this car is to give it respect, and learn the limits of the car in a controlled environment (not on a busy street or highway).

 

[B O N Y]

I'm not sure that Canuck is a 'nut' - he's merely pointing out that to some, the GT is the perfect 'pure' enthusiasts car. Not only invoking the GT40, but also not cosseting it's pilot with driver aids.

It's an event to drive, not a daily drive (for me) and I enjoy it more for the uncontaminated driving experience.

Pushing through corners, hustling along country roads, hurtling down a freeway - are all enhanced by not having stability or traction aids deciding for you. There are thousands of cars that offer that - Ford could have included it. They didn't - and I applaud them for that.

I drove mine yesterday and deliberately put it sideways - fantastic!! In the Lamborghini or Aston I'd have to switch stuff off, in the GT it's always on tap. Putting it in a ditch is driver error - not GT error.

well said, agreed with you 100%, that is exactly how I see it, the charm of the car is part retromobile.

 

[californiacuda]

About 6 months ago I asked about performance mods for the Gt and I got the same response that I am now getting for traction control. Who could possibly consider changing this pure vehicle?

Now there seems to be many who are interested in adding more hp to the Gt. As this occurs and the car becomes considerably faster it become more of a challenge to control it.

Traction control will become mandatory for those who have added considerable hp and wish to drive their cars hard.

 

[Clax]

Traction control will become mandatory for those who have added considerable hp and wish to drive their cars hard.

I don't believe it will be mandatory, it will be the decision of the individual driver. I am planning to mod my car, and likely add about 150hp, but I have no intentions of adding any traction control. My traction control is my right foot, and slight countersteering inputs/corrections. If the car needs some throttle modulation in 1st and 2nd gear, then the driver will need to figure out how to get the best out of the car without losing it. This is not unlike racing on a roadcourse where a car can be cornered at a certain speed without sliding off the track -- the driver decides on the braking, entrance speed, throttle modulation, and when to accelerate out of the corner. The same concept applies to driving a car in a straight line that has tons of horsepower. Learning how to drive a car like this will ultimately make the person a better driver, but like I said earlier, it is good to learn this in a controlled environment. For those that have roadcourse racing experience, handling the car in a straight line shouldn't be too much of a problem. Throttle modulation and slight steering inputs/corrections are key.

 

[californiacuda]

I have already added 150 hp, let me know "after" you have it done.

 

[SLF360]

Not needed. Good driving skills and ability to feather the throttle are more so 'mandatory' or better, advised....


stefan