Traction Control (Racelogic)

[Swiss_Tony]

I drove a Vauxhall Vectra with traction control and ABS a few

days ago. It felt awful!

It seemed as if I had no control over it at all. Obviously this is different as it is front wheel drive but I would imagine it would be worse in a rear wheel drive car ie mid corner etc.

It made me realise how glad I was that I disconnected the ABS in my tin top.

 

James

 

 

[AMMO]

Andy, is Arnie easy to wind up then?

 

James, you cannot compare systems fitted to production cars and systems designed for competitive use. The stuff fitted to production cars is designed to protect drivers from their own incompetence. The systems fitted by companies like Racelogic are designed to enhance control.

 

 

 

 

AMMO

[Number Six]

No. He's not biting.

 

Andy

[Chelspeed]

I agree with the last few comments.

 

I had racelogic traction control fitted to my vx engine car. Once it's set up then it works very well, almost unobtrusive, just working away limiting just the right amount of power to control wheelspin without really being noticeable. To know it's working just turn it off and drive the same route in the same way, you end up slipping, sliding and sideways everywhere, great fun but not to quick!! The critical thing here is "once it's set-up", theres a lot of parameters to adjust, using the trusty old laptop. Until that's somewhere close then it doesn't work at all well.

 

The launch control however is much less subtle, don't know if they've just spent less development time or what. The control is pretty coarse, very obvious to the observer as power cuts and surges off the line. I tried starts on sprints with and without the launch control engaged and even with my crap driving the best 64ft times without launch were very similar to those with, just that every start with launch control is the same as the best ones without it.

 

What I didn't like with racelogic was the fuel cut, it interrupts the signal to the injectors to cut fuel to cut power, I was always worried this would lead to it running lean. To be fair there was no sign this was happening but I still didn't like the concept. Racelogic do make an ignition cut system but it wouldn't work with my four separate coils (coil on plug system).

 

This year I've gone to 8 injectors and the fuel cut racelogic can't hack this without mods. As the MBE box I'm using has a crude form of traction control built in, using rate of change of engine revs in each gear and ignition cut, I'm going to try that. If it's hopeless I'll mod the racelogic box and refit it.

 

If you're prepared to spend a few days palying with the parameters then I think the racelogic system is excellent, it does what it says on the box.... As Arnie said front wheel sensors are easy to fit but rear wheel sensors are a pain. I ended up crossdrilling the rear discs and sensing the holes, fine for a sprint/road car but for track days the heat might cook the sensors. Wiring up the injectors for fuel cut was a piece of p*ss, everything else to fit it is equally so. Go for it.

[Number Six]

"I tried starts on sprints with and without the launch control engaged and even with my crap driving the best 64ft times without launch were very similar to those with, just that every start with launch control is the same as the best ones without it."

 

I thought it was illegal on sprints and hillclimbs, shows what I know, although I seem to recall Tim Neil saying he used it climbing his Cosworth BDM at (?) Gurston Down. Still seems like cheating to me though...(ducks for cover...smile.gif)

 

 

Andy

[Jason]

Clespeed

 

Quote:

the MBE box I'm using has a crude form of traction control built in, using rate of change of engine revs in each gear and ignition cut

*************************************************************************

Not that crude that is the system the touring cars use and the system Ferrari F1 were accused of using, they call it crank velocity.

 

Jason

R500FUN

 

 

 

[Chelspeed]

Yeah perhaps crude was the wrong word.

 

Just nowhere near as sophisticated as the racelogic system which measures all four wheel speeds and uses some complex algorithm (software adjustable) to decide when to intervene and when not to. As an example it compares the two front wheels to decide whether you're going in a straight line or round a bend, it permits more wheel spin before intervening in a straight line than in a corner.

 

When is traction control not traction control? Ferrari seem to have a different interpretation to everyone else. If you're not sensing wheelspeed then anything you do with rate of change of engine revs "to make the car more driveable" could be said to not be traction control. As soon as you have fly by wire throttle with the electronics controlling the engine with throttle position as one of several inputs then you're on the slippery slope. Will traction control make a huge difference to the top drivers or just make it easier for the less great to stay a bit closer to them.

[Number Six]

"Will traction control make a huge difference to the top drivers or just make it easier for the less great to stay a bit closer to them."

 

The latter teeth.gif

 

Andy

[EFA]

Richard said R500's don't need T/C - Ar eyou aware all R500's have T/C (MBE 967 feature)its just not enabled.

 

Fuel or ignition cut T/C is pretty effective at controlling wild oversteer when the red mist comes over - imagine how may less cars would have ended up in the Rhodi's at Valence had they had it a few years ago.

 

All production car T/C uses the ABS accumulator to operate the brakes on the spinning wheels. Very effective on my Range Rover if you want to pull youslef out of a hole where only one wheel has grip, but for a performance car forget it. A few years ago I had a Mondeo 24v with this system and it was hopeless!

 

Andy, as Centerparcs don't have chalet web access I was unable to be wound up.

 

With the reacelogic system I got better consistant 0-60 times with it on rather than sporadic when off. They were also half a second quicker.

 

It is very tyre/surface sensitive though and sticky and smooth are by far the most advantageous option.

 

I'll have mine running (with the accelerometer) on the car at Brooklands if any of you wish to view.

 

 

 

Arnie Webb

The Fat Bloke blush.gif in a not so Slow Vauxhall wink.gif

 

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