Homemade VW car dolly - What is a good tongue weight?

[mardak at cogeco.ca (Mark)]

I don?t think you?re quite understanding my analogy, so I?ll try
another:
 
Forget the dolly exists, this is just a car on the ground, not moving.
Turn the steering wheel to full lock.  The inside wheel will be at a
tighter angle than the outside wheel, correct?
 
Now turn the steering wheel so the wheels are pointing straight again.
Lock the wheels in place, pointing straight ahead, so they can?t move
(front to back, or ?turning?).  Now get some big guys and drag the ass
end of the car sideways until the front wheels are in full lock.  Since
both wheels were locked to the same angle when straight, the inside
wheel would (at full lock again) now not be at a tighter angle than the
outside ? they?d be at the same angle.  Since the geometry of the
steering system forces the inside wheel to be at a tighter angle than
the outside wheel, I don?t see how there would be no stress if rigid
?wheel clamps? were in place to keep the angle the same.
 
I could always disconnect one tie rod end to alleviate any fears I still
have?
 
Make any sense yet?
 
Thanks!


Mark.
80 S
81 S  2.0 ABA/JH/4K
75     Soon!
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: L F [mailto:rocco16v@netzero.net] 
Sent: January 16, 2004 11:20 AM
To: Mark; scirocco-l@scirocco.org
Subject: Re: Homemade VW car dolly - What is a good tongue weight?
 
Mark,
  The dolly will lock the front wheels together!!!!!!!!  No stress on
the steering because equal stress is being applied to both front wheels
silmultaneously BY THE RIGID DOLLY.  
Think about it....
 
Larry
----- Original Message ----- 
From: HYPERLINK "mailto:mardak@cogeco.ca"Mark 
To: HYPERLINK "mailto:rocco16v@netzero.net";'L F' ; HYPERLINK
"mailto:scirocco-l@scirocco.org";'Scirocco.Org' 
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 12:17 AM
Subject: RE: Homemade VW car dolly - What is a good tongue weight?
 
-----Original Message-----
From: L F [HYPERLINK
"mailto:rocco16v@netzero.net"mailto:rocco16v@netzero.net] 
Sent: January 15, 2004 8:34 PM
To: Mark; 'Scirocco.Org'
Subject: Re: Homemade VW car dolly - What is a good tongue weight?

Coupla' things;

Since a dolly is really a four-wheeled trailer (with the car on it),
tongue weight would be inconsequential. Don't worry about it. (Look at
the big rigs with two trailers; the second trailer is a four-wheel and
it has zero tongue weight)

Second, if you bolt the wheels to the dolly (and don't lock down the
steering wheel), the WHEELS will take all the strain, not the steering
gear. 
(sounds like your problems are really non-existent!)
--------------------------


Here's where I still think there might be a problem:

In normal driving when you turn the steering wheel, the inside wheel
turns more than the outside, right?  Now lock both wheels in a straight
ahead position and "turn" the car behind them (as on a dolly, turning a
corner).  In this scenario the car is technically "turning" (if you
ignore the dolly beneath the car), but both wheels are locked to the
same angle.  My worry is that locking the wheels in a fixed position
could break something in the steering system since the inside wheel will
be prevented from turning more than the outside.

Thanks for the info on the tongue weight - I never thought about it that
way.  I think a bit of weight on the hitch would be good though...

Thanks!

Mark.
80 S
81 S  2.0 ABA/JH/4K
75    soon!


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (HYPERLINK
"http://www.grisoft.com"http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.553 / Virus Database: 345 - Release Date: 18/12/2003
 


_______________________________________________
Scirocco-l mailing list
HYPERLINK "mailto:Scirocco-l@scirocco.org"Scirocco-l@scirocco.org
HYPERLINK
"http://neubayern.net/mailman/listinfo/scirocco-l"http://neubayern.net/m
ailman/listinfo/scirocco-l

---
Incoming mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.553 / Virus Database: 345 - Release Date: 18/12/2003


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.553 / Virus Database: 345 - Release Date: 18/12/2003