What Bits Keep Me on the Road?

What does keep a car on the road?

When you have a one-to-two tonne large metal object travelling down a road at speed, what are the bits that enable the car to remain in control and in contact with the road?  Yes, the driver is able to steer the car in the right direction when guiding the vehicle via the steering mechanism and the steering wheel, but there are other very important components in a car’s suspension that work in unison to hold the car on the road and keep the ride comfortable.

A suspension on a car is hugely important in that it separates the car’s occupants from the road and smooths out the ride over the bumps in the road.  A car’s springs absorb the bumps, and they come in three types: coil springs, torsion bars and leaf springs.

Shock absorbers (or dampers) have two main functions.  They also work to absorb any big bumps in the road so the speed at which the upward direction of the wheel over the bump is absorbed or slowed down.  Shock absorbers also push the wheel back down onto the road to keep the wheel planted on the road for maximum grip.  Shock absorbers also have plenty of upward and downward travel to ride the wheel up and over bumps or drop the wheels down into holes.

Also an integral part of the suspension, are the rubber grommets which separate a lot of the parts of your suspension from each other.  Obviously, they also hold components together and thus the rubber grommets link an A-Arm with the sub-frame or are used on anti-roll bar links and mountings for example.  The harder the material make-up of the bushes, then the harder the ride becomes for the occupants in the cabin.

Suspension types are mainly grouped as being dependent and independent.  However, even independent systems are typically joined across the car by an anti-roll bar and so are not truly independent.  Independent suspensions are named because their same axle wheel’s suspension systems are independent of each other.

A hydrolastic suspension is a suspension system where the front and rear suspension systems are connected together in order to keep the car level when driving over bumps.  The front and rear suspension units have hydrolastic displacers, one unit per side.  A hydrolastic suspension provides a nice soft ride, and the hydrogas suspension is an evolution of the hydrolastic suspension.  The Hydropneumatic suspension is a fabulous hydro-linked system used by Citroen where the suspension includes the brakes and steering as well as the suspension itself.  The fundamental technology of the Hydropneumatic suspension is hydraulics.  The fluid’s interaction with a pressurised gas creates a superbly smooth ride.

A well set up air suspension system can better the mechanised metal spring suspension in most situations.  As found in the new BMW cars, the luxurious, smooth and supple ride is superior.  It’s also found in large logistics trucks.

With the advent of computer-controlled suspension systems, the anti-roll bar is no longer needed.  The computerised system uses sensors to rapidly adapt a car’s suspension to changing road surfaces.  Ride height sensors and self-levelling systems mated to the suspension componentry also works to keep the suspension taut and the body roll to a minimum in the corners.

Next time you’re in your car, I’ll bet you’ll be thinking a little more about what the suspension is doing in conjunction with your tyres to keep you on the road.  Remember though, the safest way to stay on the road is to keep your speed appropriate to the road conditions.

You might like to shed some more light on the subject.  I know that Audi even uses a Magnetic fluid in some of their cars to create a good ride. http://credit-n.ru/zaymyi-v-ukraine.html

New Auto Tech

Cars are evolving quicker than they have ever before, and it’s exciting times for the automobile enthusiast.  Innovation and key ideas are rapidly changing the way we do cars.  Boasting newer technology to make cars faster, safer, more interactive and more economical can be mostly put down to the evolution in computer technology.  However, there are other amazing ways to advance the functions of a motor car.

The Engine Control Unit (ECU) was a bit of computer technology that found its way into the automobile back in the 1970s.  Back then the ECU controlled the fuel mix, making cars more economical and more powerful.  Now, the ECU provides other stuff like: performance mapping for the engine, fuel efficiency, traction control, automatic night driving lights, activating aerodynamic aids, activation of the windscreen wipers, active safety aids like dynamic stability control and more.

The addition of computerized safety features like lane change warning systems, parking aids and even cruise control with automatic braking is making the task of driving much safer.

BMW’s i8 can be connected to your smartphone, which will show information about the car’s efficiency mapping and battery status.  There are a number of cars that you can buy that will even turn on the climate control function, at your command while you’re inside the home or office, before you get into the car on a cold morning.

The Ford C-Max Solar Energi is a tiny people carrier designed by Ford.  This little car is the first of its kind to capture the sun’s energy and store or use it.  With a roof-mounted solar cell, the unit can gather and store energy, making it the perfect environmentally friendly car.  Solar energy is the ultimate for powering your drive.

Another expanding area of auto technology that is advancing is the connectivity features inside a car.  New connectivity functions include being able to send and receive texts, tweets and face-book messages through the car’s automated voice system.  Checking the weather forecast and streaming your favourite playlists through your car’s audio speakers can easily be done while you’re manoeuvring your way through the traffic.  If you’re a parent of a teenager who has borrowed the car, you can now track the car’s progress via a smartphone app.

Driver smartphone apps are set up to monitor the driver’s heartbeat and stress levels while driving the vehicle.  A clever app can be used to monitor glucose levels in a diabetic driver.  Significant changes in the blood-sugar levels are alerted to the driver so that a correction can be made before the driver does any further driving.

Wireless technology is evolving to the point that vehicle-to-vehicle communication can be used to reduce traffic accidents and congestion.  Volvo’s new XC90 models feature automatic brake technology where the XC90 will use radar detection and apply the brakes if an imminent collision is detected.  The driver doesn’t even have to make the car brake, as the XC90 does it all – thus avoiding an accident.  Queue Assist is another XC90 feature, where the car uses radars to slowly follow the vehicle in front, steering and braking automatically to keep directly behind the leading car.

Satelite Navigation

Are there any other cool new features that you know about?  Let us know. http://credit-n.ru/kurs-cb.html

DIY or Garage?

Cars are a labour of love to the motoring enthusiast.  If you own a vehicle that has done a few kilometres and is also old enough to not be under a manufacture warranty/servicing regime, then you can save yourself some money by doing the car’s servicing basics yourself.  Things like an oil and filter change, air filter replacement, coolant fluid check and tyre pressure checks can be easily done by any half-useful person who knows which end of a spanner to hold; and these key maintenance factors do look after your vehicle.  You can quite easily purchase a maintenance manual for your car online, at a library or through your local bookshop.  Many ‘do-it-your-selfers’ can save a few dollars by doing these few important tasks themselves.  Just don’t forget to put the oil back in the vehicle – unlike my father-in-law who, after draining the oil out, didn’t get round to putting it back in.  Forgetting the life blood of an engine is a very spectacular way of ending its life.

If you just can’t face the job of changing the oil and other basic checks on the vehicle, do shop around for the best deals in car servicing.  It’s surprising how variable the cost of car servicing can be between garages.  There are even servicing outfits strictly geared up for doing the basics – like ‘Oil Changers’.  The convenience of just dropping your car in when you like, waiting for usually less than half an hour, and driving off again can’t be underestimated.  It beats being without a car for a day.

When it comes to getting your WOF done, this is the time when anything that needs fixing on your car to be roadworthy will be found out.  When it comes to repairs, this is an area that demands good automotive knowledge and will be the right time to employ an expert’s skills if the job is beyond your skill set.  Also, when your car comes to a halt because it breaks down, if you can’t fix it, then an expert will be needed for the diagnosis and repair.  It’s usually electronic components, air conditioning and the like which will be beyond the average ‘do-it-your-selfer’.

It’s actually quite fun doing maintenance on you own car, particularly if you have an interest in cars.  You do get quite a lot of satisfaction from doing so.

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Eight Christmas Wishes For Drivers Everywhere

I told you we had to follow the star – this camel might have great 4×4 ability but it hasn’t got GPS.

Well, this is the last post from me for 2015, as I’m going to be getting some well-earned R&R time with the family over the Christmas & New Year period.  I hope all Private Fleet’s readers will be doing the same.  It can be a bit hectic in the lead-up to the silly season, so here’s to beating stress on the road and off it, and to a great Christmas for all of us.

In this time, there are a few things that I hope, pray and wish that we all have as we drive from A to B, whether it’s doing the Christmas shopping, ferrying a bunch of kids dressed up in dressing gowns to the church for the Nativity play or heading off to the beach or for a holiday:

1. Patience in busy traffic. People are whizzing here, there and everywhere. It’s probably unrealistic to hope that we all have free-flowing traffic all of the time. Even if we live in rural areas and do a lot of shopping online, we’re still going to have to go out somewhere sometime, and we’re going to be crawling along behind a queue. Or caught in those last-minute road works as the crews try to get all those jobs wrapped up before they get time off over Christmas. It’s going to be inevitable, so this is where you need to know how to chill a bit and be patient. If we were all more patient in the car and realised that everyone else is in the same situation, there’s be less on-road rudeness.
2. Good parking spaces. By a “good” parking space, I don’t mean one that’s just outside where you want to go. I mean one that’s easy to get in and out of, and is within walking distance of where you need to be. I also mean one where the driver in the space next to you isn’t going to dent your door.
3. Sober drivers. In your car and in the cars around you. I certainly won’t be saying no to a nice cool cider on the rocks over these holidays but I know better than to hop in the car and drive afterwards. Have a plan for taking turns at being the sober driver and learn some good recipes for non-alcoholic cocktails. And no excuses for taking a risk, thinking you’re OK and hopping behind the wheel with a bit too much ink in you. None at all.
4. No speeding tickets. There’s something about this time of year that tends to bring the boys and girls in blue out in force. On the surface, they’re trying to make sure that we don’t have heaps of accidents and road fatalities during the holiday period. On the other hand, the difference between what happens in a crash at the speed limit of 100 km/h and 102 km/h is academic. But guess what you’re going to get double demerit points for over the holidays for (in NSW at least).  I’m all for traffic safety and common sense, but it’s starting to get a bit ridiculous and you can feel like a target for not having your eyes glued to the speedo the whole time. It gets particularly tricky if you’re in an unfamiliar town and miss a speed limit sign.  However, be vigilant, keep the right foot lightly on the pedal and remember that it’s better to be a bit late to your destination than to have a big bill over this period that’s a financial stress on everyone.
5. Keeping cool in the car on hot days. Air con is one of the world’s best inventions. So are chilled storage compartments, cotton clothing, automatic windows and refrigerators. If you can’t find shade to park in, buy or make one of those windscreen shade things to stop the inside of your car becoming an oven while parked. Alternatively, cut down on your power bill by using the hot interior of the car to soften the butter to go into the Christmas cake and melt the chocolate you’re going to get fancy with.
6. No breakdowns. It’s probably a smart idea to deal with those little problems before they become big problems in the middle of your holiday. I’ve had more than one holiday modified (I won’t say ruined) by something going wrong with the car. Like the time that our old Ford Fairmont  got a hole in some obscure pipe, forcing us into an unscheduled stay in one little country town. At least the camping ground had a swimming pool and a great trampoline to fill in the time while the nice mechanic got the pipe fixed the next morning.
7. Enough fuel. Fill up your tank on Christmas Eve if you know that you’re going to be driving to Grandma’s for Christmas dinner three hours away. The chances of finding a fuel outlet that’s open on Christmas day are slim, as petrol pump attendants probably want the day off, too.
8. A sense of humour. This will get you through a lot of sticky situations, in the car and out of it. Laugh at yourself and other drivers, and see the funny side of everything. It’s better than getting mad by a long chalk.

Safe and happy driving, as well as a great Christmas,

Megan http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/turbozaim-zaimy-online-bez-otkazov.html