Trucks Traction control systems limit power to the drive wheels to prevent wheel spin under acceleration. |
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Many people mistakenly believe that traction
control will prevent their vehicle from getting stuck in the snow. This
couldn't be further from the truth. Traction control does not have the ability
to increase traction; it just attempts to prevent a vehicle's wheels from spinning.
BY
THE EDITORS OF PUBLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL, LTD.
Traction control helps limit tire slip in
acceleration on slippery surfaces.
In the past, drivers had to feather the gas
pedal to prevent the drive wheels from spinning wildly on slippery pavement.
Many of today's vehicles employ electronic
controls to limit power delivery for the driver, eliminating wheel slip and
helping the driver accelerate under control.
Powerful rear-drive cars from the sixties
often had a primitive form of traction control called a limited slip rear
differential.
Sometimes referred to as Positraction, a
limited-slip rear axle will mechanically transfer power to the rear wheel with
the most traction, helping to reduce, but not eliminate wheel spin.
While limited-slip rear axles are still in
use in many front- and rear-drive vehicles today, the device can't completely
eliminate wheel slip. Hence, a more sophisticated system was needed.
Enter electronic traction control.
In modern vehicles, traction-control systems
utilize the same wheel-speed sensors employed by the antilock braking system.
These sensors measure differences in
rotational speed to determine if the wheels that are receiving power have lost
traction.
When the traction-control system determines
that one wheel is spinning more quickly than the others, it automatically
"pumps" the brake to that wheel to reduce its speed and lessen wheel
slip.
In most cases, individual wheel braking is
enough to control wheel slip.
However, some traction-control systems also
reduce engine power to the slipping wheels.
On a few of these vehicles, drivers may sense
pulsations of the gas pedal when the system is reducing engine power much like
a brake pedal pulsates when the antilock braking system is working.
Many people mistakenly believe that traction
control will prevent their vehicle from getting stuck in the snow.
This couldn't be further from the truth.
Traction control does not have the ability to
increase traction; it just attempts to prevent a vehicle's wheels from
spinning.
For drivers who routinely drive in snowy and icy conditions, traction control, antilock brakes, and snow tires are must-have safety features.
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