>Date: Mon, 17 May 1999 16:57:31 -0500
>From: "Jamie Sculerati" <jamies@mrj.com>
>Subject: Re: Prelude 4WS
>>Forget the 4WS Prelude as an autocross car, Rich.
>>I tested one in a couple of autocrosses back when they were new. The
>>car literally felt like it was running on marbles, and the times were not
>>good.
>>
>>If you look at how 4WS works in that car, it is a mechanically operated cam
>>system.
>What year was this? The system you're describing sounds more like the one
>on the 3d generation ('88-91) cars. The later system was electronically
>controlled, both to reduce reaction time and to smooth out the phase change.
Trying to recall, but it must have been in '89 or '90. I don't believe that
the system "locked out" the counter-steer phase with increased speed.
>At low speeds, sure -- turning the rears opposite to the fronts will reduce
>the turn radius. This part of the system only operated at very low speed --
>really as a parking aid -- and cut out somewhere around 15 mph or so. At
>higher speeds, only the "parallel steer" mode operated -- in corners above
>the cut-off speed, the rear wheels remained locked ahead.
>>Unfortunately, the phase changes of the rear occur at steering inputs
>>common in autocrossing. The effect was a sensation of rear directional
>>instability. Sometimes it felt planted, but others... It had me often
>>feeling like I had to correct and then re-correct for a slide which may not
>>have been actually happening.
>The description makes sense and matches many of the test reports on the 4WS
>cars. The car *does* move differently. You'd probably have gotten used to
>it with some seat time, though. Probably no tougher than moving from RWD to
>FWD (and easier on the tires!).
>From my POV, there was no comparison. I have jumped back and forth between
FWD and RWD cars... the 4WS was from another planet. Could I have gotten
used to it? Probably. Would it have worked well enough to be a fun
autocrosser?
Hmmmmm.......
>Of course, after having driven a friend's '88 4WS (with the mechanical
>system), I opted for a 2WS car when I bought the '92, mostly because it was
>cheaper and I didn't want to mess with the extra alignment chores. And like
I> mentioned before, Preludes prepped for road racing and Pro Rally have all
>been 2WS -- which implies no one was that impressed with the option.
And that says a lot. So if buying a dual-purpose car... why buy this one?
I can't think of a good reason.
Alan Sheidler
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