Drag, drag, drag. Wheel bearings?
judebert
familEE
So I put the electric car back together, charged it partway, and took it for a ride. It required more power than expected, it ran me out of juice too quickly, and it didn't coast the way my hatchback does.
I found that last bit surprising. I never went over 30 mph or so, so aerodynamics shouldn't have played a big factor. The physics describing friction says that weight doesn't effect friction: only surface area, gravity, and the materials involved. Since the road is always the same, the tires are quite similar, and gravity doesn't vary much in my neck of the woods, the Wagon should have about the same friction as the hatchback. Being heavier, the Wagon should have more momentum, and should therefore coast *better*.
I put the front on jackstands, ran a breaker bar through the passenger's side rim, and turned the driver's side front wheel by hand. It was not easy, and it stopped spinning almost immediately. Now, granted, I wasn't giving it a lot of oomph... but still, I was expecting at least a quarter revolution.
I'm going to start checking stuff this weekend. I can see easy ways to isolate the motor, the clutch, and the tranny (although fixing them is not as obvious). Even brake drag should be easy to check. But what if it's the wheel bearings?
This is an '88. The bearings could be bad from sheer age. Are they easy to replace? Do I have to replace the entire assembly? I'm planning on going with brand-new bearings, damn the cost -- in that case, would it be cheaper in the long run to replace the front discs with something from an Acura? (I'm interested in the better braking, since my car is a tad heavier than stock anyway.)
Thanks in advance.
I found that last bit surprising. I never went over 30 mph or so, so aerodynamics shouldn't have played a big factor. The physics describing friction says that weight doesn't effect friction: only surface area, gravity, and the materials involved. Since the road is always the same, the tires are quite similar, and gravity doesn't vary much in my neck of the woods, the Wagon should have about the same friction as the hatchback. Being heavier, the Wagon should have more momentum, and should therefore coast *better*.
I put the front on jackstands, ran a breaker bar through the passenger's side rim, and turned the driver's side front wheel by hand. It was not easy, and it stopped spinning almost immediately. Now, granted, I wasn't giving it a lot of oomph... but still, I was expecting at least a quarter revolution.
I'm going to start checking stuff this weekend. I can see easy ways to isolate the motor, the clutch, and the tranny (although fixing them is not as obvious). Even brake drag should be easy to check. But what if it's the wheel bearings?
This is an '88. The bearings could be bad from sheer age. Are they easy to replace? Do I have to replace the entire assembly? I'm planning on going with brand-new bearings, damn the cost -- in that case, would it be cheaper in the long run to replace the front discs with something from an Acura? (I'm interested in the better braking, since my car is a tad heavier than stock anyway.)
Thanks in advance.
Comments
:?: Why didn't you go with a CRX HF tranny.It's got a higher final drive.You can do 50mph @3600 rpm in first gear & 100mph in 2nd.You could do what 1 guy did in his EV MR2.Run thinner tranny oil,removed 1st,4th & 5th gear(in your case 3,4 & 5th gear).Though he admitted it was a minimal reduction.I think the higher final drive will still help.
:idea: You may want to look at the CRX HF front brg.The 2nd gen CRX HF ran a smaller lo friction brg.I don't know if this was done on the gen4's CRX HF?The other prob is you might not be able to run the EX 10.3" disc.Also look that the HF front drive shafts they might be thinner too.
CRX HF...............................................DX
1st..............50mph @ 3600rpm...........2nd............66mph @4800rpm
2nd............100mph @ 45oorpm...........3rd...........100mph @5400rpm
Now, when I get the $7000 I need for the drag strip upgrades, I'll definitely be going with the taller final drive. I'll give that a look; thanks! That's what I actually think it is. My brother, the mechanic, is thinking wheel bearings. We'll be testing it all on Sunday, and I'd like to have a plan for each possibility.
This is a mixed bag.How bad do you want the larger brakes?If you do need brgs & it would help if you need a brake job.This is the time to upgrade.If lucks is on your side the cost will only be the price of a '90-'91 Civic Sdn EX used front knuckles,Calipers,rotors,pads & NEW brg(brg seal).Worst case side being caliper rebuild kit,new or turned rotors &new pads.
My BAD after rethinking my tranny math.Your better off with your current trans.
Nope you're still better off with your trans or even lower gears if you don't have too much starting line slippage.
It's the tranny. We gradually disconnected pieces, trying to find the drag, starting with the motor. When we took out the CV axle, the wheel spun nicely. Barely any drag at all.
Same results on both sides, reducing the possibility that it's the CV axles themselves.
So it's almost certainly something in the tranny. Only question remaining is whether it's normal for this tranny or not. I'm going to measure the drag with a torque wrench and post another thread asking for help from the list members in measuring their own drag.
Meanwhile, front brake upgrades are moved to the bottom of the list. Thanks for all the help!
http://www.hondacivicwagon.com/board/vi ... .php?t=103
:arrow: You'll probably like the answer if it's what I think?Got to go.I'll hook up l8tr.