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Author Topic: Traction off the line...  (Read 3472 times)

Offline Exonian

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Traction off the line...
« on: 20 January 2015, 16:11 »
An almost serious post from me for once - for those that have better experience of DSG's, do they have better traction off the line or are they wheel spin prone too when used in conjunction with a high torque engine and front wheel drive?

I had one of those moments yesterday where the road was cold but dry and heavily salted, and I had to get out of a junction briskly due to traffic density. Alas first gear on medium throttle gave me wheelspin, second gear decided to do likewise and third gear initially also refused any better traction and so I sat there looking like a catherine wheel firework with my front wheels spinning away to their hearts' content for the amusement of one and all. Ok, it barely lasted a few seconds but my world went into slow motion at that point.

Conti 3's for those that are interested in the boring rubber bits but it's more of a traction vs. torque thing I reckon.

So, would a DSG have fared better?
I've only had limited DSG experience and never really got on with the artificial driving in both VW and BMW cars fitted with self shifting boxes. I just can't do the throttle thing with one leg whilst my right leg does Michael Flately impressions on the foot rest...
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Offline corgi

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Re: Traction off the line...
« Reply #1 on: 20 January 2015, 16:26 »
Quote from: Exonian on 20 January 2015, 16:11
So, would a DSG have fared better?

Simply, no. Assuming the gearing is similar or the same then the DSG (or auto) box would have made no difference. The different gearboxes do the same job, converting the rotational forces of the engine to the rotation of the wheels. In effect they are a torque reducer, the lower the gearing the greater the effective torque transmitted to the wheels... A limited slip differential would have made a difference...

This is why absolute torque is only part of the story... a car with 500NM of torque with gearing of 30mph/1000rpm gearing should accelerate at the same rate as a car with 250NM of torque with gearing of 15mph/1000rpm... all other things being equal...

Full throttle isn't always the answer  :grin:
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Offline Exonian

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Re: Traction off the line...
« Reply #2 on: 20 January 2015, 16:41 »
That's the thing here, it's a manual VAQ equipped car using only fairly reasonable amounts of throttle on admittedly not ideal Tarmac conditions but with warm tyres.

Would the DSG have enough 'intelligence' to detect spin and change through the box automatically to reduce the torque effect?
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Offline dubber36

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Re: Traction off the line...
« Reply #3 on: 20 January 2015, 17:04 »
With DSG, albeit in a remapped diesel Passat, if I get initial wheel spin away from a junction, the natural reaction of backing off the throttle will result in an upchange, far quicker than anyone could do in a manual. 9 times out of 10 this eliminates all wheel spin completely.
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Offline Exonian

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Re: Traction off the line...
« Reply #4 on: 20 January 2015, 18:01 »
That answers my query perfectly  :smiley:
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Offline itavaltalainen

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Re: Traction off the line...
« Reply #5 on: 20 January 2015, 18:07 »
You on summer tyres?

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Offline Exonian

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Re: Traction off the line...
« Reply #6 on: 25 January 2015, 14:35 »
Yes, 235/35/19 Conti 3's

Quote from: corgi on 20 January 2015, 16:26


 A limited slip differential would have made a difference...

It's a PP GTI so has a VAQ diff which is impressive enough when one wheel is loaded up but not when both are slipping.
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Offline itavaltalainen

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Re: Traction off the line...
« Reply #7 on: 25 January 2015, 16:48 »
summer tyres just get too hard when it's under 10 degrees...

I got better traction with Avon (Made in England!!!) 205 55 16 winter tyres compared to 225 45 17 Pirellis, Dunlops and Continental summer tyres at low temps... go near the throttle in first or second and the wheels spin quite happily, also ABS/ESP kicks in a lot more often.
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Offline Snoopy

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Re: Traction off the line...
« Reply #8 on: 25 January 2015, 19:53 »
Wrong tyres and operator error   :tongue: nothing to do with the gearbox type.   :wink:
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Offline Exonian

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Re: Traction off the line...
« Reply #9 on: 25 January 2015, 21:18 »
Quote from: Snoopy on 25 January 2015, 19:53
Wrong tyres and operator error   :tongue: nothing to do with the gearbox type.   :wink:
Ahh, so I'm suffering from 'premature application'?
 :kiss:
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‘25 8.5R, ‘23 8R, ‘20 8CS, ‘19 135iX, ‘19 TCR, ‘17 Ed40, ‘17 GTD, ‘15 7R, ‘13 GTI PP, ‘11 GTI, ‘09 GTI, ‘98 Ibiza Cupra, ‘05 GTI, ‘06 Polo GTI, ‘04 GT TDI, ‘05 Fabia vRS, ‘02 GTI T, ‘03 Ibiza TDI 130, ‘01 Leon 180, ‘89 mk2 16v, ‘99 Ibiza TDI, ‘96 VR6, ‘98 Ibiza TDI, ‘92 VR6, ‘88 mk2 8v, ‘92 Polo G40, ‘91 mk2 8v, ‘89 mk2 8v, 205 GTI 1.9, ‘83 mk1 GTI, ‘80 Scirocco GTI, plus some others I’ve forgotten 
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