Can you drive onto a moving car carrier at 1mph relative speed without it flying off?

[TonySlim]

if you drive a front-wheel drive car 100mph onto the back of a car carrier driving 99mph, could you ease it on at 1mph, or would it fly off the front at 100mph? I need to know before my drive home tonight.

 

[lavalamp]

If I were you, I wouldn't try this.
If on the off chance you are trying an italien job, I would suggest using a rear wheel drive car.
If your only option is a front wheel drive car (I'm assuming that you are insane for trying this), you could get a run up at say, 105mph and just before you hit the ramp, press the clutch.
You should be able to roll your front wheels onto the ramp before driving up the rest of the ramp "normally".

Of course this will not be the best thing you could do to your tyres as they will have to reduce their angular velocity very quickly indeed.

Edit: If you didn't press the clutch before you hit the ramp, then your tyres will spin and rip most of the tread off, while accelerating at the maximum rate that the grip of your shredded tyres will allow, and you will be propelled off the end of the transporter at well over 100mph, then when you come crashing down, the transporter will most likely crash into you.
Well, good luck.

 

[Integral]

I think the outcome would be somewhere inbetween. First of all few front wheel dirve cars could accelertate rapidly enough to fly off the front. At 100MPH a 19" wheel is turning at nearly 1800RPM, at 1MPH it is turning at 18 RPM. There is not enough traction or power for the car to accelerate to 100MPH RELATIVE to the truck, this would be the scenario of flying off the front. But the wheels are spinning and being DRIVEN by the engin at a rate 100x needed when you get onto the truck. Something would have to give. My bet would be the tires. I see lots of smoke, and rubber flying every where. YOu can take if from there.

I am not saying that a skilled driver could not pull it off, it would take practice at much lower speeds. Perhaps it is possible to drop your engine RPMs fast enough to stay on the truck and not destroy your tires.

One thing is certian the car will NOT race across the truck at 100MPH.

 

[Integral]

and you will be propelled off the end of the transporter at well over 100mph,

As I said above, I doubt that tires are make that could pull this off. Once your tires have disintegrated you would stop accelerating.

Remember to travel off the front end of the truck at 100mph your velocity with respect to the ground must be 200mph. American sedans simply do not have the power to do this nor are tires made that could live though this experience.

I think your approach scheme is the best bet for getting on.

 

[lavalamp]

I was talking about over 100 mph relative to the ground. You could stop the engine from driving the car by simply pressing the clutch.
Travel slightly faster than the truck, but for god's sake hit the clutch before you hit the ramp.

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by lavalamp
I was talking about over 100 mph relative to the ground. You could stop the engine from driving the car by simply pressing the clutch.
Travel slightly faster than the truck, but for god's sake hit the clutch before you hit the ramp.

Even with the clutch in, tires don't stop spinning instantly. They have inertia. A tire coupled to the engine would have it worse because the engine has some energy in it, but it really doesn't matter if its a front or a rear wheel drive car.

 

[megashawn]

Well, if its a rear wheel car, then you can use the pavement to decel just a bit before hitting the truck. Then you wouldn't lose as much traction as compared to a ff car when the drive wheels hit the slick(er then pavement) metal surface.

Can I recommend an early 80's toyota corrolla for the task? Its FR, makes a decent amount of power, and if your luck you can find one for $50-$500.

 

[lavalamp]

Originally posted by russ_watters
Even with the clutch in, tires don't stop spinning instantly. They have inertia. A tire coupled to the engine would have it worse because the engine has some energy in it, but it really doesn't matter if its a front or a rear wheel drive car.

Well I did say:

Of course this will not be the best thing you could do to your tyres as they will have to reduce their angular velocity very quickly indeed.

 

[On Radioactive Waves]

Originally posted by megashawn


Can I recommend an early 80's toyota corrolla for the task? Its FR, makes a decent amount of power, and if your luck you can find one for $50-$500.

79 Corolla is a great beater car.


Got mine for $1, sold it for $50!

 

[raaaid]

ask to michael knigth,
have i wonder this

 

[raaaid]

but it can be done since they did it