I remember reading something few years ago about the 300ZX TT having 4 wheel steering. Why doesnt the 350Z have this technology?

Did it make it handle worse or something? Just curious

Thanks

 

I could only imagine shitty drive train loss, and weight.

trucks use it only right now and only at low speeds, its quite unstable at high speeds, as it can cause flips from the turning radius thats far over the Gs the car can handle.

I donno if its a good analogy or not, but ever try pushing a grocery cart backwards? or even in revers in a car. the whole thing gets very squirrely when you try to take even a little turn.

 

Actually, I talked to the guy who's got Mistubishi 3000 GTS and he said that he has 4 wheel stearing. Not the same the trucks have but opposite. What I mean is when you turn left on the truck back wheels turn right decreasing the radius. M 3000 GTS's wheels turn the same way where you turn, of course very slightly which prevents fishtailing/overstearing while compromising turning raduis. I assume that's the kind of stearing would be applicable for the sports car, but I've never heard that 300ZX TT had it. I simply don't know if it has it.

 

My buddy had one years ago. The car was scary fast. As far as the 4WS, I think it was a speed sensitive system.

Older Preludes came with this option also.

 

The active rear steering systems generally have two modes:

At low speeds, the front and rear wheels turn in different directions to decrease turing radius.

At high speeds the front and rear wheels turn in the same direction, allowing the car to change its course without as much yaw and therefore preventing high speed oversteer.

These systems generally only turn the rear wheels by a few degrees at full lock rather than the large angles of the front wheels. The reason they did away with these things in the 300zx and 3000GT was that it was contributing to the growth in weight, complexity and cost of these japanese sports cars which ultimately priced them out of their original niche (the affordable sports car niche).

Incidentally, some cars out there have passive rear steering designed into their suspensions by going into negative toe gain under compression (i.e. as weight shifts to the outer rear tire in a corner, the suspension compresses and the geometry allows the loaded rear tire to toe-in - angling the tire in the direction of the curve) therefore creating some rear steering without complicated, heavy and costly electronic and servo systems.

Jason

 

I read somewhere that later Skyline GT-R has this. But I can't find somewhere that verify this info.

 

Jason Bourne hit the nail on the head...great explanation.

Interesting tidbit about the Super-Hicas 4 wheel steering on the 300ZX...at low speed the rear wheels turned counterphase as noted (opposite direction of the front wheels) and at high speeds the backs turned in phase with the fronts (as was also correctly noted)...but at medium speeds they turned counterphase initially to point the car in the direction of the intended turn, then back in phase for increased stability and traction.

 

I thought all GT-Rs had this, not just the later ones. I have a Prelude with 4WS, crazy turning radius.