Weight is your total enemy on hills ? or ?

[Whipitnow]

  Hi I have been here before, any help would be great . I figure somebody here would know real well in the suspension dept..

 

     If you want to stick to a hill in a vehicle on a steep grade and not fall off o slide to the bottom you want to be wide low good traction with wide tires and most importantly light? or can added weight help on a steep grade. I do not see how because of the laws of physics.

 

   Any input would be great because this is in another forum discussing how to build something to mow steep grades on hills with a skid steer, Thanks for the help.

[shmingey]

Weight can be good or bad, it just depends on where you put it.  You just have to find the balance of having the weight so your front end isn't getting too light and that your back tire is keeping good traction. 

[Whipitnow]

  Thanks.

[EnglertRacing]

weight is ALWAYS an enemy of PERFORMANCE at all times.

[Whipitnow]

weight is ALWAYS an enemy of PERFORMANCE at all times.

That is what I thought, people believe they can add weight to something and it will work better. As the speed goes up the more you will notice the lard. This was actually a ? regarding ZTR mowers and I said a 1400 pound ZTR mine would mow a steeper grade than a 3000 pound diesel machine his with all things being equal.

This person was telling me because his 3000 pound mower carried the weight low it could out do a machine half the weight that was even lower in design with the same tire contact and machine width. I was like are people actually this stupid but they are. I told him he should study Newton's law.

He was saying the diesel had a better weight transfer, my machine even has 50% more wheel speed to keep it aloft. I am talking about mowing a Interstate embankment REAL STEEP! Thanks for the input, maybe I am not seeing something but I do not think so?

Edited April 18, 2014 by Whipitnow

[Clicked]

Baja trophy trucks and motorcycles finish in about the same time.

 

Weight means nothing, you just have to design for it.

[Jakobi]

Why is weight bad? Bit of physics involved, but it all comes down to what you're trying to achieve. Blasting up a big rocky hill its hard to beat a bit of extra weight and inertia to assist in holding a line and ploughing through chop as opposed to deflecting off. If you're continually trying to slow down, speed up, and change direction, then you need to work a bit harder to achieve that with a heavier vehicle.

Hill is a vague term too. One mans mountain is anothers slight incline. How many lines, how many step ups, whats for traction, whats to sap momentum, switch backs?
 

[Whipitnow]

Baja trophy trucks and motorcycles finish in about the same time.

 

Weight means nothing, you just have to design for it.

I remember when the old KX 500 used to beat the trucks? anyhow this is for sticking to a hill. Can a heavier off road truck stick as well if all things being equal? Like going across a steep incline side to side. I have a job I do and I am trying to figure out how to make it easier and some people were telling me I need a bigger heavier machine.

I just can't see it, I am like I should try and put dual wheels on my lighter 72 cut machine. We are talking a Interstate get off and on ramp. Steep to mow. I have to weed eat a lot of it and walk it with a Mid Size mower and blister my feet so I am tying to be lazy and figure a way to ride.

Edited April 19, 2014 by Whipitnow

[Jakobi]

As above. A lighter machine will be more likely to deflect/change direction where a heavier one will continue to plough through things that may have knocked the other off line. Lighter = more nimble, heavier = more stable, generally speaking.

[EnglertRacing]

As far as deflecting and momentum statments. Like comparing a xr650 to a cr250.

It may be precieved that the xr650 deflects less but thata only because the mass to unsprung mass ratio is higher. And the weight helping with momentum keeping you going up the hill.. double edged sord. If you need to accelerate with it it hinders. Also tire grip rolls off with increaced load.

[Whipitnow]

What do you mean about the tire grip speed?