Locking up the front wheel

[bushbean]

After reading a blog about this person's rear-wheel drive truck's transmission blew up while driving and caused the rear wheels to lock up, I was wondering what would happen if the blogger was driving straight down a freeway, doing 70 MPH. I thought, since the truck was rear wheel drive, the truck would slow down to a haul and remain stable. But what if that happens to a front wheel drive vehicle, like the Accord? If the front wheel locks up at hi speed, would the car do a 180 degree turn? The thought of that possibility is quite scary.

[w261w261]

Well, it happened to me so I can tell you it isn't all that bad, but the road also wasn't wet. I had an '85 Audi, and it had some problem that the company knew about but didn't bother to tell it's customers (!), which caused the differential to suddenly lock. I was with my wife and one son, driving to a soccer game on a Saturday morning on the Merritt Parkway in CT, probably doing 70. One second everything was fine, the next both front wheels locked up. The car continued straight, and I reached down and pushed the auto into neutral. After sitting on the side of the road for a few minutes, I was able to drive at about 25 mph to the game, and then home. The Audi was on short time thereafter.

[2ndGenGuy]

I would guess locking up the rear wheels is more dangerous than locking up the fronts. My Bronco II had ABS, but it was only on the rear wheels. This was for hill descent in low traction situations. It worked great because you could just mash the brake pedal down a steep dirt incline. The front wheels might slide all the way down, but it kept the ass end in line. Had the rear wheels locked up, it likely would overtake the front end, meaning you were facing backwards...

Keeping the rear wheels moving will keep the car going straight. Lock them up and they can go any direction, left, right, whatever the curve of the road is. Then pretty soon you're headed off in some other direction. Lock up the front wheels, and the car will generally just go straight. Try it some time in a big, empty parking lot. Mash the brake pedal, then try turning, vs using your e-brake and try turning. With the eBrake your car will go every which way all over the place. Mash the pedal, you'll likely just keep going straight.

[carotman]

Well, on the 3g, the differential pin would break and the wheels would be free :p

[RamThis]

Well, on the 3g, the differential pin would break and the wheels would be free :p

Yeah thats what I was going to say, something would break first before that happened lol. I was thinking the CV cups up by the trans would blow apart and let the shafts flop around.

[ghettogeddy]

you know when the trany went in my 88 the car came to a screeching stop but i was only going about 20mph

[MessyHonda]

idk...but it would take some major stoping power to lock up the front tires...the motor would stop...thats why i clutch when im going to stop too fast then downshift to the right RPM