Thread: Little boring boxes with wheels

Originally Posted by JDNSW

I actually thought it was a speed limit, not a minimum speed! And the NSW government, at least, does not agree - since they have different speed limits for different classes of drivers, despite have thousands of kilometres of state highways with only one lane each direction.

And in any case, many road user vehicles cannot maintain the speed limit in all circumstances, and drivers should not be expected to drive at the speed limit when they regards that speed as unsafe.

Hopefully they get out of the way at the first opportunity and 10kms under the speed limit is not too bad, as long as they do so on hills as well. Most of the time I find people being under the limit is due to not paying attention. I used to often pass cars while I was towing a trailer with a race car on the back, just because people couldn't recognise a hill in time and apply more throttle to compensate.

Also when it comes to governments recognising possible impediment opportunities, I refer you to the Port of Darwin.

My only issue with slow drivers is when they tool along at 80 in a 100 zone, with many frustrated working folks behind, only to speed up to 105 at an overtaking lane. It IS actually illegal to prevent an overtake.

Not 100% sure how the CX factor c oped by the end of this...

Originally Posted by Tins

Not 100% sure how the CX factor c oped by the end of this...

They panels will actually fly off a Citroen DS like that sometimes in accidents. They are only a decoration held on with a few bolts. the front panels sit on pegs next to the front doors.



a few weeks back I stopped at the local cars and coffee... my battered cars are usually ignored as they aren't hotrods or holdens..... however someone asked me how can you change a rear tire ..... For 15minutes poeple crowded round the battered old car trying to explain to each other how it works.

id19_1.jpg

I guess there isn't much around like these. the rear guard just unbolts with one small bolt and you remove it to change the wheel. the suspension lifts the wheels off the ground with the aid of a "prop".

Exactly! And the reason for the bonnet being up is that the spare (and the prop, and the wheelbrace (which also operates the bolt that holds on the rear guard) lives in front of the radiator (with airflow under the spare from under the nose).

About a year after I left the army I worked in North Sydney for a while. I vividly recall being amazed at seeing a bloke driving a GS down Miller Street on three wheels. I always had a deep respect for the REAL Citroens. Crazy as they might be.

I have no experience of the GS, but the D Series, having a strong weight bias onto the front wheels, has no issues running with a rear wheel off.

They have a few other interesting features - during late production of them, an advertisement showed one driving at 100kph over a spike to blow a front tyre, followed by an emergency stop in a straight line - with hands off the steering wheel. This is possible because there is no king pin inclination. Front suspension is by equal length wishbones - except they are not wishbones, but forged steel L-shapes, running in taper roller bearings not rubber. Springs are self levelling hydraulic cylinders operating a very high pressure, with springing provided by hydraulic accumulators on each wheel. The proportion of braking is distributed between front and rear by the relative suspension pressures, and the brakes are power - not power assist. The brake pedal has almost no movement, but is pressure sensitive. Front brakes are inboard discs. Hydraulic pressure for suspension, steering and brakes (and originally clutch and gearshift) is from an engine driven pump, with a hydraulic accumulator to provide braking backup.

This hit the market in 1955. And was assembled in Australia in the 1960s! For perspective, The first DS was contemporary with the FJ Holden, basically a prewar Chevrolet, differing only in its unitary construction, but otherwise similar to most prewar American cars.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

I have no experience of the GS, but the D Series, having a strong weight bias onto the front wheels, has no issues running with a rear wheel off.

They have a few other interesting features - during late production of them, an advertisement showed one driving at 100kph over a spike to blow a front tyre, followed by an emergency stop in a straight line - with hands off the steering wheel. This is possible because there is no king pin inclination. Front suspension is by equal length wishbones - except they are not wishbones, but forged steel L-shapes, running in taper roller bearings not rubber. Springs are self levelling hydraulic cylinders operating a very high pressure, with springing provided by hydraulic accumulators on each wheel. The proportion of braking is distributed between front and rear by the relative suspension pressures, and the brakes are power - not power assist. The brake pedal has almost no movement, but is pressure sensitive. Front brakes are inboard discs. Hydraulic pressure for suspension, steering and brakes (and originally clutch and gearshift) is from an engine driven pump, with a hydraulic accumulator to provide braking backup.

This hit the market in 1955. And was assembled in Australia in the 1960s! For perspective, The first DS was contemporary with the FJ Holden, basically a prewar Chevrolet, differing only in its unitary construction, but otherwise similar to most prewar American cars.

Citroen DS and Citroen SM have center point steering, you can completely loose a front wheel and it has no effect on the steering Oh, I think the GS also has center point steering.