Client Stories (Part 1) - The Battle Prelude

Seeing as I work with an extensive variety of people and personality types at my different places of work, I hear a lot of interesting things. I can't repeat every one of them for various reasons, but every once in a while a nice little tidbit makes it my way that I can share without NDA's being put on file. This one comes from Mr. Alner (obviously not his real name) and is about how he caused several thousand dollars worth of damage to other people's cars.


So, waaaay back in the day when Alner had more disposable income and no one to spend it on, he bought a car. Not just any car though, he bought a 1988 Honda Prelude with all the options. Included in those options was the first ever "Active Four-wheel Steering" (A4WS) which means the rear wheels rotate to enhance steering as well. This ability to rotate all four tires, coupled with its low center of gravity and other advances, allowed the Prelude to make tighter turns than most higher end cars.

Well, Alner lived in California at the time and had to drive along a nice stretch of snaking road to get to and from work every day. This roadway was part of a larger speedway which Jaguars, Ferrari's, and the occasional Lamborghini would often cruise down to get the lead out. While Alner couldn't take these cars head-on, he could outmaneuver all of them on the turns. From all that driving, he eventually figured out the very fastest he could take each and every turn in the road. Seeing as how his car could handle more G's than anything else on the road, Alner started doing what every red blooded American would do: Baiting Cars.

Alner would catchup to a high-end sports car and blow past them as fast as he could go. The other car saw a lousy Prelude trying to show up their Jag or Ferrari's, and would open it up to give chase. Then, just as he started approaching the curve, Alner would slow back down just enough to make it. The other car, thinking it could out maneuver the Prelude, would keep going faster in an attempt to put Alner back in his place. Of course, halfway into the turn the other guy would be panicking and slowing down as fast as he could to keep from spinning out, where as Alner simply continued on his way, laughing as the other car disappeared in the rear view mirror.

Unfortunately, not everyone played the game like they were supposed to. Once, Alner came across a particularly reckless Jag which didn't seem to understand that tailgating, cutting off others, and general poor roadmenship were frowned upon. So Alner did what he always did. He roared past the Jag, visibly upsetting the driver. He led the Jag down a couple miles of roadway all the while blocking any of the Jag's attempts to pass him by. Then, just before he hit the turn in the road, Alner quickly slowed down and let the Jag start to pass him. As they hit the curve, Alner hugged the inside and watched the Jag try to take the outside lane. All of a sudden, the Jag went onto the shoulder, ran smack into a steel speed limit sign, and erupted into a cloud of steam. The Jag's radiator had been impaled by the sign post and now it's owner was slamming his fist down on the dashboard like a recently defeated Cobra Commander. While it was definitely hilarious, Alner didn't really intend to trash the Jag. But, the guy had been reckless, and it kind of served him right.

Another time, Alner was driving along, minding his own business when a pickup truck blew pasted him. A pickup truck...that would never do. This time he didn't even think about baiting the car, he just stayed up with him and planned on passing during one of the curves when the truck slowed down. The only problem was that the truck never reduced its speed. Seeing Alner in its mirrors, the truck kept trying to increase the space between the two cars. Eventually, when it came time for the turn, Alner sped up, took to the inside, and passed the truck. The truck choose that exact moment to run off the road, dive over the shoulder, run along the ditch, and then catch some air as it reentered the road way. The impact of hitting the ground caused the truck's entire front windshield to shatter, sending glass shards all over the road. The driver slammed on the brakes, but the damage had already been done.

While these weren't the only instances of this, they were the most dramatic. Sadly, Alner stopped baiting cars shortly after this and only antagonized motorist on the straightaways. Until next time, Peace out.

- TiH

Additional Information On The Prelude's A4WS System

The first production 4WS for the average American automotive consumer was offered in the 1988 Honda Prelude. This system was entirely self contained, automatic, and mechanical; no electronics, no speed sensors, no computers, no hydraulics; just two racks and a rod between them.

 
A simple tube runs from a secondary pinion on the front steering rack, transferring 1:1 steering wheel motion to the rear rack. That rear rack eccentrically transferred that rotational motion to a lateral motion.

 
During the first ~180 degrees (from center) of steering wheel rotation, the rear wheels are gradually steered in the same direction about 3 degrees, creating a slight under steer situation, improving straight line stability.

 
During the second ~180 degrees of steering wheel rotation, the rear wheels are gradually straightened back out.

 
From ~360 to full lock (~450), the rear wheels are gradually steered in the opposite direction about 5 degrees, creating a significant overseer situation, improving parking lot maneuverability.

 

The 1988-1991 Prelude stands alone as the only automatic stand alone all mechanical four wheel steer system. Everything else is subject to computers and hydraulic pumps, neither of which are known for their bulletproof nature.