Hi,

A couple of weeks ago the gyroscopic precession popped up regarding helicopter rotor physics.

I'm just wondering if this has a significant effect in car physics. I tried to look around about this, but haven't found any useful material.
I'm thinking of fast spinning wheels and the engine/flywheel itself ?!
As the engine reaction torque produces visible feedback on suspension/chassis...etc. this might be a valid question.

If so, I also haven't found info on how the position of the applied force changes.
When the gyroscope is spinning the forces are applied 90° away that's clear, also when it stands still, this rule doesn't apply I suppose.

But, what's in between??

hanks for any idea.

I've messed with gyroscopes quite a bit. I even had a machine shop make me a 6" brass top that I could spin up with an electric drill.  It worked amazingly well but when it finally dropped I quickly learned to respect the energy you can build up in spinning objects.

In any case anything that spins is going to produce some precession effects when attempting to rotate it around anything other than it's spinning axis.  However, I imagine the rest of the physics involved in a car will far outweigh these effects.  But yes, I would think it's possible to model these, although I'm not sure if anyone would notice.

Percession is a bit strange. The faster something spins  the slower it precesses for a given tilting force.  You can see this in a top. Right before it falls (as it slows down it starts to wobble wildly).  There is also Nutation which is kind of a spring effect. As gyro precesses you might see it kind of bouncing up and down as it circles.  Again this happens more when it's spinning slower.

On an interesting side note, many old world war 1 aircraft like the Sopwith Camel, used radial engines where the whole block spun and the crankshaft stayed static.  Apparently the precession effects of the engine made them dangerous to fly for inexperienced pilots, but also experience pilots learned to use them to their advantage.

On 4/3/2019 at 11:37 AM, Gnollrunner said:

I imagine the rest of the physics involved in a car will far outweigh these effects

Yes, my guts tell me you might be right.

Again, thanks for the flight reference. One day I wanna make an airplane simulator too, I'll try to remember what you said about that radial engine