AWD and Wheel Dollies

[nsi]

I have an Evo 8 which needs to be put into a double garage, then turned sideways to work on. Unfortunatly the garage doesn't yet have a double sized roller door, so the two doors have a pillar between; so the routine is to drive or reverse the car in, then to a 27 point turn once inside.

So looking for an easier method and came across these wheel dollies:


There are other models, but this gives the basic idea - jack wheel up, place on roller, repeat with other wheel of same axle. Then skate the car around.

However I'm trying to work out if I need 2 or 4 of these things?

It would be good to be able to just lift one end of the car on the dollies and then pivot it. (I could drive the car in forwards to one side of the garage, then swing the rear sideways on the dollies). However I don't know if the 4WD system would allow this due the limited slip difs etc? Concern being that if the rear wheels are on the dollies then they'll not be rotating, but pivoting with the front wheels on the ground may make them turn and the diffs may not allow this since the rears are static but fronts trying to turn...

So, anyone got any ideas? Do I need 2 or 4 of these to skate an Evo?

Cheers!

[karona]

nsi said:

I have an Evo 8 which needs to be put into a double garage, then turned sideways to work on. Unfortunatly the garage doesn't yet have a double sized roller door, so the two doors have a pillar between; so the routine is to drive or reverse the car in, then to a 27 point turn once inside.

So looking for an easier method and came across these wheel dollies:


There are other models, but this gives the basic idea - jack wheel up, place on roller, repeat with other wheel of same axle. Then skate the car around.

However I'm trying to work out if I need 2 or 4 of these things?

It would be good to be able to just lift one end of the car on the dollies and then pivot it. (I could drive the car in forwards to one side of the garage, then swing the rear sideways on the dollies). However I don't know if the 4WD system would allow this due the limited slip difs etc? Concern being that if the rear wheels are on the dollies then they'll not be rotating, but pivoting with the front wheels on the ground may make them turn and the diffs may not allow this since the rears are static but fronts trying to turn...

So, anyone got any ideas? Do I need 2 or 4 of these to skate an Evo?

Cheers!

Jack one wheel up, if you can turn it by hand, (with the box in neutral and the brakes off ) then you only need two dollies. Surely the diffs allow independent movement of all the wheels, and the slip limiting only kicks in when there's a lot of independent movement, not just slow movement in the garage.

[nsi]

karona said:

Jack one wheel up, if you can turn it by hand, (with the box in neutral and the brakes off ) then you only need two dollies. Surely the diffs allow independent movement of all the wheels, and the slip limiting only kicks in when there's a lot of independent movement, not just slow movement in the garage.

Good idea, but not sure if that's a valid test?

If the other three wheels are on the ground then the one in the air won't turn more than a 1/4 turn which is the slack in the drive train. I know this because I've tried it before.

Say I pick up the front right wheel, then the two rear wheels will stop the rear diff moving, which in turn stops the centre diff moving, which means the front diff must have a "net nil" movement. So if I turn the right front "forward" then the front left would have to go "backwards" to net out to zero and match the centre diff?

So what I'm thinking of with pivoting the car is whether lifting and swinging the rear sideways will mean one front wheel goes forwards, and the other backwards? Or if the diff would prevent that too?

So going back to your idea, I know it won't work with 3 wheels on the ground, but I suppose it's worth testing if I lift BOTH front wheels and then try turning the front right forwards and see if it either i) Locks up, or ii) makes the front left go backwards. I've never tried this before.

[DrDeAtH]

Ifion doubt, buy 4. At least you will get the benefit of being able to move the car about easily and be able to place it exactly where required without causing any damage to either car, person or garage.

[AndrewEH1]

Might be worth getting a least one (or two) wheel dollies with a brake?