how come wind can push my heavy box-shaped car around when I’m driving 60mph, but it can’t do it when the car is standing still?

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Although I have a heavy box-shaped car, I was thinking about the Mercedes G63 specifically. That is a powerful engine on a non-aerodynamic car, what happens if you take it over 100mph and get hit by a gust of 60mph wind? My car gets literally pushed around lanes during heavy winds at highway speeds, has anyone ever even gotten a G63 past 150mph?

In: Physics

25 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

When not moving the tire rubber would deflect slightly, said .1mm when a gust of wind pushes against the car, but then due to them being rubber and not moving it would reach some elasticity equilibrium and eventually move back when the gust stops – however if they are rolling, the “new” contact patch won’t be pre-stretched in the direction of the wind, so as the tire rolls down the road, each .1mm of deflection is accumulated with any previous deflection

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