Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2018 February 10

= February 10 =

Direction of steering wheel while driving
Suppose that the wheel has exactly x turns in each direction (e.g, in my vehicle x=1.5). Where exactly do you need to steer the steering wheel? I thought at first that the points on the wheel that correspond to 3 and 9 on the clock (i.e, both sides) in a straight line driving should always be perpendicular to the velocity vector. So when driving at turns and circles they should turn towards the center of the circle, but it seems to me that this is not true ... 37.142.171.65 (talk) 08:49, 10 February 2018 (UTC)


 * If your 3 to 9 line on your steering wheel is not horizontal when you are driving in a straight line with no camber on the road, then something is out of alignment. Different vehicle designs have different steering-wheel gearing, so the amount of turn is variable, and quickly estimated through experience.   Dbfirs  09:45, 10 February 2018 (UTC)
 * Wheels also have a Toe (automotive) to establish a self centering force on the steering and because many vehicles have a complicated independent Suspension (vehicle) with a Camber angle and alike offsets the real geometry of each single wheel may get complicated when driving a curve. --Kharon (talk) 10:22, 10 February 2018 (UTC)


 * Are you asking how much rotation of the steering wheel corresponds to a given curvature in your path? I would not be at all surprised to learn that the relation is nonlinear. —Tamfang (talk) 08:26, 11 February 2018 (UTC)
 * The common mechanic steering gears are all "linear". Some hydraulic/electric ones are adaptive. --Kharon (talk) 11:43, 11 February 2018 (UTC)


 * Where you place your hands on the steering wheel depends partly on the vehicle you are driving. Most drivers prefer a "ten to two" position. My car has a gear shift in the middle of the dashboard, so I prefer a "quarter to one" position as it puts my left hand nearer the gearstick in a right hand drive car. Mjroots (talk) 13:35, 13 February 2018 (UTC)
 * Frequently, modern car driver education recommends and teaches the nine and three, also called quarter to three, position to reduce the risk of injury from airbag deployment and for other reasons [//www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a9343/forget-10-and-2-drive-with-your-hands-at-9-and-3-15851738/] [//www.progressive.com/lifelanes/9-and-3-drive-safe-today/] [//www.seattlepi.com/local/transportation/article/10-and-2-no-longer-safe-way-to-hold-steering-3453234.php] [//drive.govt.nz/get-your-restricted/moving-forward/steering/] [//www.streetwisedriving.com.au/safe-steering-habits-learner-drivers/]. Nil Einne (talk) 05:06, 14 February 2018 (UTC)

Capt. Thomas H Butler
Recently a picture alleged to be Capt. Thomas H. Butler on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_H._Butler. I am cowriting a book that includes a bio on Capt. Butler, and we've been searching unsuccessfully for 3-4 years for a picture of him. We want to use the picture, but we need to authenticate it that it is indeed Butler. I've contacted several of his descendants, and none of them thus far has had a portrait or picture of any kind. How do I go about verifying the picture? I found the "name" of the person who posted it in January of this year, but it appears the person hasn't set up a page. Any suggestions? Thank you.

Carolyn Gregory

'````' — Preceding unsigned comment added by Carolyn gregory (talk • contribs) 17:59, 10 February 2018 (UTC)
 * is the guy who uploaded the photo... With no source.  where did you get the photo from, and what evidence do you have that it's him? Ian.thomson (talk) 18:06, 10 February 2018 (UTC)