# Questions about vehicle mechanics

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [October 25, 2014, 6:58pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664 "2014-10-25T18:58:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 13\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ArcanErasmus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/arcanerasmus/32/1152_2.png) [@ArcanErasmus](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/ArcanErasmus)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 6:58pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664/1 "2014-10-25T18:58:02Z")

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There is some info that I can’t find on the wiki or by a forum search.

1. People always seem to place wheels on cars at least semi-logically. But how does the game calculate if your vehicle has enough wheels?

2. Can you put wheels wherever you want (say all at the front or left), or is there some system determining if your vehicle would just fall over due to dumb wheel placement?

3. How do vehicles trigger landmines? Is it when the wheels touch them, or any part of the vehicle, even if the part is not touching the ground?

Sorry if this has been answered, I honestly couldn’t find this information anywhere.

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**Author:** ![Blaze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Blaze](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Blaze)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664/2 "2014-10-25T19:06:09Z")

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The game “draws” a sort of shape around the positions of all your wheels and if enough of your car (or at least its center) is inside that shape, you have enough. So you cannot put wheels all on the same position.

Fairly certain traps only trigger on contact with wheels.

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**Author:** ![HunterAlpha1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@HunterAlpha1](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/HunterAlpha1)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664/3 "2014-10-25T20:14:37Z")

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[quote=“Blaze, post:2, topic:7664”]The game “draws” a sort of shape around the positions of all your wheels and if enough of your car (or at least its center) is inside that shape, you have enough. So you cannot put wheels all on the same position.

Fairly certain traps only trigger on contact with wheels.[/quote]Is this recent? Because the last experimental I played you just needed 2 wheels anywhere on the vehicle to run it.

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**Author:** ![Blaze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Blaze](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Blaze)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664/4 "2014-10-25T20:20:29Z")

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It’s what the original system was, as far as I heard. But you’re right, two wheel anywhere and you’re good to go.

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**Author:** ![i2amroy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/i2amroy/32/909_2.png) [@i2amroy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/i2amroy)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664/5 "2014-10-28T20:23:31Z")

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If it’s just using 2 wheels = good then that’s definitely a bad regression that happened at some point. 2 wheels should only work for your vehicle if the approximate center of mass is located on the line between the two.

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**Author:** ![jokermatt999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@jokermatt999](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/jokermatt999)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664/6 "2014-10-28T21:08:18Z")

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4 wheels good, 2 wheels bad! (unless in a valid position relative to center of mass). I just checked the code, and it looks like it should still take center of mass into account. The function is valid\_wheel\_config in vehicle.cpp.

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**Author:** ![EkarusRyndren](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/ekarusryndren/32/80_2.png) [@EkarusRyndren](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EkarusRyndren)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 9:23pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664/7 "2014-10-28T21:23:49Z")

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> [@i2amroy](#):
>
> If it’s just using 2 wheels = good then that’s definitely a bad regression that happened at some point. 2 wheels should only work for your vehicle if the approximate center of mass is located on the line between the two.

I got away with sticking three wheels on the RMCC for awhile, two in the front by the engines, one in the way back righthand corner. It was kinda funny and I had three more sitting around, but still.

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**Author:** ![Raskulle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/raskulle/32/368_2.png) [@Raskulle](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Raskulle)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 2:30am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664/8 "2014-10-29T02:30:25Z")

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I always use 4 wide wheels (2 front, 2 behind) but I never have a problem when one of the wheels explodes, from a landmine for example.  
3 wheels is good, 4 is excellent.  
4+ is deathmobile tier.

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**Author:** ![i2amroy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/i2amroy/32/909_2.png) [@i2amroy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/i2amroy)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 4:01am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664/9 "2014-10-29T04:01:04Z")

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Oh, and IIRC landmines should only trigger when a wheel runs over them.

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**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 4:11am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664/10 "2014-10-29T04:11:44Z")

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> [@i2amroy](#):
>
> Oh, and IIRC landmines should only trigger when a wheel runs over them.

Correct.

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**Author:** ![Logrin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/logrin/32/209_2.png) [@Logrin](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Logrin)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 10:42am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664/11 "2014-10-29T10:42:16Z")

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Wait…you mean you’re NOT riding a unicycle?

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**Author:** ![Ferodaktyl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/ferodaktyl/32/56_2.png) [@Ferodaktyl](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Ferodaktyl)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 1:13am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664/12 "2014-11-04T01:13:56Z")

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i tried some vehicle construction some time ago and experimented with different setups.  
what i noticed : size of the wheels doesn’t matter. Not for speed anyway. Nor does it matter if your car has each wheel a different size.  
Number of wheels matters, up to a number i forgot the car has better speed ( maybe it was 6, idk) then the speed decreases. I think 5 was the best.  
I thought wide wheels are immune to mines, if not what’s the point in having them ?

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**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/questions-about-vehicle-mechanics/7664/13 "2014-11-04T02:49:06Z")

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[quote=“Ferodaktyl, post:12, topic:7664”]i tried some vehicle construction some time ago and experimented with different setups.  
what i noticed : size of the wheels doesn’t matter. Not for speed anyway. Nor does it matter if your car has each wheel a different size.  
Number of wheels matters, up to a number i forgot the car has better speed ( maybe it was 6, idk) then the speed decreases. I think 5 was the best.  
I thought wide wheels are immune to mines, if not what’s the point in having them ?[/quote]

Increased surface area, HP, etc.