[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by Kevin45

Not being a smartazz, just curious. How would the rear "come around" if it locked up first? It seems to me if the front locked first, then the rear could come around. That is one of the reasons truckers were unhooking their front brakes, so the rear would pull them to a stop and not jacknife.

Traction is a dynamic situation. When the tire is rolling, the coefficient of friction in the direction of travel is lower than the coefficient of friction sideways. You're rolling in one direction and sliding in the other. This is what allows you to corner. If the tire is locked, you are now sliding in both directions and there is equal traction (or lack thereof) in both the forward and lateral directions. Thus, any minor off-axis force will cause the locked tires to move in a different direction.