6 ms·

I wish there was a "continually improved" model of car where they gradually tweak every part that fails over time, instead of just throwing it all out with an "

I wish there was a "continually improved" model of car where they gradually tweak every part that fails over time, instead of just throwing it all out with an "all new redesigned" model every 10 years (with all fresh weaknesses).

vneur 7y ago
Continual small improvements is exactly what Tesla does. That's why so many of the small issues listed in the article have since been fixed (as the article points out).
frosted-flakes 7y ago
There kind of is. The Chevrolet Express/GMC Savannah vans have remained largely the same since the late 1990s. The design of the headlights and grill have changed a few times, and there are several different versions of the engines, but stuff like brake systems, heater controls and fans, seats, instrument panel, etc. are more or less the same. I don't think GM makes passenger versions anymore, but the cargo vans are still super common in my area (southern Ontario).
- Paperweight 7y ago
  Have they actually improved its weaknesses, though, besides upgrading the engine from time to time? For example, today I replaced a front wheel hub-bearing on a FWD car. These are designed with a cast steering knuckle that the axle goes through. The bearing assembly is mounted on the front of the bore, the axle goes through the bore into the hub-bearing from the back, and there's a little seal on the back of the bore that the axle rides on. Diagram: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Steering_knuckle_diagram.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Steering... The weakness is that water inevitably gets into the bore around the back seal (since the axle moves around a bit) and the only way out is through the bearing out the front. It rusts out. Nobody has improved this design for the past 50 years, as far as I am aware. Perhaps a weep hole? Perhaps they need to be completely filled with grease?
winrid 7y ago
Like a Lada? https://i.redd.it/469hjiwz3ga21.jpg https://i.redd.it/469hjiwz3ga21.jpg
- Paperweight 7y ago
  Haha, I mean if they'd actually improved every part that prematurely broke on the Lada for the past 40 years it would probably be the perfect car by now XD But Henry Ford lost this argument 90 years ago when GM proved that styling newness trumps all other factors when it comes to sales.
tonyedgecombe 7y ago
Isn't that pretty much Toyotas modus operandi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Toyota_Way https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Toyota_Way
jborichevskiy 7y ago
An interesting parallel here to continuously refactoring a codebase versus doing a big rewrite.

vneur 7y ago

Continual small improvements is exactly what Tesla does. That's why so many of the small issues listed in the article have since been fixed (as the article points out).

frosted-flakes 7y ago

There kind of is. The Chevrolet Express/GMC Savannah vans have remained largely the same since the late 1990s. The design of the headlights and grill have changed a few times, and there are several different versions of the engines, but stuff like brake systems, heater controls and fans, seats, instrument panel, etc. are more or less the same. I don't think GM makes passenger versions anymore, but the cargo vans are still super common in my area (southern Ontario).

Paperweight 7y ago
Have they actually improved its weaknesses, though, besides upgrading the engine from time to time? For example, today I replaced a front wheel hub-bearing on a FWD car. These are designed with a cast steering knuckle that the axle goes through. The bearing assembly is mounted on the front of the bore, the axle goes through the bore into the hub-bearing from the back, and there's a little seal on the back of the bore that the axle rides on. Diagram: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Steering_knuckle_diagram.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Steering... The weakness is that water inevitably gets into the bore around the back seal (since the axle moves around a bit) and the only way out is through the bearing out the front. It rusts out. Nobody has improved this design for the past 50 years, as far as I am aware. Perhaps a weep hole? Perhaps they need to be completely filled with grease?

winrid 7y ago

Like a Lada? https://i.redd.it/469hjiwz3ga21.jpg https://i.redd.it/469hjiwz3ga21.jpg

Paperweight 7y ago
Haha, I mean if they'd actually improved every part that prematurely broke on the Lada for the past 40 years it would probably be the perfect car by now XD But Henry Ford lost this argument 90 years ago when GM proved that styling newness trumps all other factors when it comes to sales.

tonyedgecombe 7y ago

Isn't that pretty much Toyotas modus operandi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Toyota_Way https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Toyota_Way

jborichevskiy 7y ago

An interesting parallel here to continuously refactoring a codebase versus doing a big rewrite.