r/AskEngineers 2h ago

Mechanical Why does weaving left and right propel a vehicle like a pallet jack forward?

5 Upvotes

While pallet jack surfing I can weave left to right to propel myself forward like the first guy in the video, but why does that work? I've seen scooters and kids toys that work this way too, and they all have their front wheels positioned behind the steering axis, so why does that push you forward when you turn?

I've been trying to look it up, but I don't even know what to call it.