Date:         Fri, 14 Mar 2003 09:50:58 -0700
Reply-To:     "Richard A. Jones" <Jones@COLORADO.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Richard A. Jones" <Jones@COLORADO.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Off-Roading in 2WD Vanagon
Comments: To: Nick Young <nickyoung@CHARTER.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

> Can you off-road in a 2WD 84' Vanagon?

I used to punch my '81 (air-cooled) up some pretty bad
primitive roads in Colorado and Utah.  The big problem
(compared to the earlier buses) is lifting a rear wheel
off the ground and hence having no traction.  That
is very easy to do, since the 2wd Vanagons don't have
much compliance--especially compared to a splitty with
swing axles and reduction gears!

Anyway, I did it a lot.  The secret (as in a lot of
Jeeping) is speed.  You have to have enough
momentum to get over the rough spots and gain traction
again.

Well, I did bend up some front suspension stuff and
broke lots of sway bar droplinks....

Finally I bought a Syncro.  ;-)

                           Richard A. Jones
                           Boulder, Colorado
                           '81 Vanagon   Mr Bus
                           '87 Syncro Westy   El Jefe