Date: Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:07:34 -0500
Reply-To: Allan Streib <streib@CS.INDIANA.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Allan Streib <streib@CS.INDIANA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Traction? Not very much
In-Reply-To: <6bc66ccf0912300902v6607b74dk5b2bbe9f22c49ab7@mail.gmail.com>
(Don Hanson's message of "Wed\, 30 Dec 2009 09\:02\:50 -0800")
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I have not driven very much in the snow in my 2WD, 4-speed GL, because I
like to keep it out of the salt. However in March of '08 I drove it
from Indiana to Florida with the first 200 miles or so of the trip going
through a pretty significant winter storm.... many inches of snow and
plowing not keeping up. I had on four brand new Hankook RA08 tires and
really had no trouble. I did have the whole family and luggage in the
van, but no extra weight otherwise. Saw many other cars spun off the
road, including a fair number of 4WD SUVs.
Allan
Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> writes:
> One of the few areas where I fault my 84 Vanagon manual tranny low-top
> 'westie' is it's lack of ability to go. I am now committed to 'saving up'
> for a limited slip diff.
>
> I am a very good snow driver. I lived over 20 years in Jackson Hole,
> Wyoming and drove to work at the ski area every day. My Ski Patrol job had
> me arriving there at an ungodly hour to shoot the avalanche control guns on
> stormy mornings, so my commute was often before any snow plows, through
> drifts white-out storms, etc. I had a variety of vehicles during those
> years, not one a 4wd and yet I rarely got stuck or couldn't make it where I
> needed to go.
>
> But this Vanagon really frustrates me. It's simply not good at all...in
> fact it is 'amazingly' poor. I keep trying, thinking "Hey, it can't be THAT
> bad, maybe if I_______ this time" and like that. It feels like it should do
> OK. I've been over all the suspension looking for reasons why it sucks..I
> have decent tires. The "open differential" must be waay more open than any
> other vehicle I have ever owned..Even my old long bed 2wd six cylinder ford
> pickup had better wintertime traction without any weight at all in the
> back...."Amazing"..
> Just yesterday I tried again to 'leave our Hill' in the Vanagon with a
> little snow (about 3-5") on our gravel driveway. Couldn't make it back
> up...missed by about 20' and had to go get the pickup to tow it up the rest
> of the way.
> Even with Nokian Hakka M+S with decent tread and a rear decklid loaded
> with ballast (480lbs of stove pellet bags) the van just would not make the
> grade...The van is virtually useless with any snow whatsoever. I had to
> 'un-mothball' my diesel Ford truck! I must be beyond the "Denial" stage
> finally.
>
> Don Hanson
>
--
1991 Vanagon GL
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