Date: Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:46:16 -0600
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Traction? Not very much
In-Reply-To: <6bc66ccf0912300902v6607b74dk5b2bbe9f22c49ab7@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Dunno about Westy's, but the regular vans like my 88 GL are well
balanced over front and rear tires, and this doesn't exert much force on
the rear tires. From all I have read, and taling a bit with Daryll at AA
Ttansaxle - the only way to get it in a conventional drive Vanagon is to
go to the posi-rear end. Should do the trick and be the very next best
thing to 4X4 drive. Pricey, however - but maybe worth it.
My $0.02
John Rodgers
Clayartist and Moldmaker
88'GL VW Bus Driver
Chelsea, AL
Http://www.moldhaus.com
Don Hanson wrote:
> 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
>
>
>
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