Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2015 20:03:48 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: AA Transaxle? German Transaxle? also Limited slip options?
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEuKMze6ocKeuMRdPB-CESc0=pUJBUzzEB3SaWa66gJTstg@mail.gmail.com>
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Ice especially if wet and inclines always make for some fun. Not only going but stopping and steering. Locking and limited slip diffs only help if you can get one of those tires on a different surface. If both tires can't get traction not much help and spinning both may actually make you go sideways even more.
On ice as compared to snow you as much tire as possible for contact to make some friction grip. A 185 width tire especially with a large void ration for clearing snow won’t help without studs or chains. My recommendation was a tire upgrade of a different size and design.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Don Hanson
Sent: Friday, November 6, 2015 10:44 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: AA Transaxle? German Transaxle? also Limited slip options?
Yes, good snow tires do help....but my Vanagon wants more.....I've had Nokians, brand new, they also get me stuck without any problem.....and I am a GOOD snow driver, having lived in Jackson Hole for over 20yrs and never owned a 4wd in all those years....My 1966 2wd long bed ford pickup had better traction than I have in this vanagon......
I put about 300lbs behind the rear seatback and that does help, but without a limited slip or chains, it is a toss up when I leave my "hill", a crap shoot as to whether I will be walking back up the icy drive at the end of the day....so the Vanagon isn't very useful during the winter season....
On Fri, Nov 6, 2015 at 7:17 AM, Richard A Jones <Jones@colorado.edu> wrote:
> Dennis wrote:
>
>> Before spending money on a fancy differential I would look at the =
>> tire-wheel combination. Fix the traction problem first.
>>
>
> I'll second this. I have a Peloquin in my '87 Syncro Westy and wish I
> had one in my '81 tintop. The '81 was my daily driver for 20
> years--many ski trips. Even with some concrete splash blocks in the
> rear, it was dicey and many times I had to put on chains. I had
> various kinds of "snow tires"--typically Vredestein.
>
> Well, it isn't my daily driver but I do still drive it some all year
> and a couple of years ago I put some studded Nokians on the rear and
> they made a HUGE difference. I'd still like a Peloquin in it, but
> with a Jeep Cherokee as my ski car, it is hard to justify....
>
> My take is that maybe snow tires are better today--easy to believe
> with rubber compound improvements and computer simulation tread
> designs--but that Nokians are EVEN better.
>
> Richard
> Boulder
>
> PS: all this on stock 14" rims.
>
