Date:         Thu, 20 Jun 1996 11:56:24 -0400 (EDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         John Pertalion <ap12536@xx.acs.appstate.edu>
Subject:      Re: performance tires

On Wed, 19 Jun 1996, Jeffrey Olson wrote:

> In 1973 when I got my '66 camperbus I used to practice breaking loose the
> rear end going around the "gloriettas" or in less colorful language,
> traffic circles in Stockton, CA.  I had 185x14" radials of low quality.  I
> never came close to rolling the vehicle on dry streets.  I once did two
> near perfect 360s in a row around a glorietta about 50' in diameter with
> five people in the bus who spent most of the time hanging on or tumbling.
> 
> I found the key to safe sliding is making sure you break the rear end
> loose before the lean gets too radical.

Many years ago a friend I was riding with went power-sliding around a turn on 
a dirt road in a '65 micro bus.  When I got home I immediately went out to 
practice in my '70 bubble window. (Hey! I was in high school. It seemed 
important to learn at the time.)  After my confidence built up, we had a 
go at it with both vehicles.  Almost like racing, except we were driving 
buses.

Breaking the rear end loose is a great trick to play when driving 
someone else's bus.  The reaction usually goes through several stages:
1)Screaming and yelling. "Pull over; you're never driving my bus 
again!"
2)Much simmering anger while calming down.
3)Chilled out.  Then the question; "Now how exactly did you do that?"
      

John Pertalion	
AP12536@XX.ACS.APPSTATE.EDU
Boone, North Carolina, USA