Date:         Thu, 13 Aug 1998 23:32:59 -0400
Reply-To:     John Anderson <janderson@IOLINC.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         John Anderson <janderson@IOLINC.NET>
Subject:      Re: Rollover potential?
Comments: To: D1ARCHER@AOL.COM, vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I've rolled an '86 GL, and I frequently drive my vans like a madman.  Comes
from when I was jumping from the Corrado to Vanagon and back every other
day, found myself driving them the same way, but the Van is more fun, rear
wheel drive and whatnot.

On a serious note, with proper C rated tires you got to get a Van hanging
WAY, WAY out before you will do anything and you will swear to god from the
tremendous body lean (though less on Vanagons than Buses, and less on a post
'87 with lowered suspension) that you have already rolled LONG before you
hit the limit.  Things that can change this though, understeer/oversteer
tendancy is drastically effected by front tire pressure, and an imbalance of
front pressure (say letting one fall to the mid 20's while the other is up
where it belongs) can cause terrifying handling characteristics.  An
imbalance of load ratings front to rear can cause similar grief.  But
generally you will back off long before you come anywhere near rolling.  The
exception (mine when I was a bit younger) never ever let off the throttle in
a turn on a patch of glare ice (or I guess slick gravel, etc.)  You are
driving a fair equivalent handling wise of a 911, with a whole lot less
power, but with a higher CG and even worse weight distribution, and that
back end will come round on you monstrously under such conditions as Porsche
had to explain (trailing throttle oversteer) in '65? and again in '76?.  Of
course you might recover unless you are unlucky enough to catch a rear wheel
on a drain culvert in the median, then over you go.

But the van handles a roll quite well, even 2.5 rolls from about 50 mph.

John
janderson@iolinc.net