SOT: Which car to use in snow?

[Mark]

even Land rovers get stuck in a small amout of snow with a DH behind the wheel

-

[Steve Walker]

They do. I'd had to buy two new tyres shortly before I changed vehicles and luckily they are the same spec, so I could actually transfer the almost new tyres to the new(er) car, which needed replacements straight away.

Unless something causes a change in plan, I should have this car for another 5 years or so, so the chains will still be available for emergencies.

SteveW

[bert]

On deep snow wider tyres are better. That's why Icelanders deflate so much.

[bert]

In article , Dave Liquorice writes

On the early RR the front valance was detachable for off road driving. Haven't seen many (any) Evoques off road.

[bert]

In article , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

The DAF had independent variable rear drive ratios.

[bert]

Other way round One wheel spin 3 standing still.

[bert]

Agreed

Agreed That is why axle diff lock is usually more effective than traction control.

Not if centre diff is unlocked. All torque goes to spinning wheel

Correct

Nope. The wheels on the other axle retain drive. What you say only applies if axles diffs are also locked.

Correct

Known as being cross axled. An axle diff lock solves the this problem

Very true!! The suppliers of my axle diff locks included hardened half shafts - and it was the wheel studs which sheared.

Crap LRs - the light may be out but the lock might still engaged (-:

[bert]

In article , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Not all RRs are 4 wheel drive these days.

[bert]

In article , charles writes

Failed hill climb on latest RRs I hear can be pretty interesting if you start sliding backwards. ABS releases the sliding wheels - and you can't engage reverse whilst the wheels are rotating. Or so I've heard. No personal experience.

[bert]

Not really Consistent with what has already been said on here.

[T i m]

I took my mate out for a spin in the snow down some quiet twisties in my MM Van and was generally getting about ok, all be it with the back end wandering about a bit (all pretty slowly of course). ;-)

When we got back mate decided we would try the same in his Mexico and on the first bend we went straight ahead, up the kerb and very close to a wall. ;-(

We decided narrow tyres and low power were best on snow covered roads. ;-)

The kitcar (MkII Escort based and looks like an old Suzuki Jimny) with it's fairly narrow M+S tyres, lower ratio diff and shorter wheelbase was also surprisingly good 'off road', especially mild mud and snow.

In one instance we (4 up) drove up a muddy track, onto a ploughed field and parked next to an old Landrover, because we didn't want to walk from the carpark where all the road cars and other 4x4's were parked?

Someone asked if it was a 4x4 and were surprised to hear is was basically just a RWD Ford Escort. ;-)

Similar in the snow. I was driving the kitcar about in the snow and whilst it was obviously slippery, everone else seemed to be going

*very* slowly and struggling on the slightest of inclines. I drove up and down the fresh snow on the fairly steep ramp to a multi-story car park with little fuss?

Then I came back and went out in the Sierra Estate (with it's std tyres) and suddenly realised why! I could hardly make it up the camber of the road. ;-(

It was because of this sort of thing (especially mud) that I suggested daughter fit 'All season - M+S' tyres on her van. Most tyres will work ok when the going is easy. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

Funny, I've just said the same elsewhere. ;-)

There weren't many other cars (or hills) about the time I took the van for a play in the proper snow so I couldn't really compare.

I did see a big 4x4 (possibly a RR) beach itself on the central reservation when trying to do a U turn on a blocked dual carriageway. ;-)

[T i m]

BIL took us in his Disco to an off-road event in Abingdon a few years ago. This wasn't us but this was the track:

At the gate there was a sign that said 'No Freelanders' ;-)

There were all sorts of (4x4) vehicles going round, possibly including Freelanders so it may have just been an 'in joke'?

We didn't get stuck once (2L auto, no difflocks, stock tyres) but we did ground the towbar out a couple of times.

We also did the mud splash at the end and it actually covered the bonnet and was up to the door handles. ;-)

Nephew insisted they just cleaned off the lights and number plates and BIL had to leave it like that for a couple of weeks. ;-)

The real shame was that I believe that even was the first and last time it was ever really taken off road (in his ownership at least). ;-(

Cheers, T i m

[Dave Liquorice]

This is one of the weird bits. Doesn't the stationary wheel with traction but no drive limit the rotation of the input shaft to that axles diff?

Again related to the weird behaviour with traction but no drive wheels.

I shall have to find my Lego Technik model and have a play again.

Center diff lock light? IIRC the lock is a dog clutch and can stick, particulary if there is any transmission wind up. Always worth driving straight for a few tens of yards and then backwards and forwards a few times after when disengaging.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Really?

[Dave Liquorice]

Makes sense, if it wasn't detachable it soon would be. B-) I was surprised the valance on the DII could bring the car to a halt with just an inch or so of packed snow pushd up in front of it and not suffer any damage. OK I stopped trying to proceed when it was obvious something was severly hindering progress and I simply backed away.

On most cars the valance would have flexed up and start to act as a rachet when trying to reverse making it a right PITA to get unstuck.

Land Rover have lost the plot. I don't know what I'd replace the current Freelander II (after two Discovery II's) with. The dealers I bought it from keep trying to buy it back and sell me a new Discovery Sport. Now if that "sell" was "give" and to the same spec as the FL II I might be interested but I doubt they'd be interested in giving me a £40,000 plus car in exchange for a 3 year old FL11 with 50,000+ miles on the clcok. B-)

[Sn!pe]

[...]

PMFJI

Some did: My mother had a DAF, way back when.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Certainly applied to one version - which was useless in very slippery conditions. All done to save the cost of a diff.

[T i m]

My first girlfriends Dad had a 'Daffodil' that I believe had the twin drive belt thing?

He never got to find out. Shortly after doing a full restoration he stopped to pick someone up and it was written off by a truck. ;-(

It's funny because the sounds and feelings of driving the Daffodil (or being driven rather) have since been reproduced for me with the CVT in my 250cc 4/ Yamaha scooter and the 2cyl Boxer engine of my old BMW motorbike. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[bert]

In article , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Yes really.