SOT: Which car to use in snow?

[bert]

I think we've seen the last of LR as provider of a workhorse 4x4.

[bert]

In article , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

More of your rubbish. Try reading the article. You're getting as bad as Harry. "With the DAF 600 - 55 each rear wheel was propelled individually by a pair of conical drums and drive belt with the effect of a limited slip differential: if a drive wheel on slippery road revs up, the other wheel can still transfer the full torque. This results in unusually good traction characteristics, which were also a reason for successes of the DAFs in rallies." Same on all models - mine was a 44.

[bert]

There's a light on the dash which mostly gives the accurate reflection of when the centre diff is locked. The gear lever may be in the unlocked position but the diff may still be locked.

Indeed.

[bert]

In article , T i m writes

Biggest single factor is tyre tread.

[Fredxx]

Not the one I worked on. I'm pretty sure the cones moved together. Any differential action was from belt slip.

I'm also wondering how you might achieve this 'independence'? There was a centrifugal element and another using inlet manifold vacuum move the cones. If you can provide some evidence.............

[bert]

The centrifugal effect was on the rear wheels only and adjusted the effective diameter of the rear pulley. They operated independently of each other. At least they did on the one I worked on and according to the Wiki article referred to elsewhere. The inlet manifold vacuum operated on the front pulleys so with a common input they worked together.

[Vir Campestris]

Really. It had two sets of coned pulleys, one for each wheel.

Andy

[NY]

I don't think anyone is doubting that the Daf/Volvo transmission had two sets of pulleys, one for each wheel. What some people are wondering is whether those pulleys can operate independently of each other or whether they are locked (maybe via common vacuum control line) to the same ratio.

From what some people are saying, they *can* select different ratios and so

*can* act as a limited slip differential.

[jgh]

And for an automatic car?

I've been driving an automatic through all sorts of depths of snow for years, I think I may have slipped into a habit of the correct method of snow driving without realising it, but I always worry I'm overestimating my driving ability.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Some autos allow you to start in a high gear on ice etc. Although not seen this on recent ones. I had a BMW E34 with the 5 speed ZF that started in

3rd gear with the winter setting selected.

[dennis]

You are, everyone does. Some more than others.

[bert]

In article , NY writes

Front both act from vacuum, rears are centrifugal according to individual wheel speed so produce a similar effect to limited slip diff.