UPS frightened of the snow?

[The Natural Philosopher]

you go Dennis. even you should be able to see the slip.

For someone who always lays down chapter and verse on matters automotive, you appear to know sod all about it.

[Ian White]

I've met him, same as you've probably met our regular bloke (short, nut-brown face, silver hair) when they cover for each other. Real people doing a good job.

[dennis]

cadence breaking is the same as anti-lock, except anyone can do anti-lock. cadence breaking will not stop you as quickly as a wheel held just on the point of stopping as any engineer in the car industry will tell you. Its just extremely hard compared cadence braking.

That is because all tyres slip, even those on a bicycle. Its friction between a rotating body and a plane that causes it.

Nothing to do with driving on tarmac which is what you said.

They wouldn't do that if they could avoid it.

ABS is done the cheapest way possible on virtually every car. It has a sensor to detect wheel lockup and releases the brakes if it does, only to reapply them immediately the wheel starts to move. It does this because a wheel which is stopped has no directional control and you can't steer a car with the wheels locked. It has nothing to do with improving braking and in virtually every case makes braking less efficient but does allow the driver to steer the car.

I think you should change what you read if you are quoting stuff you have read.

[dennis]

So. I didn't say there wasn't slip only that they don't want it. Unless you perfect a better tyre there will be unavoidable slip. If you do perfect a better tyre they will be able to up the engine power and still have slip. It does not mean there is more grip because they slip as you have stated.

[Bruce]

A Jag, eh? Nasty little rep's car. ;-)

[Andy Champ]

This turns out not to be the case. Well not completely.

Quaife (a well respected brand) will do you limited slip diffs for £585. Not cheap indeed, but not impossible - certainly not in a 20 grand car. Presumably they're a good bit less when fitted as original equipment.

But they don't waste power. When you aren't slipping a wheel they are just spinning idly doing nothing much at all.

But on getting stuck - my 10 year old MR2 ought to be one of the worst possible cars for this weather. Fat low profile tyres, no traction control, too much power(1) rear wheel drive, mid engine so when it goes it GOES...

and yet the biggest problems I have had have been down to traffic.

There is that old sailor's saying: The biggest cause of failure is the nut on the end of the tiller. I'm sure there is a version for cars.

Andy

[Dave Liquorice]

Little

Yep I think so. Covering for eeach other or just variation on the areas covered to prevent boredum doing the same roads day in day out.

Agreed, it's good to see the same drivers, it indicates that the company is good employer as people stay with them and out in the sticks it provides a better service as they know where places are. Never see a Parcel Force driver twice.

[tony sayer]

Dunno round here (Cambridge), they've been rather good. And you can take parcels top their local depot which is difficult to do with most all other courier services 'cos there out in the sticks..

[Huge]

Did your missing footnote read "[1] Not really. There's no such thing as too much power".

[Andy Champ]

Close. It read "This isn't usually an issue".

The other day when I got wheelspin on the drive on tickover, _then_ I had too much power. But of course I can throw it away with the clutch.

Andy

[Mike]

*Except* on freshly fallen snow.

and anyway 'slightly locked' isn't any different to completely locked.