This is one of the reasons I like selectable 4wd.  In my Suzuki, I stay in
2wd most of the time.  That way I have 4wd to get me unstuck.  In the
Syncro, I use the locker much the same way, but that only helps if it's the
rear that's slipping.

Raymond

On 9/5/07, Reinhard Vehring <rvehring@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Ah, yes. Same thing here. The more traction you have
> the more stuff you try that was totally impossible
> before. Usually I get stuck running out of ground
> clearance. It's really quite hopeless. Lot's of dirt
> roads now have ruts the size of the San Andreas Fault,
> because people power their monster trucks through. I
> remember driving a Syncro with lockers across an
> unpaved parking lot, not knowing it was the local
> truck playground. Bad mistake! I ended up sliding into
> the mother of all holes. I was determined to free
> myself without external help, but when a tow truck
> happened to come buy, I caved in. I was covered in mud
> and had tried about everything I could think of. The
> guy said something like: "Why would anyone try to
> drive off the pavement with such a thing" Ouch!
> Lesson learned, or not. A couple weeks later I got
> stuck standing my Westy on the front bumper, front
> wheels off the ground, no steering, not enough
> traction to go back up and no winch point anywhere
> near. No way to get a second vehicle behind the van
> and no access to any recovery point on the front. Very
> funny situation. Took quite a while to get out of
> that. It involved major landscaping.
> Lesson learned, or not ...
>
> Reinhard
>
> 83 "Half-Syncro" Westy, Moose.
>
>
> --- Dave Vickery <davevickery@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
> > Wet grass is maybe the worst situation.  Almost
> > embarrassing to be on a flat
> > grassy area and be stuck!  Better tires help the
> > most though.  Blizzak snow
> > tires made an amazing difference in the snow for me.
> >  All terrain tires were
> > good for dirt.  But once the weight shift to lighten
> > one side, you are in 1
> > wheel drive on the least tractioned wheel.  For me
> > that was unworkable.  I
> > got stuck 9 times the last summer I owned my 2WD
> > Automatic westy.  4 times
> > required towing.  At Glen Canyon Rec Area in the mud
> > down by the water, I
> > needed to be pulled 10 feet and it was $150.00
> > (Minimum charge).  Now I have
> > AAA a syncro and a winch.  If I get stuck now, it is
> > in more interesting
> > predicaments.  Last time, wedged up against a tree
> > on a steep hill, in a
> > huge hole rocking with two wheels off the ground.
> >
> > Dave in Denver
> > 2.5 Syncru
> >
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >From: Vanagon Mailing List
> > [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> > >Don Hanson
> > >Sent: Monday, September 03, 2007 8:23 PM
> > >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > >Subject: Some ride height and suspension
> > observations..
> > >
> > >   Today I began working on the traction issue with
> > my 84..Unlike
> > >me..because
> > >I usually wait till there is snow on the ground
> > before I try to address
> > >issues like poor traction, etc..but I recalled last
> > fall, trying to back up
> > >on slick grass to get into my shop with the van,
> > and also chaining up to
> > >make a silly little hill.. I lived in the Rockies
> > for over 20 years and I
> > >NEVER had to chain up..but with the van, I can't
> > even make my driveway when
> > >it gets slick...
> > >   A few observations:  First, the rear suspension
> > travel is pretty
> > >pathetic,
> > >at least on my 84 it seems to be.  Didn't measure
> > it for 'droop', but it
> > >seems like the rear wheels only have a few inches
> > of travel.  So I'm
> > >guessing it takes very little to lift a wheel  or
> > at least greatly diminish
> > >the weight on a rear corner...
> > >    I had a feeling my van was not very well
> > balanced, corner to corner.
> > >I've noticed that the right rear wheel always seems
> > to spin with ridiculous
> > >ease in low traction situations.  I could see, with
> > my carpenters eye, that
> > >the left front seemed a bit low and the right rear
> > seemed high..So, I took
> > >my tape and did a 'quick and dirty' check.  Indeed,
> > the left front was low,
> > >the right rear was high..by about an inch..Now, I
> > know measuring body
> > >panels
> > >is not accurate, but I think this van is so wacky
> > that it gave me a place
> > >to
> > >start..
> > >   Now all the previous ride height adjustments
> > I've made have been on true
> > >coil over suspensions, and what I wanted  was to
> > lower either the right
> > >front or the left rear, in order to even up the
> > load on all four
> > >wheels...Like cutting off the legs of a rocking
> > table, right?  Looking at
> > >the front suspension..no deal there..Too complex
> > and not any provisions for
> > >adjusting the ride height (or the load on
> > wheel)..So, to the back I went,
> > >thinking to extend the spring, at least for now, on
> > the right rear, the one
> > >that has  almost no load on the wheel...Actually
> > lowering the left rear is
> > >what I wanted, but that was not looking easy at
> > all.
> > >   So, I jacked it up under the bottom of the
> > a-arm, compressing the spring
> > >at the right rear.  Clamped the coils and released
> > the shock, then dropped
> > >the A-arm, making some room at the top of the
> > spring to add two 1/8"
> > >aluminum plate donuts as spacers..
> > >   We shall see if that improves the traction any,
> > by putting a more even
> > >load onto the rear wheels...actually kinda like
> > sticking a matchbook under
> > >the kitchen table to stop it from rocking...
> > >   Not quite as precise as putting my Porsche
> > racecar onto four digital
> > >scales and adjusting the coil overs to within a lbs
> > or two, corner to
> > >corner...but maybe now I will be able to back up on
> > grass, at least as a
> > >start...
> > >   Don Hanson
> >
> >
> _________________________________________________________________
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>
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