At  1/14/2008 12:47 PM, Trooz wrote:
>No one has mentioned a problem with the front wheels locking up in snow/ice.
>Am I the only one?  I hate to drive mine in the snow because getting it
>stopped is going to be scary.  Once the roads get sanded--cindered, in our
>case--it's much easier, but on ice?  Forget it.  I've even thought about
>maybe putting chains on the front.  Haven't done it yet, but don't know why
>it wouldn't work.
>
>Bob Trousdale
>'90 Westy

With rear wheel drive, front disk brakes & ice what happens is you
take your foot off the gas and hit the brakes. With the front disks
doing 70% of the braking AND the ice the front wheels stop turning
but the engine is still connected to the drive (rear) wheels and they
are just spinning along merrily on the ice.
At the front end shop I worked at in Minnesota we used to watch the
rear wheel drive cars & trucks come up to the railroad tracks where
the people would try to slow down, the front tires sliding on the ice
and the rears just spinning away. Good fun to watch.
When dealing with ice put it in neutral or step on the clutch, you
want to take the engine power AWAY from the drive wheels when you try
to stop on the ice.

Rob

becida@comcast.net
Western Washington State, USA