Hmmmm?

Shocks? Westy?  More moisture in your snow than in Utah?

Inquiring minds kneed to no?

Tom-probably get stuck today w/ new snow falling?

On Dec 30, 2009, at 11:20 AM, miguel pacheco wrote:

> Tom, that's funny, I have those Hakkas on my 2wd and you just say the
> words 'snow and ice' and it starts spinning. We are here in Durango,
> Co. where it is not as harsh a winter as Denver, but we do have
> mo'hills. Chains are the way to go, completely transforming the
> vehicle from a dangerous projectile. Wolf Creek Pass is no problem
> with these modern, easy to install chains, that are available in these
> modern times.
> Miguel
>
> 'In heaven all the interesting people are missing.'
>  - Friedrich Nietzsche
>
>
>
> On Wed, Dec 30, 2009 at 11:08 AM, Tom Buese <tombuese@comcast.net>
> wrote:
>> FWIW, the best snow or M & S tires really do help & are a lot cheaper
>> than the LSD? The difference between my old Michelin LTX  M & S tires
>> & my current Hakka CS M & S tires is like night & day. I too am an
>> old
>> time snow driver having lived in Steamboat Springs for 4 years,
>> Denver
>> for 3 more years, & Salt Lake City for 34 years.
>>
>> My 84 Westy used to be worthless w/ the Michelins even in the city &
>> up at high altitude even worse.  Now I can handle  10% grades covered
>> w/ snow/ice almost as good as a real car! LOL
>>
>> I have never had to put chains on any of my VW buses over the
>> years, &
>> even tho I have a pair of chains for the westy,  don't even carry
>> them
>> in the vehicle any more.
>>
>> I wonder if something else is the issue in your 84?
>>
>> YMMV,
>>
>> Mr. BZ
>>
>>
>>
>> On Dec 30, 2009, at 10:46 AM, John Rodgers wrote:
>>
>>> Dunno about Westy's, but the regular vans like my 88 GL are well
>>> balanced over front and rear tires, and this doesn't exert much
>>> force on
>>> the rear tires. From all I have read, and taling a bit with Daryll
>>> at AA
>>> Ttansaxle - the only way to get it in a conventional drive Vanagon
>>> is to
>>> go to the posi-rear end. Should do the trick and be the very next
>>> best
>>> thing to 4X4 drive. Pricey, however - but maybe worth it.
>>>
>>> My $0.02
>>>
>>> John Rodgers
>>> Clayartist and Moldmaker
>>> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
>>> Chelsea, AL
>>> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Don Hanson wrote:
>>>>
>>>> One of the few areas where I fault my 84 Vanagon manual tranny low-
>>>> top
>>>> 'westie' is it's lack of ability to go.  I am now committed to
>>>> 'saving up'
>>>> for a limited slip diff.
>>>>
>>>> I am a very good snow driver.  I lived over 20 years in Jackson
>>>> Hole,
>>>> Wyoming and drove to work at the ski area every day.  My Ski Patrol
>>>> job had
>>>> me arriving there at  an ungodly hour to shoot the avalanche
>>>> control guns on
>>>> stormy mornings, so my commute was often before any snow plows,
>>>> through
>>>> drifts white-out storms, etc.  I had a variety of vehicles during
>>>> those
>>>> years, not one a 4wd and yet I rarely got stuck or couldn't make it
>>>> where I
>>>> needed to go.
>>>>
>>>>  But this Vanagon really frustrates me.  It's simply not good at
>>>> all...in
>>>> fact it is 'amazingly' poor.  I keep trying, thinking "Hey, it
>>>> can't be THAT
>>>> bad, maybe if I_______ this time" and like that.  It feels like it
>>>> should do
>>>> OK.  I've been over all the suspension looking for reasons why it
>>>> sucks..I
>>>> have decent tires.  The "open differential" must be waay more open
>>>> than any
>>>> other vehicle I have ever owned..Even my old long bed 2wd six
>>>> cylinder ford
>>>> pickup had better wintertime traction without any weight at all in
>>>> the
>>>> back...."Amazing"..
>>>>  Just yesterday I tried again to 'leave our Hill' in the Vanagon
>>>> with a
>>>> little snow (about 3-5") on our gravel driveway.  Couldn't make it
>>>> back
>>>> up...missed by about 20' and had to go get the pickup to tow it up
>>>> the rest
>>>> of the way.
>>>>  Even with Nokian Hakka M+S with decent tread and a  rear decklid
>>>> loaded
>>>> with ballast (480lbs of stove pellet bags) the van just would not
>>>> make the
>>>> grade...The van is virtually useless with any snow whatsoever.  I
>>>> had to
>>>> 'un-mothball' my diesel Ford truck!  I must be beyond the "Denial"
>>>> stage
>>>> finally.
>>>>
>>>>  Don Hanson
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>