Hey Stuart,

Locked the rear diff, and I don’t have front diff locker so I was spinning 3wheels. Yes it was unusual conditions, the crust seemed ( but of course wasn’t) almost strong enough to support van. 

The vc was, and still is, on the slightly aggressive side of things. It was doing its job then.

Alistair

> On Jan 2, 2018, at 4:53 PM, <stuartmacm@gmail.com> <stuartmacm@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> That is an extreme condition.  Not being familiar with Syncros, what does the "locker" do?  Lock the VC? The 4x4 drive truck I had years ago with locking front hubs, locking rear diff, and a "hard" coupling between front and rear had the wheels turning and churning equally, each getting 1/4 of the full power, but this is only useable at low speed in extreme conditions.  Would the locker mated with a Peloquin limited slip diff equal this on a Syncro?
> 
> Inquiring minds want to know.
> 
> Stuart
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Alistair Bell
> Sent: Tuesday, January 2, 2018 11:37 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Locking differential
> 
> Got stuck on the flat in similar snow. Very hard crust and about a foot or more of soft loose cold snow below. Locker and mod aggressive vc didn’t get me further forward. Got backed out finally.
> 
> Maybe chains on the front would have helped but the crust acted like chocks.
> 
> Alistair
> 
>> On Jan 2, 2018, at 10:53 AM, Mark McCulley <mark.mcculley@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>> 
>> I also have Nokian WRG's 215/60/16 and got quite a bit of experience 
>> with them on snow and ice this past 2 weeks in Montana. They were 
>> really good on hard ice and moderately deep snow (4" or so). However 
>> in deeper wet snow (>
>> 6") I encountered some problems. There were several times when enough 
>> snow was pushed in front of the tires that the van could not climb 
>> over and got stuck. I had to dig out in front of the tires to get 
>> moving again. Locking diff and granny low did not help. I did not try 
>> airing down the tires. Got stuck going uphill as well as downhill 
>> (driveway). The weather situation was 10" or so of powder, that 
>> developed a wind-slab crust, then got wet and consolidated when 
>> temperature went above freezing for a while. Glad I had a shovel!
>> 
>> https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO-IyI4DPWtobAfb2gBFtf8gQecpfyysg
>> 9gydlG 
>> https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNOl3uAVHihRA5Lov8irvNYL6iOYapH7_
>> -lY2PD
>> 
>> -Mark
>> 
>> On Mon, Jan 1, 2018 at 9:39 PM, Stephen Edwards 
>> <chibicyclist@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> Thank you Dennis and David.
>>> 
>>> What are the other options exactly? I didn’t know there was more than one!
>>> 
>>> As to the tires, I have new 15” wheels from Van-Cafe with Nokian 
>>> WRG’s, which right now are doing quite well in the Chicago snow 
>>> (we’re getting hit with sub zero temps, and I mean sub zero 
>>> Fahrenheit - brrrrrr). I don’t really want to go any knobbier if I can help it.
>>> 
>>> Steve.
>>> 
>>>> David Boan wrote:
>>> 
>>>> I had my transaxle rebuilt a few years ago at German Transaxle, and 
>>>> did
>>> the "super-differential" upgrade.  I dont tow anything, but notice 
>>> improved traction when climbing on steep forest service roads, and on snow and ice.
>>> I dont have any hard numbers, just my impression.
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> On Jan 1, 2018, at 11:07 PM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> If willing to go for that kind of coin you may want to look at one 
>>>> of
>>> the other limited slip differential options. That would offer 
>>> something more useful than just locking the rear at low speeds and 
>>> extreme conditions. I would also ask what you are using for tires? 
>>> Without traction sufficient for the task you could just end up with 2 
>>> tires spinning sinking you into the sand even faster. The Syncro 
>>> lockers are robust but they do take a little tricking to get them 
>>> locked when needed. Engage at low speed while swerving gently side to 
>>> side to get the fingers to line up and slide in before you get stuck. 
>>> Some side to side is sometimes needed to get them to unlock.
>>>> 
>>>> Dennis
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On 
>>>> Behalf
>>> Of Stephen Edwards
>>>> Sent: Monday, January 1, 2018 11:38 PM
>>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>>> Subject: Locking differential
>>>> 
>>>> Vanagon list:
>>>> 
>>>> What’s the verdict on lockers? I have an 88 GL with a Subie 
>>>> installed
>>> and occasionally need to pull a boat out of the water. The place 
>>> where I go has a sandy beach and the rear wheels get stuck every 
>>> time. I need a rebuilt tranny anyway, but I’m told that adding a 
>>> locking diff will add
>>> $1500 to the cost. Is it worth it? And aside from the cost - are 
>>> there any other downsides to having one?
>>>> 
>>>> Steve, in Chicago.
>>> 
>