Good question, but I would reason that the VC takes its "input" from the
front tires/axles and compares it to the speed of the drive line (otherwise
tire size wouldn't be as important, right?).  If the driveline is moving
*faster* relative to the fronts, only then the VC would kick in.  With the
drive line removed, the drive line would be moving *slower* relative to the
front tires/axles.   I have to assume that VW/SDP engineers, in their
infinite  wisdom, planned on this...

 Just taking a stab in the dark - I'm sure some of you engineer-types
already have this one figured out (and exhaustively documented)  :-)

Brent Christensen
'89 GL Syncro Westy "Klaus"
'91 Taurus SHO (For Sale)
'95 Cherokee Sport

----- Original Message -----
From: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, April 12, 1999 8:25 PM
Subject: Re: Syncro and Long Trip w/o Front Drive Shaft?

> I have often pondered this in my head, somehow I think you may be driving
> with your VC locked the whole way if you removed your drive shaft.  I
could
> be wrong with my theory but, if there VC is speed dependant when it locks
> then 0km/h + 100km/h = locked VC, if there is nothing spinning the input
> due to no drive shaft and the out put is spinning away due to driving then
> wouldn't it lock?
>
> Personally I wouldn't worry about it.  Volkswagen drove a Syncro around
the
> Germany with no rear axles, making it a front wheel drive for the whole
> trip.  Supposededly no problems after doing that kind of abuse.
>
> Just my confused 0.02 worth.
>
> At 19:12 12/04/1999 -0300, Malcolm Stebbins wrote:
> >I am planning a long trip - Nova Scotia to Arizona - and back this
> >summer.  I have no plans for needing the 4WD except for maybe 2
> >weeks in Arizona and New Mexico.    My questions are:
> >
> >1)  would you recommend removing the front drive shaft for the trip
> >    (I can carry it with me and reinstall if/when I need it).
> >
> >2)  Any damage in driving long periods w/o the front drive shaft?
> >    (my goal is to save the wear and tear on the VC and drive shaft
> >    if not needed)
> >
> >Yes, I have the posts about removing and re-installing the front
> >drive shaft.   Thanks,  Malcolm S
> >
> >
>
> --   David Marshall - Vanagon List Admin - Quesnel, BC, Canada   --
> --    78 VW Rabbit, 80 VW Caddy, 87 Audi 5KSQ, 85 VW Cabriolet   --
> --  88 2.0L VW Syncro Double Cab, WANTED: VW / Bombardier Iltis  --
> -- David's Volkswagen Home Page        http://www.volkswagen.org --
> -- Fast Forward Autobahn Sport Tuning  http://www.fastforward.ca --
> -- david@volkswagen.org (pmail) or vanagon@volkswagen.org (list) --