- Joined
- Nov 26, 1999
- Messages
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Ongoing question this time of year in the mountains....when going down a slick snow covered (or icy) hill....do YOU kick it in neutral, or go to lower gear?
What say you?
What say you?
I solved that problem by moving back to Kansas 25 years ago. We don't have any hills here
Live in the South. What is this ice that you speak of? Nevermind scratch that stay where you are we've got enough ice bound yankees headed this way as it is...
There's an art to winter driving that will only come with experience. It's all dependent on the ability of your wheels to get traction, and that can vary from top to middle to bottom of the hill. Very generally speaking, in gear is better, but, the engine braking effect experienced in gear can cause the front or rear wheels to slide if they hit ice or excessively slippery snow/slush. If that's the case, experience will tell you whether to hit the clutch or give it some throttle to pull the front end in the right direction.
All this varies even further depending on whether or not you have front, rear, or four wheel drive, and whether you have posi' or not.
Start with small hills, bracketed by shallow ditches and no trees and get used to what can happen. Or, get jiggy in a mall parking lot after dark, getting to grips with how your vehicle moves when it loses traction.
I saw a utilities truck going down a hill once with his wheels periodically spinning in reverse. He either totally knew what he was doing, or he just lucked out while trying what looked to me like a crazy-ass maneuver. Either way, it worked for him.
The problem with you southerners is that when it does snow (less than 1") no one knows how to deal with it...We Yankees love it
Yeah, right! When did this happen?
I was stationed in Connecticut back in 1977-78. I drove from the base to my apartment in Springfield, MA. through a blizzard that paralyzed the entire state of CT for three days. The funny part was, I was driving a Triumph GT-6 with four inches of ground clearance and passing mid-size cars abandoned on the road. I really wondered how a place that gets snow every year could have that many drivers with no clue how to drive in it.
At least we have the excuse of inexperience
The problem with you southerners is that when it does snow (less than 1") no one knows how to deal with it...We Yankees love it