What, if anything, does the FOAK recommend as action when suddenly finding one has no traction at the front at all? (in a car, specifcally, if that makes any difference) Obviously it's too late for this morning's off road experience, but maybe I can avoid it in future. TIA -- Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply) Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 2.0 TS (bent) Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk
Heh. Thing is the back *is* fun normally -- Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply) Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 2.0 TS Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk
Check Although a nice bloke in a tow truck happened past to get another car out of a ditch. He took us home for £30 vs £104 from the AA. -- Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply) Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 2.0 TS Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk
cadence braking. Or ABS. Too fast for me. I wasn't braking when it started either. Not even sure I had time to hit the brakes Aye -- Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply) Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 2.0 TS Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk
Noted, but again there wasn't time. Although SWMBO seemed to be making some kind of noise. She really hasn't got this passenger [1] thing down [1] In the racing sense -- Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply) Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 2.0 TS Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk
I would, but we don't have much. And we have no coolant due to the / front end interface. -- Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply) Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 2.0 TS Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk
I actually hurt myself more trying to put up the warning triangle in the hope that some other idiot wouldn't do what we did and slam into us. The car's a bit messy though Yes indeed. Sheet ice followed by a nice stretch of what looked like wet, but was, in fact, shiny ice. Indeed. I usually use it to practice my handbreak turns -- Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3 Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply) Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 2.0 TS Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk
As Bear says, it all depends on the circumstances, road conditions and vehicle - and your experience, confudence and ability. I was driving Elly yesterday morning when the sky darkened, wind rose and the snow descended. Within 10 minutes the (salted) roads were covered and the tyre tracks had turned into shiny slippery snail trails - and all the other drivers into snails. Traction was minimal, so (having had a bit of experience in snow when younger and a bit on grass/mud/gravel/shale in wrecks with cages) I took to the back roads where the traffic density was lighter. Second or third gear, max of 45mph or so, easing off to slow down and not using the brakes. Aiming the trajectory of the car towards where I wanted it to go even if all traction was lost. Cornering with power on after turning in early gives more options - and hand on the handbrake at all times so if the fucker goes in anywhere it goes in backwards, or at least slides into the verge or hedge sideways - or even bounces off the kerb back to where you want it. When traction was lost to the front, pointed the wheels where I wanted to go and applied a bit of gentle boot. If it didn't respond, a quick twitch of the handbrake to straighten up and then a good quick bootful got the car back in line. This is all very well in snow and when you're ready for it, but fuckall use on ice and when you're caught unawares. Neither is it devastatingly quick, but it did keep us out of the path of other road users and to an appointment almost on time. Snow chains.
Low revs, as high a gear as possible, and preferably a diesel (bigger, slower firing pulses help). Oops I spent last night in Rye, and came up to Tunbridge Wells on some of the most treacherous ice roads I have ever experienced in SE England. Now I've got a little experience of driving on snow and ice, so I wasn't too fussed, but I was alarmed at the bint in the Audi behind me who hadn't appreciated that when I was speeding up, it was only on straight stretches where I could see there wasn't any ice, and I was tippy-toeing round the corners, having not used the brakes but the gears to shrug off the speed (such as it was). One completely iced-over S-bend, and I felt the steering go light, but I'd killed the speed in advance. She hadn't, and in my mirrors I saw the Audi go sideways. Nothing coming the oher way, luckily, and equally amazingly, she didn't go into the scenery. And, and Big Balls Award to the nutter on the red 600 Diversion. The only bike I saw on the roads at all, and he must have had a gyroscope up his arse.
Aim for a convenient ditch and park your car on it's side. At least, that's what a bloke a couple of cars in front of me did this morning. Ah. Much damage?
With ice, you've usually got no chance of recovery without studded tyres. Normally, if you get into a front end slide on a front wheel drive car, easing off on the power, and straightening the wheels up a little will ease things back into line again. Bit chilly here today it was, chipping the ice off my seat / tank / clocks on the CG125 I was.
