[Spridgets] SUV's

[JLC]

Dave wrote:  my wife claims she can drive a 2WD/LSD through most places as 
well as a  4WD with an average driver. She seems to be able to 
demonstrate this fact on demand too. :-)
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I think most drivers will do very well in snow and slippery conditions with
a front wheel drive car.

Worse off are the drivers of high powered rear wheel drive cars with an open
diff and little weight on the rear... I vividly remember a 1973 Ford Capri
with a 289 Ford stuffed in it trying to go up a hill in snowy Derbyshire!
That was long before the advent of traction control and  electronic
stability control, now offered under so many names by various manufacturers.


Your wife is right. I wonder if we need four wheel drive on a road car at
all, now that many cars are fitted with LSD diffs, traction and electronic
stability control, much better suspensions and tires than even fifteen years
ago. My experience of four wheel drive vehicles is that they give you an
edge for starting off (better traction), but not for turning or stopping.
Off road though, the clearance of a 4x4 truck or SUV, and the four wheel
drive extra traction,  that helps! I forgot how important tires were though.
I recently drove a two wheel drive pickup with Blizzak winter tires on the
snow, and the difference with my own pickup on all season tires surprised
me. It's not only the design of the tread, but the very pliable, soft rubber
composition of the winter tires that makes the difference. My all season
tires were rock hard in the cold.

My only 4x4 and my only SUV is my Expedition, and that will from now only be
used to go to the mountains in winter. It is too old to have stability
control (I think they started that in 2003 for the Expy), but I have not
crashed it in over 10 years of ownership...touch wood!  High clearance, lots
of space for skis and stuff, four wheel drive and snow tires to cope with
the conditions off road, and as I don't drive it much nowadays, putting fuel
in it does not hurt my wallet too much! It's stock except for a brake
controller (for my twin axle car trailer) and high intensity headlights.

JLC
1970 Lotus Seven S4 Twin Cam - fun roadster, out for a "blat" at least once
a fortnight, no matter how cold it is
1975 Bricklin SV1 (being fixed more often than driven) - gull wing oddity
1992 Chevrolet Silverado 1 ton, extended cab, long bed - hauling, trailering
the tractor and implements
1998 Ford Expedition 4x4 Eddie Bauer - "Mountain Cruiser", trailering (Lotus
and Bricklin)
2000 Chevrolet Astro Van - "dogmobile" for vet and "dog show" trips,  wife's
"shopmobile"