Re: Snow Tires

[Sean Reifschneider <jafo@tummy.com>]

>there are 2 very different ways of using a VC:
>1) as *the* center diff/transfer case  
>2) as a slip limiter on a conventional diff.
>those examples you list are (2), while the 911C4, volvo, vw syncro are
>(1).  

The examples I listed were NOT limited slip diffs on 2WD cars.  Perhaps
I misunderstand what you're saying, but these cars have a viscous coupling
center differential which then sends power to the front and/or rear diff
which may or may not be limited slip.

A 2WD with LSD helps a bit, but not a whole lot.  Perhaps it helps more
in a FWD, but my RX-7 with LSD still would spin the wheels at every
opportunity, EVEN with snow shoes on.

>i would consider this a part time system, because most of the time it
>is effectively 2wd and the system engages drive to the rear wheels
>only under slip conditions.  the only difference between this and

Perhaps.  However, I'd say that if it walks like a 4WD and quacks like
a 4WD, it's a 4WD...  The BMW 325ix (now out of production) which used
the VC was actually rated slightly higher than the Audi 90 10v in one of
the car rags testing of various cars in nasty conditions.  It accelerated
faster than the Audi for one thing.  Seemed pretty effective to me...
I've driven a Mitsu Eclipse AWD in the snow (with pretty racy tires on it),
and it did a great job.  In fact, it was one of the first cars I'd ever
been in that was 4WD in the snow.  It did a great job of convincing me...

That said, I do prefer the torsen...  I'd like it to be torsen center
and rear, but the A4 I drove in the snow seemed to do the job VERY
effectively.

Sean
-- 
"We just wanted to give the band a little more thrust than most other bands."
        - Donald Fagen's reply to why they chose the band name 'Steely Dan'
Sean Reifschneider, Inimitably Superfluous <jafo@tummy.com>
URL: <http://www.tummy.com/xvscan>  HP-UX/Linux/FreeBSD X11 scanning software.