Re: Tires for 4kq

[jackr@internet.kronos.com]

>Lst winter was my first with a Quattro (1986-4000cs-quattro), and it was 
...well differnt!  I bought all new 
>P-600 m/s tires for and they are great in the dry, sand, rain.  But kinda 
sucked in the snow... just drifted 
>along, it helped if I switched the center dif on (number 1-mode) waht would 
happen is the rear always seemed 
>to have more traction, kinda a like a RWD?  When the center dif was locked in 
it helps quite a bit but the 
>dealer I bought it from siad it wasn't good to that dail....only under stuck 
conditions????  

>My questions:

>1)I live in Nw-Conn in the hills and waht is a GOOD tire for years round, I 
can't afford to have two sep. sets 
>of tires (space & $) so should I get ???????? brand/size(would like to stick 
with factory size 195/60-14 i 
>think?)

>2)What are the do's and don't on that selector switch Mode 1 and 2 and when Can
I use with killing my AWD??
     
     I assume that these correspond to center-lock, and both center and rear 
     lock.  See below.

>3)Waht is the torq split front vs rear and why was my car handleing like RWD in
the snow???  Since then I 
tested it quite crudely --  In sand I just let her go (4000RPM 1st) and I had 
two set of roaster tails..  And 
had all four wheels off ground and both sets moved (only the pass side I 
think???)  

     My owners manual (84 4kq) said to run with the center diff on in slippey 
     conditions such as snow.  There was no maximum speed mentioned for this. 
     I always use my center differetial lock in the snow. The rear 
     differential lock is to be used only if you are stuck.  Pay attention if 
     you are pulling off a snowy road into a plowed parking lot, or from a 
     snowy road onto a main road that is cleared.  I once couldn't turn the 
     car in a cleared parking lot because I had too much traction and the 
     diff locks won't turn off instantly.  (With the differential lock(s) on, 
     you can only drive in a straight line without the tires slipping.)
     
     Torque split is 50/50, but without the differential locked, all power 
     can and will be transfered to the wheel(s) with the least traction.  
     Since you have power to the rear wheels, you can fishtail in a corner 
     just like a RWD car by applying too much power.  (Once this happens, you 
     may just be putting all your power to the rear wheels if your diffs are 
     unlocked.)  With a little practice, you'll learn to 4-wheel drift, 
     instead of just fishtail.
     
     A word of warning.  AWD isn't magic.  It's just better than 2WD.  Don't 
     go too fast - you can't stop any better.  It took me a couple of winters 
     to realize this.  As wimpy as our little 4kq engines are, in snow it's 
     like a 700HP race car, except in slow motion.  You can break traction in 
     all 4 wheels by mashing the gas.  This is fun, if there are only soft 
     snowbanks to crash into, and not fun if surrounded by cars or or other 
     hard obstacles.
     
     Jack Rich
     84 4000 Q
     88 Corvette convertible
     90 V8 Q