Re: AAAcKkkK!! Chains on a quattro!

["Matt Rooke" <Matt_Rooke@jtscorp.com>]

     One thing to keep in mind:  the quattro will help you accelerate and 
     go uphill, but is no value add over 2WD when braking or going 
     downhill.
     I used to have a ski cabin at the top of a long, steep hill.  I could 
     drive up the hill on ice, slush, deep snow, etc. with no problems.  
     But going back down was a different story.  After my roomate put his 
     Cherokee into the ditch one particularly bad morning, I went and 
     bought chains (the cable style).  I would put them on the fronts just 
     to get down the hill, then immediately take them off.  I have a 
     different place now and haven't used them since, but I still keep them 
     in the trunk in case a similar situation arises.
     The Highway Patrol will tell you that the accident rate in the winter 
     has increased, due mainly to the boom in AWD SUV's and their tendancy 
     to create overconfident drivers.  This is because with these vehicles 
     "speed up" works so much better than "slow down" whereas with 2WD it 
     is more balanced.  
     
     my $.02,
     Matt Rooke
     San Jose CA
     '91 CQ, chains in trunk