- Nov 11, 2009
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This one also required some ballast in the front boot. Princeton mast in the far distance.
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FWD on gravel roads was very scary. At least with RWD you could still control the car. The worst RWD car even built was the Corvair which was dangerous from day one!
This is a picture of the main road that interconnected our cities in the sixties.
A few friends had the R8 and the R10 and as you say they used to carry a bag of cement under the front hood to give the car some stability on the road. We did not have motorways in those days and dual carriageway was almost unheard of at the time.
This is a picture of the main road that interconnected our cities in the sixties.
My Triumph Herald had the unsual transverse leaf spring at the rear to assistt the independent suspension. The strange camber angle on the rear wheels was very noticeable. Many people used to put additional weight in the boot to straighten the angle up and improved road holding in the winter. A paving stone seemed to be one but I just kept all my tools in the boot.
Did have a half shaft break once which resulted in a horizontal whee l :-(
Did have a half shaft break once which resulted in a horizontal whee l :-(
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I once drove the Herald on a test drive that had a supercharger fitted. I turned right at the traffic lights and floored it a bit and nearly spun it around. Took it straight back to the yard as got one hell of a fright and I was only 18 at the time when you are supposed to be fearless.
Even with ballast in the front boot, the Imps could be tricky in winter conditions - I got caught out in heavy snow in North Wales in the winter of 78/79 - lost the back-end and slid into what I thought was a nice soft hedge but turned out to be an ivy-clad stone wall, very solid!
Having had a part-time 4wd, Hyundai Santa Fe, where the momentary delay was noticeable with front wheels scrabbling for grip until the rear drive engaged and then switched to full-time 4wd with torsen centre differential, VW Touareg, which varied power between front and rear according to grip - I wouldn't want anything less in future.
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- Nov 11, 2009
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My Jeep could be a handful in snow/ice as you were not allowed snow chains or studded tyres in Ontario on tarmac roads. It could easily pirouette if given too much welly.
As an enthusiastic 18 year old, the rear panels of my Imp took a bit of a beating. Never hit anything with the front though.
- Nov 11, 2009
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As a matter of interest does anyone know what tyres British police or emergency response cars fit summer/winter?
Google AI gives - "British emergency service fleets, particularly the police and ambulance services, predominantly use all-season Michelin CrossClimate tyres due to their excellent performance across a range of temperatures and conditions, including light snow, eliminating the need for dedicated winter tyre changes"
- Nov 11, 2009
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Just like I have been doing for some 10+ years now, but not with Michelin as their aquaplaning on curved surfaces wasn't the best. although they were fired to our 2007 Note at one time!! So I now use Goodyear Vector All season Gen 3. But it all depends on what your criteria are for aspects of tyre performance. . Wonder how much Michelin paid Google for that search result?
I wonder how much Michelin subsidise their tyre supply to the emergency services? Like OE fitments, it's good publicity.
I moved away from using summer tyres all year round ten years ago when I bought the Touareg, initially switching between winters and summers, but got fed up of the twice-yearly switching and moved to all-seasons and sold the winter wheels/tyres.
I've now used a couple of sets of Vredestein Quatrac Pro+ which perform very well but give a somewhat harsh ride, so I may go for the Michelin Cross-Climate next time.
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