29-11-2021, 07:40 PM
(This post was last modified: 29-11-2021, 08:06 PM by Reckless Rat.)
Glad to hear you're OK and the Panda will soon be back up and running again soon. Whether you have two wheel drive, four wheel drive, winter, summer or cross country tyres the over-riding and governing factors are Newtons Laws of motion. In winter conditions, the one which tends to take precedence is the First, which states:
"A body will remain at rest or continue to travel in a straight line at a fixed speed unless acted upon by an external force or forces."
In lay man's terms this means that the hole in the wall is always just after the apex of the bend.
If you're sliding on ice (or any wet, greasy or loose surface), steering, braking, ABS, ESP, 4 wheel drive, cruise control or leather upholstery won't make any difference. You're going to go straight on until the tyres regain their grip or you hit something. If there is residual grip, you get understeer but you're still going to hit the wall if you're going fast enough, just a bit further round the bend.
It does help to know the capabilities of your particular 4x4 vehicle, what it can do and more importantly, what it can't. When a Sgt in Traffic I was sent to help a colleague who had got a Ford Transit stuck in a field. The rear end was down to the diff in mud. The poor lad, who was crapping himself thinking he was going to get put on a fizzer for his deeds put forward the mitigation "Well Sarge, I've put it in 4WD but it won't shift". (it was a Ford "County with 3 litre V6 and a 4WD system). I got him to walk round to the front of the van, and showed him how to engage the hub locks on the front axle." Now try it, Lad."
It drove out without a hitch. (cue eye roll emoticon)
"A body will remain at rest or continue to travel in a straight line at a fixed speed unless acted upon by an external force or forces."
In lay man's terms this means that the hole in the wall is always just after the apex of the bend.
If you're sliding on ice (or any wet, greasy or loose surface), steering, braking, ABS, ESP, 4 wheel drive, cruise control or leather upholstery won't make any difference. You're going to go straight on until the tyres regain their grip or you hit something. If there is residual grip, you get understeer but you're still going to hit the wall if you're going fast enough, just a bit further round the bend.
It does help to know the capabilities of your particular 4x4 vehicle, what it can do and more importantly, what it can't. When a Sgt in Traffic I was sent to help a colleague who had got a Ford Transit stuck in a field. The rear end was down to the diff in mud. The poor lad, who was crapping himself thinking he was going to get put on a fizzer for his deeds put forward the mitigation "Well Sarge, I've put it in 4WD but it won't shift". (it was a Ford "County with 3 litre V6 and a 4WD system). I got him to walk round to the front of the van, and showed him how to engage the hub locks on the front axle." Now try it, Lad."
It drove out without a hitch. (cue eye roll emoticon)