Syncro Driving

[Walrus]

Bog standard 14" road tyres. May upgrade to 15" AT's at some point but want to find a better place to put the spare than inside the van so may wait until I can afford a rear carrier.

[HarryMann]

Bog standard 14" road tyres.

Ah ha!

Good question then Doug

[Walrus]

But in theory, wouldn't road tyres give better grip on rock/slate than AT's, as they have more surface area in contact with the road?

[peasant]

I don't think that grip was your issue, just gravity.

On slate you should have decent enough grip. Next time you go down that hill really start off slow. Just let the clutch out and take it down in idle.

If and when it starts getting too fast, pick a decent spot that promises grip and looks trouble free and brake hard to get back to crawling speed.

The trick is to resist the temptation to speed things up on the less severe bits, because otherwise you will be going too fast once you get to the beginning of the really steep/tricky bits and she just runs away from you.

btw ..the bigger your tyre diameter, the faster you will go downhill and the sooner the point will come where engine breaking won't work anymore

[HarryMann]

But in theory, wouldn't road tyres give better grip on rock/slate than AT's, as they have more surface area in contact with the road?

In short, nope... the compound might if it's really soft though. AT's I would have thought are optimim for loose rock and slate.

Try cadence braking before she get's too fast for comfort, you can still steer with it, although you might get ankle or shin RSI after a few minutes of it

A really smooth throttle off the idle position is handy too, not something that all T25s have!

If you really are sliding into something and the wheel is not responding, you have little option but to give it a whiff of gas, earlier rather than later, IMHO. It sure works wonders on mud and slime.

You need some ATs for what you're doing I'd say, if it's particularly difficult climbing back up then drop them a few pounds first

[Mick & Tracey]

I think few people would have the nerve to touch the gas on a steep descent with hairpins and steep drop offs.

Slate if wet can be very treacherous.

I wouldn't recommend taking a heavy load down if you can avoid it. If not, I'd suggest securing load well, keeping it towards the centre to avoid pendulum effect.

Dropping the tyre pressures as Clive suggested can help too.

Could also try to steer into loose or soft ground to bury some speed if you have the option. May also be able to take a slightly zig zag path if track allows it, though don't overdo it - you dont want to get it side ways.

Don't use clutch.

Generally diesels have better engine braking though. In a petrol, I'd opt for cadence braking (maxing it wherever the gradient slacks off or you have good traction) , dropping the pressures, reducing the load, and start with absolute minimum speed.

[HarryMann]

Don't use clutch.

Agree... unless the idle speed is still taking you too fast in G gear, which is possible with so many using large wheels and very high diffs with diesels these days! I'd personally like an idle speed a round 5~600 rpm so I have to use a whiff of throttle to get to 900~100, which it idles at anyway

A tight steep track with wet slate and obstacles - yes - that is somewhere you want one foot within easy reach of a better surface. Or you shouldn't really be there.

Sounds like almost getting to the type of situation where you should be lowering yourself down on a rope or winch through the difficult sections?

[Boltze]

Do you know the "Way of life" brochure from South Africa?

http://boltze.dyndns.org/zip/Syncro_way_of_life_1.pdf

http://boltze.dyndns.org/zip/Syncro_way_of_life_2.pdf

[lloyd]

Christoph,
another great find!
Thanks!

[HarryMann]

Yes, they're very interesting brochures, can we link to them in the Wiki please?

[Boltze]

Sure