Club 80-90 Forums

Seems a valid mechanical question rather than a chat one.

Is it easier to reverse out of gateway onto a tight road, or go out frontwards in terms of clearance etc. I thnk backwards is easier but just wondered what others thought. Is it equal?

it all depends what you are going out onto and what you have previously driven into!!! I always reverse into parking spaces as it is easier especially from a tight entrance. Then it is usually ok to drive forwards out. However if going onto your drive, it is sometimes best to reverse in if the road at the front is very busy then getting out forward is easier. If the road is too busy when you come home reverse the operation!!!

Yes see your point. I should have stated that its on the assumption its a quiet road. The question is one of mechanics, steering etc rather than whether the road is busy or not. ie turning room.

Mechanically speaking i was under the impression that it was better to reverse while the engine was warm, that is, at the end of your journey, rather than drive in direct and reverse out later with a cold engine...
but saying that, i tend to park up miles away in a easy spot than faff about on the door step

Surely if its cold its cold, reverse or forward. Again I'm thinking of turning circle. Are the front wheels not slightly further fron the front of the vehicle compared to the back ones which are nearer the rear bumper. If you pull out of a turning forwards, this sometimes forces you to go out onto the other side of the road in order for the rear wheel arches to clear any gate posts whereas in reverse this seems slightly less of a problem providing you watch the front as you come out. Again I'm not talking engine or some little old lady walking her dog about to get squished but the sheer geometry involved.

Good question. You have a lot more control over the end that's steered, and you get a smaller turning circle in reverse, so I'd tend to say reverse out. This page illustrates it all nicely and makes a couple of interesting points - the rear wheels always move towards the front ones, and the pivot point is the middle of the rear axle. I don't often have to come out of a tight space as you're suggesting, but certainly when I'm parking I prefer to reverse in - point the rear wheels at the mouth of the parking space and then you can swing the front about quite a bit to get lined up perfectly. You need a wider approach to drive in forwards, because the rear wheels don't steer, so I reckon the same must apply the other way around.

Thanks Chris. You've grasped it completely. That illustrates very well the need to move over further when going fowards and ofcourse we have the added dimension of sitting on the front wheels as opposed to being behind them in car. It works both for and against you depending what you're doing, even if it makes for an impressive turning circle. The late steering often freaks out passengers if they're not used to it too.

I suspect I'm right and that there is more control and less room required to reverse out which is what I do. Were I to reverse into my yard, the front of the van would be almost scraping vehicles on the opposite side of the road trying to get out. I live in a narrow street with cars parked both sides which may be the ultimate test anyway.

If the space is tight... I always reverse into it. My drive is only just wide enough for the 2 vans packed either nose in or a*** in side by side, there are fences both sides and its only just wide enough ( I have to climb out through the side door on one of them ) personally find our vans much easier to go in backwards, I get the back aimed at where it needs to go then swing the front round as it goes into the gap and it pivots nicely .

Forklifts have steering on rear wheels as turning circle is better, so as said tighter circle backwards.
I reverse in to my very tight driveway on a very heavily parked road, it may be better the other way but with pedestrians, cycles and cars around I'd rather not reverse out.

Back in, drive out

Highway Code seams to be ignored nowerdays do not reverse on to a public highway !!!!!!!!!! You can't see what's coming rule 201

You are kidding right? We now live in a country where few take much notice of it and there are no police to police it. If I get from A to B without someone cutting me up or pulling out on me I feel relieved. Again this a geometric question not whether the highway code applies or not.

I'd say the fixed axil should head for the narrowest space and the steering axil should stay in the widest space therefore having the most control,reverse into a tight space with a front wheel steer vehicle.working on a farm driving most combinations of steerable machines it only the ones that bend in the middle that are full proof at getting in and out of tight spaces