Yes, Brad, I often point out that ALL my cars have four wheel brakes, and front wheel steering......just
like the bozo in the ditch with 4WD. I am driving the 4Runner tonight, but my rule is to leave it in 2WD
all the time, until she tells me "it's time", THEN put it in 4WD. Still have low range and center diff
lock as increasing "seriousness", available. 4WD helps "GO", does zero for "STOP" and "TURN", yet
many cannot grasp that.
We have rain, middle 30s, supposed to switch to light snow about 11 pm. Going out to dinner
with a shooting friend, we'll be out late, so want the option available, although the Accord will
99% be fine, too.
Back in the middle 70s, living in WVa, traveled over the Blue Ridge to central Va to visit my parents
a lot, probably 7 out of 10 weekends, helping my father build a house. Sometimes in winter
coming over those mountains was a thrill in my old Kharmann Ghia. But, at heart, he was a
VW, and would pull snow like no tomorrow until the bellypan got enough under it so the wheels
didn't touch. Hit an area of black ice one night......fortunately, other folks found it first. In the
middle of nowhere on Rt. 60 east of Gauley Bridge, and started seeing flickering lights in the
trees ahead. Then saw that some were red. Started slowing, and recognized I was coming to
what I called Dead Man's Curve, where I had seen many wrecks. Came around the corner to it,
about 200 yds ahead, and eight or ten cars and trucks stopped in and beside road, one upside down
in the ditch, people walking around. I rolled up VERY slowly, like walking speed in 1st gear, but
clutch in. Let out the clutch to keep moving, and it started to spin. Declutched, and caught it,
slow motion. Stopped, and asked a guy standing around if there was room to pick my way thru.
He said, "If you can get traction." New Michelin radials, slowly, slowly, slowly, picked thru
the mess, and then headed out at about 5 mph. Eventually the ice went away, could drive at
40ish. Then climbing a hill about 10 miles away, nobody around, the engine started revving
but I was slowing down. Stopped and started sliding back, steered right two wheels off on
the gravel edge, stopped. Had to keep two wheels on the gravel, drag the emergency brake
a touch to get up that patch of black ice. Once past that, another hour to home. Black ice
is not fun.
Bill