Shitty weather

While we're taliking about good weather (and not shitty weather like 70deg and sunny)... and figuring that a good chunk of the people here know a thing or two about how diffs affect behavior.:

Driving the VW with all three diffs unlocked like I usually do. Roads are clear save for the usual wall of hardened snow in the center of and between the lanes, so the highway's like driving a three lane wide doubletrack. Changing lanes and getting onto the snow makes the car very skittery, it kinda doesn't want to go up and then it does with a vengeance. Really freaky feeling especially in traffic.

I discovered last night, after having this car for something like 60-70k, that if you just lock the center diff (Audi 016 transmission) the picture completely changes. It just steamrolls over any roughness and you could pretty much just drive the car no-handed.

WTF? We're not talking about very much power being put down here, maybe 25-30hp, and this is lane-change levels of lateral loading and steering lock. Why would locking the diff have such a DRAMATIC effect on everything?

(I mean, besides the fact that half of the parts on the car have four rings on 'em and therefore the car is half-possessed)

PS - AWD and new Gislaveds is *so* choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend it.

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/2012 11:50AM by Pete.

Nice Ferris refference....

I like the big snow. The Big Melt I can do without. The trees dumped their load on my storage shed which said "oof" and buckled to its knees. Time to build something that has a bit more substance to it....

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Jay Woodward
Snohomish, WA
'90 Mazdog Frankenprotege
Chronologically, 46...

My work has been up and running every day this week. It's been nice because I have been able to concentrate on some big projects without too many customers stopping by. My Saab 96 on 145 wide Verdestein Snow+ tires (no studs) has been so good it's boring! Aside from dodging the retarded drivers I have been able to cruise at 60 mph all the way across town.

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Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

Pete, the answer is that Quantum Syncro Wagons are the coolest and best cars ever made period. The only improvement is one that has a turbo conversion and isn't terminally ill with rust or impossible-to-find- replacement parts needed.

BTW, swapping the vacuum l;ines so the rear locks first then the center locks at the second detent makes for more fun driving when you are out drifiting around. Also, only put snow tires on the front or at least if you run studs, only stud the fronts and you can drive the thing at any angle at any speed on the snow and ice with a single finger and change direction at will..... and put on gymkhana shows that rival KB's.

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One. Class -- 2WD

www.quantumrallysport.com

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Quantum-Rally-Sport/281129179600?ref=nf

>2500lb Mazdog Protege + awd + VLSCD + RLSD + snowtires + 23psi =

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Jay Woodward
Snohomish, WA
'90 Mazdog Frankenprotege
Chronologically, 46...

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Josh Wimpey
BTW, swapping the vacuum l;ines so the rear locks first then the center locks at the second detent makes for more fun driving when you are out drifiting around. Also, only put snow tires on the front or at least if you run studs, only stud the fronts and you can drive the thing at any angle at any speed on the snow and ice.

That sounds fun...

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Grant Hughes

Quote
Josh Wimpey
Pete, the answer is that Quantum Syncro Wagons are the coolest and best cars ever made period. The only improvement is one that has a turbo conversion and isn't terminally ill with rust or impossible-to-find- replacement parts needed.

Like the windshield weatherstrip? (Or basically anything glass-related?) Been looking for one of those for a while. I did find a windshield for it, though, which is nice.

You'll be happy to know that I have an MC2 block powering a stand right now, has some nice ARP head studs sticking out of the deck, and the head is at the machine shop getting cleaned up/decked/cut for nice 034 Motorsport valves. The whole ECU setup from the 200 is going in, but not before being sent off to Ben Swann for his magic.

I was looking for a small-chassis car specifically for a turbo conversion, when I found this thing. It freakin' rules, it's like an ur-quattro but WAGON and VW idiosyncrasies instead of Audi idiosyncracies. (The HVAC works but the speedo breaks a lot, in other words)

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BTW, swapping the vacuum l;ines so the rear locks first then the center locks at the second detent makes for more fun driving when you are out drifiting around.

It's quicker at rallycross with both locked, which doesn't make sense either but okay, run with what works. I only run it at Detroit region snow events, it's awful slow/tippy for the Ohio events which tend to be a bit faster and rougher, and that's what the RX-7 is for. I mean, why run AWD when you have a perfectly good rear drive car ready to go?

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Also, only put snow tires on the front or at least if you run studs, only stud the fronts and you can drive the thing at any angle at any speed on the snow and ice with a single finger and change direction at will..... and put on gymkhana shows that rival KB's.

I did that, had only two snow tires left over from the Golf and they were the same diameter as the QSW's street tires, so I figured, hell, let's try it. Criminy. Leave the diffs open and use LFB to basically do a burnout around corners. Or in a straight line. Or stopped at a light. The next day, I had four proper snow tires on the car.

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/2012 05:08PM by Pete.