[16v] Mini-Slip Diff. Worthless?

[Jason <jason@scirocco.org>]

Hey gang,
	Due to the nasty ice storms and snow we've been having here in the
Pittsburgh area, I've been having more fun than usual driving the Scirocco
around.  This area is extremely hilly, and I can't say that I have a lot of
experience driving in the snow.  The experience I do have is mostly in the
Scirocco, though.
	I have an 87 16v with 57,000 very easy miles on it, and at the moment I
have Bridgestone Potenza RE930 All-Season 185/60-14s on the teardrops...
The tires have about 22,000 miles on them... and they're about 2/3 of the
way worn.  They're by far the best all season tires I've owned.

	Here's the catch... I seem to be having a bit more trouble getting around
in the snow than some of the other cars are.  I always manage to get
around, but I'l slipping and sliding a whole hell of a lot more than
everyone else. 
	
	This morning I couldn't get up my hill, no way no how.  So, thinking that
it would help, I tried to reverse up the hill (my logic was that more
weight would be on the front wheels if they were facing down the hill and I
was reversing) but that proved even worse.
	I finally got up the hill after I dropped the tire pressure... it's
probably around 15 psi now.

	I did learn later that it took my neighbor 45 minutes to get up the same
hill in his Jeep... but somehow I expected more.  

	A ride in my friend's Suzuki Swift this evening crimped it.  True, his
front tires have 80 miles on them; but they're el-cheapo brand.  And true,
the ultra-skinny 165s help in the snow... but the hills he could go up with
*no* wheelspin, I had to try.  And the hills he crawled up, I wasn't moving.

	Now, is this because my tires are almost done?  Is it gonna make that much
difference.  Now, they're not bald of course, but they're nearing the end...

	So, anyways, during one of my Scirocco-sledding trips, I got stuck on a
street that was covered in 3" of snow and then a 1" thick layer of ice
below it.  Lo and behold, the left wheel just sat there, and the right one
spun and spun and spun.  So, now the question... what's this shit about
VW's "mini-slip" differential?  I can see that when they said "Mini", they
meant "Teensy". :)

	On that note, how are all of your cars faring in this wonderful winter
weather?

	Jason



----------
jason@scirocco.org
1987 Scirocco 16v

http://members.aol.com/rocco16v 

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