[AT] The terror strikes again. - Studebaker speed response

[charlie hill]

john I put some weight in the rear of my 4 WD truck if possible but
usually not more than 200 or 300 lbs.  I know those who don't have 4 WD or
don't want 4 WD or just don't believe in it for one reason or another don't 
want
to hear this but there really is a dramatic difference when driving in snow 
or
anything else slick or deep.   There is even a slight improvement in 
stopping
but not significant.

When you have 100 miles of snow in front of you and everyone on the highway
is going 20 miles and hour and sliding and you can go 45 mph and track 
straight
as an arrow (assuming you can find an open stretch of road with none of the 
2wd's in
your way) it makes a huge difference.  Three years ago on my Christmas trip 
I-95 was
basically a parking lot from Petersburg VA to Emporia VA.  Both lanes 
jammed, going
no faster than 35 at best with constant jamming on breaks with folks sliding 
in the ditches.
When I got off of I-295 and merged into 95 I noticed there was no traffic on 
the service
road that runs along side of the interstate with just a wire fence between 
the two.
I managed to get into the right lane and took  the exit onto the service 
road.   It had not
even been plowed.  The snow was probably 4 to 5 inches deep but I was 
cruising down
it at about 40 mph and passing everything on the interstate.  I followed 
that service road
all the way until it runs out near Emporia.  I never had a problem at all. 
When I left
Fredericksburg VA I was in auto 4WD.  By the time I got to Emporia I was 
locked in 4 WD and
ran that way all the way to my home in New Bern, NC.

Just outside of Rocky Mount NC the right lane had been plowed but the left 
had not.  There was
a long line of cars in the right lane going about 25 mph.  I pulled into the 
left lane and was passing them
in about 3" of slush at about 40 mph.  When I got to the front of the line 
of about 25 cars I saw why they
were all behaving so well.  The lead car was a NC Highway Patrol trooper. 
I went right on by him in his
Crown Victoria with Goodyear Eagles on the back and he looked at me as if to 
say "I wish I had 4 WD".
I knew if I screwed up and spun out or hit the ditch he was going to throw 
the book at me but there was no
way in the world he could even attempt to catch me and he didn't try.  I 
didn't have any issues.
I could have gone faster but didn't want to press my luck because you never 
know when something unexpected
will happen.

Charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: jtchall at nc.rr.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2014 5:51 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] The terror strikes again. - Studebaker speed response

Am I the only one that weights down their 2wd truck and keeps driving? Been
doing it for 25 years with never a problem. I pack the weights right in the
back to make it squat pretty good, probably over a 1,000 lbs of old harrow
discs and sometimes suitcase weights. My wife had a '92 Thunderbird and I
had to put a couple suitcase weights in it but it would still go really
well, now she had front wheel drive.

And yes I like my antilock rear brakes.

John Hall


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