All Wheel Drive performance on steep dirt roads

[billski]

I think we beat AWD on snow to death. Let's talk summer.

I was on a steep gravel road that while maintained, was beginning to get a bit loose due to the incessant rain. I hit it in my AWD sedan the past month and watched road conditions deteriorate progressively over the month. The small stones/gravel are all now pretty loose and don't stay put at all.

I was really impressed at how well AWD worked on this road, as the wheels slipped and others picked up. The slipping moved around, left to right, front to back, but the AWD just moved it along. So while I've got the snow tires for winter, the AWD has become my pal as I hit these steep gravel roads.

Your thoughts on AWD on maintained gravel roads? Not interested in off-roading, just seeing all the places where AWD really does help.

 

[mondeo]

AWD good, these tires bad:

 

[mlctvt]

What tires is that? From the tread pattern it looks like a performance "summer" road tire. Nice wide deep grooves for removing water but these wouldn't be any good on dirt roads.

 

[mondeo]

What tires is that? From the tread pattern it looks like a performance "summer" road tire. Nice wide deep grooves for removing water but these wouldn't be any good on dirt roads.

Bridgestone Potenza RE070. Actually is horrible in the wet, it's really a dry pavement tire. Which is why I'm replacing them with:

 

[noski]

I live on one of those steep, gravel roads in the MRV. We climb from 800' to 1,750 in just under 3 miles, so a pretty steady grade. I have an AWD Ford Escape that has always made it without any problems whatsoever- even the Valentines Day storm of 2007.

However, I have had decent luck with the Ford Taurus with Blizzaks- I had that for 6 years. Sometime spinning much of the steepest parts of the climb, but always made it. I get more nervous in the descent, not the climb. In the climb you know pretty quickly if you are going to make it or not. On the descent, it's not over till you're at the bottom....

It's all about the tires. And having a car that has a bit of heft and pep helps.

 

[Johnskiismore]

It's all about the tires. And having a car that has a bit of heft and pep helps.

You have that right!

 

[Hawkshot99]

I do alot of deliveries to peoples homes for my job. Alot of these are way up in the Catskills on some real back roads. I love taking the van. It has lots of power and nice deep tread tires. Drifting around some of the turns rules!

 

[Glenn]

I do alot of deliveries to peoples homes for my job. Alot of these are way up in the Catskills on some real back roads. I love taking the van. It has lots of power and nice deep tread tires. Drifting around some of the turns rules!

I enjoy that in our Jeep as well. The t-case runs in locked or unlocked mode when you're in 4wheel. 99.9% of the time, I run unlocked in 4wd. So a little throttle and a little steering will wag the rear end out nicely.

 

[bigbog]

...Enjoyable times!

Watch it billski...it can become mightly addictive!,
...You would think that the AWD designs provide the gearing? ability...sure sounds like it does. I'll tell ya'... traveling in terrain like that, or any type of woodland road...makes pavement travel really lame... The loose 3-5" cut rocks present on some of the major woods roads were, and still are...never welcomed though...

$.01,
STeveD

 

[billski]

Watch it billski...it can become mightly addictive!,
...You would think that the AWD designs provide the gearing? ability...sure sounds like it does. I'll tell ya'... traveling in terrain like that, or any type of woodland road...makes pavement travel really lame... The loose 3-5" cut rocks present on some of the major woods roads were, and still are...never welcomed though...

$.01,
STeveD

mid-sized cut rocks, er, uh, maybe not. Leave that for the real off road vehicles. I'm kinda on the fence. Right now, it's getting to the destination to start the planned adventure that is more interesting. Before kids, the journey was often half the adventure. I'm on the fence right now....