Questions & Answers
Question
When running on snow-covered roads is it better to run at a higher or lower rpm to avoid the drives kicking out?
bigrigger_5@xxx.com
Answer
Snow covered isn't too bad as long as it's not slippery or slick. The danger in having the drives kick out from under you is highest on icy or slick pavement -- even wet roads can pose a problem under certain circumstances. This issue here is torque. Torques is what turns the wheels, and today's engines produce their maximum torque at low rpm, usually in the 1100-1300 rpm range. You want to avoid running your engine in that high torque output range when ever the roads are slippery. So, depending on how bad it is, you'd want to run at 1600-1700 at cruise speed, and if you're crawling up a slippery hill, keep the engine revs right up there, say 1900-2000. It's not great on fuel, but you lessen the risk of breaking traction. And don't forget the engine brake. On slick roads, many engine brakes will stop the wheels dead and kill your traction. If that happens, you won't be able to restart fast enough to prevent a jackknife. The best you could hope for is to kick the clutch in REALLY quickly and hope you can recover. It's best not to use the engine brake at all on slippery pavement.
Jim Park
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