I have four-wheel ABS on my Dakota, and it is VERY nice in the kind of
conditions the MidWest and East are currently (dare I say) enjoying.
Back in Montana for Thanksgiving, I had a lot of opportunity to drive
my mother's F*rd Explorer, which has RWOABS. We had a Chinook while I
was there - 50 mph winds and a 40 to 50 degree INCREASE in temps. The
wind blows the standing snow around, the temps and sun melt it on things,
and then it freezes at night. Can make for treacherous driving, in short.
Anyway, I was driving in to Great Falls, following a Neon sport up a hill,
and at the top of the hill we broke out of the shelter of the embankment
into the wind. The Neon driver lost control and went into a flat spin.
540 degrees later, she was stopped, shaken, and out of my way. I had been
WAY too close, since I was about to pass on the hill, but thought better
of it. I mixed my ABS instinct with my SAAB manual-brake instinct, and
simply paid attention to the front wheels.
I think this is the key. RWOABS lets you stop worrying about the rear
end coming around to greet what you're trying to avoid, and concentrate
on controlling the braking on the front wheels.
With 4WD, I've often found accelerating will get you out of trouble
better than attempting a panic stop. Studded tires work well too.
BTW - had a lot of fun four-wheeling in the desert Tuesday. Empty, warm (70s)
learned much from the State Park Rangers, and some nice 4x4 terrain.
Jim
"The road to tyranny, we must never forget, begins
with the destruction of the truth."
-- Bill Clinton, 10/15/95, speech at University of Connecticut,
"Fifty Years After Nuremburg: Human Rights & The Rule Of Law"
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