I-70 Question (Denver, Berthoud, Vail: work, trailer, traffic)

[Charles]

Originally Posted by FoRuMRideR420

when going down big hills does anyone use low gears? my car has a Low gear and 1 and 2? ive never used them tho?

I've wondered that myself. I think that was the thinking with standard transmissions and drum brakes. Now with disc brakes and automatic transmissions, I just use the brakes. Brakes are cheaper than transmissions. But I may be wrong.

[sunsprit]

Generally, you won't need to downshift on the descents.

However, in extremely slippery conditions with your RWD car, it may be very beneficial to downshift to help keep the drag of the car toward the rear when descending the hills.

Your guideline on doing this would be "what gear would this car be in at this speed going up the hill?". What you're doing is to lock in the topmost gear that the car's transmission would select, instead of it going all the way into top gear, which might be too fast on the rear tires while going downhill even with the motor idling.

While brake pads may be cheaper than a transmission, having control and no off-road excursions or crunching into other objects is a lot less expensive and nerve wracking than driving out of control.

The least consideration you should have while driving in the sometimes extreme conditions that may be found in the Colorado hills, complicated by traffic density, is how much it's costing you to use the features of your vehicle to best and safest advantage.

[jazzlover]

Using lower gears in bad slippery road conditions requires some skill. A too rapid downshift can cause the car to skid. As has been mentioned, in a RWD car letting the rear wheels slow the car in a lower gear can be a good thing. In a FWD, it can sometimes cause the rear end to try to pass the front end on very slick roads. Same with a 4WD, depending on conditions. In a 4WD, I generally use 4WD when climbing and then shift into 2WD when descending--a lot of the newer full-time 4WD or AWD vehicles don't offer that option, though.

For years, I drove nothing but 4WD's--and I did a LOT of bad weather driving in the mountains. The last few years, I have primarily driven a front-wheel-drive sedan with all-speed traction control. Unless the snow is deep on the road, or it's absolute sheet ice, it does nearly as well as the 4WD. I run regular all-season tires on it--it would do even better with winter tires.

The biggest problem on Colorado roads in winter is other stupid/aggressive/inexperienced/terrified/bad drivers--especially the ones on that sorry excuse for orderly traffic that is I-70 west of Denver. I don't blame CDOT for the problems up there--they do their best to maintain the road, but they are powerless to stop the driving idiocy that permeates that road every day.

[sunsprit]

[quote=jazzlover;1961346]Using lower gears in bad slippery road conditions requires some skill.

As, IMO, does using the higher gears, too ...

Agree ... I'm more concerned about the driving skills level of the folks around me than I am about the road conditions. I've seen way too many "invincible" drivers in their favorite monster snow tamer run themselves ... or others ... off the road.

[Kar54]

If so equipped, shifting your automatic transmission from "overdrive" to 3rd gear will work just fine and save your brakes too.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by wankel7

Its all about your tires....snow tires are a great thing.

I just bought eight Winterforce for my F-150 and 2WD Durango from Tirerack. I think they were $58 each plus shipping. Took them to an installer in the Springs and they mounted all four for $60 per vehicle.

Watch, all that money and hassle and we'll have 13 inches of snow this year.

[sunsprit]

At least we'll know who to blame for a poor ski year ....

[wankel7]

And what ever you do don't shift your automatic tranny to neutral while coasting down a hill. I heard that on the radio...are the person who likes to save money...do you put your transmission in neutral to save gas...blah blah...LOL

James

[Charles]

Originally Posted by wankel7

And what ever you do don't shift your automatic tranny to neutral while coasting down a hill. I heard that on the radio...are the person who likes to save money...do you put your transmission in neutral to save gas...blah blah...LOL

James

There is some truth to saving gas by not putting it in neutral. If you are in neutral, you car has to keep the engine running by idling it. That's gas.

[steveco.]

Lol why not just ride a bike if you want to save money on gas