Lil4X
Elio Addict
4WD, like ABS and ASC is no substitute for driver intellect or responsibility. Hauling fairly large boat trailers up and down some rather iffy ramps taught me the skills I learned from friends who built swamp buggies down in the 'Glades: Once you spin, you're done. For some reason many people think you can floor the throttle and sheer wheelspin will move you forward . . . not so.
The trick is a large contact patch and slow application of power. Here an automatic transmission with its torque converter is your best friend whether you have two or four driving wheels. From a dead stop, put your vehicle in gear at idle. Slooooowly, imperceptibly advance the throttle. It's a good idea to hold the load with the brake pedal if you are on an incline you must climb upward. At about 1200 rpm the torque converter should stall and allow you to hold your vehicle without the brake. Now, with your door open, pick out a spot on the ground and watch it carefully for movement. Resist the temptation to add power, but just wait a few seconds. (Warning: this technique will fry a conventional clutch.) Within a half a minute or less, you will begin to creep forward. Don't add power, just let the torque converter do the work. You will slowly crawl to about a walking pace. Hold your throttle setting until you clear the slippery stuff. I know it's slow, but it's effective. If your drive wheels start to spin, stop and start over. Once traction is broken, it's gone - spinning your wheels in frustration is only going to bury you.
I've hauled a 5500-lb load up a steep boat ramp in snow with a 2WD IH Travelall - where guys in powerful pickups with 4WD were unable to pull small bass boats out of the water, I could pull a heavy 24' cabin cruiser. I wish I'd taken the bets I was offered, I could have bought that first K-20 Suburban a lot sooner. Trust me, the Tim Taylor approach - "MORE POWER" (followed by a series of man-grunts) - isn't the answer. It's not as spectacular as a full-on burnout, but it's a lot more effective . . . and a whole lot less embarrassing when it fails.
An auto-manual like the Elio will have won't respond well to this technique - you're probably better off with a manual transmission getting out of a slick spot in slippery conditions. I've pulled a lot of cars out of a snowbank by using minimal power and either a sensitive clutch foot or a serviceable torque converter, and the trick works well with either. Fortunately at only 1200 lbs, your Elio ought to be easy for a handful of people to drag out of trouble with their bare hands.
The trick is a large contact patch and slow application of power. Here an automatic transmission with its torque converter is your best friend whether you have two or four driving wheels. From a dead stop, put your vehicle in gear at idle. Slooooowly, imperceptibly advance the throttle. It's a good idea to hold the load with the brake pedal if you are on an incline you must climb upward. At about 1200 rpm the torque converter should stall and allow you to hold your vehicle without the brake. Now, with your door open, pick out a spot on the ground and watch it carefully for movement. Resist the temptation to add power, but just wait a few seconds. (Warning: this technique will fry a conventional clutch.) Within a half a minute or less, you will begin to creep forward. Don't add power, just let the torque converter do the work. You will slowly crawl to about a walking pace. Hold your throttle setting until you clear the slippery stuff. I know it's slow, but it's effective. If your drive wheels start to spin, stop and start over. Once traction is broken, it's gone - spinning your wheels in frustration is only going to bury you.
I've hauled a 5500-lb load up a steep boat ramp in snow with a 2WD IH Travelall - where guys in powerful pickups with 4WD were unable to pull small bass boats out of the water, I could pull a heavy 24' cabin cruiser. I wish I'd taken the bets I was offered, I could have bought that first K-20 Suburban a lot sooner. Trust me, the Tim Taylor approach - "MORE POWER" (followed by a series of man-grunts) - isn't the answer. It's not as spectacular as a full-on burnout, but it's a lot more effective . . . and a whole lot less embarrassing when it fails.
An auto-manual like the Elio will have won't respond well to this technique - you're probably better off with a manual transmission getting out of a slick spot in slippery conditions. I've pulled a lot of cars out of a snowbank by using minimal power and either a sensitive clutch foot or a serviceable torque converter, and the trick works well with either. Fortunately at only 1200 lbs, your Elio ought to be easy for a handful of people to drag out of trouble with their bare hands.
