Thread: Steep Hill Descent. In Reverse.

I think you may have panicked before the engine braking started... The ride in a V8 auto will be quicker than in a manual as there needs to be enough speed for the torque converter to lock.

Technique is to: Select R & Lo, hold on the foot brake, bring the revs up gently until the the torque converter engages and then release both pedals.

HTH

M

Hi Camel_Landy,
I don't have an auto and so can't test your advice. How do you know when the torque converter is engaged?

Originally Posted by camel_landy

I think you may have panicked before the engine braking started... The ride in a V8 auto will be quicker than in a manual as there needs to be enough speed for the torque converter to lock.

Technique is to: Select R & Lo, hold on the foot brake, bring the revs up gently until the the torque converter engages and then release both pedals.

HTH

M

With a Disco 1, PhillipA is the closest, use the hand brake.

I use this meathod all the time and it works great if you have your hand break adjusted properly.

If your already moving (as most of the time you are) Make sure your CDL is locked and pull the hand break on until you are at a comfortable speed and rest your left foot on the foot break and right on the go pedal.

If you start getting wheel slip and loss of control, drive through it with a bit of acceleration and then back off and it will slow down.

The hand break does exactly the same thing as engine breaking does until it heats up and fades but that seems to take a long time.

This works both in forward and reverse.

The idea of driving through the foot break is effective but does have disadvantages for people who arnt very experienced that may panic but by setting the hand break it gives you time to think of everything you have to do.

I think the landcruiser also has a drum on the back of the Trans Case so it should work on that as well.

In extreme situations as described with an auto,its possible to use the opposite gear to help ease the vehicle down.IE 1 to reverse or R to go forward.BEWARE THE FLUID WILL GET HOT QUICKLY SO ONLY SHORT USE OF THE METHOD.
You simply left foot brake and right foot accelerate at the same time.
(Also if you do decent off-roading with an auto,wire a switch in to inhibit the safety cutout,you can then start the auto in gear as a manual in a stall start situation!!!!)
Find a real steep short hill and try it out!!!!
Andrew

OK. Slight tangent on this one. I have only had to revers down a hill once. I had broken the rear tail shaft. My trip back down was very ungraceful in neutral using the breaks with almost no steering control. Would the driving through the break method have worked in this situation?

yes no maybe... thats going to come down to how much traction you had.

with no drive to the rear wheels you wouldnt have been stopping them from locking IMHO easing down in the opposite gear would have been better but then youve would have had that freaky TC in place then...

Reversing down--- locking the rears isn't the problem it's locking the fronts.

Drive-thru probably would have helped.

Originally Posted by George130

OK. Slight tangent on this one. I have only had to revers down a hill once. I had broken the rear tail shaft. My trip back down was very ungraceful in neutral using the breaks with almost no steering control. Would the driving through the break method have worked in this situation?

Nah, wouldn't have helped much, but its how an auto should be driven all the time

You'll still lock the fronts up on descent as you've lost the link betwwen front and rear drive, just like a D2 with no CDL, or leaving your CDL unlocked

And i've backed down some **** scary stuff with broken diffs, axles etc, and its scary but fun