Slippery Hill - nearly ended in tears

[Donald Topping]

My son sent me a recent youtube clip, similar to your experience, think an 80 series which he had in 4 wheel drive.
Got 2/3rds way up and still came down backwards, luckily he kept it straight but still was a whiter shade of pale
so even in 4 wheel drive you can end up with the same result

I had an 80 series do a front right brake line, while I was waiting for the winch to be connected to pull me up. Reversing down hill with only 3 brakes active till you possibly bleed out is terrifying, but I engine braked all the way down. The 80 made it home after blocking the broken brake line. Scary as hell sitting on a steep incline knowing you have stuff all brakes. I did have it in first gear, low range, and handbrake on at the time the line let go.

 

[phs]

From previous experience involving clay on roads is you need to be in 4wd and in gear at all times no brakes use low range 1st and rev to steer if you are being a passenger due to uncontrolled sliding, I know it sounds strange to accelerate but you will be going faster if you have locked up and you dont get any steering when Locked up on clay

 

[Hoyks]

In modern vehicles with ABS and traction control it isn't so important anymore, but in cars like yours the rule is to never ever use the brakes down hill or exactly what happened to you, will happen. Engine braking only, using either low or high range. If it super slippery, sometimes low range isn't an option either as the compression locks the wheels.

I think the basics still apply, ABS on a lot of vehicles works down to a set speed (I've seen 20km/h quoted on some models), so you can still lock the wheels up and find yourself behind the wheel of a toboggan.

 

[cam04]

I think the basics still apply, ABS on a lot of vehicles works down to a set speed (I've seen 20km/h quoted on some models), so you can still lock the wheels up and find yourself behind the wheel of a toboggan.

I’ve never driven a vehicle with speed dependent abs, or maybe I have and didn’t know. I know I’ve driven auto 105 cruisers downhill towing a trailer with both feet on the brake and abs preventing any sort of lockup and wishing to hell I’d remembered to pull the abs fuse. That is a toboggan ride. These days we have hill descent control which runs through the abs and works very well. Every car is slightly different though.