Bren Carrier- Supreme Court of Canada decision

[RichardT10829]

If your a beginner driver you need to be careful buddy, give yourself a chance...going out straight into the snow could be lethal to you.

Carriers are very unforgiving at the best of times.

Plus the added risk of throwing a track (unless you have ice scrapers fitted )

[motto (RIP)]

Originally Posted by RichardT10829

Carriers are very unforgiving at the best of times.

As a U/C driver of somewhat limited experience I think a more appropriate description of carrier steering ability would be 'treacherous'. Despite their rugged go anywhere appearance their grip on planet Earth is tenuous at best. Under the right conditions even a fresh cow pat will impede their progress.
Beware!

David

[rob love]

The truck type differential is to blame for the poor traction as far as I am concerned. They are designed to put power to the wheel/track with the least amount of traction, causing it to spin and overall loss of steering.

I remember, years back, having trouble getting my carrier to climb a 3 foot rise of manure and straw so I could park it in the cattle shed. One track would just spin and the vehicle would start to turn sideways.

While I have not driven a T-1
6, I can only imagine that the steering on those, with it's controlled differential, would be less lethal.

[RichardT10829]

Perhaps some quick tips for Robert before he goes out again gents...

My two penneth would be

1) drive no faster than walking pace until you have a full understanding of the handling characteristics of the carrier over a variety of surfaces and weather conditions.

2) your observations and decision making needs to be done WELL in advance, plan your journey then drive to the plan.

3) thumbs out !! Do not be tempted to hook your thumbs under the rim of the wheel... You get into a slide the carriers body shifts the weight over the centre axle thus spinning the steering wheel violently through your hands (unless you are Zeus you won't be able to prevent this) broken thumbs suck !

4) all tight turns are made in 1st or 2nd gear, no higher (from a ww2 vet) best to roll up to the junction, make a slight pause, gear change then turn.

The smooth gear changes come later ! But driving a carrier is a kin to driving a bus over steel ball bearings.... They are lots of fun, but caution is needed.

I am in comparison to most here, a mere learner myself, only covering 1000miles in my carrier over the last year and a half.

[Robert Bergeron]

Thanks gentlemen for the sound advice.

I am all taking it in and will try again tomorrow but slower.

Especially the stopping , changing gear and turning at junctions.

I went off the road into the ditch like i was a passenger and had no control.

Too bad there is not a Carrier driving school around.

Speaking of snow / ice scrappers, where would i get them ?

My tracks were getting packed with snow and it was slowing me down quite a bit.

Thanks. Keep it coming.

[eddy8men]

hi Robert

I have just bought a carrier in Canada fitted with what I would call track grousers, whether they were intended for snow and ice or just general off road grip I couldn't say. they look to be a civvy modification and will be removed by myself once the carrier is over this side of the pond. I would be happy to swap the track with you if you want but that would mean you would not be able to drive your carrier on the roads after the ice has thawed !

[rob love]

The grousers as shown are a fairly standard farm modification. They are actually a testament to the farmers abilities, as normally it can be difficult attaching regular steel to cast steel.