First proper brown trouser moment

[Nefarious]

Had my first "proper" scary moment is the Cerb yesterday. I've had the back step out before either when its wet, or if I've been a bit too agressive with the throttle, but you're always half expecting that. This was completely out of the blue, and coming at the end of a 4 hour journey really snapped my out of autopilot mode.

Coming back from Liverppol to Edinburgh, on the A701. Green frost light intermittantly coming on, lots of salt and grit on the road, keeping up an OK pace, but not booting it by any strech (mrs and wee'un in the car). Suddenly, out of nowhere, I find myself on a section with a big drop on one side, doing 50 or so, 45 degrees to the road with 3/4 of a turn of opposite lock on fighting not to punt us into the fields 30 ft below. It all came back fine, it no tank slapper as it recovered, but really sh@t us all up.

Tiny spot of black ice, perhaps (there had been the occasional slight "squirm" at low speeds earlier on the road)
Combination of a bend on a crest with a slight off-camber, perhaps?
Maybe I'd just been a bit slow off the brakes before turn in through tiredness?
Got a slight funny feeling that the diff might be being a bit "sticky" in its locking behaviour, is that possible??
Either way - will be keeping a very close eye for the next little, especially as I'm on track on Friday.

[petclub]

It does sound like the combination of factors catching you unawares. It's horrible when it happens, but you're all OK which is the main thing. I hope your young one wasn't too shaken.

[Nefarious]

Haing written this, it's clarified things in my head a little, and I guess the most likely explanation was that the crest and camber change came just as I was transitioning from brake to throttle.

WRT the diff behaviour thing - does yours ever "clunk", a bit like the feeling on a pushbike when the chain jumps a tooth?

[volospian]

That reminds me, my ice light doesn't work. Is there a sensor somewhere that needs looking at (it lights up at ignition time, but never illuminates, even on frosty sub zero mornings).

Sounds nasty, good job you caught it. Better than coffee though, I bet

It does seem like the cerb can just snap out at the smallest provocation at times.

[TopHat]

this probably won't be that helpful but I slipped THREE TIMES on my drive that morning onwhat appeared to be frost-free tarmac just walking about

[Byker28i]

volospian said:

It does seem like the cerb can just snap out at the smallest provocation at times.

I wonder about statements like this as I've found I have to provoke mine into doing something silly, but it's quite easy to get the rear end out for some drifting around roundabouts.

However, I wonder if riding motorbikes everyday for 30 years has left me with a closer idea of road surfaces and hence I drive like a wuss at this time of year. (-7 this morning and the temp guage didn't move past cold on the bike )

[mxi933]

I know exactly what you mean about the bike thing. When the roads are like this I ride like a pensioner but I drive like a teenager. The Cerb is a hoot in this weather

[Tyre Smoke]

Nefarious said:

WRT the diff behaviour thing - does yours ever "clunk", a bit like the feeling on a pushbike when the chain jumps a tooth?

Until the diff bushes were replaced. Suggest you get yours checked out - they are a bit of a bollox to do apparently. Mine were done with the body off, making it somewhat easier if much more expensive way of doing it!!

[volospian]

Byker28i said:

I wonder about statements like this as I've found I have to provoke mine into doing something silly, but it's quite easy to get the rear end out for some drifting around roundabouts.

However, I wonder if riding motorbikes everyday for 30 years has left me with a closer idea of road surfaces and hence I drive like a wuss at this time of year. (-7 this morning and the temp guage didn't move past cold on the bike )

• shrugs* don't know, mine has only broken free while in a situation where I would expect such a reaction, but this thread, along with this one: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... suggests that some owners are experiencing sideways moments when they least expect it.

[volospian]

Tyre Smoke said:

Until the diff bushes were replaced. Suggest you get yours checked out - they are a bit of a bollox to do apparently. Mine were done with the body off, making it somewhat easier if much more expensive way of doing it!!

Yeah, mine used to clunk before I had the diff bushes sorted. It's so much better now. There are three bushes, apparently. They are all a bit of a swine to remove. I had mine done by PPC in Melton when I had some work done on the exhaust. That way the exhaust was already removed, so it was just a case of dropping the diff and changing the bushes. I had the cavity it came out of inspected and waxoyled at the same time.