Diff "lurches" getting into steep driveways sideways - is this normal?

[forbiddenbeat]

When driving into steep driveways sideways (so as not to scrape the front), if I end up with only the front passenger-side wheel and rear driver-side wheel touching the ground, the car as a lot of difficulty moving forward. As I clutch out, it lurches and feels like the center diff is slipping or binding. I more or less have to push through it until the second rear wheel touches down, then all is well. To avoid this, I usually try to approach such driveways with enough speed so I can glide all the way until the passenger-side rear wheel touches down, and then engage the clutch and proceed.

Is this normal? I assume the differentials are attempting to direct power to the non-spinning wheels and is struggling to do so.

[badbluers4]

Yup all of our cars do that. It took me a min to get used to it.

[forbiddenbeat]

Yup all of our cars do that. It took me a min to get used to it.

Ok thanks, definitely struck me as odd, since none of my previous Audis have done this.

[koolade9]

Sure you're not actually lifting a wheel? I typically 3-wheel on most steep curbs...

[forbiddenbeat]

Sure you're not actually lifting a wheel? I typically 3-wheel on most steep curbs...

Oh I'm most definitely lifting at least one wheel, which is exactly why I'm feeling this. But, it seems like the car would handle the power transfer more gracefully - it feels almost like an old 4x4 where the front u-joints would mind and you just had to power through it.

[LJH]

Totally normal. All of my Torsen equipped Quattro's have done this, my B6 S4 with H-Sport RS4 bars does it A LOT.


Cheers,
Jim

[singleframe]

Oh I'm most definitely lifting at least one wheel, which is exactly why I'm feeling this. But, it seems like the car would handle the power transfer more gracefully - it feels almost like an old 4x4 where the front u-joints would mind and you just had to power through it.

freaks my wife out a bit sometimes.

[forbiddenbeat]

freaks my wife out a bit sometimes.

Heh, yep, my wife said "your car feels like it's broken". :D

[WinterRunner]

The joys of torsen!

[koolade9]

Okay, just to be clear, half the people in this thread are referring to the drivetrain binding that occurs in the rear when making very low-speed turns. This is due to the torsen center diff, you are correct. What the OP is referring to is what happens to quattro when you completely remove traction from one wheel (i.e. a wheel in the air), basically the car sends all the power to the spinning wheel...when the vehicle regains traction (as in when the spinning wheel finally touches the pavement again), the car will lurch forward due to the mis-match in wheel speeds and current torque load on the drivetrain.