My van is not able to drive over a curb. Just a normal curb, that other vehicles are able to drive their wheels over, and mine is not. What might be the problem and how to fix it?
It is a Mercedes-Benz 308D T1 van, year 1992, model 602.316.
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what size tires do you have? does it drive down the road fine? maybe a picture of the kerb? is it auto or manual trans? If auto try dropping it into first before trying to hop the kerb.– ZencylMay 16, 2011 at 5:55
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What happens when you try?– asjoMay 22, 2011 at 2:08
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@Zencyl: The tires are 215/82 R14 C. It drives down the road fine (also up the road). Kerb is just a normal kerb - the boundary of a sidewalk. Manual transmission. Of course I try with the first gear. What happens? The same thing that happens if I would try to push the 3000 kg van with cargo myself.– riaMay 22, 2011 at 8:51
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yes but what happens? Does it stall even when using high revs while lowly letting the clutch out? Even at max revs? Or does the clutch just slip no matter what? Those 2 symptoms would imply 2 very different issues.– Rory AlsopMay 27, 2011 at 19:32
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2 Answers
Try coming in at an angle. Come in slowly so that you get one wheel up at a time, or come to a stop and roll slowly and turn the wheel while you're moving. This should help the tire grip the side and aid in getting the car up, instead of the motor pushing it entirely, if that makes sense.
However, if you're going to be jumping kerbs regularly you should use boards (or those ramps they sell for changing your oil) to avoid tire damage.
The problem may be lack of power for the weight of the vehicle. (I'm unfamiliar with your model, so no idea if this would be normal). Your 215/82 R14 wheels seem tall enough to get over the average curb.
As a solution, you can either attempt it with a bit more momentum - rather than coming to a dead stop, roll up and over it at walking speed - or ease the curb with some boards, as per below.
Keep a 2x4 stored at the location to make a short "ramp" to lessen the severity of the curb. Place the board on the road, parallel to and snugged up to the curb. For more height, an additional 2x6 can go under the 2x4. Store the boards in the van if you need to mount curbs at multiple locations.
