Rear wheel drive on snow/ice

[BlasterBates]

That theory has gone out of fashion now.

What ever the theory I can assure you that when you have slits in the tyres it don't slip. Our road was covered in ice and it didn't slip slightly.How they work, who knows.

[VectraMan]

Interesting.

http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/uploads/snow_tire.jpg

Presumably all those wiggly lines then?

No wiggly lines on my tyres. Just big manly blocks of solid rubber.

[BlasterBates]

Interesting.

http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/uploads/snow_tire.jpg

Presumably all those wiggly lines then?

That's not it, that's probably some high performance, normally they're just slits between the tread indents.

[TimberWolf]

That's not it, that's probably some high performance, normally they're just slits between the tread indents.

The rubber compound used probably makes a big difference too.

[BlasterBates]

The rubber compound used probably makes a big difference too.

Well I think the slits are important on ice. All tyres in the UK are all season tyres, and always have been i.e. use a similar compound that is an average of a winter and a summer tyre. But yes the compound is also important comparing a winter with a summer tyre, I think probably less so than between an all season and a winter tyre.

[the_rangdo]

I ordered Vredestein Wintrac Xtremes

Ditto, got them fitted last week. Took 40 mins just to move the car onto the ramps, got stuck in the snow outside the garage

Do you fit the tyres yourself? I've never fitted tyres (only entire wheels), is it simples?

I got myself a smaller set of alloys off fleabay (narrower higher profile is better in this stuff), tyres fitted to those. Come spring just jack the car up and swap the wheels round.

[MarkOD]

I drove Mrs O's BMW automatic estate in the snow before xmas and it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. Walking or 4 wheel drive is the only guarantee in my book. Also, the older plucky little manual Astra was far superiour than it's newer,more expensive german drivemate

[PinkPoshRat]

Nah, forget Beamer, Merks and owdy-doodies - get a 2nd hand Saab

[the_rangdo]

I drove Mrs O's BMW automatic estate in the snow before xmas and it was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. Walking or 4 wheel drive is the only guarantee in my book. Also, the older plucky little manual Astra was far superiour than it's newer,more expensive german drivemate

4WD, RWD or FWD, it's still only 4 bits of rubber keeping you on the road.

4WD will get you going better than RWD or FWD but on the wrong tyres you're just as likely to come a cropper braking hard or turning on ice.

Problem with BMW,Merc,etc is they now come on fat (225mm or wider) low profile performance tyres that are meant for summer only. Wide tyres spread the load, might as well be on skis. The plucky Astra will likely have tyres no wider than 175mm with a higher profile and all-season compound rubber.

Right tools for the job, over the past week I've got through the car-park near mini-Rangdo's school better than some Chelsea tractors and a little Renault Clio (I had to push that one out of the way )

[lilelvis2000]

I've seen many rear-wheel drive cars get up our rather steep (10% grade) street, which is made worse because there is a 90% curve near the start of it at the bottom. Its all tyres and technique. Just enough power to get grip -- and no more -- and all season tyres.

My car has 17" rims and Dunlop Sport tyres....absolute rubbish in this stuff. I've been leaving it in the car park at the bottom - along with many others!

There's one lady on our street who floors it all the way up. you can smell the rubber burning...does no good for the transmission and bearings I'm sure.