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.
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Reply to: Rear wheel drive on snow/ice
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Previously on "Rear wheel drive on snow/ice"
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Originally posted by MarkOD View PostI 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 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)
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Nah, forget Beamer, Merks and owdy-doodies - get a 2nd hand Saab
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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
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Originally posted by SuperZ View PostI ordered Vredestein Wintrac Xtremes
Originally posted by TimberWolf View PostDo you fit the tyres yourself? I've never fitted tyres (only entire wheels), is it simples?
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Originally posted by TimberWolf View PostThe rubber compound used probably makes a big difference too.Last edited by BlasterBates; 11 January 2010, 11:57.
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Originally posted by BlasterBates View PostThat's not it, that's probably some high performance, normally they're just slits between the tread indents.
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Originally posted by zeitghostInteresting.
http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/uploads/snow_tire.jpg
Presumably all those wiggly lines then?
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Originally posted by zeitghostInteresting.
http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/uploads/snow_tire.jpg
Presumably all those wiggly lines then?
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Originally posted by TimberWolf View PostThat theory has gone out of fashion now.
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Our Rav4 came with Pirelli Scorpioin STRs which are supposedly "All season" tyres. I've never had to use snow chains (even on 6 inch snow & ice in the alps) and the grip is pretty good.
That said, Mrs MM managed to get the ABS alarm to go off this morning as she was driving normally on an icy road.
So I think it's a combination of the tyres and actually being able to drive in the conditions...
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Even the coldest ice releases a film of water when weight is put on it and this film acts as a lubricant between the tire and the ice.
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Ice Grip
Ice grip requires lots of rubber touching the road, like a racing slick made of winter rubber compound.
This slick would have tens of thousands of tiny slits called sipes cut into it. Sipes are not tread blocks but rather just cuts in the tread rubber. The Pirelli Winter Carving tire has more than 120 metres of sipes in just one tire.
Sipes are the key component in ice grip. Even the coldest ice releases a film of water when weight is put on it and this film acts as a lubricant between the tire and the ice.
This is the real key to handling icy roads. If you pop round a car park and look at tyres you'll see they've become quite comon. This is fairly recent, I reckon 10 years ago tyres in the UK wouldn't have had these "sipes". However real winter tyres would be made from a different material. I couldn't see the snowflake symbol on the tyre, but it didn't slide on the icy road, and felt like my continental winter tyre. I presume the material is akin to a summer tyre but with the sipes perform well in winter, ie all season tyres that actually work.Last edited by BlasterBates; 11 January 2010, 09:59.
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Originally posted by BlasterBates View PostThat's what I mean they have the winter tread (i.e.those tiny slits), but a different rubber that isn't quite as soft as Winter tyre rubber in cold temps, and they are all seasonal.
Proper winter tyres have softer rubber, and have smaller blocks designed to move around more and generate a lot more heat. Use them in the summer and they'd overheat in no time, which is why nobody has them here.
A second set of second hand wheels wouldn't cost much, and you're saving your main set from being eaten by all that salt as well. Buying compromise tyres seems a bit pointless.
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Originally posted by RichardCranium View PostAha! The philosophy that says cars should be made from glass and have a big sharpened spike sticking out of the steering wheel and pointing at the driver's chest as a way of ensuring road safety.
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