GrasB
Veteran
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
Actually an Exige is just about drivable on anything but fresh snow with stock Toyo R888 tyres. But then it does have a fair amount of weight over the rear wheels being mid-engined.
Driving in the snow
- Thread starter gaz
- Start date
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Globalti
Legendary Member
It's all about ground pressure. A narrow tyre digs down into the surface better than a wide tyre, which may only have half the ground pressure.
There is a video somewhere of an old S11 Landy bombing happily up a slippery slope where a modern Range Rover is spinning its wheels.
Driving my Land Rover in very deep mud I have also seen 4x4s with fat tyres getting bogged when the tyre built up a "bow wave" of mud rather than cut through; mine had tall narrow 750x16 tyres, standard military fitment and they were excellent in mud and snow.
There is a video somewhere of an old S11 Landy bombing happily up a slippery slope where a modern Range Rover is spinning its wheels.
Driving my Land Rover in very deep mud I have also seen 4x4s with fat tyres getting bogged when the tyre built up a "bow wave" of mud rather than cut through; mine had tall narrow 750x16 tyres, standard military fitment and they were excellent in mud and snow.
Linford
Guest
[QUOTE 1715128, member: 45"]Yeah, but I'm mainly interested in the drivers clogging up our streets, and we don't get many of them. We're usually pushing the standard smeggers mobile.[/quote]
I think what I'm trying to say is I think that a regular diff is more likely to hinder the progress of a RWD car than the width or tread pattern of the tyres in sheet ice conditions.
I think what I'm trying to say is I think that a regular diff is more likely to hinder the progress of a RWD car than the width or tread pattern of the tyres in sheet ice conditions.
Linford
Guest
That doesn't really explain why they don't fit them to the offroad vehicles in Iceland - or the Land Cruiser which Top Gear took to the North Pole though. They drop the tyre pressures to about 8psi to et around on the glaciers, and use a can of lighter fuel to reinflate them IIRC. Pure studded ice tyres are skinny, but they race on a prepared course with no real amount surface snow which has been gone over by the piste bashers first.
Globalti
Legendary Member
I think the difference is that in really cold dry conditions, as every skier knows, you are likely to be driving through un-transformed snow composed of intact snowflakes with a lot of air trapped between them, therefore snow that has remained light and powdery. In that kind of snow I guess you'd stand a better chance of making progress with big flotation tyres. By contrast the relatively warm damp conditions that usually accompany snow in the UK mean we seldom get powder snow and most driving is likely to be on compressed snow or melting snow on a hard surface where penetration is needed. The same applies for racing on ice or bashed snow.
Linford
Guest
What is CA& D an abbreviation for ?
Linford
Guest
Who'd have thought it. They are supposed to be very good towing cars with the TDV engine in it- apparently. I'd struggle to pay the VED, let alone run one as a daily drive and live with the devaluation. If you are going to go and get caught speeding, at least do it in something which does a convincing performance of something with a real bit of go in it.
Linford
Guest
Ah, Not on the list.
Linford
Guest
Are the threads of such high quality, or the big hitters slugging it out like the old days (not sure I want to join them TBH)
Linford
Guest
Who grants access ?
Linford
Guest
[QUOTE 1715438, member: 45"]The action is in Commuting these days. I think you have to reach a number of posts before you can get into the other place.[/quote]
I'd be interested to see the posts, but the slugging matches are wearing, and we all ended up looking bad for it. I must be mellowing with age....
I'd be interested to see the posts, but the slugging matches are wearing, and we all ended up looking bad for it. I must be mellowing with age....
Canrider
Guru
This metaphor isn't perfect, but it's the difference between choosing ice skates versus snowshoes. If your tyres are intended to work on a solid surface (tarmac/ice racing) then narrow ones to get through whatever's on top of the tarmac or ice might just help. If your tyres were intended to work on soft loose surfaces (mud/snow) then a wider tyre will be better as there is no solid layer for a narrow tyre to sink or cut through to.
Linford
Guest
This makes sense. I do find with all the Diff locks on that it is very forgiving if you always respect the mass, When attempting to climb the 1:3 Bushciombe lane, the car did dig down to the tarmac, but there was too much snow on the ground, and was taller than the sump guard/bash plate. Maybe a very light 4x4 like a Quad would have made it, but there was too much weight to drag up the gradient and the wheels just span up on the back end (no diff lock on the front end or else the steering wouldn't work)
asterix
Comrade Member
- Location
- Limoges or York
View ahead of my 1985 Mk2 GTi winter early 90's somewhere in Northumberland. We were going from York to a village near Inverness and of course should not have been there except my father had been taken ill. Shortly after taking the pic we were stopped by a stuck RWD vauxhall. We got it moving but I doubt if they got much further.
Our avg for the complete journey was 50 mph, fortunately the roads were clearer after Perth.
Attachments
Linford
Guest
[QUOTE 1715015, member: 45"]Tractors are rwd with fat tyres linf -you know what people mean when they use the term you're choosing to argue.
I'll give you a ring next time it snows and you can come and watch out of our dining room window with me. Or even join us pushing -you get a lot of time to read the name on the boot lid beside your gloved hands.[/quote]
Resturning to this. I mananged to (sort of) put this to the test at the weekend in a nice empty quarry in the snow on friday.
One of my sprogs driving the car, and under instruction to boot it with the same degree of effort in both instances. See how the rear wheels spin up in 2WD causing her to back off a bit whilst the 4WD clip just shows steady acceleration until the braking point with little wheelspin.
I'll give you a ring next time it snows and you can come and watch out of our dining room window with me. Or even join us pushing -you get a lot of time to read the name on the boot lid beside your gloved hands.[/quote]
Resturning to this. I mananged to (sort of) put this to the test at the weekend in a nice empty quarry in the snow on friday.
One of my sprogs driving the car, and under instruction to boot it with the same degree of effort in both instances. See how the rear wheels spin up in 2WD causing her to back off a bit whilst the 4WD clip just shows steady acceleration until the braking point with little wheelspin.
