RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted February 1, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 1, 2012 Some of the most fun on ice I have had was an old VW beetle on packed ice in a pub carpark it would happily rotate around the front wheels and depending on which direction you were turning at the start of the spin decided which way it went so anti clockwise circles followed clockwise spins I was there playing so long I only stopped when I was low on fuel. As an afterthought I would rather rely on an old Landrover with thin tyres to get home than many modern 4x4's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penlan Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 .........As an afterthought I would rather rely on an old Landrover with thin tyres to get home than many modern 4x4's Thin tyres - On my Austin 7's I have 3.50 x 19", they've been known to get out of muddy fields, same as tractors, and leave the rest behind including non-farmer 4 x 4's. This certainly happened a few years ago at a Steam Rally etc., in Mabe (Cornwall). Same in the snow up North. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Original Model T's are good for mud and snow too. They knew what they were doing back then (all the roads were horribly finished). Tall wheels help too - wheels are levers after all. Best, Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 In general, narrow tires are great on fresh snow where you need to dig through it, but a wider tire (with a larger contact patch) is better on ice/plowed snow (with the current winter tire designs and compounds). If you are using a tire intended for general/all season use, narrower is usually better as the compound gets too hard in the cold for the contact patch to give as much help. If you are using a tire designed for summer use, there is space in a ditch reserved for you. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted February 1, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 1, 2012 Most of the X5,L200/landcruiser crowd seem to fit track day tyres and wonder why they block the road. I have only seen one person swop his summer alloy wheels for winter tyres on steel rimsin the last 5 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Nothing wrong with big tyres in the snow, so long as you know their limits. Military Bar Grips, a.k.a. Bar Slips, not the best in the snow, but even so, with a bit of careful driving ; A day out last winter Winter Drive; December 2010 Winter Drive; December 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Nothing wrong with big tyres in the snow, so long as you know their limits. Military Bar Grips, a.k.a. Bar Slips, not the best in the snow, but even so, with a bit of careful driving ; I'm sure the reasonably high ground pressure helps too... Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angell328 Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 I love my old Landy in the winter, Might be cold, rattly and drafty but will get me home no problems! Last few years I've been driving on desert sand tyres, they are amazing in the snow. Narrow enough to dig in and wide enough to get traction. As been said above 4x4 might make it easy to get going, but when you stand on the stop peddle you still have the same problem as everyone else, but with upwards of 2 ton of momentum! The joy of pulling shiney 4x4's out of ditches and snow berms with my 44 year old landy never gets old! Normally the question of how come you didn't crash and I did? come up. Just because you have all the toys, doesn't mean that you automatically get out of trouble. You have to know how to drive in snow and ice anyway, the toys are an aid, not a magic protective blanket! Cheers Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Natalie Graham Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 I love my old Landy in the winter, Might be cold, rattly and drafty but will get me home no problems! Years ago a chap used to sometimes give me a lift in his Land Rover and used to say he'd rather have left it ar home when the weather was bad, but then it had no roof, no doors, no windscreen and the passenger seat was a sack of firewood stuffed in the metal seat base. My first model Renault Megane was a dream to drive in the snow. I was first vehicle down a highland lane near Aviemore one morning after eight inches of snow overnight and it was so sure-footed it was unreal. The second series Megane I have now with alloy wheels and wider tyres is hopeless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumblestripe Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Actually it was Saltburn, a seaside resort, a little (very little) south of Newcastle Saltburn is around 50 miles south of Newcastle. Very popular with surfers and I'm a little surprised that there are none to be seen in the sea by the pier! Winter tyres are the biggest help in cold conditions. 4WD will get you moving but is no help in stopping you and very little help in going round corners! Of course me fitting them on the wife's Yaris as assured us of a temperate winter (I hope) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Russ (mines a pint) Posted February 2, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2, 2012 There is a film on Youtube of a bus driver showing drivers of other vehicles, including 4X4's how it should be done. He is driving UP a steep hill with a double hairpin bend in ice and snow blithely passing struggling motorists. IIRC it was in Sheffield but I can't find it at the moment. There maybe others but here's one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pcdg9m7Dao - there will probably be a another two behind it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 There maybe others but here's one:.... Yes, that's the same one I posted on the previous page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Russ (mines a pint) Posted February 2, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2, 2012 Ooops sorry horsetan- did look but never saw it- there are a few different versions of that one too, some with captions some with not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Ooops sorry horsetan- did look but never saw it.... It is there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 2, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 2, 2012 I am watching 'Winter Road Rescue' on Channel 5. They have just shown 'Snow socks' in use, if you have to drive in snow it looks like they are a must. http://www.autosockdirect.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Interesting, Phil. I wonder how long they last? Amazingly we've only had one snowfall this Winter (tapping head) - last year we had 80" in our town.......... Best, Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Interesting, Phil. I wonder how long they last? They're supposed to last quite well and can take some abuse from running on dry tarmac. I've had a set in the boot for a while but I've never needed to use them. I've been running winter tyres the last couple of years anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcm@gwr Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 The main problem, as I see it, is the lack of training/experience. When I was a lot younger I relished the chance to get on the snow and 'play', I had a 1200 Triumph Herald on 5.20x13 crossply's. Afew of us used to go to the nearest snow covered car park and throw the car around to see what would happen! You soon learnt how to opposite lock, power slide and steer into skids. This then gave you the knowledge on what to do when it happened out on the roads. I have occaisionally lost control, but have always managed to get it back, and without hitting anything [including kerbs]! In Sweden skid control is part of the driving test [so I'm told], but nothing is done in this country, you can't even get access to skid-pans, even if you wanted to. Most of the new drivers are too scared to go out in bad conditions, so never build up the experience they need, and then when they get caught out in snow etc., it's just mayhem for everyone else Grumpy Old Man mode off!, Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penlan Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We had 'fun' in our lane this morning, it has a grade, and Wednesday night a small stream became blocked from debris that has been accumulating for a while (out of sight). The stream slowly overflowed and found it's way onto the lane, then making it's way down into the village, the clear skies gave us -3.7 deg's temperature around 4am. Pure ice !!! There's a few insurance claims being made, and in spite of the obvious problems, the School run was attempted by many, thus more claims........ Fortunatly the local 'Shopper' type buses decided the lane looked unsafe and sought the alternative route into/out of the village. The road was closed at about 10am, and grit/salt spread. The stream's unblocked too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted February 3, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 3, 2012 .... Pure ice !!! There's a few insurance claims being made, and in spite of the obvious problems, the School run was attempted by many, thus more claims........ I hope your gates survived the school run. Our road only has a gentle slope but it is a popular place for parents to decant their offspring in the mornings. On the few years we have snow our road which is never gritted seems to turn into an ice rink. I'm glad I don't have to park my car in the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chriswright03 Posted February 3, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 3, 2012 The bus driver was lucky to have a clear road, he cold keep the power on in a higher gear, and of course rear drive etc., Not 100% certain but I would imagine the bus would be fully automatic. All of ours are automatics but there are some that you can change yourself or leave in a selected gear. It is highly likely that it was fully automatic and the driver just kept it chugging along in whatever gear it had selected. I am sure others on here that have been driving buses far longer than me could know more. In any event I was surprised when we had the bad snow in November 2010 and it was my first time in snow driving a bus. They had surprising amounts of grip but of course that was when driven properly ie with a bit of common sense and using the throttle and brakes as though you were driving on... well ice! Or squashed snow which of course is ice anyway. I am watching 'Winter Road Rescue' on Channel 5. They have just shown 'Snow socks' in use, if you have to drive in snow it looks like they are a must. http://www.autosockdirect.co.uk In the same snow mentioned above I recall that the Ambulance crews around here kept going by using the socks. Only problem as I see it from researching them when I thought about buying some is the hassle of putting them on and then taking them off again when the tarmac appears and storing them dripping wet in your car only to have to put them back on another time. Hence why I have purchased a set of winter tyres. I had them fitted as soon as the temperature dropped to below 7C consistently about a month ago. They haven't been fully tested yet as there has not been any snow or even icy roads to speak of but they are gripping very well in the conditions so far and I am impressed. Looking forward (almost) to a bit of snow to see how they work. Again having researched before I bought they are far better than all year tyres for grip even under braking at the temperatures below 7C and although it was an extra cost it was far better than trading my car in for a 4 x 4 that would still have needed winter tyres anyway. The main problem, as I see it, is the lack of training/experience. When I was a lot younger I relished the chance to get on the snow and 'play', I had a 1200 Triumph Herald on 5.20x13 crossply's. Afew of us used to go to the nearest snow covered car park and throw the car around to see what would happen! You soon learnt how to opposite lock, power slide and steer into skids. This then gave you the knowledge on what to do when it happened out on the roads. I have occaisionally lost control, but have always managed to get it back, and without hitting anything [including kerbs]! In Sweden skid control is part of the driving test [so I'm told], but nothing is done in this country, you can't even get access to skid-pans, even if you wanted to. Most of the new drivers are too scared to go out in bad conditions, so never build up the experience they need, and then when they get caught out in snow etc., it's just mayhem for everyone else Grumpy Old Man mode off!, Jeff Having had skid pan tuition I can say that whilst it does teach you how to control a car in adverse conditions the best form of skid control is skid prevention. Don't get into one on the first place by using the controls with respect for the conditions and the need to correct it has been removed. OK should that have failed and you had to control a skid the lessons learnt on a disused runway in my day hold little in common with the actual road where roadside furniture, other vehicles and people are in the way of a car that is awaiting you to apply the skills learnt in sterile surroundings. In Lincolnshire the Police do hold training days for new drivers where they are given the opportunity to have a go on the skid pan. It is a purpose built oval now but nonetheless still far removed from the real life situation of roads that we uses daily. It does remind me of a story about a crew on a driving course on the skid pan when it was the disused runway at the disused RAF Hibaldstow. Long time ago as I am sure will become clear when I say that the car used was a Mark II Ford Cortina GT. One of the crew managed to slide off the oil soaked runway onto and mount one of the straw bales that surrounded it. Heat from the exhaust set the bale alight and then the skidpan. Having escaped the ensuing inferno and returning very shocked to police Headquaters they were then given a b0llocking by the Traffic Superintendent for putting oily footprints on the carpet. He never did ask them if they were alright after their ordeal! Good old days! Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 ......It does remind me of a story about a crew on a driving course on the skid pan when it was the disused runway at the disused RAF Hibaldstow. Long time ago as I am sure will become clear when I say that the car used was a Mark II Ford Cortina GT. One of the crew managed to slide off the oil soaked runway onto and mount one of the straw bales that surrounded it. Heat from the exhaust set the bale alight and then the skidpan. Having escaped the ensuing inferno and returning very shocked to police Headquaters they were then given a b0llocking by the Traffic Superintendent for putting oily footprints on the carpet. He never did ask them if they were alright after their ordeal! Good old days!.... Very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I am watching 'Winter Road Rescue' on Channel 5. They have just shown 'Snow socks' in use, if you have to drive in snow it looks like they are a must. http://www.autosockdirect.co.uk Interesting. I've never heard of a product like that - and I live in a country that (usually) gets pretty good winter conditions for a significant part of the year. I'm not sure they'd be a great product for getting you out when you get stuck, though. For that a bag of basic biodegradeable kitty litter (non-scented, non-clumping) is a useful thing to have in the boot. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted February 3, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 3, 2012 I'm off to Worcestershire this weekend. When I planned the journey it was forecasting all kinds of horrible weather but it seems less threatening now. I've still packed the snow shovel though (just in case!). My car has the "Winter" options which help a bit with things like defrosting and heating the washer nozzles. Fortunately the "Scandinavian Winter" option with an auxiliary heater isn't really necessary here in South Essex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I know several people with Landys/Discos who use snow socks as a little bit of extra insurance. I've used chains on the front wheels of my Legacy for years, but found the habit of the back overtaking the front a bit disconcerting, a pair of snow socks on the back gives me a bit of extra shove as well as making it a bit more stable, mind you, some breeze blocks in the boot help too. IIRC snow socks use the same sort of principle as snow sticking a wooly jumper, but on a slightly more refined basis. They also are quite good as they are easy to fit (think shower cap), which suits the wife down to the ground, also if they go a bit wonky they don't wreck the wheel arch like a loose snow chain does. Must say, I am looking forward to putting all the kit on the Scooby this weekend when it snows and going for a romp around the village to p*** off all the owners of toy/posing 4x4s. Mind you 1 foot of snow is the deepest I've put the Legacy through. I also carry a folding pick/shovel (those are brilliant and only £6) as well as a sleeping bag. Somebody suggested a tow rope, but I have a nice length of sturdy chain with a hook on either end which is much more versatile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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