Driving on Ice

[MrMatt]

Well after driving in MN for 4 years now in the snow/ice with my X Im starting to feel pretty confident in my winter driving skills....as everyone here has mentioned staying off the brakes and making smooth adjustments is the key.

In 4x4 giving it gas can help you regain control if you know what your doing (in snow that is) by pulling the front end back around, anyway I cant wait for the snow to fly so I can go out and play in my 'x' that is

-Matt

 

[tenikiwon]

I love driving in the snow with 4x4 too. It's so fun to pull up next to anyone with a "cool" car (yes this includes ricers) and pull away like it's no ones business. Just have to remember that you're breaking is not any better.

 

[tenikiwon]

oh yea,

An 4x4 "burn" outs are cool too.

 

[Majisto]

OK 4WD is dangerous period because of the way the system works. Equal power is given to the front and rear wheels. This in theory is great if there was no such thing as friction. Unfortunately, we have moving parts and heat is generated due to the parts rubbing together and that heat is wasted horsepower.

The rear wheels due to the driveshaft from the front of the car, end up getting less power, and you have an uneven distribution of power. This can prove disastrous on the ice. This is why 4WD is a big no no for ice driving. AWD on the other hand is a nice thing to have.

It all depends on your driving habits. Any form of drivertrain is dangerous in its own way. RWD will kick the back-end out, FWD will under-steer, and 4WD will lock the 4 wheels together.

Just remember this one very simple rule to tires. Your tires can do 100% divided anyway you choose among these three things. Turning/Acceleration/Braking. You can do 30/30/40 but you can NOT do 100/20/40. In other words, when you are slamming on those brakes in the ice, they won't have any available grip to help you regain control because they are too busy trying to stop the vehicle.

Hope this helps anybody out there.

 

[tenikiwon]

Just figures I'd through this up for some added reading

Dead Link Removed

 

[Rob_B]

After driving rear-wheel drive vehicles in Iowa winter's for every year I've driven( this'll be my 5th winter), I've become pretty good. Been through some hairy situation's that made me skip a heartbeat or 2, but madeit through alright. The only thing 4WD does is give's u better traction when accelerating, and help's pull your front end when u r turning. I see as many 4X4's in the ditch on my way to school as I do small cars, Using your head is and slwoing down is the key.

I've alway's felt much safer having 4WD in the winter, and have it in 4HI all the time when I'm in city traffic.

 

[akcrogers]

Growing up in Alaska, I've always felt that I have a superior feel of control for vehicles than many people I've met. In Fairbanks we get lots of ice, and so either you wreck a lot of cars, or you learn how to drive them. After you've put a car in a ditch a certain number of times, you just figure out how to avoid it. Survival of the fitest I guess. Anyways, at the beginning of the winter when we get our first ice, I always go to a big open parking lot and spin around a bit, to help myself remember how to drive on the ice. In general, I pop into 4wd whenever I'm stopped and use it up to about 15 or 20, 4wd provides a much better starting grip as you have all 4 tires to gain traction. This is why 2wd cars and trucks stay at the light for 2 minutes spinning their tires trying to get across the ice. However, once you are moving, 4wd is much more dangerous, especially on us older model Explorers which only have rear anti-lock brakes. If you are coming up on a corner and you can't stop, just keep going until you can slow down, turn around and come back a the turn. better than sliding halfway throuhg the turn and going into the ditch.

Finally, something no one else has mentioned here is downshifting. If its super icy, downshifting provides the best form of slowing down with no chance of locking up your tires. they just try to spin slower without actually stopping. a combination of light breaking and downshifting can actually make you stop pretty fast.

later
chris