Is RWD really much worse than FWD in winter/snow? Snow chains?

I know what you mean, but IME, it's more effective to use the brakes, rather than the engine to slow down. Especially in very slippery conditions. Logically, using all 4 wheels to slow down must be more effective than using just 2.

This was braught home to me many years ago, when I drove from the south coast to London the day after a very heavy snowfall, which had been compressed to black ice. Upon taking my foot off the accelerator, the engine slowed to a tickover, and having so little grip, the rear wheels just slid down the camber of the road towards the kerb. Hardly slowing the car at all. The most effective way to slow was to dip the clutch, and employ very light cadence braking. I also found that lowering the tyre pressures by a few pounds improved grip. Something else that is not recommended, but I also know that had I not done so, I would never have made it home. Just goes to show that you can't always believe what the 'experts' tell you. Mike.

Shame all winter weather driving courses teach the opposite.

Except that if you thought about it, when you press the brake pedal, the wheels with little grip will lock and then slide, giving you little braking.

I agree. It's probably because it's easier to teach one method that will cover most conditions, than try to teach a driver to adapt their driving according to how slippery it is.

I have thaaught about it and put it into practice. If you continuously braked you'd be right. What you missed is the part of my post that mentioned light cadence braking. Mike.

Lived on and off in switzerland for a couple of years and one of the jokes that I kept being told were the brits in their RR/X5s/Cayennes getting stuck with their standard tyres whilst all the locals sped up to the ski resorts in their front and rear wheel drives and winter tyres with no probs (they always called them winter tyres - probably the same as "snow" tyres as the studed tyres were illegal most places?)

This is never mentioned in the car mags in the long term reports - took the RR sport to Verbier and it performed wonderfully bull sh**

If that were the case large tracts of North America etc would have been immobile in the past.

The best way which very few in the UK bother with is a spare set of wheels with the correct winter tyres. However we get so little long term snow it would be an unwarranted expense for most.

Maybe the car mags remember to fit the winter tyres, it never ocurred to me not to fit them, even the Capri was usable in snow with the right tyres.

I completely agree. I had an RX8 last year and only get stuck once, like it was bad enough that I parked it up and didn't bother with the journey. That was on summer tyres and happened because our road isn't gritted by the council (although they do provide it at the top of the road).

I do wonder about summer tyre wear at this time of the year though, like do they ever get to the temperature they are designed to grip at and consequently do they wear out quicker than winter tyres would?? Sure on a dry day on a substantial drive I expect that they probably do get in the working temperature range of the compound but driving in rain/slush/snow I expect that they don't????

I always wonder if it is false economy to keep summer tyres on but I have never changed a set yet.

Dave

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Dave Baker" saying something like:

LOL!

Nothing like being prepared.

Snow chains aren't designed to be used in summer conditions they are supposed to be used on padded snow. Many roads in Europe have signs forbidding the use of snowchains.

You should use smaller diameter wheels not thicker diameter wheels, Rally cars use thin standard wheels when racing in the snow. Thick wheels will just skid like they do over water.

Smaller diameter, thicker diameter, thinner, thicker?

Do you mean thicker v thiner (width) or bigger v smaller (diameter)?

Diameter is not 'thickness' (width), its more like height. Why do tractors have such large diameter wheels on the back if they don't give more grip?

most people can't drive - therefore RWD is rubbish for 99% of the population....

The larger diameter will give the tractor a higher speed (and lower torque) for given engine revs.

Zimmy ( snipped-for-privacy@y.z) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Do you want to try getting that kind of ground clearance below the diff on

Lexus IS200 on even a flat road was useless in the snow, traction control hindrance rather than help...I just sailed past in my Saab 9000...

I don't find RWD handling a problem - it's simply the lack of traction when starting off....

I used to have an old sierra that was OK with relatively thin 185 tyres..same with the old Volvo 240.

In my experience the best cars in snow have been small hatchbacks with skinny tyres.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "History" saying something like:

That'll be a whoosh, then.

Found the article in WhatCar and the place was val d;isere(?) but still true that brits in 4*4s are a bit of a joke. renaults/fords etc driving past the