'Tyre Grip' for winter driving.

When I wanted a specialist manual for a VW vanagon it was slightly cheaper to have it shipped from the States than to pay the exorbitant UK mark-ups for the same item. Just a thought. Cheers Gilbert

A bag of rock salt and sand would probably be more useful. thing is though that you want the grip without getting out and spraying your tyres or shovelling sand. So go and buy some winter tyres, the rubber formula is different and they have a lot more grip, combine with 4x4 if you can, and you won't get stuck or into trouble very easily.

But unless your journey is vital, avoid driving in the ice is the safest bet.

Mrcheerful

Not always. Recently I had the occasion to look up an OBD CAN bus reader. One UK supplier is asking for £63 inc. p&p, VAT.

I bought a part for my boiler from the states and inculding shipping it was less than =A320. In the Uk cheapest price was =A389 +vat + delivery.

I think that's because we don't really have winter in this country.

You're right. For the few times we do have enough snow to make driving difficult, especially in the south, a set of wheels with snow tyres is not worth the investment. OTOH an aerosol can of Tyre Grip, probably costing less than £10 could be all that is needed for those occasions when a little more grip is required. Mike.

not really, the tin of tyre grip is about 30 dollars, so since usually US stuff is converted dollar to pound it would be thirty quid here, yes, I know it is cheaper than some more tyres, but winter tyres from Michelin can be used year round in this country, while the aerosol would probably have died by the time you need it, and it only lasts a mile or two before being worn off in any case, a cheap set of snow chains might be worth having if you live in the country or a very hilly place that gets snowed in often.

Mrcheerful

After having two spins in the snow at less than 20mph in different cars one costing me £220 to repair I no longer drive in the snow, its just dumb. Unless I get to snowboard at the end of it :-) but thats hella scary driving up to the alps in a 2 wheel drive and no snow chains.

I had no troubles with a 2 wheel drive car with no snow chains in Norway. But it did have proper studded winter tyres...

cheers, clive

How does one manage to do this?

Thinking you're Petter Solberg.

According to their website a 7oz tin is $12.95. 16oz $19.95 If that means £13 for 7oz's I don't reckon that's a bad investment.

yes, I know

Why drive on winter tyres for most of the year, just to be prepared for the occasional snowfall.? Apart from that, I prefer to drive with good performance tyres for the majority of the year. I doubt snow tyres perform as well as the ContiSport Contacts I have on my car at present.

while the aerosol would probably have died

From their website. A can will last indefinitely, provided it is not kept in a damp atmosphere and allowed to corrode from the outside in.

and it only lasts a mile or two before being worn

Up to 50 miles is claimed. More than enough for the average commute.

That's my point. In the south we get relatively little snow. Certainly not, at least in my case, enough to justify the expense of chains or snow tyres. Which is why having a tin of Tyre Grip in the boot, seems like an ideal solution, (no pun intended) for those few occasions when it might be needed. Mike.

By slamming all-on when it starts to slide and making the driven wheels spin furiously until *after* the car has come to rest embedded in something.

Having not the first clue what to do, in other words.

I was lucky - my driving instructor chose 'driving country lanes in 4" deep virgin snow' for one of my later lessons... you learn fast!

I'm rather skeptical of such claims, though. It _may_ last 50 miles if used on sheet ice. OTOH, if you use it to get past the ungritted roads to the (treated) main road or motorway, drive 10-20 miles on tarmac, then need to cover more untreated roads... I don't expect it'll last very long on clear tarmac.

As an emergency "get you home" fix, then sure. I view it in the same way as the foam-in-a-car tyre repair things...

Not on virgin snow you don't. Virgin snow is relatively easy to drive on. It's when it becomes packed and rutted, then freezes with patches of black ice. That's when it starts to get really slippery and driving becomes a real challenge. Mike.

Agreed. So learning to feel a skid on the virgin snow before doing the test route on the 'driven on' snow was a good thing, no?

And doing the next lesson three days later, in the evening on rutted, frozen, packed snow was also a good thing?

It's stood me in good stead anyway.

Up to 50 miles on snowbound roads. For a better explaination see the link in my OP. Mike.

First year of driving, I've now got 4yrs no claims as excess is something like £350 anyway till I'm 25.

First time I was in my £75 1.1 fiesta (had tax and mot +insurance) I was driving pretty fast till this sharp corner in the country, went up a curb and got stuck in mud had to be pulled out was 5:30am.

Second time was in my 1.4golf only had 43k on it, took it easy this time came to a corner realised I was going a tad too fast tapped the brakes ever so gently and the front end was just gone weeeee then whack into a curb. Tried carrying on but realised car wasn't driving in a straight line anymore. Got out and the wheel was hanging off. Was a pretty bad night as it took the break down service 4hrs to get to me.

Pah, you kids!

That would be Stig Blomqvist, Ari Vattenen or Juha Kankunnen for the more mature gentlemen of these parts.