hughpinder
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| posted on 21/12/10 at 02:06 PM |
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Here one I would like to see done a bit more:
If you're on a back lane where only one side has a cleared track, you're on a hill and going DOWN, and assuming you won't loose
control by doing so, please pull onto the crappy slush/snow and let the car coming UP go past. Its almost impossible you'll be properly stuck,
but the guy coming up may be. I've had to pull onto the 'verge'(where theres at least 8 inches of snow) 3 times in exactly this
situation this year, and been stuck for ages digging the car out to turn round and go back down the hill, then clear some road so I can turn round
again to get going. Whats especially annoying is that in every case its been a 4x4 coming the down the hill, which has had enough ground clearance to
not have a problem anyway, where my civic coupe has only abot 4.5 inches of ground clearance. I always try to do this when I'm going downhill
its far easier to get going if you do get stuck(obvious really).
Also
If you are in a queue thats not moving and you can see a car trying to turn in front who is obviously stuck, give him a push rather than getting your
mobile out and complaining. I got out of my car after a couple of minutes, walked past a queue of at least 50 cars, because a jag was stuck trying to
turn in the road. Every car I passed had the driver on their mobile, no one got out to help. I gave the jag one push and he was on his way. No one
looked at me as they drove past on the magically cleared road, due I hope to embarassment.
Regards
Hugh
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Liam
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| posted on 21/12/10 at 02:26 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by DorsetStrider
I have to disagree with the letting air out of your tyres advice. This will give you LESS grip on snow and ice NOT more... If anything you want to
over inflate the tyres slightly (no more than 10%) to open out the tread slightly. Underinflation works on sand/gravel... Over inflation is better for
snow and ice. Don't beleive me look at what the rally boys do.
Hmmm not sure about that myself. The 'rally boys' use ultra skinny (therefore high profile requiring high pressure) studded snow tyres
designed to cut through loose snow to something better beneath. We're not necessarily in the same situation with our fat-tyred tintops trying to
drive on top of hard packed snow/ice. Best we can do is elongate the contact patch by reducing tyre pressure. Works for me in the RWD meega anyway.
Either way we're talking small differences here - your grip essentially is what it is - crap. Best to heed the good driving advice above!
Here's what happens when idiots get it wrong (taken last year)...
 
Rescued attachment PC213010small.JPG
I can just picture the X5 driver - 'I've got a 4x4 - grrrr. Huh the brakes dont wo....' smash
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T66
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| posted on 21/12/10 at 04:32 PM |
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1) Next time you get a carpet fitted, keep two 6x2 lengths from the offcuts (I did)
Slip them under the front wheels of a stuck car, tease it onto them in second gear - off you go !
Works more or less every time.
2)Steep descents down icy roads - stop at the top - bottom gear and let the car roll itself down to the bottom, gently brake over the top to control
the descent. Do not dip the clutch until your safely at the bottom.
3) Fit your towing eye while the snow is about - saves a lot of farting on when stuck in the wet stuff.
4) Dont buy a BMW
5) Buy a Lada Niva.
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DorsetStrider
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| posted on 21/12/10 at 05:10 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Liam
quote:
Originally posted by DorsetStrider
I have to disagree with the letting air out of your tyres advice. This will give you LESS grip on snow and ice NOT more... If anything you want to
over inflate the tyres slightly (no more than 10%) to open out the tread slightly. Underinflation works on sand/gravel... Over inflation is better for
snow and ice. Don't beleive me look at what the rally boys do.
Hmmm not sure about that myself. The 'rally boys' use ultra skinny (therefore high profile requiring high pressure) studded snow tyres
designed to cut through loose snow to something better beneath. We're not necessarily in the same situation with our fat-tyred tintops trying to
drive on top of hard packed snow/ice. Best we can do is elongate the contact patch by reducing tyre pressure. Works for me in the RWD meega anyway.
Either way we're talking small differences here - your grip essentially is what it is - crap. Best to heed the good driving advice above!
Here's what happens when idiots get it wrong (taken last year)...
Rescued attachment PC213010small.JPG
I can just picture the X5 driver - 'I've got a 4x4 - grrrr. Huh the brakes dont wo....' smash
Sorry but I disagree. While you are correct that the rally boys use ultra skinny studded tyres the principle is the same... why do you think they use
ultra skinny tyres? So the tyre cuts through to find better grip beneath the surface. By deflating the tyre yes you are making the contact patch
bigger and spreading the load (great on sand) but that in turn means the tyre isn't going to cut through the ice/slush/snow it's going to
ride on top with little or no real traction. Also as the tyre deflates and the side walls lower the centre of the tyre where all the grip from the
tread pattern is goes up (not a terrible good description but you get the idea). Better to over inflate narrowing the tyre and forcing the thread
pattern down deeper into the ice/slush/snow.
P.S. Love the pic and your thoughts... much what I was thinking when I saw it.
Who the f**K tightened this up!
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scootz
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| posted on 21/12/10 at 05:29 PM |
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When I was last in Iceland we went for a glacier-tour in one of those Nissan Patrol thingies with the custom suspension and bigfoot-style
mega-wheels.
They were regularly deflating the tyres when we got stuck in deep snow and they re-inflated them once free using the on-board air-compressor.
That was pretty damn deep snow though!
It's Evolution Baby!
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T66
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| posted on 21/12/10 at 05:34 PM |
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My Lada (Yes Lada) runs on 205rx16s - As standard they come with a 195x16 , so not the skinniest of tyres but compared to the profuse of Chelsea
tractors running about on 265/45x18s they are skinny.
They cut through the loose mush easily, my tyre pressures are around 36 psi , I blew them up last week from 30psi.
When I offroad it in the clarts (Geordie = Mud) I lower the tyre pressures to under 20psi.
However this theory will not work imho on a low profile summer pattern tyre in the snow & ice, its all about the tread pattern not so much the
pressure.
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 21/12/10 at 08:03 PM |
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Maybe we should leave the tyre pressure thing, I can see people running them flat saying it was my advice!
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