Tricks for ICE & SNOW...

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

My theory is this: Nature rules.

If it wants to freeze your doors shut or ice up your mirrors, it's going to do it. Hit the remote, and when you get out there do some scraping!! Usually only takes a couple minutes.

HoppedUpOnGoofballs · **Joined:** Sat Nov 29, 2008 10:36 pm **Posts:** 203

long_tall_texan wrote:

Drop your tire pressure down to 15-20 PSI. Kind of like off-roading, you get much better traction. But remember not to drive too fast with deflated tires. Also air them back up once the roads clear so as not to cause excessive wear.

..Thats a sure-fire way to end up in a ditch, or worse.. You will slide more in ice and snow with under-inflated tires. You dont want to 'float' on top of the snow; you want to cut through it to the surface beneath it. Narrow tires at a high PSI are the best bet for winter weather.

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:52 am

all depends on the depth of the snow, sometimes it is good to "float " on top
ever see any of those huge tires vehicles from Newfoundland or somewhere up in there

HoppedUpOnGoofballs · **Joined:** Sat Nov 29, 2008 10:36 pm **Posts:** 203

tommudd wrote:

all depends on the depth of the snow, sometimes it is good to "float " on top
ever see any of those huge tires vehicles from Newfoundland or somewhere up in there

..Ahh, touche.. If he was driving his Jeep in snow that deep, then I suppose ditches would be the least of his worries..

But for those of us who drive on roads....

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:05 am

HoppedUpOnGoofballs wrote:

long_tall_texan wrote:

Drop your tire pressure down to 15-20 PSI. Kind of like off-roading, you get much better traction. But remember not to drive too fast with deflated tires. Also air them back up once the roads clear so as not to cause excessive wear.

..Thats a sure-fire way to end up in a ditch, or worse.. You will slide more in ice and snow with under-inflated tires. You dont want to 'float' on top of the snow; you want to cut through it to the surface beneath it. Narrow tires at a high PSI are the best bet for winter weather.

What's usually under snow? ICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You get much better traction on snow then ice.

Jeepman56 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:27 am

I have been driving in snow my whole life and have never aired down my tires to drive on snow, never got in an accident either. As far as scraping windows I look at it as an opportunity to let the engine warm up while I am out there, just takes a few minutes. They do make a product that you can put on your windshield, it closes in both front doors so when you get to your vehicle you simply just take it off and shake the snow from it, I personally just use a scraper.

bugnout · **Posted:** Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:19 pm

When driving in slush, salt spray etc. I always spray and run my wipers when I get to my destination. Its going to take a while to warm up when I get back to the jeep, so having it clean when you park it, will keep you from having to look through the salt until the defroster kicks in.

When I expect freezing rain or rain - turning to snow, I pull the wipers off the windshield - point out like bug antenna's. That way I don't damage them trying to get them unfrozen from the windshield. they last a lot longer.

Use antifog on the inside windows. - I use rain-x antifog.

Get the snow off your hood, amazes me how many people scrape the windows and go, then fight the visibility issues because the snow blowing off the hood.

Increase your buffer zone. especially when getting off the main roads.

long_tall_texan · **Posted:** Wed Dec 10, 2008 12:32 pm

HoppedUpOnGoofballs wrote:

long_tall_texan wrote:

Drop your tire pressure down to 15-20 PSI. Kind of like off-roading, you get much better traction. But remember not to drive too fast with deflated tires. Also air them back up once the roads clear so as not to cause excessive wear.

..Thats a sure-fire way to end up in a ditch, or worse.. You will slide more in ice and snow with under-inflated tires. You dont want to 'float' on top of the snow; you want to cut through it to the surface beneath it. Narrow tires at a high PSI are the best bet for winter weather.

I guess it all depend on the conditions you are driving in. As you said, in snow, cutting through would be best. But down here, even when it actually does snow, the roads just turn into ICE, black ice, or maybe 1/2" of hard packed snow. So in that case airing down does give you better traction because you have more surface area in contact with the ice-covered road.

I would love to actually get to drive in real SNOW. At least for a little while on a deserted road just to see what it is like. Everyone here goes nuts and closes businesses when we 1-2". I have lived here for 34 years and it still makes me laugh to watch the people freak out over the white stuff.

CrossBones · **Posted:** Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:33 pm

ATXKJ wrote:

Move to South Texas - laugh when people talk about Ice and Snow :lol:

(Southern Cal, Florida, Arizona - they'll work too)

Or stay in the midwest and laugh when you see people in grid-lock on the highway while trying to escape hurricanes. Of course don't forget those who deal with earthquakes, mud slides, wild fires and rain storms that make driving on oil slick roads like driving on ice. :roll:

Although I don't personally find any of this funny, including ice & snow storms, I'll stay right here, thank you.

HoppedUpOnGoofballs · **Joined:** Sat Nov 29, 2008 10:36 pm **Posts:** 203

long_tall_texan wrote:

HoppedUpOnGoofballs wrote:

long_tall_texan wrote:

Drop your tire pressure down to 15-20 PSI. Kind of like off-roading, you get much better traction. But remember not to drive too fast with deflated tires. Also air them back up once the roads clear so as not to cause excessive wear.

..Thats a sure-fire way to end up in a ditch, or worse.. You will slide more in ice and snow with under-inflated tires. You dont want to 'float' on top of the snow; you want to cut through it to the surface beneath it. Narrow tires at a high PSI are the best bet for winter weather.

I guess it all depend on the conditions you are driving in. As you said, in snow, cutting through would be best. But down here, even when it actually does snow, the roads just turn into ICE, black ice, or maybe 1/2" of hard packed snow. So in that case airing down does give you better traction because you have more surface area in contact with the ice-covered road.

I would love to actually get to drive in real SNOW. At least for a little while on a deserted road just to see what it is like. Everyone here goes nuts and closes businesses when we 1-2". I have lived here for 34 years and it still makes me laugh to watch the people freak out over the white stuff.

True, conditions do dictate it.. Around here black ice doesnt seem to be as much of a problem, and there is usually a decent surface under the snow and slush (probably due mostly to the copious amounts of salt they put down).. We do get the hard packed stuff on smaller side streets sometimes, though - fun to go down sideways.

I shall rephrase: around here, narrow tires at a higher pressure usually work best in the snow.. But, I can see how airing down can be helpful in other locales.. :lol:

You want 'real SNOW', come up to WNY.. We get more than enough of it.. Heck, take a couple thousand tons of it back with you, haha.

long_tall_texan · **Posted:** Thu Dec 11, 2008 12:49 am

Well, I am going to be in Boston for a week in January. Maybe I will see some white stuff there. And lucky me. My company uses Avis for car rentals and doesn't mind me getting a 4WD when in snow country in the winter, SO... I always request a Liberty while I am up there. :-)

LoiteringKid · **Posted:** Thu Dec 11, 2008 4:22 am

Around here we don't get too much snow. I drive 90% at night, so i generally see the worst of it.

But i had to laugh the other morning, was heading up this hill, at the top was a school bus with lights on waiting for the kid to get in, behind the bus was a pt cruiser stopped, this hill was a giant sheet of packed snow and ice. Anyway I come to a stop 20 or so feet behind this cruiser, wait bout a min, the kid gets on the bus, lights go off bus takes off, pt cruiser however sits there spinning his tires, so he pops it in reverse i do the same to keep my distance, he stops, try's to go forward and tires spin again, he backs up more, try's again no forward progress, so its now the 3rd time he puts it in reverse and well frankly I have waited long enough on him, so i checked the oncoming lane, it was clear as a bell so i passed him and went about my delivery's. Shortly later i was finished with my deliveries in this area and i had to go back down that same hill, there he was another 40 foot or so down from where i passed him and still spinning his tires. Now I'm not a heartless guy, i felt sorry for him, and I would have even helped him, if he had tow hooks, or i had some sort of padded push bumper, but I'm sure we've all seen that video of the stuck sedan where his buddy attempts to tow him out and rips the entire back end off.

So anyway as for tips for winter,
I'm sure most of you know and abide by these/similar guidelines but still worth mentioning

Always carry a good recovery strap, it may save you or someone else from a frigid night, a tow bill, frostbite, or worst.
Take your time, slick roads + high speeds = snowbank/ditch.
If you can't clearly see dry road under you, slow down.
If the road looks wet its most likely black ice not water (at least around here).
If your going to have a little "fun":twisted: do so away from other peoples property, and any other large solid object for that matter.
Allow greater distance to slow/stop, worst it looks the more distance you give yourself.
Get rid of them pos stock kj tiers.
4 Wheel drive doesn't make you impervious to snow(like most people around here seem to think).

I'm sure you get the idea most of it is common scene that a lot of drivers lack around here.

meh_kick · **Posted:** Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:25 am

Tokyojoe wrote:

I see a lot of people lift their wipers off and keep them hanging out when they park their vehicle. Why? I see no added benefit and I grew up in the North. You still have to let the vehicle heat up and melt the ice on the windshield before use.

Yeah, but this way your wipers arent frozen to the glass. Less likely to tear a piece of the rubber away from the blade.

I like the old-quilt-over-the-windshield trick that was mentioned. I will try that for sure.

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:08 am

back to width of tires
I like a wider tire for winter (for most of the time), simply put like Troy stated under the snow is ice, narrow tire digs down faster to the ice and bam you are done. wider will stay on the snow longer and may get you farther up the hill.
I grew up in Southeastern Ohio where we had a long steep limestone covered hill to get in and out, using wider tires I could always go farther than my step Dad who back then thought a skinny tire was the best.
Will see this winter how the 265-70 BFG ATS do on the "hill'

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

bugnout wrote:

Get the snow off your hood, amazes me how many people scrape the windows and go, then fight the visibility issues because the snow blowing off the hood.

The other day I saw a van driving down the main street in town here. Had about 7" of snow on the whole roof. She slammed on the brakes for a pedestrian and the entire blanket of snow slid down over her windshield. She handled it well, thankfully. She just stood on the brakes until she could see again.... :shock:

Uttles · **Posted:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 10:32 am

Don't forget, narrow tires also put more pounds per square inch where it counts the most. Around here (Southern Ontario Canada) most people assume that the best all-around winter tire is: A winter Tire designed with softer compounds, more siping, and a narrower tire. Rather a normal tire is what I should say. So not a specifically wider tire, like going from 215 or 225 to 265 etc. 265 will work great sometimes, but the narrow tire will work better for traction in more conditions, assuming you live where there is snow/sleet/ice.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 11:31 am

CrossBones wrote:

ATXKJ wrote:

Move to South Texas - laugh when people talk about Ice and Snow :lol:

(Southern Cal, Florida, Arizona - they'll work too)

Or stay in the midwest and laugh when you see people in grid-lock on the highway while trying to escape hurricanes. Of course don't forget those who deal with earthquakes, mud slides, wild fires and rain storms that make driving on oil slick roads like driving on ice. :roll:

Although I don't personally find any of this funny, including ice & snow storms, I'll stay right here, thank you.

actually if you look at the Census data
http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile/stproj.html
http://www.censusscope.org/us/s17/chart_popl.html
http://www.censusscope.org/us/s48/chart_popl.html

for better or worse - my argument's more persuasive than your's

bugnout · **Posted:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:06 pm

ATXKJ wrote:

CrossBones wrote:

ATXKJ wrote:

Move to South Texas - laugh when people talk about Ice and Snow :lol:

(Southern Cal, Florida, Arizona - they'll work too)

Or stay in the midwest and laugh when you see people in grid-lock on the highway while trying to escape hurricanes. Of course don't forget those who deal with earthquakes, mud slides, wild fires and rain storms that make driving on oil slick roads like driving on ice. :roll:

Although I don't personally find any of this funny, including ice & snow storms, I'll stay right here, thank you.

actually if you look at the Census data
http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile/stproj.html
http://www.censusscope.org/us/s17/chart_popl.html
http://www.censusscope.org/us/s48/chart_popl.html

for better or worse - my argument's more persuasive than your's

No fair using actual data

All I know is that we have 6 really big ponds here and so much water, you can't stop stuff from growing. lots of trees, rivers, lakes, We never have to worry about water. Not sure what you guys are going to do when all those people move into your backyard. I guess you go from even and odd days to even and odd years for water use.

Maybe you guys can start using those toilets they have on the space shuttle that recycle waste to drinking water :shock:

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:43 pm

all of the West has water issues - but 'Ice and Snow' are highline grabbing news

(and personally - I like driving in the snow - I just don't like dodging the folks who've never seen it before)

LibertyRenegade · **Posted:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:52 pm

Remote Starter & 4 Winter Studed Tires :twisted:

Can handle what ever winter throws at me here on the island haha

Tricks for ICE & SNOW...

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