Snow and Ice Tips?
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Never pass up the opportunity to stay home in front of a fire with a hot babe...avoiding the snow and ice in the process!! LOL!
I can only echo what they teach here:
http://www.winterdrive.com/home.html
I will add you can't fight physics and expect to win...changes in momentum are what cause problems in slippery conditions...the steadier you keep your momentum the better success you'll have avoiding losing control or getting stuck, learning to manage and anticipate how the conditions will effect your vehicle gives you a better chance to react before its to late...the key is traction!
I practice controlled skids as often as I can!! LOL
EDIT: tips located here
http://www.winterdrive.com/media_guide.html
I can only echo what they teach here:
http://www.winterdrive.com/home.html
I will add you can't fight physics and expect to win...changes in momentum are what cause problems in slippery conditions...the steadier you keep your momentum the better success you'll have avoiding losing control or getting stuck, learning to manage and anticipate how the conditions will effect your vehicle gives you a better chance to react before its to late...the key is traction!
I practice controlled skids as often as I can!! LOL
EDIT: tips located here
http://www.winterdrive.com/media_guide.html
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728 Posts
Ditto for the traction ALONG with the controlled skids! 
I personally like the fact that our cauldesac is the last one to get plowed/salted in the city, and to top that off it's up hill. I'm the only guy who can make it out of the driveway without a tow or a HUGE running start! I personally like to do large donuts in parking lots that got plowed, but had been driven on. This means they have good traction if you want it, but as soon as you want to do a roundabout, the fun is all there! Slalom's with light poles.. you name it!
I personally like the fact that our cauldesac is the last one to get plowed/salted in the city, and to top that off it's up hill. I'm the only guy who can make it out of the driveway without a tow or a HUGE running start! I personally like to do large donuts in parking lots that got plowed, but had been driven on. This means they have good traction if you want it, but as soon as you want to do a roundabout, the fun is all there! Slalom's with light poles.. you name it!Since I'm 5sp I use my gears as much as I can to control my speed. The roads in Calgary have been covered in black ice now for weeks, too cold for salt to be effective for now.JRD said:
I give people dirty looks who don't leave a lot of space behind me at lights. Driving on icy roads is a lot like driving a race car, go into a corner to fast and you spin out and if you don't apply a bit of gas coming out of the corner, you spin out. On the first slick day of the year I go out and play in a slippery parking lot to get back in practice.
Very good points being made. Its all about controlling the kenetic energy in your vehicle. Time for a quick refresher in HS Physics.
Kenetic energy=stored energy that is being held at bay.
when driving in snow, ice, or any other slick surface, the driver must pay attention to what is ahead. You have to anticipate the motion of your truck long before you actually have to make any directional/speed changes.
Say you are cruising along at a respectable 30mph (hey, its slick out there). You have no throttle or brake imput. You are just gliding along. You reach a curve in the road. Before you enter the curve, you begin to apply brakes (to slow it down) and then turn the wheel (to follow the road). However, that nice glide you were enjoying was full of kenetic energy. That is...the truck still wants to go straight at the current speed. By affecting both aspects of this energy, you are putting lots of pressure on the tires to affect the changes. With the slick surface, they can not cope and you begin to slide.
The proper way to do this is to slow to the appropriate cornering speed before you actually enter the curve. This way, you are slowly bleeding off the momentum energy while leaving the directional energy in place. Thereby, reducing the stress on your contact patch. Once the speed is reduced, that new energy is left in place. You then begin to turn the wheel affecting the directional energy. This way your tires are only affecting that one bit of kenetic energy, thereby making them work less at maintaining traction. After the completion of the turn, begin to head back to cruising speed.
And, most importantly 4WD ONLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN GETTING GOING. BRAKES WORK THE SAME AS A RWD SPORTS CAR. That being said, don't go plowing past others on the road cause you have the stability to go faster....cause you may still have to stop suddenly to avoid grandma blue hair in the Ford Explorer.
Kenetic energy=stored energy that is being held at bay.
when driving in snow, ice, or any other slick surface, the driver must pay attention to what is ahead. You have to anticipate the motion of your truck long before you actually have to make any directional/speed changes.
Say you are cruising along at a respectable 30mph (hey, its slick out there). You have no throttle or brake imput. You are just gliding along. You reach a curve in the road. Before you enter the curve, you begin to apply brakes (to slow it down) and then turn the wheel (to follow the road). However, that nice glide you were enjoying was full of kenetic energy. That is...the truck still wants to go straight at the current speed. By affecting both aspects of this energy, you are putting lots of pressure on the tires to affect the changes. With the slick surface, they can not cope and you begin to slide.
The proper way to do this is to slow to the appropriate cornering speed before you actually enter the curve. This way, you are slowly bleeding off the momentum energy while leaving the directional energy in place. Thereby, reducing the stress on your contact patch. Once the speed is reduced, that new energy is left in place. You then begin to turn the wheel affecting the directional energy. This way your tires are only affecting that one bit of kenetic energy, thereby making them work less at maintaining traction. After the completion of the turn, begin to head back to cruising speed.
And, most importantly 4WD ONLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN GETTING GOING. BRAKES WORK THE SAME AS A RWD SPORTS CAR. That being said, don't go plowing past others on the road cause you have the stability to go faster....cause you may still have to stop suddenly to avoid grandma blue hair in the Ford Explorer.
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As far as having fun in snow and ice, I say Gray Wire Mod.
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All of my snow/ice driving has been going to, and returning from, the Lake Tahoe area (norcal) to go snowboarding.
Along with what others here have mentioned... I'd say:
1. increase following distance: better to be too far back, than not far back enough
2. let that speed demon behind you pass -- so you can help him when he slides off the road... I've lost count of the number of times some dork has rolled up doing 60+ in snowy conditions, blown past me, and slid/spun out a couple of turns ahead.
3. try to have a plan in your head, about what you'll do if/when you start to slide/lose traction... Sometimes, shtuff happens (trust me: my buddy and I slid out and rolled his 4runner going uphill doing less than 20mph. Road looked dry as an AA mtg, but when we walked across it, it was a 4-lane sheet of ice).
4. if you do lose traction: use small corrections -- slamming on the breaks, punching the gas, cranking the steering wheel all the way in "the other direction" usually makes a bad situation worse.
-r
Along with what others here have mentioned... I'd say:
1. increase following distance: better to be too far back, than not far back enough
2. let that speed demon behind you pass -- so you can help him when he slides off the road... I've lost count of the number of times some dork has rolled up doing 60+ in snowy conditions, blown past me, and slid/spun out a couple of turns ahead.
3. try to have a plan in your head, about what you'll do if/when you start to slide/lose traction... Sometimes, shtuff happens (trust me: my buddy and I slid out and rolled his 4runner going uphill doing less than 20mph. Road looked dry as an AA mtg, but when we walked across it, it was a 4-lane sheet of ice).
4. if you do lose traction: use small corrections -- slamming on the breaks, punching the gas, cranking the steering wheel all the way in "the other direction" usually makes a bad situation worse.
-r
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iam a semi truck driver for pepsi bottling here in ohio, and all that you all have said is true. this is my first year driving in the snow, iam 21 yrs old and just started driving truck. and i tell you what, semi truck driving in the snow and ice is a totally different story.
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When I was younger (16) - my dad took me to an empty parking lot full of snow in an Oldsmobile Delta 88. He forced me to slam on the brakes and induce a fishtail. As much as I was SCARED TO DEATH about doing this and I cried the whole entire time while he's yelling at me..... Having that experience, I'm not afraid of the snow and I definately know what to do in the event of a fishtail.
Street driving??
Extra weight (and full tank of gas) in the bed, GO SLOW, leave plenty of room in front of you, start slowing down early, never slam on the brakes, Get out and drive..get used to your vehicle and how it reacts...
If you're locked up....Go even slower, get A/T treads, and learn the manners of being locked in the snow.
Street driving??
Extra weight (and full tank of gas) in the bed, GO SLOW, leave plenty of room in front of you, start slowing down early, never slam on the brakes, Get out and drive..get used to your vehicle and how it reacts...
If you're locked up....Go even slower, get A/T treads, and learn the manners of being locked in the snow.
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