OT: Rear-wheel drive in light snow and all-seasons

[saab2000]

Originally Posted by sitzmark

The "magic" of snow tires is siping and compound - mostly siping. The softer compound engineered into the upper 50% of the tread allows the very thin sipes to flex and provide an exponential number of "grabbing surfaces". A snow tire that is 50% worn loses most of this advantage because the micro sipes are gone and the harder compound is exposed. It isn't about lugs. A good condition all-season is a better snow tire at that point. Don't buy used snow tires ... a new all season is much better.

Dedicated snows are never a bad idea, but the world will not end on all season tires - especially if backed up with traction control devices.

Your comments on the siping are accurate in my experience. I have a VW GTI with Blizzaks for winter usage. The difference between them and all-seasons is unbelievable.

The softer compound also wears quicker, especially in warm weather. This is why mine don't go on until about December 1 and come off in early- to mid-March, or when the likelihood of a real snow event is mostly over. Even if a big storms rolls through the upper Midwest in March, the snow will normally only last a day or so on the roads.

I've seen people roll into summer on their winter tires and I cringe because they're wearing out the tires relatively faster than they need to.

[Red Tornado]

Not sure I can add a lot to what's already been said here. Have done a lot of driving in mid-western winters; snowy, icy, drifted roads. With RWD, snow tires are a must. Back in the day my dad used to have studded tires. Have driven 4WD trucks with both snow and AS tires. Snow tires definitely performed better, but AS was manageable if you paid attention and didn't do anything stupid. Only experience with FWD in snow is with mini vans, and they did OK with AS tires, just couldn't go through much deep stuff.

I will echo another posters comments that steering and stopping are just as important as being able to start out easily or bust drifts. Seen so many people going 50, 60 or faster on slick, snow covered roads with the family 4WD Expedition feeling invincible because power is being transmitted to all four wheels. In emergency/panic situations it usually comes down to what kind of rubber you have and maybe weight distribution of the vehicle.

[prototoast]

Back in high school I drove a rear wheel drive pickup truck in Massachusetts winters. I never have, and never will, do anything so dangerous for the rest of my life.

[bigbill]

Maybe off topic, but I drive a Ford Expedition with RWD and traction control. We had a few snow events (including an 18" one) and I was fine with all seasons. I could feel the traction control taking over when I'd break traction briefly on a hill.

[PacNW2Ford]

Back to the OP’s question, if he is going to the SoCal mountains in the winter when the CHP has a chain or traction tire checkpoint, he has to meet their requirements or turn around. He needs to check what those standards are. You see the funniest things at these chain up spots, like people putting chains on the back wheels of their FWD cars and telling me that “No, it’s not FWD”. The only RWD Ford Fiesta ever made. In all other winter conditions it doesn’t matter what tires you have because traffic is limited by the lowest common denominator, the person who says “I’m okay, I’ll just drive slow on my summer tires” then slides off the road and blocks it for everyone else. This is how it works in Portland whenever it snows.

[sitzmark]

Originally Posted by saab2000

Your comments on the siping are accurate in my experience. I have a VW GTI with Blizzaks for winter usage. The difference between them and all-seasons is unbelievable.

The softer compound also wears quicker, especially in warm weather. This is why mine don't go on until about December 1 and come off in early- to mid-March, or when the likelihood of a real snow event is mostly over. Even if a big storms rolls through the upper Midwest in March, the snow will normally only last a day or so on the roads.

I've seen people roll into summer on their winter tires and I cringe because they're wearing out the tires relatively faster than they need to.

Good call. Snows wear very quickly on dry pavement. Especially if one is a "spirited" driver - fast line slow through on/off ramp apexes and all.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by PacNW2Ford

Back to the OP’s question, if he is going to the SoCal mountains in the winter when the CHP has a chain or traction tire checkpoint, he has to meet their requirements or turn around. He needs to check what those standards are. You see the funniest things at these chain up spots, like people putting chains on the back wheels of their FWD cars and telling me that “No, it’s not FWD”. The only RWD Ford Fiesta ever made. In all other winter conditions it doesn’t matter what tires you have because traffic is limited by the lowest common denominator, the person who says “I’m okay, I’ll just drive slow on my summer tires” then slides off the road and blocks it for everyone else. This is how it works in Portland whenever it snows.

So true. My accidents in snow have been caused by others. In this case I had excellent traction on this road with my snow tire equipped truck in 4WD. I even was braking and steering just fine trying to get out of the way up to the point that I couldn't go farther due to the guardrail hidden in that snow bank. Did me know good though as the other car was totally out of control. Driver honestly said he was doing 55 mph, started to lose traction, and gunned it. You can't fix stupid.




If it says snow tires or chains required then do the rest of us a favor and follow those rules or don't go.

[goonster]

[Red Tornado]

Originally Posted by goonster

[vqdriver]

Originally Posted by ravdg316

If you're a good driver and know your car, is it really that dangerous?

careful there.

[YesNdeed]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

only acceptable answer for what RWD wagon he might be getting is Cadillac CTS-V

Whether it wears a CTS-V, AMG or S/RS badge I'm only fantasizing, but the wagon obsessed has to ask.

#stationwagon
#amgwagon
#campallroad
#wagonwednesday

[saab2000]

Anyone who is asking this question knows the answer....

1. Yes, you need winter tires for snow.

2. Yes, you can afford them and won’t regret it. I know nobody who has made this investment who has regretted it. Nobody. This includes immediate family members who were skeptics.

[19wisconsin64]

Snow tires for your rear wheel drive car in the snow? 100% yes.

You can even find some that are pre-mounted to rims used for less than you think. Make sure to put snow tires on all four wheels, not just the rear.

[Ken Robb]

Tire Rack specializes in selling tires mounted/balanced on wheels but that's a pretty big commitment for a Californian wanting to make just a few trips to the mountains. He can probably get by by carrying chains in case it snows when he is already up the hill. If the weather report says it is or will snow when he wants to go he can consider renting a 4-wheel drive vehicle but he might still need chains for that because I think such a rental will only have all-season tires.

I have done all these techniques getting to Mammoth. Don't ask about the time my rented plane got snowed in at the Mammoth Airport while the meter continued to run.

[C40_guy]

Four good snow tires aren't always sufficient....

I spent a number of years in RWD Volvos with four snows, then a couple of Range Rovers and mostly Audi quattros over the past 20 years. All wore four snow tires, Gislaveds and more recently Nokian Hakkas...

The one car that really surprised me was a W124 Mercedes turbodiesel. Midsized, early '90s MB. I put four new Nokians on the car. It could not get out of its own way. Zero traction. Nothing, Nada. Something about the rear suspension design.

So, since I was playing with biodiesel at the time and really needed to keep the MB, I picked up an older Audi quattro and put the snow tires on that. Problem solved.