IIRC it's an offence to set off without removing all the snow from your vehicle. Has anyone ever been prosecuted for this? IMHO it's damned right stupid.

Iv found in my experience buses to be fairly easy to control in snow. Everything happens in slow motion.

If you want to drive in the snow get a Felicia,no 4x4 or winter tyres or chains required.

Iv found in my experience buses to be fairly easy to control in snow. Everything happens in slow motion.

Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii (thump) tttttttttttttttttttt........

Tbh modern quattro cars with haldex are rubbish in the snow even with proper snow tyres, they are too unpredictable... Bring back the old agricultural style quattro systems I say

Tbh modern quattro cars with haldex are rubbish in the snow even with proper snow tyres, they are too unpredictable...

I disagree.

If you want to drive in the snow get a Felicia,no 4x4 or winter tyres or chains required.

The image of you in chains...................

Tbh modern quattro cars with haldex are rubbish in the snow even with proper snow tyres, they are too unpredictable... Bring back the old agricultural style quattro systems I say

My experrience is quite different

Haldex was designed primilary for snow traction

who needs 4wd?

I very much doubt that's got winter rubber on either.

Edited 20 January, 201313 yr by Jim H

Having said that. I keep on saying, 4wd does not help at all with breaking and steering. A 2wd car on the right tyres is far better than a all wheel drive on the wrong ones.

Ground pressure defininitely helps on larger commercials unless it's really bad.

We don't fit winter tyres (where would we store 500 spare rims and tyres, not to mention the cost) yet we get about OK.

Just thinking back to one of my first cars (a lop sided Austin Metro) which had very skinny tyres, a quick spot of googling suggests 135 wide. It was quite capable in the snow. Although the gear stick used to fall off occasionally (as the thread was knackered) and I went everywhere at an angle because the suspension leaked on one side - you could turn left at higher speeds than you could turn right.

I've got an rs4 and an old mk1 a3 quattro in my current fleet and both of them are pathetic in the the snow, I don't like the way it engages and disengages ad hoc, it kind of like you'll be going along and suddenly the haldex locks and it sends the back end straight on when you are cornering without any warning... Personally I'd rather know the score and have it locked up fully 100% full time in the snow rather than letting it think...

we've not had much snow here only about 5 inches on the ground, but because I wasn't at work I did some extensive testing with diffent tyre combinations and driving techniques... Here we have a Big section of open beach land which is prime real-estate for deliberately over cooking it without endangering anybody else..

A couple of us had a good old day of it, plus a mate has an evo7 plus a subaru forrester and a few other toys.. And I stick by what I said, the modern Quattros are ok, but they just don't cut it in comparison to a proper 4x4 system, I remember fondly an old 80 quattro we had when I was about 18 and it was awesome on gravel and ice leaves etc..

So you haven't driven any with the latest Haldex then?

Also what tyres are on them?

4wd does not help at all with breaking and steering

Yes it does - very much so

If you have traction of course

A powered wheel changes direction and brakes better than unpowered wheel

but they just don't cut it in comparison to a proper 4x4 system..

So why does an Evo8 have a computer controlled viscous coupling diff unit, just like a haldex ?

Mechanical diffs are old tech for old farts

So you haven't driven any with the latest Haldex then?

Also what tyres are on them?

yawn... Do I need to make a list, I've driven just about every type of car or van you can name...

Just thinking back to one of my first cars (a lop sided Austin Metro) which had very skinny tyres, a quick spot of googling suggests 135 wide. It was quite capable in the snow. Although the gear stick used to fall off occasionally (as the thread was knackered) and I went everywhere at an angle because the suspension leaked on one side - you could turn left at higher speeds than you could turn right.

Yep, mine were, 135 x 12. I can't remember what they were like on snow, but I did have cheap budgets on it. Colways weren't bad in the wet.

Edited 20 January, 201313 yr by Jim H

Yep, mine were, 135 x 12. I can't remember what they were like on snow, but I did have cheap budgets on it. Colways weren't bad in the wet.

When I was learning to drive we quite a bit of snow, I remember my instructor saying it was quite handy as I got a chance to experience some driving in the snow during my lessons.

We don't have the time in the timetable to **** about lol

Yes it does - very much so

If you have traction of course

A powered wheel changes direction and brakes better than unpowered wheel

How does that work then? Abs is abs driven or freewheel.

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How does that work then? Abs is abs driven or freewheel.

Think of it like this, abs only works if one set of wheels is turning at a different rate to the other set... ie a skid.... Abs won't help you on snow or ice, once all 4 wheels have locked up the abs thinks you've stopped even though you are skidding with all 4 wheels locked over the surface on the ice.

An un-powered wheel is rolling across a surface, a powered wheel is 'driven' across a surface - it generates more traction

Think of it like this, abs only works if one set of wheels is turning at a different rate to the other set... ie a skid.... Abs won't help you on snow or ice, once all 4 wheels have locked up the abs thinks you've stopped even though you are skidding with all 4 wheels locked over the surface on the ice.

I believe ABS actually looks at the rate of deceleration. If the ABS controller detects the wheel stopping faster than it should have from the speed you were going then it will intervene. Also, locking up on snow is probably better then using ABS as it will build a wedge of snow infront the tyres.

Having said that. I keep on saying, 4wd does not help at all with breaking and steering. A 2wd car on the right tyres is far better than a all wheel drive on the wrong ones.

Not my experience at all - and I have driven 4x4's in snow and mud all my life - everything from cars, to quads to tractors and utility vehicles.

The most important thing is traction (therefore tyres) doesn't matter if you have 2 or 16 WD if you are on summer tyres on sheet ice!

If you have that traction the 4x4 will brake better as the engine braking affects all wheels, it will steer better as all wheels are driving and/or pulling it round the corner. Basic mechanics says that a wheel under power is a wheel under control, a free-wheeling wheel is, well a free- wheeling wheel!