Author Topic: The Advantage Of All Wheel Drive (Read 1230 times)

funkedup · « **on:** December 06, 2002, 05:55:05 PM »

LMAO
http://www.mnracing.org/snowdaylq.wmv

Charon · « **Reply #1 on:** December 07, 2002, 10:57:17 AM »

Looks like you've done "O'Clubbed" the site

Bandwidth exceeded.

Charon

funkedup · « **Reply #2 on:** December 07, 2002, 11:01:04 AM »

LOL!

It was a movie some guys made. They took a WRX, a Z28, and one of those Altimas with the big engine to a snowy parking lot to make a drifting video. The Z28 and the Altima got stuck and the WRX was cruising around just fine.

lazs2 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 07, 2002, 12:22:59 PM »

The real advantage to four wheel drive is that you get stuck 100 yards further in.

What is "snow" and why would anyone drive around in it?
lazs

hawk220 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 07, 2002, 03:09:36 PM »

oh Christ.. here in Seattle, we have this breed of southern California refugee that is used to zooming around town in their Lexus or Maxima or whatever.. then they move here and buy some useless 4x4 Jeep or monster AWD behemoth and when it snows they blast around with the 'I've got 4 wheel drive, I can stop on a dime' attitude.. the tow truck drivers must love them.

funkedup · « **Reply #5 on:** December 07, 2002, 04:20:15 PM »

Hawk all I can say is watch the video.

beet1e · « **Reply #6 on:** December 07, 2002, 04:36:14 PM »

Lazs - snow is that white stuff that can be found on the top of Mt. Shasta,CA all year round. If you drive east from Dixon along I-80 towards Sacramento and beyond to Lake Tahoe, you will see that snow chains are mandatory when snow is present. Snow chains are things you put on your car's wheels to help your car do what you need to do on these boards: Get a grip.

Saurdaukar · « **Reply #7 on:** December 07, 2002, 05:39:01 PM »

You cant throttle steer with AWD... and Crocodile Dundee is still your spokesman.

funkedup · « **Reply #8 on:** December 07, 2002, 06:20:44 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Saurdaukar
You cant throttle steer with AWD

Could you possibly be more clueless about vehicle dynamics?

Drop by sometime and I'll give you an education on one of the local twisties.

I don't have any snappy comebacks for the Australian weirdo. I know f_ck-all about the rest of Subaru's product line, all those granolamunchermobiles.

eskimo2 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 07, 2002, 07:09:38 PM »

A good set of studded snow tires on an old crappy beater of a car will get around in the snow much better and more safely than a typical 4x4 with typical all weather tires.

eskimo

Dago · « **Reply #10 on:** December 07, 2002, 09:58:21 PM »

Quote

we have this breed of southern California refugee that is used to zooming around town in

We got plenty of those in Minnesota, the new 4x4 owners. Spent time as a volunteer firefighter, just loved going out in bad weather to find another new 4 wheeler crashed. Didn't so much mind another handsomehunk learning that a 4X4 only gets you going better but not stopping as well, just hated to see them hurting others.

Funny, every 4X4 crash I ever saw was always a brand new shiney one, normally with a woman driver.

Not a firefighter any longer, but I still love to see them in ditches on snowy mornings when I drive to work. I drive by, laugh a little and mutter "handsomehunk".

dago

bigUC · « **Reply #11 on:** December 08, 2002, 03:24:01 AM »

Funniest thing is when traffic is slow in sleet or snow... 4x4 owners blast by in the passing lane, just to make a statement. What they seem to don't know is that the reason for the traffic being slow is because people can't STOP. And thats what they discover themselves sooner or later - a 4x4 has the same braking distance when slippery as a normal car.

moose · « **Reply #12 on:** December 08, 2002, 04:09:41 AM »

i have a very clear memory of a new years eve snowstorm 2 years ago, driving out to my girlfriend's family house in deerfield and going about 10 mph in traffic because of the weather.

there was no left lane to use, it was completely covered over, and yet a silly subaru outback flew past going at least 40 or so, kicking up snow, looking like the sh*t over all us commoners.

about 2 miles after that he was in a wall.

oh, and i live for drift in my saturn

the rear end just lets itself out since it's so light. every winter they have ice racing in northern NH that the car club i'm in does, i cant wait for the season to start.

btw, anyone ever seen Initial D?

SaburoS · « **Reply #13 on:** December 08, 2002, 06:09:49 AM »

I'd rather be in a 4 wheel drive rather than a 2 WD in wet and slippery weather. It's the ice, not the snow, that I'd worry about. Don't think that because you're in a 4WD that you don't need some type of traction device.

***** ADVISE******

Check your tire size then your owner's manual. You'd probably be surprised to learn that you can't use standard class S (Class S specification will mean that nothing will protrude over 1/2" if attached properly) tire chains and/or traction cables.

From about '88 or so to the present, some vehicles don't have the clearance between its strut assembly and the inner top/sidewall of the tire.

Toyota/Lexus owners manual will state (about 90% of its vehicles) that you can use Class S chains EXCEPT radial CABLE and V-bar reinforced chains.
The other 10% can't even use Class S chains. You'd have to get a chain with less than 3/8" width links (good luck finding those). Toyota has found that even though Class S traction cables are thinner than comparable chains, the cables tend to have it's ends stick out a bit more plus you can't use chain tightners on the cables (only one design I know of uses tightners with cables - Laclede Sure Grip Z type cables (Going by memory here, might be from Peerless.) Some BMW dealers sell those as their 'approved' traction device for about $90-125.
Honda/Acura, on the other hand will recommend Class S cables only on most of their vehicles.
Some Caravans (Voyagers, Town and Countrys), Saturns, Intrepids, Saabs, MBZs, BMWs, etc (just to name but a handful) can't use any type of cable/chain traction devise.
Gonna be stuck with the $300.- 400. Spikes Spiders.
If you have a minimum of 1" clearance between your strut and shield assembly (and/or your brake caliper for that matter) and your wheel/tire, you should be able to get away with a Class S chain or cable. I prefer the Laclede Alpine chains. Hardened steel thinner links. Better traction. Can be used on ABS systems. Easier to install over conventional cables or chains. Comes with the tightner attached. About $60.-80. for a set of two.
No matter what you decide to get, test fit them BEFORE you actually need them. Nothing will bum you out more because you had to go back because your traction device didn't fit.

Again, check your owner's manual on possible limitations. You might just get surprised.

beet1e · « **Reply #14 on:** December 08, 2002, 06:28:44 AM »

Funked, my assessment of you from 3½ years ago still stands: You are a most interesting and fascinating fellow, a man of many parts.

I must add you to my list of people to visit.

I don't know a huge amount about driving in snow. We don't get much here. I had to deal with it living in the Chicago area. I didn't have any mishaps in my (2WD) Camaro. I got stuck a couple of times, and always carried a shovel in the boot. OK, trunk.

But I remember visiting an English friend of mine one Christmas in Albuquerque, and we went up the Sandias in his little pisspot Ford Maverick. We got half way up, but then it was hopeless. The thing was sliding all over the place. It was too light and had 2Wd to the rear wheels. Meanwhile, the 4X4 were just romping up. But I have seen how some of those guys drive, and they seem way too overconfident. So I can relate to some of these stories.