Driving in the snow

[al-gorithm]

I was playing around in a hospital parking lot last year at like 2am. Wasn't being crazy, just learning how the car reacted to sliding. Some Dr guy comes over in his minivan and almost hits me head on. Then gets out and tries to tell me I'm gonna hurt someone. So I told him I was learning how my new car handles in the snow and how to get out of a skid. He repeated that I was going to hurt someone. To which I replied, "I could learn how to control or avoid a skid here in an empty parking lot, or I could leave and loose control and skid into your car or house."

 

He turned around and left me alone.

 

Nice one!!!

[NorthernVTGT]

My snows are being put on right now, along with a block heater, down at the dealership. I've had the car since October 2004, a 5MT GT Ltd Wagon (glad I bought when I did). Up here in Vermont, we still have many, many unsurfaced back roads. Even if the money were available to pave them, the frost heaves would crack them to bits. So, the driving experience here is pretty close to rally conditions all year long. Every season presents a different driving experience:

 

Summer - Dusty, gravel, hard-packed dirt. Pivot on a gravel switchback with some left-foot brake and/or e-brake.

 

Mid-Spring - "Mud Season." Roads can get like Jell-O. Even the Subie is in the weeds over about 45 MPH. Look out.

 

Winter! - At it's best, the back roads get a nice, grippy packed powder. With my WS-50s, I can really cruise. Plus, there's that hushed, quiet sound of driving on snow. It's as quiet as our cars ever get, bombing across the snow.

Going into my second winter, and I love this vehicle. I have to chuckle about the snow-brush worries. I would love to keep my car clean outside, but it is really impossible living on these back roads. I do wash and wax, but 90% of the time there's a serious dust/mud patina on the lower half of the car. It wears it well though, like once penned-in dog that's moved to the country...

[Beanboy]

I have heard about the famous VT dirt roads. Including all of the ones that have "pass" in their name.

 

I've mapped out some interesting drives, but haven't taken the time to head on up there. Any recommendations for a decent winter drive that obviously doesn't include closes pass roads?

 

-B

[miles]

Plus, there's that hushed, quiet sound of driving on snow. It's as quiet as our cars ever get, bombing across the snow.

 

Yeah, when driving in our 1st snowfall I noticed the drive was very quiet.

[MassiveAttack]

+1 for practicing in an empty parking lot. i try to do this every winter for.....uh, learning how the car reacts in snow. i take no pleasure in it - for educational purposes only.

 

I always do that as well. As long as you are careful there is no harm. Plus you really learn what the limits of the car are. My wife used to go nuts everytime I would do this. However this experience comes in handy. One summer I was out driving the Formula around and went thru a green light and and was making a left. What I didn't know is that an earlier accident had left oil and antifreeze in the middle of the intesection. I was doing about 25mph and the back end of the car kicked out and before I knew it I was sideways and between a car and a telephone poll. I quickly recovered and never even touched the brake. My point is that if that would have been the first time I had ever had the back kick out on me then I probably would have slammed the brake and t-boned the telephone poll.

[NorthernVTGT]

You're right about the many passes. A classic mountain drive, although closed November to April, is the Stowe Mountain Road (VT 108) from Stowe, through Smugglers' Notch to Jeffersonville. There's some really startling scenery, along with an unstriped, single lane thru the Notch itself and some very twisty driving. Stop at "108 Main" in Jeff for a locally-made brew.

 

Moving south, along the ridge of the Green Mountains, you have the Appalachian Gap (crossing Stark Mtn / Mad River Glenn - paved and open in winter), Lincoln Gap (just south of Sugarbush - closed in winter), Middlebury Gap (not sure) and Brandon Gap (not sure). My advice would be to come up for skiing, boarding, or perhaps on the way to Burlington or Montreal and then play around on some of the backroads of Washington, Lamoille, and eastern Chittenden counties (roads I'm familiar with). There are some really interest back roads to get lost on to the north and west of Mtn Mansfield, and in the rural country north of Montpelier. Get a DeLORME road altas of Vermont, they have all the tiny roads plotted against a topograhical background. Have snow tires on and a blanket and shovel in the car if you're going "way out" b/c you might be out there for a while if you slide into a culvert. Not that any member of this board would have such luck...

 

Be sure to buy some maple syrup, cheddar cheese, and local beer! (Otter Creek, Wolaver's, Rock Art, are all good...)

[LittleBlueGT]

What kind of snow brush/scraper/removal tool does everyone use for their car? I noticed on my previouse car ('93 Ford Probe GT) that the brush's bristles left small scratches in the paint's clear coat. Seeing as though my LGT is brand new I'd prefer not to scratch it the first winter i have it. Any suggestions?

 

Home Depot has a nice snow brush with soft bristles. You can tell a huge difference by feeling the end of the bristles with your hand compared to conventional ones.

[godwhomismike]

I can't wait to try out my Toyo Proxies 4's this winter

[godwhomismike]

I'm thrilled with them, but there are some people hated them as much as the suckstones.

[rporter]

1. Was suprised how easy it is to kick out the rear. Is this due to the RE's?

So once I have my rear hanging, what is the best way to get it back?

Stay on the gas .............?

 

 

Thanks

 

I attribute it to the LSD (limited-slip differential). Actually can be useful at times!!

 

It "might" also be partially due to the RE92s (I ran them last winter). I'll know better soon, as I had some Hankook Icebear W300s installed a couple of hours ago, and the snow was starting soon after they finished.

[LittleBlueGT]

I attribute it to the LSD (limited-slip differential). Actually can be useful at times!!

 

It "might" also be partially due to the RE92s (I ran them last winter). I'll know better soon, as I had some Hankook Icebear W300s installed a couple of hours ago, and the snow was starting soon after they finished.

 

 

Your right it is because of the rear LSD. The tires don't change the handling characteristics of the car, just the level at which the car loses traction.

[rporter]

Your right it is because of the rear LSD. The tires don't change the handling characteristics of the car, just the level at which the car loses traction.

 

Before I got into FWD cars in the late '80s (until the LGT), I had LSD RWD cars off & on from the late '60 through the '80s, and they all acted the same way.

[mbacis]

you're pretty happy with those, right? I am thinking about switching out my suckstones, trying to decide with what.

 

I have them and I'm not totally thrilled. Now I bought mine used and they are pretty worn so take this with a grain of salt, but these are my observations:

 

-I noticed right off that the steering felt heavier and more solid

-Dry grip is pretty good, but they squeal quite a bit when they do start to slip

-They hydroplane a lot easier than my re92s did

 

I had high expectations given that everyone says the biggest handling improvement you can make is tires. I was let down. I'll try a different tire when I replace them.

[2k6legGt]

in montana we have recieved quite a bit of snow and i have noticed with my pilot alpin 2's if i swing it around a corder but keep looking where i want to go it swings back around....the only problem i have had is in slush it seems like i dont have control of my car so i usually keep it slow...packed snow i do make out very well!!!1

[RockyMtnGT]

My 97 OB on all-seasons was WAYY more fun in the snow than the LGT on snows...only because the all seasons would let me drift the car endlessly (pretty funny site -an outback with her big ass hanging out to the side.) AND I didn't mind beating the piss out of it.

 

The LGT I drove like a rally car for a few corners but took it easy for the most part. The Hankooks take a lot of the fun out of it though unless I was just trying to blow off the line like a bat out of hell..

 

Q F T

 

BTW props to Jedi for having the best avatars...

[Drakuun]

I've got Traction T/A's too - first year they were pretty decent in the snow, however after 30,000 Kms they have lost some of their snow performance. I was playing, er, practicing skids and swerves in a parking lot the other day and found that cornering response dropped considerablyand the rear end of the car swung out quite unpredictably. I promptly ordered a set of Nokian WR's the next day

 

Noted!

 

Thanks for the heads up Sebberry!

[RuskiTrombone]

I have them and I'm not totally thrilled. Now I bought mine used and they are pretty worn so take this with a grain of salt, but these are my observations:

 

-I noticed right off that the steering felt heavier and more solid

-Dry grip is pretty good, but they squeal quite a bit when they do start to slip

-They hydroplane a lot easier than my re92s did

 

I had high expectations given that everyone says the biggest handling improvement you can make is tires. I was let down. I'll try a different tire when I replace them.

 

Which proxe4s do you have? I've been very happy with mine so far. Not too loud when driving, no sqeeks when making a sharp turn even at 65mph. No hydroplaning at all. Just feels like a solid tire.

[createdtodestry]

just got like 8 inches here in nw ohio. i had some fun this morning. i got yelled at by my dad last night though, he saw me slide my car sideways into a parkinglot using the e-brake. he oviously has never driven a subie in the snow.