Advice required on better grip in snow - keep getting stuck!

[clivehorridge]

Thought they looked on the wide side... I'm running BFG K2 MUDs for offroad at the mo, 305/70/16's on 10" steels. I can't get 15" rims onto my hubs, well I can but there's only 0.5mm clearance with the calipers, which is too close for comfort!

They're great for grass and mud, ok on the rocks but a bit skiddy in the wet on the black stuff.

Using the same size GG AT2's on the road and light offing.

 

[Angel of the North]

Thanks Roger - interesting to hear about the snow gripping the snow. All these things are coming together and making everything make lots of sense now. I had only had the vehicle for a couple of weeks before the snow hit here in the north east so I've been learning a lot!

 

[Angel of the North]

Angel,

I know that it's tempting, when there's snow about, to "play" by finding an (empty) car park just to see what happens when you do certain things. Personally, I think it's a good idea to practice, even doing the wrong thing purposely to learn what to do to correct the error.

Us boys especially, like to "gun it" just to feel the wheels spinning. I don't know why, we just do. You'll notice that after doing that, the snow retained in the treads gets polished and the bond or grip that Roger has described, is much reduced.

This is why it's good advice to drive gently in snow conditions. Gently doesn't mean painfully slowly, it just means no jerks or sudden movements (snachy clutch releases, hard acceleration, swervy steering and the like) that could brake the grip that's so essential to going along in the direction you want to go, and of course stopping again the red side of the traffic light instead of buried in the side of the green-light car that unfortunately acted as you're breaking system!

Gentle driving is easier in an automatic, but with care it can be achieved in a manual, and it improves your driving skills no end. Passengers like it too, they end up at their destination feeling relaxed, instead of disheveled and feeling like they've just been rattled around in a tin can.

Lovely looking 70 BTW (there really is something about black that's so irresistible!)

Thanks for your advice Clive. Unfortunately I didn't get much chance to play before the snow hit this region. I was in the car park because that's where I had parked the night before. The nose of the vehicle was facing downwards a little on a mild slope. I tried driving smoothly and carefully initially but was getting nowhere (as I didn't at that point know about the locking front hubs) - I actually managed to 'spin' the vehicle round by going a bit nuts on the accelerator whilst in reverse. From what Roger and yourself have said - I most probably made the situation worse by polishing the snow in the grooves of the tread, making it harder to grip. I've definitely learnt a lot about the vehicle since then and I haven't had any problems with the grip since I locked the hubs. I'm pretty good at driving with the gears etc (my dad was a rally driver and taught me very young) - I'm looking forward to giving it a go off-road next as I've very little experience in driving in extreme conditions in a 4x4. Might wait until I've got another car too though in case I break it haha!

 

[Roger Fairclough]

I used to live in New Hartley, just north of Whitley Bay, so I had the opportunity to drive most of the green lanes in Northumberland. A few in the Cheviots have been lost but there are plenty remaining for you to have fun. Your best bet is to join GLASS ( The Green Lane Association ). If you need details, just ask.

Roger

 

[clivehorridge]

Angel, if you really go offroad, meaning in my book into mud, the technique is slightly different, almost opposite to snow, in some respects.

For real mud, I recommend mud tyres like the BFG Mud K2, google them and you'll see the difference in the tread. It's an open block configuration, and particularly on steep muddy inclines, it's good to power spinn the wheels, not crazy, but enough to fling the mud out of the treads, giving fresh tread the chance to get some grip.

mud doesn't polish like snow does, but a less open tread will fill wit mud and prevent grip. Again, when you have the chance, play around with differen spinning speeds, or none at all, and feel the difference. As your father will have explained, it's all about feel and getting to know and feel your contact with the road or ground.