Best Snow Traction Device
Poll: Best Snow Traction Device
Total Members Polled: 118
Discussion
Time to wheel this one out again.
Any new traction devices you lot have found since the last snowfall?
Am thinking of something for my wife's car, not a full set of winters but snow socks or other.. Can't make up my mind though. Still can't see why 2 winters is worse than chains or socks on the drive wheels if driven slowly?
Any new traction devices you lot have found since the last snowfall?
Am thinking of something for my wife's car, not a full set of winters but snow socks or other.. Can't make up my mind though. Still can't see why 2 winters is worse than chains or socks on the drive wheels if driven slowly?
HertsBiker said:
Time to wheel this one out again.
Any new traction devices you lot have found since the last snowfall?
Am thinking of something for my wife's car, not a full set of winters but snow socks or other.. Can't make up my mind though. Still can't see why 2 winters is worse than chains or socks on the drive wheels if driven slowly?
Lift off oversteer is why, assuming FWD. Winter tyres are a bit too "easy". You would fit them in November and forget about them until March - but the first time you drive on something icy the backs wouldn't grip anywhere near as much and the car would spin like a top. Better to have the faff of fitting and removing something so that the car falls off the road the way it's supposed to (head first). Snow chains are IMO better than socks because they'll even bite into sheet ice, but they are really annoying to fit and maintain. That reminds me, I have to oil mine. Any new traction devices you lot have found since the last snowfall?
Am thinking of something for my wife's car, not a full set of winters but snow socks or other.. Can't make up my mind though. Still can't see why 2 winters is worse than chains or socks on the drive wheels if driven slowly?
Just trying to decide what to do this year if we are going to have a cold one.
Has anybody got experience of using Autosocks on winter tyres? Do they really make that much difference?
Ambulatory vet with a front wheel drive car, winter tyres usually enough but still got stuck twice year before last with them. Have a problem with hands working in the cold (old injury) so the reasonable snowchains (Clack and go/ Weissenfiel) are a nightmare for me to fit and the expensive ones are well too expensive really (£250- 350 too much as the car has done 160k and they won't fit the next one).
What I really want is these
http://www.wired.com/2014/02/winter-tire-hidden-st...
Has anybody got experience of using Autosocks on winter tyres? Do they really make that much difference?
Ambulatory vet with a front wheel drive car, winter tyres usually enough but still got stuck twice year before last with them. Have a problem with hands working in the cold (old injury) so the reasonable snowchains (Clack and go/ Weissenfiel) are a nightmare for me to fit and the expensive ones are well too expensive really (£250- 350 too much as the car has done 160k and they won't fit the next one).
What I really want is these
http://www.wired.com/2014/02/winter-tire-hidden-st...
davepoth said:
HertsBiker said:
Time to wheel this one out again.
Any new traction devices you lot have found since the last snowfall?
Am thinking of something for my wife's car, not a full set of winters but snow socks or other.. Can't make up my mind though. Still can't see why 2 winters is worse than chains or socks on the drive wheels if driven slowly?
Lift off oversteer is why, assuming FWD. Winter tyres are a bit too "easy". You would fit them in November and forget about them until March - but the first time you drive on something icy the backs wouldn't grip anywhere near as much and the car would spin like a top. Better to have the faff of fitting and removing something so that the car falls off the road the way it's supposed to (head first). Snow chains are IMO better than socks because they'll even bite into sheet ice, but they are really annoying to fit and maintain. That reminds me, I have to oil mine. Any new traction devices you lot have found since the last snowfall?
Am thinking of something for my wife's car, not a full set of winters but snow socks or other.. Can't make up my mind though. Still can't see why 2 winters is worse than chains or socks on the drive wheels if driven slowly?
When the parents go out to the chalet over xmas, the police will occasionally shut the road up to our place. The only vehicles allowed, those with chains. Snow Socks are not seen as adequate.
Makes me believe, that chains, however noisey they can be, are the best. The new Thule ones, that are easy fit win every time too
Makes me believe, that chains, however noisey they can be, are the best. The new Thule ones, that are easy fit win every time too
My only experience of snow chains has been two ski trips and a hire car. I think we paid extra for the chains. Both times we didn't need them till the final morning and what a pain it is to put them on. At least I noticed the fresh snow before dawn. Both times we've had a dusty underground car park and new chains but still got filthy even in the dry. Taking them off isn't quite as bad especially if the layby has some running water to rinse them off. Having said all that, the downhill journey on packed snow would have been terrifying without them!
Both socks and winters have seen me cope OK with snow in the UK (on a BMW, even!).
Otherwise, let your tyres down a bit, so they spread out and grip a bit more (minimum 16psi for Production Car Trials, IIRC; that they set a minimum shows that (a) it works (b) too low, your tyre can come off
). Should also help with socks or winters, if they weren't enough!
If you're anywhere bad enough to need chains, you're probably well aware of that already.
Otherwise, let your tyres down a bit, so they spread out and grip a bit more (minimum 16psi for Production Car Trials, IIRC; that they set a minimum shows that (a) it works (b) too low, your tyre can come off
). Should also help with socks or winters, if they weren't enough!If you're anywhere bad enough to need chains, you're probably well aware of that already.
I came across this in ASDA (sorry very un-PH). May come in handy if someone ahead gets stuck and I can't get past (naturally, being a driving god I won't need it 
). It's £6 in ASDA which appears to be cheaper than advertised on ebay etc so no harm in chucking a can in the boot.
http://bluecol.co.uk/index.php/nevonproducts/bluec...
). It's £6 in ASDA which appears to be cheaper than advertised on ebay etc so no harm in chucking a can in the boot.http://bluecol.co.uk/index.php/nevonproducts/bluec...
te out of the boot and rear seating area you've accumulated over the years, that should help HertsBiker said:
Still can't see why 2 winters is worse than chains or socks on the drive wheels if driven slowly?
Snow chains and snow socks are only good for up to 30 mph.One problem with only fitting winter tyres to the front axle of a front wheel drive car is that the level of grip will make you think it is safe to go much faster than 30 mph, so when the rear tyres let go the consequences are much more likely to be severe.
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