FWD Snow fun

[SlowStig]

After reading all the 4x4 and RWD car topics and replies about how much fun an empty car park is, I was curious what you guys would recommend doing with a FWD hatch to learn limits etc in the snow/ice. My reasoning is (not just watching the WRC on Dave...) that a few years ago I had an incident in some snow and ice which my car lost grip and spun out of control off the road. Ever since then I have been overly cautious when driving in anything other than dry weather and want to know the best way to learn the limits of my car in the snow/ice and how best to deal with things.

So far I already know about 2nd gear starts, turn into a skid, use engine braking, pump brakes(no abs) but is there anything else which I have missed?

[Mr Gear]

Put car into reverse, put wheels full-lock left or right, drop the clutch and go mental.

[Thorburn]

I'm a big fan of the flail arms and shout "OhcrapOhcrapOhcrapOhcrap" school of snow and ice driving.

[D18OCK]

How about;

- Stick to main routes
- Follow tramlines if made by volume of traffic
- Avoid driving through large drifts of snow
- Double or Triple your distance
- Carry a spade and either cat litter or sand to help if stuck
- Pack car full of supplies - chocolate biscuits (dont eat all in regular traffic)
- Keep tank full of fuel incase stuck

And above all, be cautious and careful.

[SlowStig]

Thorburn said:

I'm a big fan of the flail arms and shout "OhcrapOhcrapOhcrapOhcrap" school of snow and ice driving.

Worryingly most of the coffin dodgers around here have that idea of snow/ice control, saw one go round a roundabout normal speeds(sub 20mph), hit a TINY patch of slightly slippy stuff and had the car all over the place trying to control it.

[OMNIO]

I was encouraged to go to an empty car park and learn the limits of my car

Useful things like going along at 15mph then turninng the wheel fast to see if it would understeer or not was helpful.

I also learnt how to control a slide and spent a good 2 hours in a sort of 'drift lunatic' mode

Found it incredibly entertaining and massively useful to learn this sort of stuff before it happened to me on the road.

I also found out that my mondeo cant J turn either that or i wasnt doing it right..... if we get some decent snow here ill go back and try again!

I did keep in mind though that its one thing to do 30mph on snow/ice in a huge car park and fk it all up and get away with it, its quite another to be silly on the road fk it all up and hurt someone.

[Zad]

Very difficult to do a J-turn in snow, the rear wheels just can't get enough adhesion to stop the rear of the vehicle. How about getting some snow chains for if you get stuck? A neighbour of mine once used some 13A mains flex and some cable ties to very good effect.

[Farrant]

Handbrake?

[D18OCK]

olly22n said:

D18OCK said:

How about;

- Follow tramlines if made by volume of traffic

Really? I often find uncompacted snow can offer the best grip in certain situations. As can dropping a wheel onto the verge (be careful of drainage grips though!)

I do live out in the sticks though.

4 wheel drift on the way to work? please!

Edited by olly22n on Wednesday 1st December 16:47

Think it is generally good advice when on large A roads or motorways, certainly wouldn't find me trying to keep up with the flow of traffic driving through the snow drifts!

[markmullen]

OMNIO said:

I was encouraged to go to an empty car park and learn the limits of my car

Useful things like going along at 15mph then turninng the wheel fast to see if it would understeer or not was helpful.

I also learnt how to control a slide and spent a good 2 hours in a sort of 'drift lunatic' mode

Found it incredibly entertaining and massively useful to learn this sort of stuff before it happened to me on the road.

I also found out that my mondeo cant J turn either that or i wasnt doing it right..... if we get some decent snow here ill go back and try again!

I did keep in mind though that its one thing to do 30mph on snow/ice in a huge car park and fk it all up and get away with it, its quite another to be silly on the road fk it all up and hurt someone.

This.

Every year it snows I find somewhere nice and quiet to practice, getting the car our of line and recovering it. If you're used to correcting anything that might happen in a quiet wide open car park then if it happens in real life you don't panic, just react to it.

[Thorburn]

markmullen said:

OMNIO said:

I was encouraged to go to an empty car park and learn the limits of my car

Useful things like going along at 15mph then turninng the wheel fast to see if it would understeer or not was helpful.

I also learnt how to control a slide and spent a good 2 hours in a sort of 'drift lunatic' mode

Found it incredibly entertaining and massively useful to learn this sort of stuff before it happened to me on the road.

I also found out that my mondeo cant J turn either that or i wasnt doing it right..... if we get some decent snow here ill go back and try again!

I did keep in mind though that its one thing to do 30mph on snow/ice in a huge car park and fk it all up and get away with it, its quite another to be silly on the road fk it all up and hurt someone.

This.

Every year it snows I find somewhere nice and quiet to practice, getting the car our of line and recovering it. If you're used to correcting anything that might happen in a quiet wide open car park then if it happens in real life you don't panic, just react to it.

That or go karting at a quick outdoor karting circuit on a wet day

[vrooom]

Sell the FWD and buy RWD for double fun!

[DanGPR]

1. Go to car park
2. Accelerate to around 15mph
3. Turn in
4. Dab handbrake
5. Modulte throttle whilst applying a "dab of oppo"
6. Remember to not engage clutch whilst sideways!
7.Drive off with smug look, feeling like Mika Hakkinen...

[twazzock]

DanGPR said:

1. Go to car park
2. Accelerate to around 15mph
3. Turn in
4. Dab handbrake
5. Modulte throttle whilst applying a "dab of oppo"
6. Remember to not engage clutch whilst sideways!
7.Drive off with smug look, feeling like Mika Hakkinen...

Then rinse & repeat.

Had GREAT fun last night, even with a friend on board who's completely uninterested in cars!

[slomax]

D18OCK said:

- Follow tramlines if made by volume of traffic

Try doing this in a three wheeler...
Last year we went out and the tramlines were just wet, not compacted snow, but in the middle was about 4 inches or so of mush. Back end kept sliding all over the shop. Was quite fun though. It would have been the hilarious if we were in a RWD trike though, like a Morgan or a JZR!

[Gwagon111]

Do not use cat litter to try and get moving. Cat litter is a clay like substance which will only make things worse. Use sharp sand or grit.