So tell me about snow chains...

[brightredmtn]

I grew up in Northern California to ski bum parents who were "too cool" to use chains. Well actually my father grew up on a farm outside Pennsylvania so I trust that he knew how to drive well in the snow (and we had good tires) and then when I was about 11 he got a 4 wheel drive Subaru.

I've never driven in the snow, despite living in NYC for four years.

Yesterday we had a pretty big snow storm for our area and chains were required in the metro area, getting home over a big hill wouldn't have happened without them. It was pretty scary driving around, we really shouldn't have but I just didn't believe that such a small amount of snow would cause so much trouble (never would have in the Sierras or NYC but we have like 2 snow plows here.)

So anyway, tell me everything that I need to know about driving with chains.

I already know not to drive over 30mph. You're not supposed to keep them on with no snow but what about ice? Am I going to kill my car if they are on for my neighborhood streets which are very snowy and icy but just icy on the main streets?

I'd love any tips for snow driving too. I stayed home from work today but I don't think that's going to fly tomorrow.

[Pixels]

Snow driving: Slow down. Way down. Go easy on the accelerator, and on the brake. Give yourself way too much stopping distance, it probably won't be enough. If you start to slide, steer where you want the car to go, and take your foot off the pedals until you get traction back. When you are at an intersection, make sure that the other cars are actually stopping before you go. Intersections tend to get icy, so the rest of the road might be fine, but icy right before the intersection, so then other cars may not be able to stop.

Oh and it goes without saying, wear your seat belt.

I don't have any info re chains, I've never used them or seen them used.

Melissa, who grew up in Buffalo NY, went to college in Rochester NY, and now lives west of Boston Mass.

[brightredmtn]

take your foot off the pedals until you get traction back.

Even with ABS?

Thanks for the info! Being from where you're from, you're definitely an expert!

[Pixels]

Absolutely with ABS. ABS does nothing if you don't have your foot on the brake, and you can lose traction accelerating. ABS does shorten stopping distances on wet roads, but that is the only time that is true. It is equal with non-ABS on dry pavement, and on gravel or snow, non-ABS actually is better. The snow/gravel will build up just in front of the tire and act like a little dam.

Anyway, when you lose traction, you want to take your foot off the pedal so that the tires can have a chance to grab again. They can't do that if they are locked up (braking) or spinning out of control (accelerator).

Any time (snow or not) you feel the vibration in the brake pedal that the ABS has kicked in, you want to ease off the brake a bit. The ideal amount of braking is just shy of ABS kicking in.

[rodentranger]

I've always been told to steer into it when you lose traction. If you try to steer out of it, you'll never win.
My best snow driving tip is let someone with more experience drive! All the fancy traction devices in the world don't make up for experience.
Case in point: A few years ago we had a big storm. I had a Jeep Wrangler. I tried to go to work and ended up finally stopping thisclose to the corner of someone's garage after deciding I really should just stay home. I couldn't get my Jeep to go any direction except toward the garage no matter what I did. So I did what any self respecting driver would. I called my boyfriend to come rescue me. In his Honda Prelude. :rolleyes: He had no problems. He had a lot more winter driving experience than I did.
Let me tell you the fun both of our respective co-workers had with that one!

[skiersnowboarder3]

After a fresh snow, find a big empty parking lot that has not been plowed yet and go nuts. Many "techniques" you will not learn until without actually using them and you don't want to wait until you need them to learn how.

[southpawboston]

i'll just add to what pixels99 said, that another helpful tip for areas with lots of snow is to have true snow tires, not "all-seasons" (which are really like no-seasons). snow tires not only have a more aggressive tread for gripping snow, they also have a softer compound that stays more pliable in cold temps and gives them better traction on all surfaces. all-season tires harden up in cold temps, and hard rubber has greatly diminished traction on any surface, wet or dry. and yeah, find a big parking lot in the middle of the night in a snowstorm with no cars and go crazy! the best way to learn about getting a car into control is to take it out of control.

[featherhead]

Shifting down before accelerating or slowing down helps as well.

[beeman]

Shifting down before accelerating or slowing down helps as well.

You have to be really careful shifting down on ice. Shifting down gives more torque, which increases your chances of the drive tires losing traction. Be prepared for that when shifting down on the ice. This is a case of the less power the better :twocents: .

As said before, good winter tires are your best bet for the winter. Chains will give you traction in a lot of areas that a vehicle would not go through otherwise. IMHO, they are only necessary for steep slippery hills, and for deep snow driving. Other than that, they are a pita :twocents: . I'm from Saskatchewan, and in 4 years of winter driving, I have not needed chains for highway/street driving (off-roading on the farm is a different story).

[Pixels]

Actually, upshifting helps with acceleration traction. My dad's F350 pickup truck is absolutely horrible in the snow/ice because it has soooo much torque. I thought he must always be tromping on the accelerator because every single time he would start from a dead stop, he would spin the tires. Then I drove it one day, and I did it. Then I did it very slowly and carefully. I s l o w l y pressed on the accelerator, and the tires still spun. I'd rather drive my Honda Civic in the snow over his F350 truck any day. Of course it also helps that my car is a manual transmission, so I have absolute control over what is happening with the transmission.

[brightredmtn]

i'll just add to what pixels99 said, that another helpful tip for areas with lots of snow is to have true snow tires, not "all-seasons" (which are really like no-seasons). snow tires not only have a more aggressive tread for gripping snow, they also have a softer compound that stays more pliable in cold temps and gives them better traction on all surfaces.

Would these be good for rain too? We get far more rain than snow usually... Typically we'll have one bad snow day a year and then just a few days of light dusting that doesn't really stick. However snow and below freezing temps is in the forecast for three more days this week so maybe we're in for an especially snowy/cold winter.

[southpawboston]

Would these be good for rain too? We get far more rain than snow usually... Typically we'll have one bad snow day a year and then just a few days of light dusting that doesn't really stick. However snow and below freezing temps is in the forecast for three more days this week so maybe we're in for an especially snowy/cold winter.

snow tires are great in the rain. the only problem with snow tires is that because of the softer compound, they wear more quickly, especially in warm weather. they will get worn out in 5-10k miles if driven in summer. the soft compound also decreases fuel efficiency. even in winter driving, they only get about 15-20k miles worth of useable treadlife, max. that's why they're not good year-round, and the converse is why "all-seasons" are really not great in winter-- the rubber hardens up and looses its grip. there is no one perfect rubber compound good for all weather conditions. best is to have summer tires for 3-season driving and winter tires for winter driving.

[bubbaray]

I've used radial chains many times over the years. I"m in Vancouver BC and have only needed them in the city once in 26 yrs of driving. I have, however, used them to go skiing and through the mountains. I chain up when there compact snow. Not ice. If you hit bare pavement for any period of time, the radial chains will snap, spin around on the tire and ruin your undercarriage, your tires, or worse. Not a good thing.

[brightredmtn]

snow tires are great in the rain. the only problem with snow tires is that because of the softer compound, they wear more quickly, especially in warm weather. they will get worn out in 5-10k miles if driven in summer. the soft compound also decreases fuel efficiency. even in winter driving, they only get about 15-20k miles worth of useable treadlife, max. that's why they're not good year-round, and the converse is why "all-seasons" are really not great in winter-- the rubber hardens up and looses its grip. there is no one perfect rubber compound good for all weather conditions. best is to have summer tires for 3-season driving and winter tires for winter driving.

Cool, I'm going to get some this weekend (or maybe tomorrow since it's supposed to be another big snow day.) You think I can just go to Firestone and have them help me pick something out?

Now I just need to figure out how I'm going to get my old tires back home in my Corolla... Yet another reason why I so terribly miss LA. I never had to worry about any of this back home :crying:

[An Aurora]

Shifting down before accelerating or slowing down helps as well.

You have to be really careful shifting down on ice. Shifting down gives more torque, which increases your chances of the drive tires losing traction. Be prepared for that when shifting down on the ice. This is a case of the less power the better :twocents: .



Yeah, this. Any change in momentum (shifting, braking, accelerating) is not good. Slow and steady is key.

[featherhead]

Ok, I was thinking about my reply this morning and now I know why. I haven't really had to drive in bad weather/ice for a year or so, so I had kinda forgotten.

DH is the one who shifts down for accelerating sometimes.
I shift into neutral for braking on ice or slippery roads. My dad taught me this and it does work. I'm not sure if you do the same with ABS or not.

[pastrygirl]

Cool, I'm going to get some this weekend (or maybe tomorrow since it's supposed to be another big snow day.) You think I can just go to Firestone and have them help me pick something out?

Now I just need to figure out how I'm going to get my old tires back home in my Corolla... Yet another reason why I so terribly miss LA. I never had to worry about any of this back home :crying:Make sure you get them on steel rims/wheels, that way you can just change them out like you're changing a tire. Also, don't forget to get a 5th one for your spare. I really like Blizzaks.

[southpawboston]

Make sure you get them on steel rims/wheels, that way you can just change them out like you're changing a tire. Also, don't forget to get a 5th one for your spare. I really like Blizzaks.

i wouldn't worry about getting a spare, especially if your spare tire well is only large enough for the "donut" spare that cars come with nowadays.

the spare set of rims is a smart investment because it saves you the cost of mounting and balancing the snow/summer tires on the same set of rims twice a year, which could cost $160 every year. if you do get a spare wet of steel rims "winter steelies", check to see if your local tire place offers free winter/summer swaps, meaning that in december they will take off your summer rim and tire set and put your winter rim and tire set on, and vice versa in spring, for FREE if you buy the set from them. this is what my local tire shop does, and it saves me $80 a year.

[pastrygirl]

i wouldn't worry about getting a spare, especially if your spare tire well is only large enough for the "donut" spare that cars come with nowadays.Oops, I forgot. I have a full-size spare and AWD, so I have to have a spare that matches. I forgot that some cars come with donuts... :o

[safeinthecar]

After a fresh snow, find a big empty parking lot that has not been plowed yet and go nuts. Many "techniques" you will not learn until without actually using them and you don't want to wait until you need them to learn how.

I can't tell you how very helpful and important this is. It's also tons of fun. My first winter in Nevada I had a grand time sliding around the parking lot at Walmart one night. There was even a cop that happened by that stopped to give me a few pointers.