* -- == ] OFFICIAL SNOW ADVICE Thread! [ == -- *

[Phoenix86]

GEAR DOWN!

Whether you have basic, advanced, or no anti-lock brakes, its always better to drop down a gear than to slam your brakes. You maintain control better and depending on the surface, you may even slow down better.

Ironically the one time I spun out on the ice I was doing exactly this, didn't ease into the gear and the engine braking was too much, into the curb I went.

It's good advice, just be smarter than I was about it.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I've been driving in Michigan winters for 20 years and I've never owned a set of snow tires.

Buy a decent set of all seasons and you will be fine. But maybe our tire stores only stock higher quality all seasons because of our weather? I don't know. I just know I've never owned snow tires.

Yeah for my first car I never bothered. Car was a 98 and came with original tires. Drove that for a year or so till I got a flat and got all 4 changed with all seasons. The car was on the verge of dying a few years after so did not want to invest in snow tires. For my current car I have snow tires though.

 

[cbrunny]

This would be a great thread if it were November. It's March, man. It got up to -8C today here. Winter is over.

 

[DrPizza]

Need for snow tires varies a bit with the vehicle. My grand caravan weighs a ton. Actually, a little over 2 tons. My wife's Cruze - seems like a paper weight, though in a stiff breeze, it might blow away with the paper. Her car would really benefit from snow tires. My van handles like a champ in the snow. Some lighter cars just seem to slide pretty easily in the snow. Winter tires, of course, improve the handling and driving of practically any vehicle. I don't consider it worth the expense for my van though. 30,000+ miles per year, plenty of it in snowy weather (not sure where we're at; around 90 inches so far, I think), and I don't recall slipping a bit this winter. I think with winter tires, I'd simply drive faster. But, next winter, I'll seriously consider winter tires for my wife's vehicle though.

 

[Red Squirrel]

This would be a great thread if it were November. It's March, man. It got up to -8C today here. Winter is over.

Storm season is just about to begin. The snow that's on the ground now? It will double by May. :biggrin:

 

[cbrunny]

Storm season is just about to begin. The snow that's on the ground now? It will double by May. :biggrin:

Not for us! We will have highs above zero next week all week. We will still get more snow. Now out of this yet. But the worst is over.