Symmetrical AWD

[PasoRoblesJimmy]

Studded tires did work well but were banned here eons ago, causing too much wear on the pavement. Closest thing we can use would be the tires made with grit imbedded in the tread compound. But the tread compound is soft so they will not last long making them rather expensive in the overall scheme of things.

Les Schwab tire centers do siping on the new tires that they sell. Siping seems to help prevent hydroplaning when its raining.

 

[Dieselshawn]

Up here in Canada, I had an old 1992 ranger that I bought for $150.

Has 2wd, open diff, 5 speed manual, gutless 3.0 v6, and decent on gas.

During the winter months, I have 500 lbs of sand bags in the rear, blizzaks on, and it really goes through snow.

Best money ever spent on a vehicle.

I had a 2002 FX4 Off-Road ranger at the same time as the 1992.

The 92 beat the 4x4 ranger in snow and slippery surfaces. So the 2002 stayed in storage.

Now I could've added weight, blizzaks, etc to the 2002 but the thing is a gas hog already in the summer and stupid in the winter.

Now I drive a big Dodge Cummins. It has snow tires, 1,000 lbs of weight to offset the front end weight of the diesel.

99.9% of the time, the 4wd is never used.

I drive accordingly to road conditions, which means drive slow. Meanwhile, many trucks with 4wd engaged, cars, AND some subarus as well are in the ditch.

It's the people driving, not the technology that causes problems.

I've heard many of these stories: "But officer, if I had the 4wd engaged, which I forgot to do, my boyfriend's truck would not have been in the ditch on the side, wrapped around a tree."

That response was reported in the police report. She and her boyfriend got slammed by the insurance company with higher premiums.

Insurance companies also know the better drivers are the ones with 2wds as they can't drive as fast, go through as much snow, and more likely to stay at home.

 

[blades]

Going through snow isn't the problem its the salting that causes a freeze/thaw cycle during a storm that makes everything into skating rink. Really do not care what you are driving or tires short of steel tracks, once your wheels get a coating of that stuff on them might just a well be playing in the wet gumbo out west. That slush loads up under your foot print and you are basically hydroplaning on it.

 

[Dieselshawn]

Going through snow isn't the problem its the salting that causes a freeze/thaw cycle during a storm that makes everything into skating rink. Really do not care what you are driving or tires short of steel tracks, once your wheels get a coating of that stuff on them might just a well be playing in the wet gumbo out west. That slush loads up under your foot print and you are basically hydroplaning on it.

I do wish they would stop using salt or calcium on the roads here. It's so damaging to vehicles, cost a lot of money, damaging to roads but some how it's cheaper than getting lawsuits from people that should not be driving at all.

In Europe they don't use salt or any product on the roads.

 

[PasoRoblesJimmy]

They put sand on the roads here.

 

[Dieselshawn]

They put sand on the roads here.

I'm ok with sand. Not chemicals.