Forget 4x4s in this weather

[HappyCampers]

Complete wheels are available from on line sellers such as My Tyres. The rims are about £30 to £50, IIRC, depending on the size of the wheel.

 

not even £30 for the wheels - when we got a quote for my wifes car, all up it was about £350 for a full set of Goodyear Winter tyres and steel wheels, less than the price of a full set (tyres only) Michelin Energys on it now. Not sure what quality paint to expect on the wheels mind

[Eater Sundae]

Probably not, but I expect that they still need to eat.

 

---------- Post added 24-03-2013 at 18:04 ----------

 

 

But 4WD on winter tyres would be the best option.

 

---------- Post added 24-03-2013 at 18:08 ----------

 

 

I wouldn't think that 4WD makes a huge difference on a descent. You can do the same thing with a FWD car (ie in 1st gear, downhill at tickover speed), it's controlling the speed using 2 wheels instead of 4 of course, but I wonder if you can't achieve 4 wheel retardation by pulling the handbrake on 1 or 2 clicks, not enough to lock the back wheels of course, just enough so that they are taking some of the load as well.

 

But some (premium and true off-road capable) 4WD cars have specific equipment to control a descent on slippy slidy sludge (and presumably OK for snow and ice). It is more than just tickover in a low gear, I think.

[denomis]

But how many 2 wheel drive vehicles have succumbed to the recent weather?

Yesterday I was out and about in my Landrover. I went down Gleadless rd, Roebuck rd up Chesterfield road and past buses, cars and HGV stuck in the snow.

Driving was a piece of cake. It was just a matter of selecting low ratio and letting the engine control the speed of the vehicle when going down hill.

The problem with modern 4 wheel drive vehicles is that they do not have high and low ratio.

My wife has a CRV and it is a very good vehicle in adverse weather but for yesterday's scenario we used my vehicle to get her to work as I would not have risked it down Gleadless rd.

 

 

Yeah I was going up rails road in the snow following some supposed vauxhall 4x4 and he got stuck lol I breezed passed in the impreza which has proper awd with high/low ratio.

[johnme]

As long as you remember if you start sliding down a hill 4x4 won't help.

 

I put mine on at the end of October last year, usually swap around in March! But this year might have to wait a bit. I'll give you a wave as I drive past when you've crashed into a lamp post at the bottom of the road.

 

been a driver for 40 years driving artics around the country often leaving home for the depot at 3am . a 4x4 and someone who knows how to drive in such conditions and respects the conditions will not end up in the wall, if i can go down the hill with 40 ton pushing me down and miss the lamp post im sure i will miss it with my 4x4. i will leave the lamp posts for the numpties that think they are the greatest in their 4x4 or the ones in cars with cheap well worn tyres that they have been meaning to change. how many car drivers start to wheel spin so they floor the gas pedel thinking it will get them up the hill only to get caught out when they slide sideways

[Rupert_Baehr]

Could probably find a car magazine thats done it.

 

Thing is tho people don't stop to think when driving around in the 'range'.

They certainly don't stop to engage hill descent mode.

I think most don't even think to engage 4WD mode, they just expect the vehicle to do everything automatically and to make them a driving god.

 

Doesn't your car sort out which wheels to use and which gear to be in automatically?

 

My (wife's) car is only a minor driving god. It can slam on the brakes if it thinks you are getting too close to the car in front at low speeds, but the Thor model will shout at you if you move out of the lane you're in without indicating or if you get too close to the car in front at cruising speed.

 

(Actually, given the way it nags if you do something wrong, it's probably more of a Völva than a Thor.)

[Penistone999]

Why buy a 4x4 and pay the extra fuel and tax not to mention the other running costs, the way forward is winter tyres, i've not been stuck once and they practically turn your car into a 4x4 anyway.

 

The amount of astonished faces that has seen me drive up steep snowy hills was great to see.

 

A 4x4 isnt just for winter ......... its an all year round motor.

[AF Removals]

Plus very good for pulling big caravan around when sites don't allow vans

[milliardo]

When we were clearing our hill today, stepped aside and this small little box rustbox came nailing down it, think it was an old suzuki. He razzed down, turned around, razzed back straight up the hill with no issues. I know what car I'm getting.

[Cyclone]

But some (premium and true off-road capable) 4WD cars have specific equipment to control a descent on slippy slidy sludge (and presumably OK for snow and ice). It is more than just tickover in a low gear, I think.

 

Yeah, a hill descent system would be the best bet, independently controlling power/brake to each wheel.

 

---------- Post added 25-03-2013 at 08:15 ----------

 

Not sure you want to 'click' the handbrake, if you are going to do this hold the handbrake button in so you can release immediately if you need to - usually 1 wheel locks well before the other. 4WD descending is better (usually) in that it feels much more in control/balanced

 

My old Nissan 4x4 had diff locks too which really are awesome. Alas, the thing had rubbish Wanli tyres when we got it - you could engage full 4WD and diff locks and still go no where as it span all 4 wheels - funny though. Decent all season tyres made a world of difference

 

Good point, but it was a comparison to a 4WD without hill descent, in which case any one of the wheels could lock up even under engine breaking.

 

4WD is still better, I wasn't trying to say otherwise, just that you could get a similar if inferior 4 wheel retardation in a FWD in this way.

[vwkittie]

I would have thought a controllable/lockable diff would be useful to help set off and get up hills that you get in some 4x4s?

 

Also I think ground clearance that you get with some 4x4s would be a major benefit, winter tyres won't help when your front splitter is being ragged off by being used as a snow plough as mine would be with any kind of depth!