Does anyone else here lower their tire pressure for better traction on the snow and ice. IF so by how much?? I normally run 30 PSI on my 91 pathfinder's 31' tires but when the snow hits I air it down to the factory 26 psi recomendation, I'm wondering if I can even go lower for better traction?
TIre pressure and winter traction.
- Thread starter stang5
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The owner's manual for my VW says to raise the pressure by 3 PSI in winter. I think the thought is that you want a smaller contact patch in winter.
Yup, my Audi's manual also recommended adding an extra 3 PSI to winter tires. Don't know what the logic behind it was though.
Stang,
Here's the theory:
Even a small amount of contact with the road surface is better than 100% contact with snow. So reducing the footprint area improves the probability that you will reach the road surface, ergo, higher pressures are better.
The exception to that is where you know you will never reach the road surface and the snow is soft and powdery and reacts more like sand. This is fairly rare and the other situations are encountered more often.
Besides, slush reacts like thick water, and anything you can do to punch through slush is gooooood!
Here's the theory:
Even a small amount of contact with the road surface is better than 100% contact with snow. So reducing the footprint area improves the probability that you will reach the road surface, ergo, higher pressures are better.
The exception to that is where you know you will never reach the road surface and the snow is soft and powdery and reacts more like sand. This is fairly rare and the other situations are encountered more often.
Besides, slush reacts like thick water, and anything you can do to punch through slush is gooooood!
Kestas
Staff member
There's so many different types of road conditions during the winter - ice, powder, hard pack, slush, a dusting. Is this advice valid for all types of conditions?
I drop my drive tires (rwd) by a couple psi in the winter. (since road salt is a favorite around here you are driving on dry pavement late in the day I won't go drastically lower)
A softer tire will conform to the terrain, if its a slippery surface, the more grabbing edges you have the better your odds of being able to get moving.
Alex.
A softer tire will conform to the terrain, if its a slippery surface, the more grabbing edges you have the better your odds of being able to get moving.
Alex.
I would never go below the manufacturers recommended pressure, regardless of the conditions.
Yes, the only exceptions are pure ice and pure snow - conditions which are encountered much less frequently than conditions where higher pressure is beneficial - which is why you'll find lots of official recommendaions for higher pressures from tire manufacturers and vehicle manufacturers.
Perhaps owners manuals recommend a higher pressure to compensate for the cold; so tires are less prone to end up underinflated after a short time.
I've always had better luck dropping the tire pressure, especially in deep snow. I've been stuck in 4wd in deep snow and dropping the pressure to about 20 psi allowed me to drive right out.
I've always had better luck dropping the tire pressure, especially in deep snow. I've been stuck in 4wd in deep snow and dropping the pressure to about 20 psi allowed me to drive right out.
I run my '92 Wrangler trail rig at 6psi off road with 35" tires and 18-20psi on the street. Decreasing the air in your tires in harsh conditions will increase traction.
I'm going to do something that I really hate when others do it - repeat what I said earlier - but it's apparent some folks haven't understood what I was saying.
Decreasing inflation pressure works when there's no chance of reaching the road surface. But beware of drawing conclusions based on being stuck in a snow drift.
Same with using off road as an experience. If there is a road surface to get through to - then it's best to get through to it.
Decreasing inflation pressure works when there's no chance of reaching the road surface. But beware of drawing conclusions based on being stuck in a snow drift.
Same with using off road as an experience. If there is a road surface to get through to - then it's best to get through to it.
I understand you didn't read my post.
I read your post. The thread topic is "Tire Pressure and Winter Traction" and the point under scrutiny is whether decreasing tire pressure increases traction. It appears to me that Capri's main point is that for road applications excluding solid ice and very deep snow, decreasing air pressure does not give an advantage.
Two posts, including yours, read to me like the alternate position was being taken. Given the general thread topic, harsh conditions is not really descriptive enough to exclude on-road application. Many people in the driving public consider snow on the road to be harsh conditions. I read your post to say: given my off-road experience with low pressure [then] low pressure gives better traction in [generic] harsh conditions.
So my Ox isn't being gored here (or my smilie being clubbed) but I took your post the same way given the way it was written.
Like you, I have experience in off-road conditions driving over surfaces that "have no bottom". The goal with airing down is to increase tire flotation by increasing the size of the contact patch so you don't dig to China (or at least until vehicle weight is resting on your frame and axles instead of the tires). But that seems to me like a different topic.
It sounds like we agree that for driving around town in winter conditions (with exceptions noted) it is best to maintain regular air pressure as a general rule of thumb. If the streets are covered with solid ice or 3-foot snow, most bets are off.
Should have read "regular air pressure or slightly higher".
I thought the biggest problem with winter driving conditions that makes it so difficult on tires (and inflation selection) is that there can be rapidly changing conditions. I don't have that much experience in winter driving, but I've encountered plowed roads, heavy snow, rain, slush, and ice within an hour. I guess there is no single answer, except maybe slow down if the conditions warrant it. No tire or tire pressure is going to make up for a lack of good judgement.
I have found that the soft compound winter tires will wear excessively in the centers if inflated to the vehicle manufacturer's spec, I've had very good luck with around 28-29 PSI. I've worn out half a dozen or so sets of snow tires from new at this point, and my wife has worn out several sets. I measure tread depth with a digital caliper and keep a close eye on things. Of course this varies by vehicle, tires, and conditions, and I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all solution.
Winter conditions vary significantly, and what we consider routine or extreme is subjective. I used to live on a dirt road that was rarely plowed during big lake-effect events, so 12"-18" of snow on the road wasn't unheard of. 4"-6" was very common. I often find that I can't seem to find a common ground with people when discussing winter vehicle and tire performance in forums, as this is what I consider normal, and certainly most do not. These debates must first be framed with some definitions. To me deep snow is at least leaving marks behind me from the body of the vehicle. People who live near the lake-effect portions of the great lakes or in the mountains certainly have a different perspective on snowfall.
Oh this brings back wonderful memories, when it actually got cold enough to snow, in the days before perpetual October.
Winter conditions vary significantly, and what we consider routine or extreme is subjective. I used to live on a dirt road that was rarely plowed during big lake-effect events, so 12"-18" of snow on the road wasn't unheard of. 4"-6" was very common. I often find that I can't seem to find a common ground with people when discussing winter vehicle and tire performance in forums, as this is what I consider normal, and certainly most do not. These debates must first be framed with some definitions. To me deep snow is at least leaving marks behind me from the body of the vehicle. People who live near the lake-effect portions of the great lakes or in the mountains certainly have a different perspective on snowfall.
Oh this brings back wonderful memories, when it actually got cold enough to snow, in the days before perpetual October.
One Man's wonderful memories is another's recurring nightmare.
I had an address near Romulus during a period of time when Buffalo nearly reached 150 inches of snow and my particular zip code had wind driven drifts blocking second floor fire escapes.
Gives me frostbite just thinking about it.
For the set of tires I just recently purchased I chose a narrower than stock size. Hopefully my truck will cut through the snow now rather than ride on top of it. Definitely keep the pressure up.
I always use "winter" tires such as Blizzaks and keep the air pressure at the factory recommendation and have never had any trouble getting around our keeping my vehicle under control. Higher pressure is better when trying to cut through slush and wet snow but lower is better when driving through a 2 foot drift so I just leave it right in the middle which is 30-35 psi for my cars.
I understand, but don't agree. I live in the Colorado rockies and have driven through #@$%! and back as far as crummy road conditions. Dropping air pressure on icy, snowy roads, whether it be 2 inches or 2 feet gives me better traction. I'd never in my life increase the tire pressure to gain traction on slippery roads! I like to live and sleep in my own bed at night
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