Driving On Icy Roads With 4 W.D.

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
True 4wd does help as sort of mechanical ABS. All cars have huge front brake bias, so you will always lock a front tire first before your back tires approach maximum braking, especially on ice and snow. 4WD equalizes tire speeds on both axles so both axles can achieve maximum braking. On the Tracker I'm sure it cuts braking distance by 10-20% but it does sacrifice some stability as now both ends lose grip together allowing the back end to slide sideways. Probably some of the reason so many 4wd cars end up in the ditch... A fwd with lawn dart handling give you a warning with locking the fronts first so you can back off the pedal without any sort of steering input required. A slightly sideways SUV at 60mph on ice or snow isn't too tolerant of an over correction and takes some guts/skill not to panic and drive out of it.


Interesting. I hadn't thought about that before, but it makes sense for any true 4WD without a center diff. My Mazda3 seems to brake as good or better than any trucks or cars I've driven in winter conditions, even with my tires nearing the end of the winter tire phase of their lives. The difference is almost certainly due to the more advanced variable brake force distribution.

 

[SOHCman]

The new mazda system, no doubt shared by ford, seem to be very advanced. A relative has a new escape and apperantly you can even punch it in ice/snow and it will just propel you forward with no spinning or drama.

Must be lots of sensors and traction control computing, and probably fancy new fangled differentials to accomplish this.

 

[jimbrewer]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Warstud
and does tire tread matter on ice?

Yes, proper winter/ice tires matter more than AWD/4WD.


+1. I run circles around most 4x4s with a set of Blizzaks on my F-150.

 

[antiqueshell]

Bottom line is that the reason these geniuses in their 4WD seem to get into more serious situations is because they do have more control until they have NO control due to ice, then they are usually going faster, and are surprised when the traction completely leaves them. The surprise is what gets them every time.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: antiqueshell
Bottom line is that the reason these geniuses in their 4WD seem to get into more serious situations is because they do have more control until they have NO control due to ice, then they are usually going faster, and are surprised when the traction completely leaves them. The surprise is what gets them every time.


That's what seems to happen. Most of the rain, snow, and ice accidents I see on the LIE and Southern State Parkway involve people driving 4x4's. They think they they have some kind of magic ability to drive fast and stop no matter what the conditions are. They learn the hard way if they survive the crash. They also cause people using the roadways a headache waiting for the wreck to be cleared.

 

[fdcg27]

The correct answer is that it doesn't matter.
A good AWD setup will be superior to any mechanical 4X4 under bad conditions, but that doesn't really matter either.
Winter tires really are great but they don't transform the ham-fisted driver into an ace in bad conditions either.
Those of us who grew up driving RWD vehicles on bias ply or bias belted tires in areas with real winter learned car control at an early age and have no trouble driving anything on any tires in winter.
The driver needs to be able to correct the small slides and then center the steering wheel.
If he can't do that, neither four wheel drive nor winter tires will keep him out of trouble.
My personal preference for bad winter conditons is something small that won't use a lot of road when recovery from a slide is needed.
I'd have no use for a 4X4 truck, although our two Subarus are certainly nice for winter.
A pickup is bad enough in the rain, since the weight distribution unladen is all wrong.

 

[rjundi]

^+ above,

my wife learned on FWD Japanese econoboxes with bald all-seasons. She is an amazing winter driver. She currently drives a 2005 Legacy turbo manual with high performance with poor in the snow Yokohama tires with no stability control or fancy electronics in AWD.

She cannot stand my 2007 MDX with its trick SH-AWD that is using AWD as stability control. She feels disconnected and misses the feeling of car loosing control as she can simply counteract in her vehicle.

That is the main reason she hangs onto her car, she loves the pure simple bliss and control of it along with turbo.