Perfection has a name...SVX!

Chiketkd · #1 01-20-2005, 09:34 PM

Tonight is the start of the first *real* snow that Central VA has gotten this Winter and we should get a couple inches overnight and 5+ this coming weekend.

Around 9:30pm, I decided to go out for a quick spin and my step-daughter Kelsey tagged along. I went along some steep backroads which were unsalted and completely covered over by the white stuff. The awd 4EAT and my all-season Bridgestones handled it like it was nothing at all.

Kelsey was surprised we made it up a few inclines where there were some fwd/rwd cars that had been abandoned at the side of the road. She honestly commented that my car handled as well in the snow as my mother-in-law's awd Honda CR-V.

When we returned, she was beaming ear-to-ear, and my wife asked her if she was ever scared. Her reply "No way, I was in an SVX!"

-Chike

P.S. How's that for bonding with yer kids!

SSSVX · #2 01-21-2005, 01:37 AM

I think the SVX handles better but the CR-V can go deeper...hehe

I'm looking forward to the coming weekend.

Just now I went to some dirt roads, it was pretty tough to go. It's about 4-5 inches of snow and underneath was ice. When I was almost got stuck, my rear wheels kept spinning alot more than my front wheels(sometimes my front wheels stopped), do you know why?

svxistentialist · #3 01-21-2005, 02:39 AM

I'll make a guess.

Your front wheels had the benefit of fresh snow, which, when it compacts into the tread and compresses beneath the tyre, actually has a certain level of grip.

The rear tyres were following in the track of the fronts, and did not have the luxury of fresh snow to grip. So they kept polishing the track, and losing grip.

The AWD system assigns more torque to the wheels with better grip. As there is no way the system can assign zero torque to any one or two wheels, if your rears start spinning [or the fronts!] on really slippy stuff, then you lose traction and spin up the no-grip wheel/s. Laws of Physics, and all that.

To give the traction system a chance, you should drive with the MANU system on, and drive as smoothly as possible so as not to provoke a break in traction.

Joe

SilverSpear · #4 01-21-2005, 04:31 AM

yeah, but you need thinner wheels on snow, I guess a set of thin spare wheels will do the trick

svxistentialist · #5 01-21-2005, 05:09 AM

This is correct in principle, but in practise, would work against you in the SVX.

The thin tyres you mention [used for rallying] tend to have lugs on the treads, and dig deep for traction.

To offset the "digging deep" the suspension has to be set up for higher ground clearance, and the rims are often taller than standard, which will work in the wheelarches of rally cars.

With the SVX, if the tyres dig deep, the car will sit the body on top of the snow, and go nowhere.

Joe

svxistentialist · #6 01-21-2005, 05:15 AM

Just occurs to me,I have a JDM twin-turbo Legacy Wagon.

In Japan, they either ski a lot, or it snows a lot. Many of the Legacy awd wagons like mine come fitted with M&S tyres.

These have a block tread pattern, to grip the snow, and are the same size or a little narrower than standard.

Trouble is, these tyres are noisy and useless in any situation other than snow. I would consider their lack of stopping ability to be dangerous.

So my recommendation for a spare winter set would be decent M&S tyres with a winter low-temp rubber compound, maybe one size narrower than standard.

Joe

Chiketkd · #7 01-21-2005, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SSSVX
I think the SVX handles better but the CR-V can go deeper...hehe

Very true. The CR-V probably has 7-8 inches of ground clearance while our cars are closer to 4-5".

-Chike

svxfiles · #8 01-21-2005, 07:54 AM

Wednesday night, we had only two inches of snow on the ground, and I had driven 7+3/4s of the eight miles home, when on the next to last flat ninety degree turn, the one not protected from wind by trees, the back end let go first!

Then it was a long slow slide with me taking up both sides of the narrow road, finally catching it by tossing it in to neutral.
I'm glad no one else was there! It would have been stupid/embarassing to crash at 30mph

Tonight I put on the new 16s. Winter is here.

You be careful out there. Tom

Earthworm · #9 01-21-2005, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SSSVX
When I was almost got stuck, my rear wheels kept spinning alot more than my front wheels(sometimes my front wheels stopped), do you know why?

I guarantee that only one of your front wheels stopped spinning if your back wheels kept spinning.

When one wheel stops spinning the opposite side will be spinning twice as fast as your rear wheels or spedometer will indicate.

#10 01-21-2005, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by svxistentialist
I would consider their lack of stopping ability to be dangerous.

My front bumper can confirm this bit of fact. I have some pretty heavy duty snow tires on my svx, and it's like driving around on steel rollers when it comes to dry pavment situations.

Mike

Chiketkd · #11 01-21-2005, 09:36 PM

Finally was able to upload a pic I took this morning after the 1+ inches of snow we got last night.

One thing I did learn today, is that in snow of less than 3", my SVX is better than my mother-in-law's CR-V. She has a steep paved driveway and was unable to get even a 1/4 of the way up before her vehicle went sideways and slid back down. I just put my SVX in 1st gear and powered my way to the top...

-Chike

Landshark · #12 01-22-2005, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chiketkd
Finally was able to upload a pic I took this morning after the 1+ inches of snow we got last night.

dude, that's just a light dusting!

IBsomeonefromNewEnglandcallsPittsburghsnowweak

Matthewmongan · #13 01-22-2005, 05:23 AM

i would imagine that for a car like the svx thinner tires would be dramaticly worse because of the weight distribution over a smaller tread patch. i have seen the use of thin tires in mud boggin but i havent in snow. but i could be wrong. hopefully it should start snowing here and if im lucky we will have atleast 8 inches. theirs nothing better than driving past a salisbury cop in your awd sportscar knowing full well that in the event that you were to drive in a reckless maner that he could do nothing about it because america is stupid and they use the crown vic as a cop car..... seeing as i have the only svx in salisbury their will be no donoughts for me tonight. tear ... sniff sniff....

Landshark · #14 01-22-2005, 06:08 AM

thinner tires are better in the snow. if you don't believe that, try driving a Corvette on snow covered roads.

svxistentialist · #15 01-22-2005, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Landshark
thinner tires are better in the snow. if you don't believe that, try driving a Corvette on snow covered roads.

Agreed.

But we already said that using thinner tyres on the SVX will cause the body to sit on heavy snow.

The Impreza in your pic [nice one, BTW!] has 3 or 4 inches more ground clearance than the standard SVX.