snow handling Options

[bigal004321]

Since it is getting close to winter and i havent had a chance to drive my car all summer due to the 3sgte swap, i was jsut wondering how the car handles in the snow? Especiallly since i will have all that added power that wasnt intended for this car in teh first place. I was planning on using hakkapeliittas snow tires btw.

thanks
bigal

[hitcachi]

is it lowered? Its all in the tires and driver my friend.

This post has been edited by hitcachi: Nov 4, 2006 - 3:08 AM

[Kadett]

Driven with both the 3S-GE and 3S-GTE now. The GTE behaves like the GE untill about 2500rpm. Driven the car (with GE) in winter with no problems. Just go easy on the rpms and shift before 2500-3000 rpm and you will be fine.

[94celicadude]

+1 about all being about the tires and driver.

This post has been edited by 94celicadude: Nov 4, 2006 - 2:40 PM

[spolski07]

good thing i dont have to worry about snow in texas!!!

[Bigmeanbulldog55]

Get some studded tires and prepare to use them. I've got a torquy little 5sfe, but lots of snow. I bet I make as much torque as a 3sgte until 3k. Car is a pain in the butt to drive without the right tires. I've drove several FF cars in the snow too, and the Celica just sucks at it.

[hurley97]

you should watch rally...

the car handles great but its all about who's driving

[snapshotgt]

you should watch rally...

the car handles great but its all about who's driving

Those cars are AWD though, so they are much better...

[Bigmeanbulldog55]

you should watch rally...

the car handles great but its all about who's driving

Those cars are AWD though, so they are much better...

There are a lot of FWD and RWD rally cars. Like the old Escorts rwd, the new SRT-4s fwd, and several minis fwd. And it really is driver. I've seen guys in RWD rally cars go up snowy hills with what looks like better grip than the FWD cars they were running against. That made me really think about this whole FWD > RWD in the snow thing.

[playr158]

snow handling 101....

1) left hand onthe wheel right hand on the e-brake...
2) less gas is better
3) use your MBC and close it ALL the way down so you run minimal boost and off your wastegate
4) remember the line from cars....turn right to go left, turn left to go right if you don't know what that means you need to buy the movie!~

[tomazws]

and the movie is out today!

[toyotacrazy]

I got some 205/60R15 nokian snow/all season tires. we'll see!

[dakk]

I agree.Tires and driver.

[hurley97]

you should watch rally...

the car handles great but its all about who's driving

Those cars are AWD though, so they are much better...

There are a lot of FWD and RWD rally cars. Like the old Escorts rwd, the new SRT-4s fwd, and several minis fwd. And it really is driver. I've seen guys in RWD rally cars go up snowy hills with what looks like better grip than the FWD cars they were running against. That made me really think about this whole FWD > RWD in the snow thing.

having all the weight of a FWD car directly over the drive axle increases traction in slippery conditions, its just not as good as RWD or AWD for handling...thats on fairly flat ground, on a hill the weight is distributed to the back a little more so the advantages of FWD aren't as evident.

[playr158]

in the snow it pretty much goes

AWD > FWD > RWD

[syaoran60085]

all the above what everyone says here is true, basically just buy yourself a really good treads of snow tires like hancock snow tires or Bridgestone snow tires. it handles good for me in my 5sfe so far plus like everyone says, it depends on the driver too. bigger power like turbo in your 6gc just need to work on accleration control to get traction that's all.

[jdg371]

a 4x4 block behind the accelerator..

tires will do wonders, get off the gas, follow the trail created by the cars infront, brake early, keep your eyes on the road!

[snapshotgt]

AWD > FWD > RWD

x2

[Bigmeanbulldog55]

AWD > FWD > RWD

x2

That is the traditional view. But due to what I've seen lately, I question it. There is no doubt that FWD is easier to control. And my experiance with mud trucks says that if you loose your front, you are screwed, but if you loose your rear you have a chance. I think it's not that FWD is worse than RWD in the snow, it's just that RWD isn't as bad as it's made out to be. But, it just takes more skill to use. I don't know, I'll have to test several cars in the snow with RWD, FWD, and AWD to actually know.

[Kwanza26]

That is the traditional view. But due to what I've seen lately, I question it. There is no doubt that FWD is easier to control. And my experiance with mud trucks says that if you loose your front, you are screwed, but if you loose your rear you have a chance. I think it's not that FWD is worse than RWD in the snow, it's just that RWD isn't as bad as it's made out to be. But, it just takes more skill to use. I don't know, I'll have to test several cars in the snow with RWD, FWD, and AWD to actually know.

Since I've already 'tested'... it's true what has been posted. AWD>FF>FR>MR/RR... but if you're not an idiot... none of them are that bad...

[Bigmeanbulldog55]

That is the traditional view. But due to what I've seen lately, I question it. There is no doubt that FWD is easier to control. And my experiance with mud trucks says that if you loose your front, you are screwed, but if you loose your rear you have a chance. I think it's not that FWD is worse than RWD in the snow, it's just that RWD isn't as bad as it's made out to be. But, it just takes more skill to use. I don't know, I'll have to test several cars in the snow with RWD, FWD, and AWD to actually know.

Since I've already 'tested'... it's true what has been posted. AWD>FF>FR>MR/RR... but if you're not an idiot... none of them are that bad...

What about the old beatles? They did great in the snow and they are RR. The Porshe Boxter is said to do well. AWD would definately be best. How much of a rear difference would there be in general across the FF - FR cars, if set up right. I think that is key. If it's a boat, obviously, it won't do as well in the snow. But if it's light and doesn't have loads of torque, would it really be that bad? The only thing FR I've driving in the snow was a Wrangler. It wasn't bad, but being so short, when it spun it would spin all the way around and fast. After you got the hang of it, it wasn't bad though, just had to expect it to do that.

[Kwanza26]

What about the old beatles? They did great in the snow and they are RR. The Porshe Boxter is said to do well. AWD would definately be best. How much of a rear difference would there be in general across the FF - FR cars, if set up right. I think that is key. If it's a boat, obviously, it won't do as well in the snow. But if it's light and doesn't have loads of torque, would it really be that bad? The only thing FR I've driving in the snow was a Wrangler. It wasn't bad, but being so short, when it spun it would spin all the way around and fast. After you got the hang of it, it wasn't bad though, just had to expect it to do that.

You can't measure people's abilities and skill when it comes to something like this... because a BAD AWD driver will do poorly in snow versus a good RR driver in snow. However... you level the playing field and take out the driver and look at it purely from a grip and weight transfer standpoint. MR/RR's will never perform as well as AWD in snow... DUH! because they transfer weight to the drive wheels which in turn will struggle for traction. FF cars don't have terrible weight transfer, so they don't hurt as much as FR cars. AGAIN... if you're not an idiot... none of them are that bad...

[Zimluura]

a little off topic, but in the *ice* they say that awd doesn't help. which i guess might be true, but imo, rwd really really hurts in the ice.

[SpoonR530]

I definitely agree that it all comes down to the driver. Many rally cars used rear wheel drive. All though you sacrifice traction, it gave the rally car driver the ability to "dance" when sliding through turns. Not sure but I think Carlos Sainz said this when the Celica rally car became AWD.
The bugs handle great in the snow for a few reasons. They are RR which just puts more weight on the tries (great for traction), They have air cooled engines (great for cold weather), and bad ass heaters!
IMO with the FF set up our Celica's actually handle quite well in the snow. But chains and or Studded snow tires will help.

[Bigmeanbulldog55]

MR/RR's will never perform as well as AWD in snow... DUH! because they transfer weight to the drive wheels which in turn will struggle for traction.

Dune Buddies and other RR cars do better than the 4WD trucks at off roading. It's fun to see actually. The 4x4 trucks trying to climb hills and what not, and then the dune buggies fly right up them. That's also why they say Hilter had a better "jeep" in WWII. His was just a modified Beetle. I'm more than willing to except that it is the driving and not the car. But, I've got issues with this RR thing. Oh, AWD helps on the ice, and would actually be the best hands down. The reason they say it doesn't help is because 4 wheels forward doesn't help when stopping anymore than 2 wheels forward. People get cocky in there AWD cars and think they can stop faster than a FF or FR cars. My buddy in his jeep thinks that. He drives like a tard. I told him my car with studs up front would stop better on an icy road than his jeep, and he actually argued with me because my car doesn't have 4WD.