Subj : Re: snow.. To : Barry Martin From : Ky Moffet Date : Sat Dec 27 2025 07:34:00 BARRY MARTIN wrote: > Hi Ky! > > > > No! Use low gear!! When I first moved to Iowa from New Hampshire did > > KM> My big truck has so much torque in first that it tries to move > > KM> the whole road. On ice I have to use 2nd. > > Probably right -- depends on the vehicle but want whatever does slow and > > steady. Peeling out on ice isn't a good thing! > KM> Peeling the pavement off the road is also frowned upon!! > > But might get soften some of the potholes edges! Or make 'em a whole lot bigger! > KM> I did a winter in Boise (where the winter roads are an icy mess) > KM> in that truck with bald highway tires, and it was still pretty > KM> decent -- I slid around less than most. It's no good on > KM> washboards, tho, dirt or ice -- suspension is so stiff that it > KM> bounces sideways, plus those 10-ply tires are stiff as trees. > > I'm thinking maybe the baldness of your tires gave more contact with the Actually no, made it slicker. Advantage was mostly the dual rear wheels (THERE is a big contact patch) and that the rear end is heavy enough to balance the front. And that it's got a really good 2nd gear for going slow. > road, As for that stiffness, uncomfortable, but gets the job done! I > would suppose there is a reason for choosing the super-stuff suspension > and use of twn-ply tires. Off the list is cruising down to the > early-bird special! Stiff so it can handle big loads. That was the whole point of this truck, a heavy tow vehicle for when I moved. But I love driving it too. I prefer everything on the stiff side, better road feel, but it's not so good when the road is super rough. I put half a ton of feed in the back, or 4000 pounds of trailer on the hitch, and it doesn't even NOTICE. > > KM> Now it has Cooper all-terrains and they are great. They were also > KM> the choice-of-one in Made in USA (Chinese tires crack) and a > KM> doable size on the dual rear wheels, so they don't 'kiss' when > KM> they flex. They are now 12 years old, about 30k miles, and still > KM> almost like new. > > Good investment! Yeah, especially at $1200 ($1800 in today's money) for the set of six. They'd BETTER last!! I have seen American-made tires (sujpercheap trailer tires at that) still good at 50+ years old. Chinese tires are why now the recommendation is replace 'em every five years. > KM> NO GRIP on wet pavement never mind snow. Never buy Chinese tires. > KM> They are junk.) > > I'll try not to but IIRC the last two times I purchased tires (two > different shops) I had a choice of two because of the size: seems like > they're a 13 - 9 (??). I remember when I first got the car and people > commented on the small diameter wheels: "you can replace all for for > $100!". Because of the width closer to $100 each. Small wheels wear out tires faster.... it's done to reduce weight, same as the low profile tires. Not for the advantage of the car or driver. Same as all the "innovations" of the past thirty years, really, because that's how they make CAFE standards for fuel economy. > KM> Put your studded tires on ALL FOUR WHEELS, even on a > KM> 2-wheel-drive vehicle. Makes a world of difference. With four > KM> studdeds I could not skid the Olds on glare ice even if I worked > KM> at it. Could stop dead on wet ice almost as fast as on dry > KM> pavement. (And then I got 6-ply tires for it, and it no longer > KM> needed winter tires at all.) > > Right: if rear-wheel drive then it seems to make sense to only have to > put them on the 'move it' wheels. Front wheels are doing the steering. Rear wheels losing traction is usually more recoverable than front wheels losing traction. However, the imbalance does you no good either. All four wheels with traction is a very good investment. With the little truck, I visited the junkyard and came away with four spare wheels for $100 (including two tires that will go on the junk trailer) so I don't have to seasonally change tires, just wheels. > ..Even with front wheel drive with the front wheels are doing the > steering and pulling still a good idea to have additional traction on > the rear wheels so they don't go flailing when cornering. With front wheel drive you are always towing, so if the rear loses traction it wants to fishtail you into the ditch. Also why with front wheel drive you never put a heavy load in the trunk then expect to drive a straight line on a wet road. (Can you tell how much I hate it??) þ RNET 2.10U: ILink: Techware BBS þ Hollywood, Ca þ www.techware2k.com --- QScan/PCB v1.20a / 01-0462 * Origin: ILink: CFBBS | cfbbs.no-ip.com (454:1/1) .